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The Scottish Government does not hold information on the people admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.

Hospital admissions data record the diagnostic conditions patients were admitted for using the International Classification of Disease Codes version 10 (ICD-10). Cold weather related illnesses are not a defined list of conditions that can be identified through ICD-10 codes.

Some ICD-10 codes identify specific conditions which may be associated with cold weather, however these do not represent all conditions that could be considered cold weather related admissions.

Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHSScotland are published by Public Health Scotland annually: Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - year ending 31 March 2024 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - Publications - Public Health Scotland

These statistics will include detailed diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.

COPFS has contracts and service level agreements with universities, local authorities, Scottish Police Authority and the NHS for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland to allow the discharge of our death investigation duties.

As part of those agreements, pathologists will meet with nearest relatives if they wish to discuss their post mortem examination findings. In our experience, these discussions are of great assistance to families in understanding what happened to their loved ones and pathologists are experienced at providing that information in a respectful and sensitive manner.

We are reviewing those agreements with all service providers and the report’s findings will be taken into account in our discussions.

COPFS ensures that nearest relatives are kept informed of decisions in relation to a post mortem and are offered a copy of the pathologist’s report if they wish.

We have also established a Death Investigation Improvement Board and work is ongoing to improve the quality and level of information provided to nearest relatives in the early stages of the investigation, including what is involved in the post mortem examination process.

Our investment of £30 million is supporting significant targeted action across a number of specialities, including gynaecology, with around 3,500 additional New Outpatient appointments planned for the longest waiting patients.

NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) also continues to work with Health Boards to accelerate implementation of high impact changes, including Active Clinical Referral Treatment (ACRT) and Patient Initiated Review (PIR), freeing up additional capacity in the NHS system and providing sustainable solutions for the future.

CfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for gynaecology, which was established to support, innovate and develop high quality gynaecology services across Scotland, reducing unwarranted variation, promoting a best-in-class and - where appropriate - a once-for-Scotland approach.

This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the CfSD. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.

In 2009, sportscotland’s headquarters moved to Doges, Templeton on the Green, Glasgow and Caledonian House was retained as a “House of Sport”. A full cost-benefit analysis of Caledonian House was conducted in March 2023, and it was concluded the building was not a good use of public money. All existing tenants, including relevant Scottish Governing Bodies of sport, were part of a sportscotland consultation process, have been kept up to date with the process throughout, and were provided ample time to consider their future office needs and find alternative office space.

sportscotland continue to support tenants with information and guidance on alternative accommodation and where possible, have facilitated introductions to wider partners where there is potential to co-locate.

Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government’s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.

It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government’s ten year Cancer Strategy published in 2023 sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to improving patient pathways from cancer prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and this includes our ambitions for flourishing research and innovation. The Scottish Government is also the only UK-nation to have a dedicated strategy to support children and young people with cancer, delivered through the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer. This network will continue to contribute to national and international research projects which aim to maximise cure for those with the highest risk disease and minimise treatment burden for those who are already curable.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports cancer research in Scotland including on cancers affecting children through investments in NHS Research Scotland infrastructure including Cancer and Paediatric Research Networks and in Paediatric and Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres that support the delivery of clinical studies and trials. In addition, CSO supports funding opportunities for cancer research through access to National Institute for Health & Care Research programmes. CSO also recently established a collaboration with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to co-fund a neuro-oncology fellowship in Scotland.

In line with the recommendation made in the Scrutiny and Assurance Review, we have been working with the Care Inspectorate, Mental Welfare Commission and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to develop a framework for scrutiny and assurance in mental health. We are in the process of agreeing this with scrutiny bodies and aim to publish shortly.

The initial Delivery Plan for the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme published in June 2024 set out a range of actions being taken forward under Adults with Incapacity (AWI) and mental health law reform.

In terms of reforming capacity legislation, the AWI Amendment Act consultation was published in July and will run to October 2024 (Adults with Incapacity Amendment Act: consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space). This builds on previous consultation work undertaken in this area and takes account of the targeted discussions that have taken place over the past year with stakeholders around specific policy proposals.

The Programme for Government 2024-25 which was published in September confirms that the Adults with Incapacity Bill will form part of the Year 4 Legislative Programme and officials have been working to progress this.

As part of work to progress mental health legislative reform, we have undertaken extensive engagement with partners to consider various aspects of the scope of compulsory care and treatment within the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, with a view to developing potential options for change. We have also begun scoping work to consider recommendations around named persons and advanced statements.

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing its policy position on Ramsar sites and a revised policy statement will be published before the end of 2024. We will be conducting a targeted consultation on the proposed new policy position in early October to inform decisions about how to proceed.