Chamber and committees

A person who is performing indoors does not need to wear a face covering if there is a partition between that person and other people or if there is at least one metre between that person and other people. The distance was reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre with effect from 28 January.

There is an exemption as set out in regulation 5(1)(j) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) 2021 which allows individuals to perform or rehearse for a performance without face coverings in situations on stage where the wearing of a face covering, one-metre distancing or partitioning would materially affect the performance.

The 1 metre distancing requirement or wearing of face covering or partition is required to ensure that choirs can return safely to singing given transmission of Covid19 in indoor spaces. The Scottish Government published a report on the impact of physical distancing in reducing the spread of the virus in June 2021. This is available at the link below:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): review of physical distancing in Scotland - June 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government will continue to review the remaining restrictions on a three weekly basis. The next review is due on 22 February.

The Scottish Government intends to set out its proposals in the near future, taking into account the independent analysis of responses to the consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

When minimum unit pricing for alcohol was introduced on 1 May 2018, we said we would review the level two years after its introduction, so from May 2020. With the arrival of COVID-19, this work was paused as responding to the pandemic became the Scottish Government’s top priority.

The review work is now back underway. The impacts of the pandemic, and to some extent Brexit, however, make both the review and the evaluation more challenging. The pandemic, in particular, caused people’s drinking habits to change and, early signs are that this is having an impact on alcohol harms.

As regards the timescale for reviewing the level of MUP, it is currently too early in the process to set out when this might happen.

We remain convinced that MUP is one of the main drivers in reducing alcohol harm.

Where it is clinically appropriate to do so, patients of all ages will be examined with a stethoscope to listen for breathing and heart sounds. They may also have ECG electrical recordings of their heart rate, blood tests and have access to other investigations such as echocardiograms, rhythm monitors and blood pressure recordings, should these be required.

The Heart Disease Action Plan (2021) outlines our commitment to exploring innovative models of care for the diagnosis of heart disease, including a focus on improving access to echocardiography in the most appropriate setting for local needs.

In September 2021, the Scottish Government set out our approach and 16 commitments to improve care and support for people with long COVID in Scotland. Our approach is to ensure people have access to the support they need for assessment, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation in a setting as close to home as possible. Whilst long COVID clinics are one model NHS Boards may consider, we recognise that no one single approach is likely to fit all areas and circumstances.

It is for each NHS Board to develop and deliver the best models of care appropriate for their local population and that is why our Approach Paper underlines our commitment to making sure our NHS is resourced to respond innovatively to the needs of people with long COVID.

Our £10m Long COVID Support Fund will give NHS Boards additional resource to develop tailored approaches to best meeting the needs of people with long COVID in their local areas. This could include strengthening and improving the co-ordination of existing services, or establishing dedicated services (including ‘long COVID clinics’) if appropriate.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of any potential need for a public awareness campaign on the symptoms of heart valve disease.

However, the Heart Disease Action Plan, published in 2021, clearly sets out our strategic direction to minimise preventable heart disease and ensure that everyone with suspected heart disease in Scotland has timely and equitable access to diagnosis, treatment and care. This includes prioritizing the awareness of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Further, we have made commitments in the Women’s Health Plan to improve information and public awareness of heart disease symptoms and risks for women.

Key recommendations in the Heart Valve Voice report State of the Nation included:

1) collecting standardised data for HVD.

2) focus on HVD in campaigns to raise awareness of disease in women.

3) developing an optimal patient pathway for HVD.

4) improving access to echocardiography.

1) The Heart Disease Action Plan (2021) clearly sets out our priority for the effective use of high-quality, standardised data to support clinical decision-making, understand patient outcomes and enable better service-planning. In April 2021, we commissioned Public Health Scotland to develop the Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme. We have committed more than £1.5m over five years to support this transformative change in access to, and use of, data to drive improvement in cardiac services.

2) We have made clear commitments to tackling the inequalities faced by women with heart disease in our Women’s Health Plan, including the launch of an information campaign on women’s heart health. Future development of work in this area will be informed by the lived experience of women with heart disease.

3) Priority 2 within the Heart Disease Action Plan makes clear our commitment to developing nationally agreed pathways of care for all cardiac conditions. This work is underway.

4) We recognise the importance of improving access to echocardiography and are taking action to address this. Through the Heart Disease Action Plan funding call in 2021, we provided funding for a project exploring how to improve access to echocardiography.

There are a range of factors which may contribute to a decline in a species’ population or a contraction of species’ range. It is likely that one of the main drivers of population decline in ptarmigan is habitat loss caused by climate change. The Scottish Government is determined to end our contribution to climate change by 2045 and prevent further climate related deterioration of habitat from climate pressure. We are taking action across the board to achieve this (as set out in our Climate Change Plan update) and are providing financial support for projects that restore and protect habitats, safeguard wildlife and tackle causes of biodiversity loss.

Other drivers of population decline may include increased recreational activity in montane habitats and grazing pressures. Ptarmigan are also a quarry species, listed on Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Where there is evidence that shooting is causing declines we will consider action to remove a quarry species from Schedule 2.

As set out in our 2021-22 Programme for Government , the Scottish Government will introduce a Public Health Bill that includes restrictions on unhealthier food and drink promotions in this Parliament.

We will consult again on our proposals to restrict unhealthier food and drink promotions in the spring. This will help us consider the impacts of EU exit and the COVID-19 pandemic on our proposals, as well as explore the potential opportunities for alignment across the UK.

The draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) supports the protection of soils, including peat and carbon rich soils, which have a critical role to play in helping the country reach its net zero target by sequestering and storing carbon. In relation to commercial peat extraction, the draft NPF4 sets out that development proposals for new commercial peat extraction, including extensions to existing sites, should not be supported unless the extracted peat is supporting an industry of national importance to Scotland.

We have also pledged to ban the sale of peat related gardening products as a part of our wider effort to phase out the use of peat in horticulture and will launch a consultation on this matter in due course.