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Applicants were asked demonstrate how they contributed to the outcomes in the National Performance Framework, relevant Scottish Government Strategies and action plans. Specifically, how they would work to support those with protected characteristics experience less discrimination in their day to day lives and ensure those with protected characteristics increasingly have their needs met by public services and are treated with dignity and respect.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing our knowledge of the possible links between neurodegenerative disease (including dementia) and sports-related brain injury.

We recognise a call to establish a working group on this issue and we will respond directly in due course as part of our on-going consideration of this issue.

A University of Glasgow study on lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers, especially in relation to dementia, was published in 2019 and contained evidence of a possible increased risk of dementia for professional ex-footballers. Further work is underway to establish why footballers and rugby-players may be at greater risk and we will also give full consideration to the report published in August led by Dr Willie Stewart.

We remain in close contact on these issues with experts at the sportscotland Institute of Sport and the Chief Medical Officer at the Scottish FA and will work with partners, including PFA Scotland, to carefully consider emerging evidence on former footballers developing dementia.

I asked the Scottish Qualifications Authority to reply.

Initial modelling indicates that 60% of SQA’s running costs (permanent SQA staff, overheads and other indirect costs) were attributable to the implementation of the 2019 exam diet. Including direct delivery costs, the cost of the 2019 exam diet was therefore £52m.

The SQA levy to local authorities and entry fees charged to independent schools and colleges for National Qualifications have remained unchanged since 2012-13 despite changes in costs.

I asked the Scottish Qualifications Authority to reply.

Initial modelling indicates that 53% of SQA’s running costs (permanent SQA staff, overheads and other indirect costs) were attributable to the implementation of the Alternative Certification Model (ACM) in 2020 and 56% are attributable to the implementation of the ACM in 2021. Including direct delivery costs, the cost of the ACM was therefore:

(a) 2020: £33.4m

(b) 2021: £41.7m (forecast)

The SQA levy to local authorities and entry fees charged to independent schools and colleges for National Qualifications have remained unchanged since 2012-13 despite changes in costs. In addition, 2020 and 2021 late entry fees have been waived and there have been no charges for appeals.

Savings generated by the delivery of the ACM in place of an ordinary exam diet reduced SQA’s grant-in-aid requirement from Scottish Government, and enabled support for other critical pressures, supporting people and communities during the pandemic.

Local authorities are expected to respond to statutory nuisance complaints on council owned property, such as where the deposit of bird droppings may have an effect on public health. The responsibility for dealing with nuisance gulls on private property is for the relevant owner although local authorities can provide advice and assistance, and have powers under environmental protection legislation to tackle nuisances.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on windfarm development.

As set out in our position statement last year, we need to rebalance our planning system so that climate change is a guiding principle for all plans and decisions. We expect National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) will strengthen support for renewable energy developments, including the re-powering and extension of existing wind farms, as part of a spatial strategy to support a transition to net zero and economic recovery.

We will lay a draft NPF4 in Parliament this autumn and will carry out extensive public consultation at the same time.

We are working with COSLA and stakeholders to develop a new long-term suicide prevention strategy for Scotland. The new strategy will be outcomes-focussed, and its development will be directed by the voices of lived experience. It will be informed by data and evidence, and adopt a cross-government approach to ensure the Government continues to take all actions it can to reduce the number of people who die by suicide. The new strategy will be published in September 2022, supported by an initial delivery plan.

As announced to Parliament in June this year, our continued focus, pace and evaluation on suicide prevention will be achieved by extending activities under the current Suicide Prevention Action Plan (Every Life Matters ), for a further year, up to the point the new strategy is published. This approach has the full backing from partners, including COSLA and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group.

Our Health Recovery Plan, published on 25 August, outlines that recovery of staff is intrinsic to our collective ambitions for renewing our NHS.

The Scottish Government is providing £8 million this financial year to support the mental health and wellbeing of the health and social care workforce. This includes targeted support to the primary care and social care workforces of £2 million.

We will continue to work with partners, including doctors and their representatives, to provide support for, and evolve, local wellbeing resources while also maintaining and improving nationally-led initiatives. The national resources available to doctors and other health and social care professionals include:

• The National Wellbeing Hub, https://www.nationalwellbeinghub.scot/ ), which provides a range of self-care and digital resources;
• The National Wellbeing Helpline ((0800 111 4191), which provides a 24/7 service to those who require psychological support and can offer advice, signposting and onward referral to local services where required;
• Coaching for Wellbeing, a free-to-access digital coaching service accessible via the National Wellbeing Hub;
• The Workforce Specialist Service, which offers confidential mental health assessment and treatment for regulated health and social care professionals in Scotland; and
• Additional capacity within Boards to provide psychological therapies and interventions to support staff mental health.

We will offer further support for the physical and emotional needs of the workforce - this will include additional funding for rest areas, guidance to promote effective wellbeing conversations, new opportunities for staff to reflect on the emotional aspects of their work and further resources so staff at all levels can access peer support.

This work will inform the development of a new National Wellbeing Programme to be implemented from autumn 2021. The totality of this work, coupled with our work on leadership and culture, seeks both to prevent burnout, distress and suicide among doctors, and reduce the stigma associated with doctor burnout and mental health.

I refer the member to the answer to PQ S6W–02294 on
‎ 9 September 2021. 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 update of Cycling by Design has been completed, led by representatives of Transport Scotland, Sustrans and local authorities working in partnership. The scheduled publication date is week commencing 13 September which will be during Scotland’s Climate Week.