Chamber and committees

In determining an application for a marine licence (under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009) the Scottish Ministers must have regard to protection of the environment and human health, prevention of interference with legitimate uses of the sea and such other matters as the Scottish Ministers consider relevant. Marine licences do not include conditions in relation to Fair Work First criteria and commitments to supporting domestic supply chains. Such conditions cannot be applied to s.36 consents issued under the Electricity Act 1989 for the construction, operation or extension of generating stations either.

ScotWind applicants were required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) setting out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact for their projects. We have now seen these statements yield commitments by developers to invest an average projection of £1.5bn in Scotland across each of the 17 ScotWind offshore wind projects. Developers can update their Statements throughout the development phase. Failure to deliver the commitments laid out in the final SCDS can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to seabed lease.

The Scottish Government remains committed to upgrading the key strategic route along the A82 between Tarbet and Inverarnan. By improving regional connectivity the proposed scheme will help the economy prosper and promote equality by providing fairer access to the Highlands and Islands.

Transport Scotland recently published an interactive Story Map to provide updated information regarding the scheme and to keep the public informed of progress as the project develops. While there is still a lot of development work to be carried out, which is being informed by our enhanced understanding of the specific complexities associated with improving this iconic route, we continue to push forward the preparation stages to deliver this scheme as soon as possible.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set in accordance with the availability of funding.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has carried out extensive consultation on the draft National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP), which was supported by extensive evidence papers and a Strategic Environmental Assessment. The consultation process generated 1400 responses (the largest ever response to a Park Plan consultation). Fifty percent of the responses came from people in the Park, with over 10% of responses from land managers. The CNPA board is currently reviewing the consultation responses and considering what changes need to be made to the draft plan in response to this consultation.

The Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan sets out a bold vision to restore nature in the Park, tackle the climate emergency and build a wellbeing economy that works for all the people of the Cairngorms. The Plan will create significant opportunities for those working in the land management sector, as well as additional jobs in environmental restoration and management, including, for example, peatland restoration, river restoration, species management, and habitat enhancement.

The Scottish Government is focussed on delivering the commitments set out in our NHS Recovery Plan, published in August 2021.

With regard to cataracts, the Scottish Government is working with Health Boards to undertake additional pre-assessment clinics to assess those patients referred for consideration of surgery. In tandem, Boards are implementing new and more efficient ways of working, including virtual appointments and via telephone to prevent unnecessary visits and travel to hospitals.

The independent sector is also supporting additional cataract surgeries across a number of Health Board areas. In particular, over 3,500 additional surgeries were undertaken by the Independent Sector at NHS Golden Jubilee (NHSGJ) in 21-22, and will continue to deliver an additional 1,000 surgeries in 22-23. Plans are also in place to enable a number of Boards to utilise available capacity at NHSGJ using their own surgeons, who will undertake cataract surgery at the facility. This will allow patients access to treatment more quickly, as well as offering opportunities for training junior surgeons.

The Centre of Sustainable Delivery has been commissioned to support surgical teams across NHSScotland to implement the guidance issued by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. This will increase efficiency and productivity across cataract-only surgical sessions, and high-volume surgery in cataract treatment centres.

We are working closely with Boards to finalise planned care activity plans, including for orthopaedics, for 2022-23 which will be critical to stabilising and improving our health and social care system in the medium term.

The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHS Scotland. The network of 10 NTCs, will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic care across 12 specialities. Within the next 18 months, NTCs will open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and at NHS Golden Jubilee specialising in orthopaedic surgery. On 13 April, we also announced £1.8m of funding to purchase a private hospital in Ayrshire (Carrick Glen) to be developed into a new National Treatment Centre specialising in orthopaedics.

As well as significant investment in new infrastructure, the new NHSScotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also leading work to explore new and innovative ideas to reduce In Patient / Day Case and Outpatient waiting times. Examples include:

• The rollout of Active Clinical Referral Triage, to provide patients with information about non-surgical interventions and self-management options;
• Patient Initiated Reviews, enabling patients to be escalated if their condition deteriorates and reduces routine appointments while supporting patients in a safe and clinically appropriate manner; and
• Enhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways, designed to support patients achieve faster recovery after surgery.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on windfarm development.

