Chamber and committees

The timescale set out in December 2021 was for such contracts to be signed by the end of March 2022. I am aware that Circularity Scotland Ltd is currently in commercial negotiations and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.

We are supporting the National Advisory Committee on Stroke to develop a progressive stroke pathway document which will set out the vision for what stroke services across Scotland should deliver across the whole patient pathway, including access to stroke rehabilitation, and access to support for people who have experienced a stroke.

Scottish Government will work closely with the Stroke Improvement Programme Team and stakeholders throughout 2022 to develop an implementation plan to deliver the vision set out in this document.

We will continue to take steps to introduce a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service in Scotland. A Scotland wide service is expected to be operational by 2023.

We have no plans to conduct an independent assessment of the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy. We worked with people with a learning disability and autistic people in planning and publishing our Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism plan last year. This plan recognises the additional pressures of the pandemic as well as the aims of the Keys to Life strategy. The plan sets out key agreed actions to improve the lives of people with a learning disability and autistic people, to which we are fully committed and on which we have been working in partnership with our stakeholders.

Our new air quality strategy 'Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone' sets out a series of actions intended to deliver further air quality improvements over the period to 2026. Amongst these actions are several which focus on reducing emissions from domestic fuel combustion including work with local government and SEPA to consider revision of the Clean Air Act 1993.

An expert working group, which met for the first time in January 2022, has been established to advise the Government on taking forward these actions. Further information will be made available as this work proceeds.

Planning of community rehabilitation delivery is the responsibility of individual NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships.

Our vision is for everyone with rehabilitation needs to be able to access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms. Exploring ways to improve access to rehabilitation is a key aspect of the work underway to develop a progressive stroke pathway document.

With regard to measuring performance, the provision of appropriate rehabilitation, in both acute and community settings, currently forms part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme (SSIP) criteria-based assessments.

These are currently being reviewed and expanded and will form part of the regular reviews which are undertaken by the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme team with each Health and Social Care Partnership. We will also consider how these might be integrated into the Scottish Stroke Care Audit if effective.

The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 makes provision in two areas relating to protection for people at risk of domestic abuse.

Part 1 of the Act will provide additional protection for people who are at risk of domestic abuse by providing the police and courts with new powers to remove a suspected perpetrator of domestic abuse from the home of a person at risk through a scheme of domestic abuse protection notices and orders.

An implementation group including Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Scottish Women's Aid is continuing to consider how to progress the necessary elements to allow for commencement of Part 1 of the Act.

The group is overseeing the development of training and operating procedures, legal aid issues, court rules and associated processes for courts’ consideration of applications for protective orders; including how input of views of relevant children can be provided to inform the court’s consideration of applications within the short timescales set by the Act, support for people for whose protection an order is made, any guidance that may be needed for those using the legislation and steps needed to monitor and evaluate the use of the legislation once in effect. It is also considering the impact on court programming of the new powers including the likely significant financial costs arising. Within this context the group is giving consideration to the timetable for when this Part of the Act can be commenced.

Part 2 of the Act makes it easier for a local authority or registered social landlord to transfer a tenancy to a victim of domestic abuse. This aspect of the Act is not directly linked to Part 1 of the Act. The steps necessary for implementation are being taken forward and include secondary legislation, changes to court procedures, forms and model tenancy agreements as well as working with stakeholders to develop statutory guidance. Commencement of the provisions and publication of the guidance on the social tenancy provisions is scheduled for the end of 2022.

The Scottish Government is closely following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry proceedings and considering any evidence that may impact on building standards, including the role of BS 8414. Working groups for each phase of the Grenfell Inquiry have been set up by the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety to address emerging evidence and key recommendations.

The model used to inform that BRIA deals with local authorities as a collective group and it is therefore not possible to provide detailed calculations for individual local authority costs and benefits in relation to recycling. You can view the full report here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-scotland-final-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/ .

Landfill tax is considered a ‘transfer payment’ under HM Treasury guidance and is therefore not included in BRIA calculations.

The High and highly bonded report has a Britain-wide focus and makes no mention of Scotland. Nonetheless, we fully recognise the need to address the use of drugs in Scotland. January marked the first year of the National Mission to save and improve lives affected by problematic drug use. Over the last year our main focus has been on laying the groundwork so that we can focus on delivering change that will make a real and tangible difference to people's lives.

In January 2020 the First Minister set out clear priorities of the National Mission: to wrap support around people who are most at risk through fast and appropriate access to treatment, increased access to residential rehabilitation, better support after non-fatal overdoses, and recognising the vital role of frontline organisations.

The Government is clear that the intended purpose of the revised payment arrangements from April 2022 is to recover NHS dental services to ensure that NHS dental contractors can provide necessary care to patients.

NHS dental contractors will therefore receive a multiplier payment in addition to the value of their actual item of service claims. This is part of a blended system of payments which also includes allowance payments, capitation and continuing care and direct reimbursement of expenses such as rental costs. The multiplier arrangement is a fair and equitable response to the current situation of restrictions facing dentistry by returning discretion of earnings back to independent NHS dental contractors.

Every three months the value of the multiplier will be set against concurrent infection, prevention and control restrictions, levels of dental activity and other budgetary considerations at the time of the review point. The purpose of these revised arrangements is to continue to provide appropriate financial support to NHS dental contractors and is therefore assisting in ongoing business planning.