Chamber and committees

Additional Information following Committee Meeting in November 2021

Letter from the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, 23 November 2021

Dear Convenor,

Request for additional information

I welcomed the opportunity to speak to the committee on my priorities for this parliamentary term and to respond to your queries. During the meeting I agreed to provide additional information on:

• Commitments and measures being taken by the Scottish Government to tackle health inequalities, as well as further detail of any specific barriers to progress in this area (Annex A)

• Challenges surrounding implementation of the Best Start Plan, particularly in rural areas (Annex B)

.• Measures being taken by the Scottish Government to facilitate community access to sports and leisure facilities, including more detail on the ‘fanbank’ scheme and maintaining accessibility and affordability of local authority operated facilities (Annex C).

• Measures being taken by the Scottish Government to enable access to the school estate outside school hours for sport and cultural activities, including pilot schemes and how these can be used to inform practice in other areas (Annex C).

• More detail on the Good Food Nation Bill and how you plan to ensure this addresses public health priorities (Annex D).

This information is included in Annexes A – D. Please let me know if further detail is required.

Regards

Maree Todd MSP