Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11048 on
5 October 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

Resilience of the Energy Sector is reserved and therefore the responsibility of the UK Government.

Power Companies are required to meet statutory obligations under the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 with respect to minimum clearances from overhead lines, wires and cables including minimum ground clearance requirements.

Under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018, it is an offence to fell trees without first getting felling permission from Scottish Forestry. The clearance of windblown trees requires a Felling Permission (previously known as a Felling Licence), unless you qualify for an exemption:

• Trees pose an immediate danger to people, property, or infrastructure
• Windblown trees that are blocking roads

The Scottish Government contributed to the Storm Arwen Ofgem review ( Storm Arwen Report | Ofgem ) and support the recommendation that work is undertaken by the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C) to review current distribution and transmission network infrastructure standards and guidance, including those for vegetation management and overhead line designs, to identify economic and efficient improvements that could increase network resilience to severe weather events.

Resilience of the Energy Sector is reserved and therefore the responsibility of the UK Government.

The Scottish Government works closely with power companies and recognises the many aspects of resilience of the energy networks in Scotland, including the management of felling trees.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans recently met with SSEN and visited one of their tree cutting sites in the North of Scotland. The issue of damage to power lines and the complexity of felling trees was discussed in depth, including:

Legislative limitations

Land owner complexities

Secondary impacts such as additional tree blow

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with power companies and UK Government on all aspects of resilience to the network in Scotland.

Scottish Government officials and COSLA are working together as a partnership to ensure all Ukrainian displaced people are supported during their time in Scotland. As they are a key stakeholder in this work, the Scottish Government has regular and ongoing engagement with COSLA at Ministerial and official level.

I met with the COSLA spokesperson for Community Wellbeing this week, and details of Ministerial engagements are regularly published on the Scottish Government’s website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The SLWG has yet to be established as we are presently intending to recruit additional clinical advisory capacity and expect to progress once this resource is in place.

I regularly meet with and engage directly with island communities to seek their views on the provision of ferry services and areas which the travelling public are keen to see improvements.

This work will be carried out as part of the preparatory work for the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) contract. We are committed to ensure that the views and perspectives of key stakeholders and communities are considered, reflected upon and help shape the detail within the next CHFS contract.

The majority of Integrated Joint Board reserves are earmarked for specific purposes, in particular the ongoing response to COVID-19 and cannot be used to fund new spending commitments.

Further Covid funding has not been available from the UK Government for Covid related pressures in 2022-23.

Further work will be carried out to assess the amounts to be re-couped from IJBs in line with Covid requirements

More than £1.6 billion has been provided for social care and integration in 2022-23in addition to support for Covid, and we are committed to increasing spend in social care by at least 25% by the end of this Parliament, an increase of over £840 million.

Please see the following table of contracts which have been awarded so far by year, as part of the National Care Service Programme.

Currently, there is no additional budget specifically allocated for procuring external advice from private companies, although the National Care Service Programme will retain flexibility to procure external expertise as necessary to deliver the National Care Service.

Scottish Government analysts are considering options for increasing our understanding of the nature and level of unmet need in adult social care, and will continue to engage with external partners to develop appropriate approaches and deliver new insights over the coming months.

The Scottish Government is responsible for putting a framework in place that is conducive to the encouragement of NHS dental services. Part of that framework includes providing funding, through the emergency support payments, multiplier payments, and bridging payments, to help NHS dental practices to provide NHS dental services.

We understand that there are particular challenges in attracting dentists to work in more remote areas which is why we have recently updated the Recruitment and Retention Allowance. This Golden Hello payment means that dentists providing NHS dental services in qualifying areas, including Gretna, can receive up to £25,000 over a two year period. We are also working closely with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop a mentorship scheme for EU dentists which will allow them to work in Scotland to support areas facing recruitment challenges whilst they work towards their VT equivalence.

NHS Boards make arrangements with dental contractors to provide NHS dental services in their areas as local provision is the responsibility of the Board. However, officials meet regularly with the Board and are working closely with them on suitable contingency arrangements should these be required.