Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has supported businesses with more than £4.7bn since the start of the pandemic. All Covid-19 business support funds have closed. No funds remain to be allocated from either the Business Ventilation Fund or other Covid 19 related funds.

The intelligent Liver Function Testing pathway (iLFT) used in Dundee, Tayside has been identified as best practice of early detection of liver disease.

It uses an automated, algorithm-based system to further investigate abnormal liver function test results on initial blood samples from primary care.

The Scottish Government has identified the iLFT pathway as eligible for adoption across NHS Scotland as part of its Modern Outpatient Programme.

The Tayside iLFT group is collaborating with other NHS Scotland Boards to assist with the implementation of iLFT within their laboratories and primary care services.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling stigma.

In December 2021 a national campaign was launched to tackle the stigma people with problematic alcohol and drug use face. This campaign sought to communicate that drug or alcohol problems are health conditions; people should receive help and support, not judgement.

We are working with Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems to develop an action plan in relation to alcohol and stigma. This will include advice from those with lived experience, third sector organisations and academics.

We are supporting the development of the forthcoming UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, led by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The guidance will look to introduce new approaches to treatment, including non-stigmatising service delivery.

On 20 June 2022, Public Health Scotland launched the Challenging Weight Stigma Learning Hub. The learning hub aims to raise awareness of the impact weight stigma can have on people living with overweight and obesity and what health professionals can do to mitigate this. It is interactive and has been developed alongside academics, health professionals and those with lived experience of stigma.

Scottish Ministers received the Public Inquiry Report on 18 February 2022 and are currently considering the terms of the report. The timeframe for considering reports, in addition to considering all other material considerations and application documents is very much site specific. The determination for Fetteresso is currently progressing in line with the most recent average timescales. 10 determinations, where a Public Inquiry was held, have been issued since January 2021. The average time taken, between receipt of the Public Inquiry Report from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (the “DPEA”) and the issue of these determinations, is around 6 months within a range of 2 to 15 months.

The Scottish Government encourages local authorities to deliver flood risk management actions that deliver multiple benefits, including for biodiversity. Securing positive effects for biodiversity is one of six statutory outcomes for our forthcoming National Planning Framework.

Falkirk Council has considered the potential impact of flood defence works and opportunities to enhance biodiversity through the option appraisal and decision-making processes. Progress against sustainability and environmental goals is reported to the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme Project Board on a regular basis.

As promoter of the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme, Falkirk Council is required and committed to protecting natural habitats and enjoyment of the waterways while constructing flood defences that will safeguard communities.

The Scheme acknowledges the nationally and internationally-significant environmental designations present in the area which provide habitat for large numbers of birds. A precautionary approach has been adopted and consultation with the relevant Statutory Authorities is ongoing. An Appropriate Assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) will form part of the Scheme documentation.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) considers the possible impact of the scheme and proposed mitigation measures under a number of headings; including wildlife and biodiversity, air quality, noise and vibration, landscape and cultural heritage. This assessment will be concluded later this year and be published when the Scheme is Notified.

In 2019-2020 the Scottish Government spent £15,849,263.61 in 2020 (1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020) and £11,106,352.64 in 2020/21 (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021) on the maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge.

Falkirk Council are responsible for the development of the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. They have held a variety of public engagement events since 2019. Public information sessions will continue through 2022 and early 2023 using a variety of means including newsletters, social media updates, and drop in events.

A public exhibition will be held on the proposed flood defences before the Scheme goes into the formal Notification stage. The Notification process is a statutory requirement under Schedule 2 of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.

A record of previous and future engagement activities are available from the scheme website ( www.grangemouthfloodscheme.com ).

Under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, it is Local Authorities who are responsible for developing and delivering Flood Protection Schemes. The Scottish Government works closely with all local authorities to ensure that appropriate support is available to enable them to fulfil their duties under the Act.

It is recognised that the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme is unique in Scotland in terms of scale and complexity. Falkirk Council provide regular updates to the Scottish Government and this collaboration will continue as the scheme progresses towards formal Notification.

There are currently no plans to undertake a public awareness campaign regarding migraine.

I held a positive meeting with the Migraine Trust in November 2021 to discuss current priorities regarding migraine care in Scotland and potential areas for future collaboration.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has a speciality group for neurology which includes representation from key professional groups for each NHS Board. I understand that the group is undertaking work on clinical pathways for migraine in Scotland and is linking with both the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Migraine Trust regarding this. As part of this work the CfSD are also collaborating with Health Boards to develop GP facts sheets on managing migraine.

I am delighted that we have recently awarded £78,535 to the Migraine Trust, in partnership with NHS Grampian and Pharmacy Medicines Directorate, towards an innovative project working with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively.

We will support the Migraine Trust and partners to develop plans of how they intend to widely share the project’s outcomes across health and social care.