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The appearance of synthetic opioids in the drug supply has been a concern for Scottish Government for some time and something which will likely be exacerbated by the reduction in opium production as reported by the UNODC. We are working alongside colleagues across the UK to identify areas for collaborative working on this issue with the various UK administrations, national police forces and the National Crime Agency.

Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are often extremely potent opioid receptor agonists, however, naloxone is still effective in the treatment of any overdose. This is why we have invested over £3 million in widening access to naloxone, making it easier for people to access and supporting Police Scotland and our other emergency services to carry kits.

Having reliable data about substances of concern in the drug supply is key and is why we have supported Public Health Scotland to establish the RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) system. We also continue to progress plans with local partners to establish drug checking facilities as this will also provide up-to-date information about the substances in the drug supply. We are aware that nitazenes have been present in the drug supply and Public Health Scotland issued an alert regarding nitazenes in January 2023 and the UK Government have since issued a similar alert. RADARs quarterly report published in October 2023 also reported that nitzenes have been detected in post-mortem and hospital toxicology samples.

Recognising the global challenge around the appearance of new synthetic opioids, the Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and members of the Scottish Governments National Mission Oversight Group on Drugs are meeting with international colleagues to hear about their experience of dealing with the appearance of fentanyl and synthetic opioids in the drug supply, and their response, in early November. A further meeting is being organised to discuss operational level issues with international colleagues and Scottish drug service delivery providers.

This year’s COVID-19 vaccine marketing and communication plan utilises a number of communication channels to reach those with a weakened immune system, under the “Don’t let your protection fade” campaign. The accompanying marketing toolkit includes a range of assets directed at those who are at higher risk of COVID-19. This toolkit has been shared with Health Boards and stakeholders for them to promote via their own communication channels. The national campaign has also promoted vaccination for those at clinical risk.

All those eligible for winter vaccination have been sent an invitation letter with either a scheduled appointment or instructions on how to book an appointment. Included with this is a leaflet which includes information around why those eligible are being offered a COVID-19 vaccine this winter.

Specific leaflets have been produced for the clinical at risk child and infant groups. These leaflets are designed to help parents/carers make an informed decision about getting their child vaccinated.

All programme patient leaflets can be viewed on NHS Inform.

Winter vaccines briefings for professionals working with people at higher risk are available on the Public Health Scotland website. These explain the importance of the winter vaccines and encourage healthcare professionals to speak to their patients about being vaccinated.

Following the appointment of the First Minister and formation of government in March 2023, 12 Ministers accepted a government issued mobile device. Please see the following list.

As noted earlier in the year in a similar parliamentary question , the UK Government Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved tax on employers which was implemented by the UK Government. Scotland receives a proportionate share of tax revenues via the block grant as per the Fiscal Framework agreement with UK Treasury.

On 14 November 2016, the UK Government announced the Scottish Government’s settlement from the UK Apprenticeship Levy based on a population share of projected revenue for the first three years only. From 2020-21, the normal operation of the Barnett Formula has applied. As a result, the Scottish Government has no direct control or responsibility for its operation and we have not had a breakdown of Levy funding for Scotland since 2020-21. This means that we cannot directly link funds realised from the apprenticeship levy to any funding stream, including the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF).

Social Security Scotland uses supporting information to assist in the decision making process for Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment. It assists case managers in considering how people are impacted by their conditions or disabilities to inform decisions about the support they are entitled to. Social Security Scotland are committed to ensuring people applying for disability assistance are helped to provide supporting information, which can include obtaining it on their behalf. Ensuring time is taken to collect the information required to get decisions right first time is a fundamental part of delivering a social security system that treats people with dignity, fairness and respect.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for individual health boards who are responsible for providing healthcare in prisons and police custody suites.

The Action 15 commitment was intended to provide additional mental health recruitment to support A&E, police station custody suites, GP practices and prisons. Decisions on where posts were located were for Health Boards, based on their local priorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22760 on 14 November 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22759 on 14 November 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for individual health boards who are responsible for providing healthcare in prisons and police custody suites.

The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides a snapshot of the Scottish housing stock in each survey year including the construction age and built form of Scottish domestic buildings. The SHCS records double glazing for occupied dwellings, however this is recorded as installed pre or post 2003, when higher requirements for double glazing were introduced. The SHCS does not record data on all public sector buildings, just Local Authority owned homes, therefore complete information requested is not available in this form.

The most recent estimates of households with double glazing installed pre 2003 broken down by privately owned, local authority and housing association is presented in the table below.

Table 1: Number of households with pre 2003 double glazing in 2019