Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Fair Work Working Group (FWWG) continues to explore ways to promote all aspects of fair work across the sector, finding common ground on good fair work practices which will be both meaningful and impactful and will encourage retail businesses to demonstrate their commitment to the Fair Work principles.

New Year's Day trading can be discussed and non-legislative routes explored in relation to the approach on fair work if the FWWG members choose to do so as part of their regular discussions and as they continue to collaborate on the fair work action with the trade unions and industry stakeholders through the Retail Industry Leadership Group.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government and devolved government administrations in respect of student financial support matters. However, we have not been made aware of any issues relating to the conduct of Erudio Student Loans debt recovery practices that are impacting on Scottish borrowers.

If the member is aware of any specific issues for Scottish borrowers, they should be advised to contact Erudio Student Loans directly to raise their concerns. If, following that, they are not satisfied with the response then the issue can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service to consider.

The Scottish Government does not receive information on the number of people in Scotland who have loans payable to Erudio Student Loans Company.

NHS Scotland currently offers a whole gene screening panel for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to test for faults in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 and a range of other target genes. At present, this testing is available to people from specific population groups (including those of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage) if they meet clinical criteria that indicate a higher genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

The Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine (SSNGM) was established in 2022 to develop a fully considered and sustainable genomic medicine service for Scotland. The SSNGM contains specialist Scottish Genomics Test Advisory Groups (SG-TAG) for both cancer and rare and inherited conditions, whose role is to review and assess the clinical validity and utility of new tests, and changes to the referral criteria for existing tests.

The SSNGM plan to initiate a review of the existing hereditary cancer testing pathways in 2024. This review will include both the referral criteria for our existing genomic test offering and alternative testing methods and will make recommendations via the SG-TAG process.

The Scottish Government has no plans to reinstate the Carers Register in GP practices.

The Carers Register was previously undertaken by practices as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). The requirement for practices to complete the QOF was removed in 2016 and quality planning, improvement and assurance within general practice is now carried out through GP Clusters.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role played by carers and practices can continue to use markers on their patient registrations to recognise those with caring duties.

The recently revised PAS 2080 by the British Standards Institute (BSI), is welcomed as a voluntary standard that can assist public authorities in managing carbon in building and infrastructure projects.

Our current position is that the incorporation of PAS 2080 would not be fully mandated in procurement standards, as it would be a barrier to small and midsize enterprises bidding for work. However, it is recommended, through the Client Guide to Construction Projects, to be included within the specified requirements of a construction or infrastructure contract. We will consider whether this position needs strengthened following further ongoing research into the matter.

The Scottish Government are in the process of drafting a Construction Policy Note highlighting PAS 2080. This will assist contracting authority staff, involved in the planning and delivery of public works projects, with practical guidance.

Through our Sustainability in Construction guidance, within the Client Guide to Construction Projects, we encourage public bodies to consider and reduce whole life carbon and PAS 2080 is widely recognised as a clear and consistent methodology for doing so.

The Scottish Government will continue to review and develop processes for reducing carbon through public sector procurements, ensuring that we are operating in line with current best practice and Scottish Government policy.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Committee’s thorough and wide-ranging report and we are committed to working with local government to deliver our shared climate change goals.

Following the Committee’s Inquiry, COSLA and the Scottish Government is working collaboratively to develop a Climate Delivery Framework to agree shared approaches to delivering action on climate change. As recommended by the Committee, we have also established a Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS) jointly funded with local government, which will help build the capacity of local authorities to reduce area wide emissions. A single data platform, currently being procured, will enable consistency of approach and adoption of best practice methodologies across local authorities and their delivery partners. This will provide all 32 local authorities with data-informed evidence, insights and intelligence they need for continuous improvement of their climate action plans.

The Scottish Government does not hold information about the types or numbers of funeral services in Scotland and does not make an assessment of trends in funeral choices.

Unattended funerals are most often direct cremations where there is no funeral service at a crematorium. Sometimes these are arranged as a preference by the deceased or by their relatives who might arrange a separate wake or celebration of the deceased’s life.

According to the recent Sunlife Cost of Dying report published in January 2024, the cost of a basic funeral rose from £3,953 in 2022 to £4,141 in 2023, an increase of 4.7%. The report shows there has been an increase in direct cremations over the past five years with 3% of funerals described as a direct cremation in 2019, rising to 20% in 2023. Direct cremations are often seen as a more affordable option but according to the Sunlife report there are various other reasons for choosing this option; this is often requested by the deceased or chosen because it is simpler to organise.

Issues relating to pricing and consumer protection are reserved to the UK Government. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) publish an annual review of market outcomes in the UK funerals sector and the most recent is available at: Review of funerals sector - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . Officials continue to engage with the CMA as required in relation to their Funeral Markets Investigation and the upcoming regulations for inspection of the funeral industry and licensing of funeral directors being made under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.

The Scottish Government is open to considering all options and will continue to work with the industry and other stakeholders to achieve improvements in pig welfare.

The Scottish Government Programme for Government made the commitment to consult on phasing out the use cages for gamebirds and laying hens. This work is now progressing and the consultation on phasing out cages for laying hens and the call for evidence on gamebirds and quail are expected to go live in the early spring.

The proposed consultation on phasing out farrowing crates for pigs was originally intended to have been delivered jointly across all UK administrations. However, progress on a number of important pieces of animal welfare legislation have been significantly delayed or has ceased due to delays in UK Government timetabling, such as the Kept Animals Bill. DEFRA have confirmed that it now has no immediate plans to take forward the work on farrowing crates.

Regardless, the Scottish Government is pressing ahead on improving the welfare of all animals in Scotland, including pigs, and on 20 November 2023 published the Scottish Government Guidance for the Welfare of Pigs . We are also in the process of updating the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 to include this updated pigs’ welfare guidance.

We continue to listen and work with the industry and stakeholders on how best to achieve improvements in animal welfare as well as monitoring industry information to allow us to determine how to ensure best practice is delivered.