Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has allocated the following amounts to the Low Carbon Transport Loan from 2016 to 2022.

2016-17 £7,800,000

2017-18 £8,200,000

2018-19 £20,063,222

2019-20 £46,458,263

2020-21 £43,000,000

2021-22 £62,700,000

2022-23 £28,000,000 up to 03/08/22

LFD testing remains in place for specific population groups including unpaid carers, in order to in order to protect people in higher risk settings.

LFD tests can be ordered online through the GOV.UK portal, or by calling 119. More information can be found online at www.nhsinform.scot/covid19

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland Assure have prepared the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022 to 2026 setting out actions for NHS Scotland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and improve its environmental impact. The strategy includes a commitment to achieving a net-zero health service by 2040.

Local authorities receive a notional element for housing activities in their general and capital grant funding, but it is for each authority to determine how its funding is used and we do not collect data on allocation.

Scottish Government Ministers regularly meet with and are briefed by health officials and clinical advisers to ensure they are kept up to date with the ongoing situation regarding case numbers, treatment pathways and public health information messaging on the current monkeypox outbreak. This includes all relevant updates from the public health agencies across the UK, which are leading on the Monkeypox response.

There are currently no plans to translate the guidance into formal regulations, however the Scottish Government keeps this under review.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on individuals who have personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs). Further information on fire safety and PEEPs can be found in the Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and Similar Premises and Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and Similar Premises .

In this government’s first 100 days, we established six pilot schemes to provide free bikes for school age children who cannot afford one. A further four pilots were then established by the end of 2021. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing different approaches and delivery models to help inform a national rollout.

The total number of bikes issued to date is 2067. We expect to have issued 3000 bikes by the end of the pilot period. The bikes include adapted and non-standard bikes to cater for a range of needs.

We do not record data on bike numbers at local authority level. However, considering bikes issued and associated training and promotion sessions, free bikes activities have taken place in 20 of 32 local authority areas. The 9 pilots are running across a range of locations including in urban, rural and island communities.

Scottish Government's Chief Scientist Office (CSO), through NHS Research Scotland, supports clinical research infrastructure that allows Health Boards, researchers, clinicians and industry to improve the quality, efficiency, coordination and impact of clinical research, supporting a broad range of clinical research studies. CSO's approach to funding does not focus on directly commissioning or funding specific research areas, instead providing broad-based support through investments in key infrastructure and wide-remit research grant and fellowship schemes.

The Scottish Government recognises the impact long delays in call answering times at NHS 24 could have on A&E attendances. NHS 24 is focussed on ensuring that patients receive the correct advice immediately without a requirement to be placed in a queue, in line with what extensive patient engagement has told the Service. Although this means patients may sometimes have to wait longer for their call to be answered, over 95% of calls are closed first time with patients getting appropriate support and advice without any requirement to be placed in a queue for a call back. This not only helps callers with a reduced journey time through NHS 24 but also hastens any onward referral to local services within NHS Boards reducing pressure across the system.

There are significant pressures residing across all areas of the system, including the NHS 24 111 service and, as a result, we have increased funding for the service by over £20m. This is supporting additional recruitment of call handlers and clinicians, including the addition of two new call centres in Dundee and Glasgow to help facilitate the increase in demand generated by the redesign of urgent care programme.

Furthermore, our new Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative programme, supported by £50 million, will support the implementation of a range of measures to reduce A&E waiting times and improve patient experience, including alternatives to hospital-based treatment.

NatureScot, in conjunction with the Scottish Government, and in their capacity as Scotland’s Nature Agency has recently launched a pilot community deer management scheme at Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. Creag Meagaidh is managed by NatureScot and is a 4000 hectare property at Kinlochlaggan, Newtonmore.

The pilot scheme brings together a number of local people who are involved in the design of a community scheme to deliver sustainable deer management, which will include access to deer stalking opportunities. The scheme was advertised locally in May 2022 and has been offered to those resident in local Community Council areas.

A number of local people who noted interest in the trial are now in the process of assisting NatureScot in final co-design of the scheme and the trial is likely to commence fully in the Autumn. Whilst details are still to be confirmed, the intent of the scheme is to offer those who have appropriate qualifications and are competent the opportunity to undertake deer stalking. This will support the delivery of site management objectives through the sustainable management of deer with the associated biodiversity and climate benefits of doing this.

They are also developing the approach so that those interested but with little or no experience in deer stalking will be supported by a training and experience pathway to allow them to progress to harvesting wild food for their own consumption.

This scheme will be supervised by NatureScot staff and will ensure full compliance with Wild Deer Best Practice Guidance, ensuring animal welfare, firearms safety and public safety.