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Zero Waste Scotland is conducting research with disabled people and carers, and representative organisations, to understand their views on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The intention is for this work to inform communications regarding DRS and to be shared with any scheme administrator(s) once approved.

There are no plans for the Scottish Government to establish a fund for teaching and training resources in relation to the deposit return scheme. It will be the responsibility of the businesses with responsibility for implementing DRS, including any scheme administrator(s), to ensure that the scheme is accessible and that everyone is aware of their responsibilities under it. It should be noted that it will be in the best interests of those running the scheme to ensure it is as widely understood as possible, to ensure they can meet their collection targets.

The Regulations to establish Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), published on 16 March 2020, have taken full account of the importance of accessibility. In particular, to maximise accessibility, Scotland’s DRS will follow a ‘return-to-retail’ model, with every drinks retailer required to operate a return point unless exempted.

It is for the businesses with responsibility for implementing DRS, including retailers, to determine how best to ensure accessibility of return points to all. The Scottish Government is clear that it expects industry to comply with best practice and all applicable legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, in implementing DRS.

The National Health and Social Care Integrated Workforce Plan sets out how health and social care services will meet growing demand to ensure the right numbers of staff, with the right skills, across health and social care services.

We have published a series of case studies and scenarios alongside the Integrated Plan. For the first time, these scenarios allow us to model the numbers we will need for future years, in response to growing demand.

Podiatrists form part of the Allied Health Professional (AHP) workforce. The Integrated Plan’s scenario planning includes a profile of the Allied Health Professions workforce; the future demand for AHP services and the actions required to allow for evidence-based, predictive workforce planning in this area:

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/
publications/publication/2019/12/national-health-social-care
-integrated-workforce-plan/documents/illustrative-scenarios/
illustrative-scenarios/govscot%3Adocument/illustrative-
scenarios.pdf

The Scottish Government recognises the important role of Allied Health Professionals such as podiatrists. A national recruitment campaign for nursing, midwifery, Allied Health Professionals and health care scientists ran from November 2019 until January 2020, to attract prospective university students into these professions and ensure a sustainable workforce is available to meet Scotland’s future requirements.

The National Health and Social Care Integrated Workforce Plan sets out how health and social care services will meet growing demand to ensure the right numbers of staff, with the right skills, across health and social care services.

We have published a series of case studies and scenarios alongside the Integrated Plan. For the first time, these scenarios allow us to model the numbers we will need for future years, in response to growing demand.

The Integrated Plan’s scenario planning includes a profile of the Allied Health Professions workforce; the future demand for AHP services and the actions required to allow for evidence-based, predictive workforce planning in this area:

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot
/publications/publication/2019/12/national-health-social-care
-integrated-workforce-plan/documents/illustrative-scenarios/
illustrative-scenarios/govscot%3Adocument/illustrative-
scenarios.pdf .

I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-27248 on 24 March 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

On 18 March, I announced that we are making available £350 million of funding to support local government, the third sector and communities during this unprecedented public health emergency.

£50 million in being passed directly to local authorities to support their own local resilience, and hardship plans and Councils across Scotland are free to use this money to directly address their local needs in the best way they see fit including to reduce the risk of homelessness.

The intention is to publish the Outcomes Framework for Children, Young People and Families later in the spring. We are currently engaging with stakeholders from local government, health and the third sector to ensure the framework is fit for purpose.

The Scottish Screening Committee (SSC) is a Ministerial Advisory Group, and was established in 2016. The SSC was established to improve the strategic management of screening services in Scotland and fully considers the implementation of all recommendations made by the UK National Screening Committee in the context of the specific Scottish circumstances.

Following the appointment of a new Chair, minutes from the Scottish Screening Committee will be routinely published starting with the next meeting.

The £89 million investment in reform and improving patient outcomes for mental health and child and adolescent mental health services set out in the Scottish Budget combines a number of existing budgets. It includes the 2020-21 share of the 2018 Programme for Government funding which committed to total additional investment of £250 million over 5 years.

Overall, the combined budgets in question have increased by £28 million or 46%.