Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to motor neuron disease (MND). Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees.

CSO have funded 4 Fellowships in MND in the last 10 years. 2 of these were funded in collaboration with MND Scotland and one was in collaboration with MND Scotland and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The total CSO investment into these 4 fellowships was £672,000.

As part of the reception process into prison, everyone has a consultation with an NHS healthcare professional within 24 hours of arrival, using a nationally agreed admission process.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) is currently in the process of updating its guidance on opt-out testing for blood-borne virus (BBV) in prisons with the intent to publish a revised document in the coming months. This updated guidance will recommend routine opt-out testing for new admissions and check and test for transfers between establishments. PHS is taking a cross-programme approach to opt out testing for BBV in prisons, and other justice settings, and works with Alcohol & Drug Partnerships, prisons, police custody and the national justice networks to ensure a coordinated approach.

In addition the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards include a requirement for opt-out testing in justice settings (including prisons) and PHS will gather intelligence on local policies and pathways for opt-out testing in prisons as part of an improvement approach to help implement the standards. The MAT programme will also publish a toolkit for the implementation of the MAT standards in justice settings and this will complement the BBV opt-out testing guidance.

In law, including under the Equality Act 2010, people are either male or female.

The Scottish Government recognises that many people may identify differently. Scotland’s Census 2022 showed that almost half of people who responded to the question on trans status or history identified as non-binary. We know too that depending on the circumstances, the law on gender reassignment discrimination might protect non-binary people.

The Scottish Government is committed to advancing equality for all LGBTQI+ people, and promoting, protecting and realising the rights of every LGBTQI+ person in Scotland. This includes trans people, and non-binary people who do not identify as either male or female.

The Non-Binary Equality Action Plan 2023-28, published last November, aims to improve equality and bring about real, positive and lasting change to the lives of non-binary people.

We will soon publish our first Progress Report which will provide detail on the steps which we have made so far towards achieving the actions in the Plan.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people in Scotland living with Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease and colitis, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.

Speciality training numbers are reviewed and considered annually by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG), with subsequent recommendations made to Scottish Ministers around the need to increase training establishments. The most recent uplift in Gastroenterology (as the specialty which treats IBD) took place in 2022 when 10 additional posts were created. This saw the overall number of speciality training places on Scottish Gastroenterology training programmes increase to 47.

The member may wish to be aware that teachers are not employed on zero hour contracts as supply lists are registers and not contractual. The employment contract only begins once a teacher has taken up the supply work that is offered.

Whilst the recruitment and deployment of teachers are matters for local authorities, the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to help maximise the number of teaching jobs available.

As part of this, we are providing £145.5m to local authorities to protect teacher numbers.

Despite substantial investment, and the progress we have made in recruiting thousands of additional teachers since 2018, we recognise that more work is needed to ensure that our teachers have access to long term, sustainable, employment opportunities, regardless of which stage of their career they are at, and we will continue to work with COSLA to ensure this can happen.

As set out in the Scottish Government’s response to Professor Muir’s report, the move of the inspection function to the new Chief Inspector will work alongside existing ministerial commitments to the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), which is being implemented from Academic Year 2024-25.

The TQEF has been co-designed, developed and implemented by the SFC in partnership with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Education Scotland and other stakeholders.

In order to fulfil its existing statutory responsibilities for quality assurance and enhancement of colleges and universities, the SFC commissions the QAA and Education Scotland to support this work on its behalf.

Under the Education (Scotland) Bill, the Chief Inspector will have the power to enter into an arrangement with the SFC in order to support the latter’s statutory functions.

The Teacher Induction Scheme guarantees every eligible student a one-year probationary placement, it does not provide a guarantee of future employment with a particular local authority. Teaching posts should be advertised and filled in a fair and transparent manner.

While the recruitment and deployment of teachers is the responsibility of local authorities, the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to help maximise the number of teaching jobs available. As part of this, we are providing £145.5m to local authorities to protect teacher numbers.

While we cannot direct teachers where to work, it is important to note that teacher vacancies arise across Scotland throughout the year.

The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders on the review and development of various guidance to inform pain management services.

As outlined in the updated chronic pain implementation plan, Framework for pain management service delivery - implementation plan update (www.gov.scot) the national clinical guidelines for Scotland (SIGN 136), and polypharmacy guidelines are currently being updated.

We are also working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to deliver a national approach to specialist interventions for chronic pain and to consider the creation of national standards for chronic pain management.

The following members of the Cabinet have visited a college in the last year:

• John Swinney MSP, First Minister
• Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
• Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
• Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
• Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
• Gillian Martin MSP, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
• Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport
• Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
• Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

Due to the current financial situation the Scottish Government is having to make some difficult budgetary decisions.

As part of this, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) was asked to minimise any discretionary spend where possible. The Scottish contribution to DOCET is held as part of the NES budget and in that context, NES Optometry decided to remove the funding to DOCET as part of the savings exercise.

The Scottish Government provides considerable funding to NES to provide training and education to support the provision of NHS General Ophthalmic Services. NES delivers a programme of on-line and in person events, e-learning modules, Independent prescriber training, peer support groups, as well as teach and treat clinics that provide clinical experience. Funding also supports training for other practice staff including dispensing opticians, with access to resources also available to eyecare professionals working within the hospital eye service too.

In addition to their NES training, optometrists can continue to meet their mandatory continuing professional development requirements via a number of different sources including self-directed learning, The College of Optometrist’s programme of courses, their employer’s events and also by the extensive array of private provider provision.

On a comparative basis, and adjusted for size, even with the removal of DOCET access, the investment in education and training for Optometrists in Scotland remains dramatically better than England.