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Curriculum for Excellence is a flexible curriculum, and History sits within the wider curriculum area of social studies, with experiences and outcomes that allow for teaching and learning of a very wide range of topics. This ensures that practitioners are able to deliver a curriculum that is best suited to their learners in their circumstances and local context.

It also means that for the “broad general education” phase in particular (ages 3-15), whilst individual schools are able to draw on education resources which may include specific teaching on the British Empire, content on the British Empire is not embedded in a specific way within curriculum framework documentation. Nonetheless, within the broad general education there is the opportunity to teach the topic of the British Empire, including Scotland’s role, within the people, past events and societies section of social studies. Education Scotland provide a range of resources to support teachers, including for example on historical enslavement.

There is also an opportunity to teach the topic of the British Empire within the History qualifications in the senior phase, for example through the ‘Migration and Empire’ topic (for instance, the National 5 SQA Course Specification references “impact of the Empire on Scotland” and the Higher History SQA Course Specification refers to “the impact of Scots emigrants on the empire” and “The effects of migration and empire on Scotland, to 1939”) and ‘Atlantic Slave Trade’ topic.

More broadly, ensuring that the curriculum is taught in a culturally-responsive way that acknowledges Scotland’s role in historical world events, including trans-Atlantic enslavement and colonial histories, and their continuing impact today is part of a much wider set of ambitions which are included in the Scottish Government’s Anti-Racism in Education Programme.

Education Scotland’s guidance on promoting and developing race equality and anti-racism in education notes the value of nurturing a historical literacy in learners which helps them to understand all of Scotland’s history, including our historical role in empire, colonialism and trans-Atlantic slavery, and helps learners understand how Scotland’s colonial past plays a role in their current everyday lives.

There is one Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) accredited undergraduate course currently available in Scotland, provided by the University of West of Scotland. The University of West of Scotland are able to provide data over the past 9 years on the number of people who have graduated with this degree:

The Scottish Government is aware that there has been and are challenges in delivering complex surgery (such as ovarian) across all regions. Regional action plans have been developed to address the specific issues in those areas.

The NHS continue to prioritise emergency, urgent and cancer care, and where there is an urgent suspicion of cancer, they make every effort to ensure a patient is seen as quickly as possible, with the majority receiving appointments within the appropriate time frame.

Significant pressures may result in longer waiting times and efforts are being made to reduce waiting times and support patients to be seen as quickly as possible.

This information is not held centrally within the Scottish Government.

Any arrangements for NHS patients to be treated at an Independent Sector hospital would need to be made between the patient, NHS Board and their clinical team.

While a patient has the right, at any time, to exercise choice and seek private treatment, there can never be the expectation that the NHS will pay for it. The reimbursement of any costs incurred when a patient opts for private treatment, however, is a matter for consideration by the local Health Board.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-02056 on 23 March 2023 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 23/03/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

The Scottish Government does not hold information about the number of NHS dental practices that have stopped offering NHS treatment.

NHS Boards make arrangements with independent dental contractors to provide NHS General Dental Services. Individual health boards should be able to advise on the number of dentists who have resigned their list number for providing NHS services in their area.

The Scottish Government’s ambitious 10-year cancer strategy is nearing completion, with publication planned this Spring. The strategy will be under-pinned by action plans which will evolve with the changing cancer landscape. The strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

It will encompass a new earlier cancer diagnosis vision for Scotland and will continue to focus on those cancer types that are the largest burden and have poorer survival, in particular the less survivable cancers, including liver cancer.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is a matter for Health Boards locally.

The Parking Standards Guidance document relating to the enforcement of the new parking prohibitions contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is being developed in consultation with local authorities through the Parking Standards Stakeholder Working Group and will be issued to local authorities at the same time as the Enforcement Regulations come into force. This is expected to be in December 2023.

To encourage families to consider the use of reusable alternatives to disposable nappies, a Nappy Voucher is included within the Baby Box which can be used to redeem 1 waterproof nappy wrap, with 5 stay dry nappy pads.

The Nappy Voucher also signposts families to our ParentClub website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies as well as signposting families on where to seek advice and support with using them. Ready Steady Baby , which is given out at antenatal appointments, also highlights the benefits of reusable nappies.

The total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland has dropped by nearly a third over the past decade. We are working to accelerate progress which includes introducing a ban on landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. Additionally, we are supporting local authorities in improving recycling infrastructure through our Recycling Improvement Fund. This fund provides scope for local authorities to improve collection of problematic materials.