Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11635 on‎ 14 November 2022. 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

A number of women have been assessed at the specialist service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and have subsequently requested onward referral to the independent providers. It is the responsibility of the patient’s local Health Board to make that referral and, in a number of cases, this has already occurred whilst, in others, preparations for referral are ongoing.

Neither the Scottish Government nor NHS National Services Scotland are able to confirm specifically when any patient will travel to the USA or Bristol for treatment, as the scheduling of surgery is dependent on clinical review by the provider and their subsequent acceptance of the case in question.

In light of the small number of patients referred, it would not be appropriate to disclose exact numbers due to the potential risk to patient confidentiality.

The reimbursement scheme established under the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Act 2022 is concerned with the reimbursement of costs associated mesh removal surgery arranged by women privately, where such arrangements were made on or before 3 June 2022. The scheme has no function in relation to the commissioning by NHS Scotland of mesh removal surgery from independent providers.

Mesh removal surgery commissioned from independent providers by NHS Scotland, in the UK or elsewhere, is arranged under Health Boards’ general powers, and there is no time limit on such arrangements being made.

A table giving the number of homelessness applications live as at 25 December 2021, by local authority and the associated number of adults and children is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. No 63756)

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11633 on‎ 14 November 2022. 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 new powers provided by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 enable local authorities to determine what is best for their own areas. I recognise that not every authority will want to run their own bus services, some may opt for a partnership or franchise approach. It is important that the options within the Act are fully explored to ensure they are appropriate for the area and are sustainable for local authorities' long term. Work is currently ongoing with local authorities and COSLA to determine how best to allocate funding in light of the emergency budget review.

As you know, we are also undertaking a Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares as we recover from the pandemic. As part of the Review, we are considering both the availability of services and the range of discounts and concessionary schemes, which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry. We will also consider options that maintain and increase affordability for those who need it most, taking cognisance of the relative changes to the overall cost of travel.

This was discussed at the Cladding Stakeholder Group as an option and is currently being explored.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a new Agriculture Bill to Parliament in 2023.

The public consultation on proposals for a new Bill, “Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture. Proposals for a new Agriculture Bill” was launched on 29 August and will now be open until 5 December. The consultation seeks views on proposals, which aim to assist in delivering the Vision for Agriculture, and suggests a legislative framework required to replace the current Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).

I am grateful to the Inspectorate for doing such a thorough piece of work on this important topic. It is a priority for all prosecutors that complainers are treated with dignity and respect, and that they are not subjected to inappropriate questioning during a trial.

This is a challenging area of work and I was pleased to see that the Inspectorate noted that Crown applications under this section of law were generally good and that it has developed its practices. Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has responded swiftly to developments in case law, issuing new instructions to staff and creating a training course dedicated to sexual history and character evidence. This has led to a significant shift in practice regarding how section 275 applications are managed.

There remains improvement work to be done, and I have instructed that this is taken forward through an action plan to address the outstanding recommendations. COPFS is committed to improving the experience of complainers in serious sexual offence cases, both in enhancing its own processes, for example through their ongoing review of its Victim Information and Advice function, and in working with partners across the criminal justice sector.

Homelessness data which includes information about temporary accommodation placements, is available for all local authorities from 2017-18. Information at individual (person or household) level cannot be provided due to data confidentiality.

Tables showing the distribution of time spent in temporary accommodation for households with homelessness applications that closed in each year from 2017-18 are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 63738). The figures are based on homelessness applications with at least one associated temporary accommodation placement.