Chamber and committees

Medical professionals are entitled under the Abortion Act 1967 to conscientiously object to participating in the delivery of abortion services. However, NHS Boards are required to ensure that they can still provide an appropriate abortion service for patients in their area.

Scottish Government continues to support work to educate and raise awareness around positive sexual health, through Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education, and through Government, NHS and Third Sector awareness and information campaigns. For example, the Key Messages for Young People on Healthy Relationships and Consent, a resource for professionals, will be published in 2019 and will provide professionals working with young people (secondary to young adults) consistent communication tools on the topics of healthy relationships and consent.

We have also funded Waverley Care to carry out research, engaging directly with populations affected by poor sexual health and blood borne viruses using a peer-to-peer approach to gather their views and experiences. This research will be presented to NHS colleagues in order to inform the development and delivery of targeted services that address defined needs, challenge stigma and promote prevention, testing and support.

Work to develop a further update to the Framework will begin next year, with officials engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to identify areas for further action, with a view to publishing an update in 2020.

The Scottish Government has no plans to amend legislation regarding early medical abortions.

Scottish Government policy is that it is essential that young people have access to services and information when they require it. It is the responsibility of NHS Boards and Local Authorities to ensure that young people have access to appropriate sexual health services in their local area, however Scottish Government has funded specific projects and activities to meet the needs of young people. We have funded Scottish Drugs Forum for 2018-19 to 2020-21 to work to reduce the spread of blood borne viruses, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies among vulnerable young people. We have funded Common Knowledge UK over the same period to deliver their CKSexTalk project to young people with learning disabilities. More generally we fund the Sexual Health Scotland website, which provides a source of information and advice, and signposting to local services, to young people in all parts of Scotland.

Women from Northern Ireland are already able to access abortion services in Scotland free of charge. The Functions of Health Boards (Scotland) Amendment Order 2017 came into force on 6 November 2017, which enabled NHS Boards to provide abortion services free of charge to women resident in Northern Ireland.

The Scottish Government wishes to ensure that appropriate support, information, advice and assistance is provided as required to a wide range of victims of crime. No particular definition is therefore generally applied. This reflects the legal position in Scotland whereby there is no overarching statutory definition of “victim” albeit that some criminal justice legislation provides bespoke definitions of the term for certain limited purposes.

It is a Scottish Government priority to find ways to improve the experience of victims within the criminal justice system and reduce the trauma associated with the court process. We recognise the devastating impact that all sexual assaults can have, and are committed to working with justice and third sector partners to ensure that these offences are dealt with efficiently and appropriately, and that complainers are supported to help them effectively engage with the justice system.

The £1.1 million additional funding, which was allocated to COPFS and SCTS in the current financial year, provided additional resources to help respond to immediate pressures associated with cases already in the court system, and the general growth in sexual offences referrals. This includes cases involving attempted rape.

Most funding for adaptations comes from Health and Social Care Partnerships. Funding provided directly to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) has been protected in 2019-20 to assist them to deliver adaptations for older and disabled tenants. It is for individual RSLs to determine how to make best use of the adaptations funding received from the Scottish Government.

Integration Authorities are working collaboratively to develop an overall framework for financial reporting to support the work of Scottish Government. This framework will continue to be developed during 2018-19.

As reporting procedures still have to be agreed with the IJBs we are unable to provide an update at this time.