Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has no plans to revise its ambitious woodland creation targets as a result of Storm Arwen. Neither is there any plans to review species of trees to be planted as the range of species already being planted adds to Scotland’s rich, abundant and thriving landscape.

Spirometry is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines and we expect clinicians to deliver care in line with all relevant clinical guidelines when assessing patients who present themselves at healthcare settings with respiratory symptoms.

We also recognise that data plays an important role in improving services and understanding respiratory care in Scotland. That is why in our Respiratory Care Action Plan we have committed to develop a core respiratory data set that will help us understand the areas for improvement in respiratory care.

On 24 March 2021, we published our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland that sets out our vision for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), and Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA).

A link to the Plan can be found by following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/respiratory-care-action-plan-scotland-2021-2026/documents/.

The Scottish Government continues to work with partners, including Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Local Government and the UK Government, to ensure that access to quality data helps to improve our understanding of the employment and training activities undertaken by young people in Scotland.

A key development is the access of Universal Credit data for 16-24 year olds. Since September 2021 this data has been regularly shared by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and is used by SDS and the Scottish Government to monitor activities young people are currently participating in. As a result, employability support work to young people has been better targeted at those who most need it. In addition, SDS have been able to extend the age range of the published snapshot participation measure to 16 – 19 year olds having originally covered 16 – 17 year olds.

However, this analysis could be enhanced with access to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data which would improve our understanding of the destinations of young people and enable services to maximise the number of young people they support to enter employment, education or training. We will continue to work with SDS to look to establish a data sharing agreement with HMRC.

The Kickstart scheme is a UK Government programme and is operated by the DWP. We will continue to work closely with DWP, who are evaluating the programme, to ensure that this evaluation takes account of how the programme has worked in Scotland and specifically, how it aligned with the Young Person’s Guarantee and existing employability provision. This analysis will be fundamental in future programme design and in improving the accessibility of services for young people and employers.

The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows the very real threat and heightened risk the climate emergency poses to the planet - but it also makes it clear that with immediate, concerted international action to reduce emissions, global temperature rise can still be limited to 1.5°C in the longer term.

Scotland is leading the way. We will end our contribution to climate change by 2045 at the latest, reducing emissions by 75% by 2030 along the way – a world-leading target. In December 2020 we updated our Climate Change Plan which sets out how we will deliver on this ambition and published Scotland’s indicative Nationally Determined Contribution in July 2021 outlining the actions we are taking to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The global evidence provided by IPCC reports, as well as the independent expert scientific advice provided by the Climate Change Committee on what this evidence means for Scotland, will be part of the evidence base that informs development of Scotland’s next Climate Change Plan and Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05156 on 10 January 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 information requested is management information and is not currently published, however, Public Health Scotland produce a weekly COVID-19 Statistical Report, with the most recent version being published on 7 January 2022. This report provides a range of information including the number of LFDs reported through various channels in Scotland.

These conditions are usually recorded in an inpatient setting. Public Health Scotland can confirm that the SMR01 dataset contains records where idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease are listed as the primary diagnosis.

The Homeless Death report used classifications (known as ICD-10) for cause of death and the established National Records of Scotland definition of a drug-related death (see Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2020 ). Therefore, all drug-related deaths reported within the NRS Homeless Death Report will also be included in the National Records of Scotland drug-related death report.

Officials across the Scottish Government are working with the bus sector to facilitate solutions to workforce issues through the Labour and Skills Shortages Action Plan, and connecting Local Employability Partnerships who are aware of opportunities in their areas with bus service operators (through the Confederation of Passenger Transport). However, we have no plans to introduce an apprenticeship scheme for bus drivers.