To achieve a net zero, nature-positive Scotland, our planning system must be rebalanced so that climate change and nature recovery are the primary guiding principles for all our plans and all our decisions. Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out new Universal Policies that should apply to all planning decisions to help us tackle the climate and nature crises and ensure Scotland adapts to thrive within the planet’s sustainable limits. It also includes green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis.

Our draft NPF4 was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November, and at the same time published for consultation which closed on 31 March 2022. We are pleased with the very wide interest shown in NPF4 from across society, befitting a document of its importance to our future. The Scottish Government is now taking some time to carefully consider the broad range of views shared with us before finalising NPF4 for Scottish Parliament approval.

Additionally, the Onshore Wind Policy Statement consultation was launched on 28 October 2021, which includes our ambition that an additional 8-12 GW of onshore wind be installed by 2030, in line with the Climate Change Committees' recommendations. The consultation considered other key themes such as barriers to deployment, positive environmental impacts, community benefits and shared ownership, circular economy and supply chain opportunities. The consultation closed on 31 January 2022, and a full policy statement is expected to be published during later this year with consultation analysis also to be published in due course.

However, the Scottish Government recognises the need to strike a balance between maximising deployment to reach net-zero targets, while considering concerns over factors such as peatland, landscape impacts, local economy and tourism, and ‘capacity saturation’. Support for maximising onshore wind deployment does not come at any cost, and the planning system exists to ensure that development sites are optimised and offer net benefit wherever possible.

South of Scotland Enterprise advertised for four new Board members in Autumn 2021. Applicants were asked to demonstrate evidence of their skills, knowledge and experience in one of three areas: land based industries; governance/strategic management; or digital transformation.

The Scottish Government received 47 completed applications for the advertised vacancies. Of these, over a third (16 applicants) set out evidence under the ‘land-based industry’ criterion. However, it is possible that other applicants, who chose to set out evidence against one of the other criteria instead, may also have experience in land based industries.

The Minister had a positive and constructive meeting with Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) in November to discuss the issues raised within motion S6M-00923. Scottish Government officials will meet with the SHA this month in order to further explore the need for provision and service development across neurological conditions, including Huntington’s Disease.

The pandemic has seen our NHS under the most severe pressure in its 73-year existence. The NHS Recovery Plan sets out plans and ambitions for recovery, backed by more than £1 billion of funding. The plan will support increased inpatient and outpatient activity, including an aim to increase outpatients capacity by 10% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In March we published a National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care which supports the remobilisation and recovery of health and social care services and sets out priorities for recruitment, training and retention.

The Scottish Government’s National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery have set up a working group to improve workforce and care pathways in neurology. This includes development of tools to support statutory providers to make effective workforce decisions. Alistair Haw, Chief Executive Officer at the SHA is a member of this group, representing the Neurological Alliance of Scotland.

NHS boards are provided with monthly reports on the activity levels of practices providing NHS activity. We have set out through NHS Boards action plans for those practices with lower levels of activity with the intention of seeing substantial increases from them in the immediate future.

Foster carers are classed as self-employed and, therefore, receive payments in the form of foster carer fees and allowances. Responsibility for paying and setting levels of both foster carer fees and foster care allowances - along with consideration of any adjustment in line with inflation - lies with the relevant local authority.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to find a way forward on the introduction of the Scottish Recommended Allowance for both foster and kinship carers across Scotland.

While the Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally have responsibility for both service delivery and people’s care. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that patients, including those who require care and support for ME/CFS, have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.

We recently commissioned an independent organisation to engage with third sector and clinical stakeholders and people with lived experience, to discuss how we move forward in implementing the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) guideline recommendations on ME/CFS in Scotland, and in identifying priorities for service improvement. We are currently preparing to publish the final stakeholder consultation report and are considering its findings.

I was pleased to meet with #MEAction Scotland representatives in March 2022, to hear their views on improving the access to care and support for people affected by the condition.