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a) Estimates of the number of adult and young carers in Scotland are produced using the Scottish Government’s Scottish Health Survey and the National Records of Scotland mid-year population estimates , as detailed in the most recent publication of unpaid carer estimates .

The Scottish Health Survey asks respondents whether they provide any regular help or unpaid care for any sick, disabled or frail person. The percentage of respondents who indicate that they provide care is then applied to the relevant mid-year population estimates for Scotland, to provide an estimate of the number of people providing unpaid care. As the Scottish Health Survey samples children aged 4 and over, this provides an estimate for adult carers by using the percentage of people over the age of 18 providing care and for young carers by using the percentage of people under the age of 18 providing care.

b) Different surveys will give different percentages of those providing care. For instance, the Scottish Survey Core Questions (SSCQ), which pools samples from the Scottish Health Survey, the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, tends to give a higher percentage than the Scottish Health Survey alone which in turn, would lead to a higher estimate of unpaid carers aged 16+.

However, the Scottish Health Survey is the only one of these surveys to sample people under the age of 16, which allows us to produce estimates for both adult carers and young carers. It also includes further questions specifically for carers which allows for more detailed analysis.

We have invested over £2m within this parliamentary term to deliver the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery which looks to reduce the impact of chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, on quality of life and wellbeing and improve information, care and services for people in Scotland.

In 2022-23, as part of Section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Scottish Government provided grant funding of £7,920 to Pain Concern and Flippin’ Pain to host an online awareness raising event for people in Scotland living with fibromyalgia. The event was also open to healthcare staff.

The Scottish Government is developing a place-based, industry specific Just Transition Plan for the region, committed to in our 2023 Programme for Government, that will outline the strategic long-term future of the industrial cluster.

The plan will outline a range of possibilities for operations at Grangemouth in 2045, including low-carbon hydrogen manufacture, carbon capture and Storage, bio-manufacturing and alternative low-carbon fuels as well as wider Just Transition impacts on the workforce, community and surrounding environment.

SG leads on this work, in partnership with the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, and has been working extensively with multiple industrial operators including Petroineos, and wider stakeholders to develop a baseline as well as a co-designed vision for the future Grangemouth Industrial Cluster.

A draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan and Vision will be published in May 2024.

It is a fundamental priority for the Scottish Government to ensure that people take up their full entitlement to social security benefits. This includes UK reserved benefits such as Attendance Allowance, where promotion and delivery remains the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Welfare advice services work closely with people across Scotland who may be entitled to benefits but have not yet applied. This year, we have allocated funding of £12.5 million to support free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services, helping people to access social security and maximise incomes.

Social Security Scotland also work extensively with local and national stakeholders to promote Scottish payments. This includes engagement with a group of stakeholders representing Energy Limited Chronic Illnesses, which brings together a number of organisations supporting people with fibromyalgia.

Scottish Government are not aware of any local authority that is considering establishing such bonds.

A local authority's capital financing and investment arrangements are a matter for the authority. Whilst we would expect councils to engage appropriate specialist expertise to assist them with their capital financing and investment plans, the Scottish Government would be happy to support any council considering innovative capital financing and investment propositions for the good of their local communities.

We are aware that many third sector organisations issue three-month notices to staff that are funded through grants to inform them that they are at risk of redundancy should funding not continue.

In recognition of the impact that this can have, grant managers across the Scottish Government aim to inform organisations of funding arrangements as early as possible and, ideally, before the end of calendar year to avoid the need for redundancy notices.

Regrettably, the late timing of the UK Government Autumn Statement and the catastrophic cuts to Scotland’s block-grant have caused unavoidable delays in finalising budgets for 24-25. As a result we have been, as yet, unable to notify many third sector organisations of their future funding.

In line with our Fairer Funding commitments, we are working to do so as soon as soon as is practically possible and before the end of March 2024 for funding that starts on 1 April. Grant managers are engaging with organisations to provide as much support and assurance as possible.

(a) The Pain management - service delivery framework: implementation plan sets out the actions we will take to reduce the impact of chronic pain on quality of life and wellbeing and improve information, care and services for people in Scotland, which includes people living with chronic pain as a result of fibromyalgia. A report on the progress on the 18 initial actions was published on the 15 November 2023 Pain management service delivery implementation plan: progress report .

Additionally in November 2024, we published an updated Implementation Plan with updated actions following a period of stakeholder engagement. Progress on actions is discussed bi-monthly at the Pain Management Task Force , the minutes of which are available on the Scottish Government website.

We will continue to consult with people with lived experience of chronic pain, including those with fibromyalgia, throughout the development and delivery of actions outlined in the plan.

(b)The Short Life Working Groups (SLWGs) and Pain Management Networks established to support implementation of the Framework continue to evolve and develop the current actions. All the professional network leads (allied health professionals, pain psychologists, medics, pharmacist and nurses) are specialist pain management clinicians who have expert skills in supporting people with fibromyalgia.

Details on the role and membership of the Pain Management Task Force can be found at Pain Management Task Force .

Current guidelines for healthcare professionals regarding fibromyalgia are available from authoritative professional sources such as the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) - https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/management-of-chronic-pain/ and the Royal College of Physicians https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/diagnosis-fibromyalgia-syndrome

The National Pain Education Group is developing a Chronic Pain Toolkit for all health and social care staff across Scotland - it will be Scotland's first national chronic pain training resource. It will be hosted on TURAS on a dedicated page called The Chronic Pain Knowledge Hub. This has been developed with lived experience input and NHS Education for Scotland colleagues.

International Fibromyalgia Day on 12 May 2024 is an important opportunity to raise awareness of this distressing and debilitating condition. We want to ensure that all people living with fibromyalgia in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support. To mark its importance, on the 12 May 2024 the Scottish Government’s main building, St Andrew’s House, will be lit up in purple.

We are working hard to deliver the actions in our Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update to ensure everyone living with chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, can access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms.

Scottish Ministers welcome the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority's completed investigation into the housing market, in particular those findings relating to Scotland and the published Scotland summary. We are considering their findings carefully and will respond formally in due course.

We also note the intention to investigate further issues relating to potential market information sharing and other matters. It is right that this is considered carefully and Ministers will consider this in turn when the Authority have completed their work on this issue.