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The Scottish Government is enabling access to superfast broadband through the R100 contracts (North, Central and South) and the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS).

As at 30 June 2023, the total number of properties included in the R100 contracts yet to receive a connection in the (a) Aberdeenshire and (b) Angus local authority areas are as follows:

Core central funding for digital technologies across health and social care in each of the past three years is as below:

22-23 - £99,522

21-22 - £ 112,267

20-21 - £103,232

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures faced by the Social Care sector at present and while the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, it is local authorities and health and social care partnerships who have the responsibility for commissioning appropriate services for local needs. We are however, taking steps at a national level to assist in reducing these pressures.

We are continuing to invest in social care to support the people who deliver, and rely, on these services with £1.7bn being provided for social care support and integration in 2023-24.

We have invested a further 3.6 million pounds to continue the development and expansion of Hospital at Home services. This additional funding brings the Scottish Government’s total investment in Hospital at Home services to more than 10.7 million pounds since 2020 and will see the number of patients accessing Hospital at Home grow by 50%.

We are progressing our commitment to increase spend in social care support by 25% by the end of this Parliament - an increase of over £840m, laying the groundwork for the establishment of a National Care Service.

The Scottish Government is clear that one life lost on our roads is one too many and along with partners is committed to eradicating fatal and serious collisions on our roads.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050. For the first time, a full range of mode and user specific targets for key priority groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and over-represented age groups have been created to focus our partners on key priority areas.

The framework is supported by annual delivery plans that includes a wide range of road safety initiatives from road safety partners. These initiatives are continuously monitored through our three tier governance structure, with progress and outcomes published within our annual reports on the Transport Scotland website.

In addition, our Road Safety Framework Fund gives road safety partners the opportunity to co-design and co-deliver road safety initiatives that support the delivery of the framework. A condition of the grant funding is that each project is independently evaluated to determine the impact it is having on road safety performance.

We are planning on the basis that the full model should be implemented by mid 2025.To aid with implementation we will work with regional chief executives and strategic planning leads to undertake modelling and capacity work to help develop local implementation plans. It is important that the whole multidisciplinary team are involved in developing local plans, including obstetric and maternity staff.

For parents of babies currently in neonatal care, there will be no immediate change. This model of care is based on how neonatal care has been delivered in Scotland for many years. For example, babies born in the Borders needing specialist intensive care have for many years received intensive care in Edinburgh or Glasgow, before being transferred back to hospitals closer to home as their condition improves.

The Best Start, published in January 2017, outlined a new model of neonatal service provision which emphasises parents as key partners in caring for their baby; aims to keep mothers and babies together as much as possible, with services designed around them; and suggests care for the smallest and sickest babies is consolidated to deliver the best possible outcomes.

We currently have 15 Neonatal Units in Scotland, each providing care for babies in their area. The new model of neonatal care will focus on the most preterm and sickest babies who will receive specialist complex care in fewer centres. Evidence tells us long term health outcomes will improve for those babies if cared for in higher volume units.

To aid with implementation we will work with regional chief executives and strategic planning leads to undertake modelling and capacity work to help develop local implementation plans.

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) has been available since July 2021. We ask NHS Boards to report on the number of claims, including successful claims, which have been made to the fund.

In 2021/22, NHS Boards reported that 4,983 claims were made under the YPFF and all claims were successful.

For reporting period 2022-23, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18948 on 21 June 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

NHS Boards are responsible for planning and providing services based on the needs of their local population, this includes women who receive maternity aftercare following birth in hospitals, midwife-led birthing units and community settings.

The Scottish Government continues to improve provision of maternity and neonatal services through implementation of The Best Start: A Five Year forward plan for Maternity and Neonatal care in Scotland.

We receive regular reporting from Health Boards showing they are on track to be delivered by the revised end date of mid 2024 for the majority of the recommendations and for continuity of carer to be implemented within the lifetime of this Parliament.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS has assessed the procurement and installation costs for the project at HMP Grampian as £554,995 (excluding VAT). The cost includes all cabling and preparatory works associated to the project at HMP Grampian, as well as the materials and the associated required testing and commissioning works.

Permanent In Cell Telephony means individuals in prison can maintain purposeful family contact, including with children, which we know is important for good mental health and wellbeing, and for reducing the risk of reoffending upon return to communities. In Cell Telephony will also support SPS’ longer term ambitions for in-cell technology, with additional educational opportunities and giving those individuals in prison greater control over their own lives, again supporting reintegration into the community and reducing the risk of reoffending.