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The National Stoma Quality Improvement Group’s Short Life Working Group’s final report of November 2019 recommended that NHS Boards review their future Stoma Nurse workforce. I expect NHS Boards to plan their workforce, including stoma clinical nurse specialists, to meet the needs of their population. At this present time, the recommendations from the National Stoma Quality Improvement Group Short Life Working Group and the Scottish Government are not considering the appointment of an implementation lead.

The Scottish Government are currently collating this information for an Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) request which will then be published for the public by its deadline of 8 February 2022.

In Scotland, food insecurity questions were introduced into the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) from 2016. As of 2019, food security levels are measured for the whole of the UK, including Scotland, as part of the Family Resources Survey (FRS).

Despite differences in approach between the surveys, food insecurity levels in Scotland have been consistent since data collection started in 2016; around 8% or 9% of individuals, and 8% of households.

Food Insecurity Rates in Scotland:

SEPA publish the waste sites and capacity data via a tool on their website to provide capacity information about permitted waste sites across Scotland, which includes recycling facilities. The waste sites and capacity tool is available here: https://www.sepa.org.uk/data-visualisation/waste-sites-and-capacity-tool/

The tool is normally updated yearly with capacity information and quarterly with actual waste accepted. It currently contains data from 2014 – 2019 but has not been updated since the SEPA cyberattack. The next update is scheduled for March 2022.

Projections for municipal recycling capacity in Scotland for 2025 are not held centrally.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) estimates there are a total of around 1,900 workers at their three sites in Scotland: Dounreay, Chapelcross and Hunterston A. The NDA estimates there to be an additional 800 contracted jobs associated with Dounreay.

We do not currently hold data for nuclear decommissioning jobs relating to EDF Energy and Ministry of Defence owned sites in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that the decommissioning of nuclear sites requires the retention of a highly skilled workforce over many years. We also recognise that the skills of the workforce decommissioning Scottish nuclear sites could ultimately be utilised by the renewables sector as part of our transition to net zero.

In December 2020 the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland published the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) setting out the actions required to ensure Scotland’s labour market is able to effectively support the transition to net zero. For example, as a priority action identified in the CESAP, the Green Jobs Workforce Academy administered by Skills Development Scotland, launched on the 23 August 2021 to help workers identify and access relevant green jobs and training.

Whilst the Scottish Government supports the Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services, there is no requirement to make an application. The Scottish Government is developing a Psychological Therapies and Services standard for Scotland by June 2022 which is being developed with Stakeholders and those with lived experience. This will link very closely with the Psychological Therapies MATRIX for Scotland which is a stepped guide to planning and delivering evidence-based psychological therapies within NHS Boards in Scotland.

This will describe what good quality evidence based psychological care will look like for all ages, all levels of need, and in all settings (such as health, education, and prisons) and will describe not only what applied psychologists do but also the high standards expected of those delivering psychological therapies

Psychological therapies and psychological services across Scotland will then be expected to deliver care that meets this standard including quality and quantity of care delivered.

The Scottish Government are currently collating this information for an Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) request which will then be published for the public by its deadline of 8 February 2022.

Work to transfer the operation of the Sumburgh approach provision continues. The transfer is expected to complete in 2022.

The Scottish Government is engaging closely with COSLA and Heads of Planning Scotland to understand the pressures faced by the planning service and to promote a highly performing system which can deliver on the ambitions for planning set out in the emerging NPF4.

Consideration of capacity and skills in planning is informed by recent research commissioned by Skills Development Scotland, undertaken by EKOS and published by Partners in Planning, available at https://www.partnersinplanning.scot/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/23623/Skills-in-Planning-Research-Final-February-2021.pdf The research report provides an independent perspective on the challenges faced and a series of proposed actions. Scottish Government is working with the other partner members of Partners in Planning to take forward the proposed actions to help ensure the future pipeline of planners needed to deliver on our ambitions. This includes supporting a short project recently commissioned by Heads of Planning Scotland and the RTPI to explore options and set out proposals to help increase the numbers of people entering the planning profession.

Reviewing the planning performance and fee regime is a key part of our planning reform programme. We are currently progressing proposals to increase planning fees, following a public consultation carried out in 2019-2020. Although implementation of these proposals was postponed during the pandemic, this work has now recommenced and we will shortly lay regulations in the Scottish Parliament bringing the proposed fee increases into effect. The new regulations are expected to come into force in April 2022, subject to parliamentary scrutiny. The proposed measures would increase fees by between 25 and 50% in some cases, moving fees closer to covering authorities’ costs in determining the applications and providing substantial additional income to authorities.

Ministers will also shortly undertake recruitment and appointment of a new national planning improvement coordinator for Scotland. The core purpose of the coordinator’s role will be to support improvement within the Scottish planning system, by providing constructive input which promotes an outcomes-based approach.