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The first workshop will be set up by the end of 2023 as outlined in the Short Life Working Group report, published on 2 October 2023.

The Right to Breaks Regulations and Guidance Working Group’s role is advisory, to help with the development of the statutory guidance and regulations that will be required to deliver the right to breaks for carers proposed by the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. This work cannot be finalised until after parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill has concluded and is likely to feed into wider consultation on the approaches proposed.

We do not hold information on the revised projected passenger journey times between Glasgow Central Station and London Euston Station following the UK Government’s recent decisions on High Speed Two.

The UK Government has yet to advise us what its plans for Glasgow to London rail services will be in the light of this recent cancellation.

The Scottish Government is of the view that this decision will not assist modal shift from air travel.

Following the necessary consultation , the Scottish Government confirmed in June 2023 that it intends to update the Mobile Homes Act 1983 to change the presumed basis of pitch fee uprating from the Retail Prices Index to the Consumer Prices Index, for both existing and future contracts. We also propose to make a further change so that the statistical basis for uprating pitch fees can be amended by secondary rather than primary legislation in the future.

Given the importance of cross border rail connectivity for passengers and freight we meet routinely with the UK Government, Network Rail and industry partners to discuss the current operation and future plans for the West Coast Main Line (WCML) including passenger connectivity between Glasgow and London Euston station.

To deliver aspirations enabling modal shift to rail, all parties recognise the importance of improving the attractiveness of rail, particularly as an alternative to less sustainable travel modes.

HS2 would have supported the delivery of these aspirations, however In light of the UK Governments decision to cancel the Manchester route of HS2, I have specifically raised the West Coast main line, and freight issues in recent discussions with Network Rail UK and UK Department of Transport. The UK Government has yet to advise us what its plans for Glasgow to London rail services will be in light of this recent cancellation.

As noted in S6W-19908 on 31 July 2023, the age ranges for breast screening are based on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group which informs decisions taken across the UK on screening programmes. There is no clear evidence that the benefits of screening this age group outweigh the potential harms.

Since October 2022, women aged 71-74, and those over 75 with a history of breast cancer, have been able to self-refer for a screening appointment. Due to the challenges around programme capacity and wait times as a result of the pandemic, self-referrals for those over 75 without a history of breast cancer remain paused. This ensures those between 50 and 70 and for whom screening has clear benefits are prioritised. The most recent statistics show that breast screening uptake has increased across Scotland which is the most important factor when maximising cancer detection and effectiveness of the screening programme.

Considerable work has been undertaken to improve programme capacity, including extending screening hours, using additional mobile units, and optimising appointment allocation. The scale of the challenge facing the screening programme since the pandemic means it has taken time for this work to have a significant impact. However, considerable progress has been made, and the scope to extend self-referrals to all those over 75 remains under active review. Both Parliament and NHS Inform will be updated when any decision is made to lift the current pause.

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 Scottish Government is aware the School Meals Coalition Global Summit took place in Paris on 18 and 19 October 2023, but as non-members did not attend.

Zoopla published a report titled “ Rents for new lets rise 10.3% over the last year ” on 03 October 2023, covering changes in average rents for new tenancies over the latest year to September 2023. This report is based on newly advertised rental data and does not include trends in rents for existing tenancies, and does not therefore cover trends in rents for the whole private rented sector in Scotland.

This report states that the average monthly advertised rent for 1 to 4 bedroom properties on the open market in Scotland in September 2023, was £750, 36% cheaper than the average rent across the UK as a whole of £1,164, and lower than the average rent figures across each of the UK countries and regions of England except for Northern Ireland (£744) and the North East of England (£649).

The report also states that these rents in Scotland increased by 12.8% in the last year to September 2023, similar to the corresponding increases in some other regions in England and Wales, with increases of 10% and above in the West Midlands (10.1%), Wales (10.2%), the North West (11.3%) and London (11.5%).

The Scottish Government considers that there are a wide range of factors contributing to high increases in private rents in Scotland and across the UK. The Programme for Government confirms the intention to introduce a Housing Bill to deliver a New Deal for Tenants, including the introduction of long-term rent controls for the private rented sector to address large increases in rents both during and between tenancies in Scotland.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 provides stability of rents for the majority of existing tenants in the private rented sector in Scotland. Since 1 April 2023, rents for tenancies subject to the rent cap can increase by up to 3%, or landlords can apply to Rent Service Scotland for approval of an increase of up to 6% in specific circumstances. Our emergency legislation has led the way at a time when rents have been rising across the UK, stabilising rents to help tenants to stay in their homes. Anywhere else in the UK, private tenants have faced a double impact of unfettered rent rises both during and between tenancies.

This emergency legislation is time-bound and temporary, and the ongoing necessity is regularly reviewed and reported on. The First Report , Statement of Reasons for the Act’s extension from March 2023, Statement of Reasons for the Act’s second extension from September 2023 and the latest Report covering the period 1 June to 30 September 2023 are available on the Scottish Government website.

I last met with the COSLA Culture Conveners group on 21 September 2023.

During this meeting we discussed ways in which we can collaborate to progress our shared priorities for culture in Scotland.

The next meeting of the Culture Conveners, which I will attend, is scheduled to take place in early 2024.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I recommend contacting your local authority who may be able to advise.