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In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

Section 41 of The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 (“the Continuity Act”) required Scottish Ministers to review and prepare a report on the following matters:

• whether the provisions of this Chapter have ensured that there continues to be effective and appropriate governance relating to the environment following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU,
• whether the law in Scotland on access to justice on environmental matters is effective and sufficient, and
• whether and, if so, how the establishment of an environmental court could enhance the governance arrangements.

The Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance Arrangements was published on 1 June. The subsequent consultation on the Report was launched on the 2 June and closed on the 13 October.

The Scottish Government is currently considering the responses made to the consultation on the Report, and as required by s41 of the Continuity Act will publish a response to Parliament, including recommendations in response to the views raised in the consultation.

The Minister for Parliamentary Business regularly discusses legislative proposals and potential legislative vehicles with his Ministerial colleagues, including the proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill. However, introduction of specific primary legislation is considered in the wider context of overall legislative programmes. Decisions on future legislative programmes are a matter for Cabinet and will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government, in the normal way.

In the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government stated its commitment to continue to explore the development of legislative proposals on a wellbeing and sustainable development Bill, to support greater implementation of the NPF, and to ensure the interests of future generations are taken into account in decisions made today.

The latest information on the percentage of pupils who reached the expected standard in numeracy in P1 and P7 is available in Table 1 of the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) publication which can be found on the Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/publications/achievement-curriculum-excellence-cfe-levels-2021-22/

Note that these figures relate to numeracy as opposed to mathematics.

The Cabinet Secretary and myself have had no discussions with the Scottish Ambulance service since their appointment regarding neonatal transport. The Scottish Ambulance Service and ScotSTAR are members of the Perinatal Sub Group that conducted the Options Appraisal report and continue to be closely involved through that forum in discussions about implementation. The Best Start recommended that a review be undertaken to look at the staffing model for the neonatal transport service and funding was provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Ambulance Service to take this forward.

The Scottish Government provides £29m support across a range of Gaelic and Scots organisations, whose activities include the provision of Scots and Gaelic language materials but is not all they do. For Scots, grant funding is provided to the following organisations: Association of Scottish Literary Studies, Scottish Book Trust, Scots Hoose, Scots Radio, Scots Language Centre, Dictionaries of the Scots Language, Yaldi Books and the Doric Board. For Gaelic, grant funding is provided to Storlann, Bòrd na Gidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Local Authorities, E-sgoil, Tobar an Dualchais, Keep Scotland Beautiful, University of Edinburgh, and MG Alba for Speak Gaelic and Film G.

We will continue to work with the UK Government, the other Devolved Administrations and the Gambling Commission over proposals included in the White Paper, which include further restrictions on advertising of gambling across the UK.

The Scottish Government published Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation Services in 2009 which sets out a standard for the repair being carried out within 2 days of the repair service receiving the hearing aid.

It is for NHS Boards to ensure appropriate provision of a service for the timely repair of hearing aids for patients.

The Women’s Health Plan recognises that it is important all women know about the menopause and have access to consistent information and care when they seek help with menopause symptoms.

The Scottish Government continues to promote the comprehensive menopause resource on the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform . This resource was launched in October 2021 to ensure women have access to information on menopause, including the signs and symptoms of perimenopause. The resource includes 11 videos including common myths around the menopause, and personal stories. The resource is accessible in five language translations, British Sign Language translation and an Easy Read version of the content.

To raise awareness of the symptoms of menopause – and how to mitigate them – work has recently begun on the development of a menopause public health campaign.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), in partnership with the Scottish Government, have hosted a series of webinars to raise awareness about the menopause, focussing on menopause myth busting, menopause and the workplace and menopause, sex and relationships. Recordings of the webinars can be accessed online here: Resources - Policy and research (alliance-scotland.org.uk) 

Additionally, to mark World Menopause Day on 18 October 2023, the Scottish Government and the ALLIANCE, hosted a virtual ‘Talk Menopause’ panel discussion with experts in menopause to provide more information on menopause to those who need it.

The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 provides for rigorous safeguards in respect of individuals’ human rights. Sometimes compulsory treatment needs to be carried out on an emergency basis and consent from a Mental Health Officer (MHO), in addition to authorisation from a medical practitioner, plays an important safeguarding role in these cases.

However, the 2003 Act also recognises that there may be occasions where the urgency of the situation is so great that it would not be practicable for such consultation to take place. In such cases, the practitioner must inform hospital managers who must then inform the Mental Welfare Commission and notify the relevant authority of the reasons why it was impracticable to consult and seek the consent of an MHO.

Whilst we acknowledge that for some of the 60% of cases mentioned the urgency of the case will explain the lack of MHO consent, we also recognise that MHO capacity is a contributing factor. While it is the responsibility of Local Authorities to ensure they have the appropriate levels of MHOs in place, the Scottish Government felt it was necessary to intervene, and since 2019, we have provided additional funding, as well as working with COSLA and other partners to progress a range of actions to improve workforce capacity and MHO training.

In this financial year we have made available an additional £3.71 million to local authorities to build additional MHO capacity. This will help reduce the number of emergency detentions taking place without the additional safeguard of MHO consent.

The Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme considers how we can update and modernise mental health and capacity legislation to better reflect international human rights standards regarding safeguards. We will continue to work closely with the Mental Welfare Commission on this.