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Audiology is considered a clinical priority area and the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not capture patients on waiting lists for hearing aid replacements specifically and it is the responsibility of Health Boards to manage these lists appropriately.

Scottish Government officials and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery national planned care team meet monthly with Chief Operating Officer and Health Boards to review performance and delivery across all Planned Care specialities, including ENT. In addition, Local Health Board Action Plans in relation to the Independent Review, which has been published online, are reported and monitored by the NHSS Planning and Delivery Board.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the 2021 manifesto commitment to deliver a new community hearing service. We recognise the difficulties facing the audiology sector, as highlighted by the 2023 report on the Independent Review of Audiology. Given 80% of audiology care is serviced through the NHS, it is right that we consider Review recommendations in any future work and this, together with the wider financial context, has necessitated the rephasing of our manifesto commitment.

Alongside evidence from existing models across the UK, our decision making will be informed by working with the NHS, third sector, private providers and those with lived experience.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37553 on 27 May 2025. 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.

Decisions on whether or not a medicine is accepted for use in NHS England are, rightly, matters for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines in England.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to record and report incidents through their existing adverse events reporting systems and investigate as required including escalation to Police Scotland, if necessary.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events and have developed a National Framework for Reviewing and Learning From Adverse Events which was published in February 2025. We are also working with Equally Safe at Work, who have developed an accreditation programme for Health Boards, as part of the Equally Safe Strategy.

The Managing Health at work policies include guidance on preventing, reporting and dealing with violence and aggression. This staff policy is being refreshed under the NHSScotland Once for Scotland Workforce Policies Programme.

A Sexual Harassment Guide is also in development to supplement the Gender Based Violence Policy which is currently being refreshed.

The current VAT rate for public electric vehicle (EV) charging stands at 20% versus 5% for a domestic energy supply. A higher VAT rate is one of the reasons why charging via a rapid charger can cost over 75p per kWh. This can be a barrier to switching to an EV, particularly where drivers do not have access to home charging.

The Scottish Government believes that motoring tax policy needs reformed as the sector decarbonises and can complement wider transport policies and net zero objectives. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in October last year ahead of the UK Budget requesting a constructive discussion on motoring tax reform on a four-nation basis, and I have also raised my concerns in this area at various Inter-Ministerial meetings since.

However, there has been no response to our requests for collaborative discussions on motoring tax reform and the Chancellor has so far resisted calls to reduce the rate of VAT for public EV charging.

I, along with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, will continue to call for a review of motoring taxation policy on a four-nation basis with Westminster so that it is fit for purpose in the evolving transport sector and aligns with our climate change targets.

The Scottish Government recognises the serious impact that the investigation of unsubstantiated allegations can have on foster carers, including the retention of existing carers and the willingness of others to consider fostering.

In our recent consultation on the Future of Foster Care, we asked for views on how allegations are currently managed, including whether national guidance should be updated and what more can be done to ensure investigations are handled fairly and quickly. We are currently analysing responses, and we will set out next steps in due course, informed by the views of foster carers and others in the sector.

The Scottish Government does not collect this information. The local councils are independent corporate bodies, separate from the Scottish Government, and it is up to each council how it manages its risks. Under the Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland (2021), the Scottish Government strongly encourages all public bodies to seek appropriate and regular independent assurance of their critical technical controls.

The Scottish Government recognises the economic and environmental benefits of precision farming technology and has provided capital support to allow farmers and crofters to invest in precision farming equipment.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to record and report incidents through their local reporting systems and investigate as required including escalation to Police Scotland, if necessary.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events and have developed a National Framework for Reviewing and Learning From Adverse Events which was published in February 2025.

We strongly encourage patients and staff to report all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour, including sexual violence. Police Scotland will record crimes through their Crime Management System.

Health Boards are responsible for effective safeguarding and risk management procedures, assessing patient safety and staff risks within their facilities, and for taking appropriate local action.

We expect that local governance arrangements should include clear oversight, regular reporting, and continuous improvement in line with national guidance and patient safety standards. We have published Core Mental Health Standards which set out what is expected from services they deliver.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland have recently extended their Safe Delivery of Care inspection programmes from acute hospitals to include NHS mental health in-patient services

We have commissioned NHS Assure to develop and implement a standardised App based tool to assess factors that impact the quality and safety of care in the built environment of our in-patient wards in mental health services across Scotland. Every Heath Board with adult in-patient services will be expected to complete these assessments and to act upon the findings where a need for improvement is identified.