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The Scottish Government is progressing its Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares as we recover from the pandemic. The Fair Fares Review is considering both the availability of services and the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry. The review will consider options that maintain and increase affordability for those who need it most, taking cognisance of the relative changes to the overall cost of travel. I have asked my officials to ensure that the terms and conditions attached to the Young Scot NEC card are considered as part of this wider review.

Patient safety is our utmost concern and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that patients continue to receive high quality Out of Hours services. Officials work closely with Out of Hours services across Scotland, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway to support them in delivering a safe, resilient and sustainable service. Whilst the Out of Hours service in NHS Dumfries & Galloway remains under pressure – as it does across Scotland – the Scottish Government receives regular assurances that there are robust arrangements in place to maintain a safe Out of Hours service and that the Board are working to make the service more resilient for the future. This includes the recent recruitment of two salaried GPs and a sessional GP. I understand that the Board are also working with Scottish Ambulance Service to recruit Advanced Paramedic Practitioners.

Patient safety is our utmost concern and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that patients continue to receive high quality Out of Hours services. My officials have been in contact with NHS Dumfries and Galloway and have been advised that, on 26 September 2022, all shifts were filled and that the Out of Hours service was maintained through this time. I would expect that the Board continues to make every effort to fill all shifts to ensure the resilience of its Out of Hours service.

The GP contract regulations require all GP practice partners to be sufficiently engaged in providing primary medical services in Scotland. It is for the partners to determine how best to meet the clinical needs of their patients and to ensure there are sufficient GPs onsite to provide necessary face to face appointments and home visits.

Health Boards and Health & Social Care Partnerships are responsible for monitoring their contracts with GP practices.

This information is not held centrally.

There are no GMS practices in Scotland without a partner and only a handful of 2C practices, mostly providing services to niche population groups, without a permanent GP.

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will launch on 16 August 2023.

In line with the polluter pays principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered by industry. It is for obligated businesses to ensure that they are fully prepared and ready for launch.

The Scottish Government remains engaged by meeting regularly with industry, the Scheme Administrator, and other stakeholders to ensure that implementation remains on track.

ScotRail advises that it extended its contract with Trainline Plc as a holding position to maintain continuity of service while waiting for details of the alternative approach to ticketing which has been promised as part of the proposed Great British Railways arrangements.

You will appreciate that the UK Government has now again postponed delivery of it proposed rail reform process. Such uncertainty and delay are unhelpful.

The number of resident places by funding category (i.e. self-funded/publicly funded) is not available. However, Public Health Scotland have published the estimated number of long stay residents in care homes for older people by funding category and by local authority since 2009.

a) i) This information is not held centrally and is not published by Public Health Scotland.

a) ii) These figures are available in two parts:

The latest Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults publication contains figures from 2012 - 2022. The figures can be found in the “Funding and Charges” section of the dashboard.

The Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults 2020 publication contains figures from 2009 – 2011. The figures can be found in Table 13C of the accompanying Care Home Census Data Tables.

b) i) This information is not held centrally and is not published by Public Health Scotland.

b) ii) These figures are available in two parts:

The latest Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults publication contains figures from 2012 - 2022. The figures can be found in the “Funding and Charges” section of the dashboard.

The Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults 2020 publication contains figures from 2009 – 2011. The figures can be found in Table 13C of the accompanying Care Home Census Data Tables.

Responsibility for the management of the police estate sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable.

However, Police Scotland has confirmed that 15 police stations have been closed since 2013 across Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde with the majority of them been moved to a new modern co-located accommodation within the same towns or officers were moved to new police stations nearby.

The Police Scotland Estate Strategy, approved by the SPA in May 2019, provides a framework for planning the future of the police estate to support the long term vision of policing which includes enhanced partnership working, and seeks to respond to the changing needs of communities while maintaining public visibility and confidence.

We are working with all NHS Boards to support them to implement the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care , including working with NHS Lanarkshire through regular engagement.

NHS Education for Scotland CAMHS Workforce data, published 6 September 2022, showed an increase of 17% in CAMHS community staffing in NHS Lanarkshire compared to March 2021. This CAMHS workforce data includes Neurodevelopmental staffing.