Seòmar agus comataidhean

Scottish universities are autonomous institutions and as such are responsible for their own entry requirements and admissions policies. As independent institutions, it is vital universities continue to develop their own mitigating strategies to minimise negative impacts on their short, medium and long-term financial sustainability.

The Scottish Government along with the Scottish Funding Council continue to explore options in conjunction with the university and colleges sectors, to ensure institutions across the whole tertiary sector are sustainable in the longer-term. We currently have record numbers of enrolments and full-time first degree entrants from Scotland, International students and those from other parts of the UK are not eligible to access funded places.

To further support universities we have increased higher education resource funding by £20 million in cash terms as part of the 2023-24 Budget. This ensures that our universities continue to deliver a high standard of education for all students against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Scottish Government welcomes the contribution that international students make to our society, culture and economy. International students add to the diversity of our communities, enrich the learning experience and support local businesses and jobs.

Data published on 19 January 2023 by the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows record numbers of non-EU international students (65,300), and we welcome that these numbers are diversifying with noticeable increases in students from India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Any decision about dredging the River is for the local authority to take forward. In relation to dredging, there are circumstances in which this can be an appropriate measure to reduce the risk of flooding. However, it is important to avoid inappropriate dredging. This is partly to avoid damaging the river environment, but also because dredging and other river engineering work can often prove ineffective, or in some cases counter-productive, as a tool for managing flood risk. The scale of these risks depends on the river characteristics and the design of the works, which is why large scale dredging operations require an authorisation from SEPA under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly-licensed medicines. Making decisions about whether or not to recommend routine access to new medicines is a complex task and the SMC bases its decisions on the best available evidence provided to it. Following a full submission from the submitting company, Aimmune Therapeutics, on 10 October 2022, the SMC published “not recommended” advice for Health Boards on the routine use of Palforzia ® in NHS Scotland. The submission received did not present a sufficiently robust economic analysis to gain acceptance by the SMC.

By way of an update, Aimmune Therapeutics has indicated its intention to make a resubmission to the SMC.If they do, information on the specific timelines for the reassessment will be available via the search facility available on the home page of the SMC’s website here . There is a fast-track resubmission option, which reduces the normal assessment timeline.

In the meantime, Health Boards have procedures in place using the Peer Approved Clinical System “PACS Tier Two” process, for clinicians to request the use of licensed medicines on a ‘case-by-case’ basis for individual patients, when the treating clinician considers that there would be significant clinical benefit for a patient.

The Scottish Government has provided £80,000 of funding for Talk Lipoedema over financial years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to develop the Scoping Report on Lipoedema Care in Scotland, providing a welcome insight into Lipoedema services and to enhance their important work supporting people across Scotland with this condition.

This funding has also enabled the organisation to raise awareness through their website with updated information for both the public and professionals including a video on the diagnosis of lipoedema. Additionally, the funding has been used by the organisation to facilitate a pilot in NHS Lanarkshire ‘Living Well with Lipoedema’ exploring innovative, person-centred self-management programmes and developing online self-management resources.

The Women’s Health Plan focusses on a specific set of priorities and whilst lipoedema is not specifically mentioned in the priorities for this iteration of the Plan we do recognise that many women are significantly affected by the condition.

The Plan acknowledges the need to improve access to information for women about their health and to support this we launched the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform. We are currently finalising content on Lipoedema which will be included on the platform shortly.

CFL will open up all routes for the whole summer timetable period by Friday 20 January – with the exception of Mallaig-Armadale, Mallaig-Small Isles and Mallaig-Lochboisdale, (which will open by 31 January).

For the Mallaig routes, CFL are still working through tidal amendments for the whole summer timetables. CFL will engage with those communities directly. However, each community are already aware of their core timetables.

An ICIA was not carried out on the delay. The delay was not a policy choice but was due to the necessary detailed consideration and discussions required at all levels of Government in order to find a way to mitigate the impact on fares of an unprecedented level of CPI of 9.1%.

CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) issued communications to stakeholders on 17 January confirming it will open up all routes for the whole summer timetable period by Friday 20 January – with the exception of Mallaig-Armadale, Mallaig-Small Isles and Mallaig-Lochboisdale (which will open by 31 January).

For the Mallaig routes, CFL are still working through tidal amendments for the whole summer timetables and that work will not be complete by 20 January. CFL will engage with those communities directly and explain the reasons for the delay. However, each community are already aware of their core timetables.

The delay was due to the necessary detailed consideration and discussions required at all levels of Government in order to find a way to mitigate the impact on ferry fares of an unprecedented level of CPI of 9.1%.

I announced on 15 January that fares on the Northern Isles and Clyde & Hebrides ferry networks will be frozen for six months.

The decision on fares allows operators to now release their timetables for booking until the end of September.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13720 on 24 January 2023. 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 Ar Turas Booking system implementation is not related to the timetable publication delay.