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ScotRail has challenging performance targets to deliver and it is expected to work in close partnership with Network Rail to ensure passengers are provided with a reliable and punctual service.

As the member will be aware, ScotRail’s published reporting for the prior period (21 Aug - 17 Sep) shows that more than 9 out of 10 trains arriving at both Ayr and Girvan stations met the industry standard Public Performance Measure (PPM) target across a 12 month rolling period, and services at both stations scored above the network average on PPM.

Pre COVID-19, 100% of NHS National Services Scotland's (NSS) PPE sources were overseas, now nearly half of all PPE issued by NSS was manufactured here (based on September 2022 figures). This rises to 88% when nitrile gloves are excluded from the figure.

In line with the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report on PPE, a resilient Scottish PPE supply chain is a key consideration as we start to look beyond the current pandemic and plan for the long term future of PPE provision in Scotland. We are committed to supporting the domestic manufacturing PPE base through the Pandemic PPE Supply Implementation Project as far as allowed by procurement and subsidy control rules.

This work aims to provide a more resilient supply across Health, Social Care and the wider public sector for the long term, with due priority given to the need for robust supply chains and reductions in environmental impact. More broadly the Scottish Government offer extensive support to develop the manufacturing sector through our Making Scotland’s Future Programme. This includes £75 million in the world-leading National Manufacturing Institute (NMIS), already operating with the HQ due to open next year. NMIS, the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and our enterprise agencies stand ready to assist companies in exploiting new opportunities or in responding to production challenges.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving access to NHS dental services, which is why we have included several areas in the Scottish Dental Access Initiative grant (SDAI). This financial grant enables dentists to open a new or expand an existing dental practice in areas where there is a particular and protracted problem with patient access to NHS dental services.

The areas currently included in the grant are:

• Dalmellington and Patna within NHS Ayrshire and Arran;
• Kelso and Berwickshire (exc. Eyemouth) within NHS Borders;
• NHS Dumfries and Galloway;
• Auchtermuchty within NHS Fife;
• Banff, Fraserburgh, Huntly and Moray within NHS Grampian;
• Isle of Bute, Islay and Jura, Lochgilphead, Mull and Iona, and Tarbert within NHS Highland;
• NHS Orkney;
• NHS Shetland;
• NHS Western Isles.

Officials are in regular contact with NHS Boards about areas which may benefit from having the SDAI and the areas can be updated as and when required.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally, however each NHS Board will hold information on dental capacity for their respective areas.

In the lead up to the commencement of short-term let licensing on 1 October 2022, we spoke to local authorities about their readiness to implement licensing schemes. This included regular group meetings and individual discussions.

A small number of local authorities informed us that their elected members would not meet to ratify their draft short-term let policies until after 1 October 2022. In these cases local authorities have ensured their websites have information about their licensing scheme including the draft policy, draft application forms, and an email address to submit enquiries to.

I wrote to all local authorities on 21 September reminding them of the importance of establishing licensing schemes in their area by 1 October. In that letter I explained that while there are no penalties under legislation for local authorities that failed to meet this deadline, there is of course a risk that local authorities could be challenged by new hosts, or anybody acting on their behalf, if they are unable to submit an application for a licence due to their local authority’s scheme not being open.

My officials spoke with Aberdeenshire Council on 26 September to understand the timeline for consideration of consultation responses and sign-off of its draft policy. These have been tabled for consideration by council sub-committees ahead of a full council meeting later this year. Prior to 1 October 2022, Aberdeenshire Council ensured its websites had information about its licensing scheme including its draft policy, a draft application form, and an email address to submit enquiries to.

The recently re-established Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working Group works jointly with education stakeholders to develop, agree and take forward actions to help improve the recruitment and retention of headteachers in Scotland. The group has been meeting on a quarterly basis since January 2022 with the last meeting taking place on 7 September 2022.

Since the answers to S6W-10436 and S6W-10437 on‎ 21 September 2022 were published, a small number of local authorities informed us that their elected members would not be able to meet to ratify their draft short-term let policies until after 1 October 2022. In these cases local authorities have ensured their websites have supported prospective applicants by having information about their licensing scheme including the draft policy, draft application forms, and an email address to submit enquiries to.

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

I refer the member to answer to question S6W-08832 on 7 June 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

We continue to work with local authorities on plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a device and connectivity by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11301 on‎ 21 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
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