Chamber and committees

The ability to re-refer is part of the current structure of the Distress Brief Intervention programme. Data is not held within individual years for multiple referrals but data about multiple referrals overall has been provided below. Data beyond January 2023 will be available after spring 2025.

The programme was initially piloted in Lanarkshire, Aberdeen city, Inverness City and Scottish Borders. Data for these areas is available between 1st November 2018 to 31st January 2023 and is outlined in Table 1. Data for the subsequent rollout across the remaining health and social care partnerships is available between 1st July 2019 to 31st January 2023 and is outlined in Table 2.

For the National Pathways (NHS 24, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland), data is available between May 2020 to the end of January 2023. In this time, 12,649 individuals were referred. Of these, 1,044 people (8.3%) had 2 referrals and 473 people (3.7%) had 3 or more referrals.

Table 1 – Referral numbers for pilot areas (November 2018 to January 2023)

Since April 2021 the Scottish Ballet has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands:

In total, between June 2020 and May 2024, initial contact was not made within 24 hours for 216 people out of 58,657 referrals (less than 0.4%). The following table breaks this down by percentage due to the small number of cases in each area.

We can currently only provide accurate information on whether buildings are within scope of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 if they have been entered into the pilot phase of our Cladding Remediation Programme. There are no buildings within the Highlands and Islands region that were entered into the pilot phase. We currently do not know if there are any buildings within the region that are within scope of the Act.

We recently announced that we will be delivering two new schemes of assessment and remediation. One will allow residents of potentially affected buildings to bring these to our attention where no owner or developer is willing or able to undertake responsibility. The other will involve working with local authorities and the fire service to identify buildings that appear to be at an elevated risk. More generally, we plan to bring partners together - harnessing their skills, knowledge and capacity – to make action on cladding a national, collective endeavour.

These actions will allow us to develop a clear picture of the position across Scotland and action being taken. We will seek assurance where appropriate, and be prepared to offer support where needed. We will be publishing a renewed plan of action in March that will set out how and when we will be delivering these and other priorities for cladding remediation.

Whilst this is an operational matter for CalMac, given the significant reduction in passenger capacity Transport Scotland officials have been updated by CalMac on the timeline for repairs and will be kept appraised of any capacity issues relevant to the routes MV Isle of Mull is operating on.

During this time, during the annual overhaul schedule, as it normally does, the MV Isle of Mull is operating as relief vessel on Lochboisdale service. The MV Loch Frisa continues to operate to Mull to timetable.

With the MV Glen Sannox entering service, CalMac assessed the optimum deployment of the MV Isle of Arran through use of their Route Prioritisation Matrix, and the MV Isle of Arran has been operating on the Oban-Craignure route alongside the MV Loch Frisa since 16 January 2025.

HM Inspectors evaluate the quality of education in Scottish schools using quality indicators. 'How good is our school? (4th edition)’ has been in use since September 2016.

HM Inspectors use a six-point scale to grade individual quality indicators. There are two models of inspection, one in which two quality indicators are graded, and one where four quality indicators are graded. The information provided includes grades assigned for both models of inspection.

The information previously provided (PQ reference - S6W-27327 on 17 May 2024) related to grades assigned during inspections carried out using the current framework, 'How good is our school? (4th edition). The information did not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork has been carried out, but the report is not yet published. All inspection reports for inspections carried out in 2023-24 have now been published and the data updated.

HM Inspectors evaluate the quality of education in Scottish schools using quality indicators. 'How good is our school? (4th edition)’ has been in use since September 2016.

HM Inspectors use a six-point scale to grade individual quality indicators. There are two models of inspection, one in which two quality indicators are graded, and one where four quality indicators are graded. The information provided includes grades assigned for both models of inspection.

The information previously provided (PQ reference - S6W-27327) related to grades assigned during inspections carried out using the current framework, 'How good is our school? (4th edition). The information did not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork had been carried out, but the reports are not yet published. All inspection reports for inspections carried out in 2023-24 have now been published and the data updated.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. We are working with PHS to collate RCDS data with a view to publishing in the future.

Colleagues in the Centre for Sustainable Delivery continue to engage with Health Boards across NHS Scotland and regional cancer networks, such as the North Cancer Alliance, to extend Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. We are committed to achieving population based coverage by 2026.

A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is currently underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time. The guidelines are due to be published in Spring 2025. A new guideline will now be included for those patients presenting with symptoms that do not follow the specific tumour referral pathways, ensuring that patients across NHS Scotland who present with non-specific symptoms of cancer will have a clear Urgent Suspicion of Cancer referral route. This non-specific symptom guideline is closely aligned to the referral route for those who are referred to a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS).

The draft Budget 2025-26 includes £5m of funding for Coastal Change to be included in the General Capital Grant provided to local authorities.

It is Scottish Government’s policy to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. The vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders.

Our Programme for Government has committed to establishing a further Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service in NHS Forth Valley, bringing our national total to six. It is expected the RCDS in NHS Forth Valley will start accepting referrals by Spring 2025.