Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 sets out a number of actions designed to help reduce waiting lists for a kidney transplant. This includes the use of novel technologies, which offer the opportunity to allow transplant units to use more “marginal” organs that may previously have been declined, by means of closer joint working between transplant units, and through work to increase living kidney donation.

Working through the Scottish Donation and Transplant Group, which brings together key stakeholders, and by means of NHS National Services Division's commissioning planning, we will to continue to monitor organ utilisation to encourage good practice. In addition, the Scottish Government and NHS Boards continue to raise awareness about organ donation in order to help increase numbers of deceased organ donors, for example during Organ and Tissue Donation Week, which will take place in September 2024.

We recognise the significant potential of collaborating across sectors and with industries, including fintech, to harness technological advancements to improve the quality and delivery of public services.

Through the CivTech programme we have supported a number of open innovation challenges, working with a cross-sectoral pool of expertise to identify solutions that ensure the data that supports our public services can be accessed and used as easily and efficiently as possible.

As part of CivTech 10, launched on 30 July, we are committed to exploring possible solutions that use technology to share data seamlessly across public sector body boundaries. By streamlining data management processes to improve accessibility across public bodies and departments, we can unlock the value of data to enhance efficiency and productivity in the public sector.

We are contributing, in an advisory role, alongside FinTech Scotland, to Scottish Enterprise’s Blockchain and Digital Trust Task Force, to help drive adoption of blockchain and digital technologies across the finance, energy, manufacturing and health industries. We are also aware of Smart Data Foundry’s work on a cost-of-living dashboard with East Renfrewshire Council . We have had initial discussions with Smart Data Foundry and will explore how we can share learning from their innovative data-driven approaches and expertise with emerging technologies with public sector data communities.

Scotland’s screening policy relies on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific body that provides advice on screening policy to all four UK nations. To date, the UK NSC has not recommended Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) screening through the existing blood spot test, and has stated it needs further evidence before a recommendation can be made.

In June 2023 the UK NSC recommended that a new independent modelling study for SMA screening be commissioned. This is currently underway and expected to report its findings at the end of 2024.

Work is also underway to begin an in-service evaluation (ISE) of SMA screening. This will allow an assessment of the potential benefits of SMA screening in real world situations.

This is vital work that will ensure any potential roll-out of a national screening programme is appropriately evidence-based. However, the Scottish Government recognises that SMA can have devastating consequences for children and families and will continue to explore what steps can be taken to realise screening benefits as quickly as possible.

Any application for public support from our enterprise agencies is subject to robust appraisal and appropriate due diligence.

This is an operational matter for the agencies referred to. I have asked the agencies’ Chief Executives to respond directly to you with the information requested.

Given the significant numbers of arrivals and visas issued we need to continue to find creative ways to boost the supply of longer term housing. On 22 September 2022, the Scottish Government launched the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) to bring Local Authority (LA) and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) empty properties back into use that would otherwise not have been available for let.

Through this high value for money initiative, the Fund has approved twenty one capital projects across Scotland, bringing nearly 1300 homes back into use. As of 18 July 2024, 11 projects have fully completed, providing nearly 1200 homes, of which over 1000 are tenanted, providing settled accommodation for nearly 2200 Ukrainian people. The programme has offered commitments to fund improvement works of over £27.146 million in total across 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The ULTRF budget has now been confirmed as £5 million for 2024-45 and we continue to work closely with potential applicants to maximise delivery from the funding available.

The continuation of the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund and its legacy is an opportunity to prevent unnecessary homelessness with some homes to be retained in the longer-term to address wider pressures by increasing social rented housing supply.

The Scottish Government remain committed to pursuing a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd. Any lease of facilities would be a commercial decision for the yard and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to make any such instruction.

Ministers have agreed to support new proposals of investment of up to £14.2 million aimed at enabling Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG) to improve productivity and build a sustainable future.

However, this investment is subject to the plan passing detailed legal analysis and independent financial and commercial assessments, which should be complete by Autumn. The plan also contains commercially sensitive information and as such, details of the business case and investment plan cannot be shared, even after full due-diligence has concluded.

Noting the answers previously provided to questions S6W-19916 on 31 July 2024, S6W-26193 and S6W-26194 on 28 March 2024 on this topic, I can confirm it remains our intent to review standard 7.1 (statement of sustainability) to consider further opportunities for building regulations to make a positive contribution to biodiversity within new developments. As this standard sets out additional voluntary actions a developer may adopt, it would promote but not require specific provisions, such as the use of swift bricks, in new buildings.

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 Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring equitable access to living kidney donation. All nine Renal Units in Scotland are currently supporting living kidney donation, with sixteen living donor co-ordinators in post across the Renal Units. In 2016, the Scottish Government supported the creation of the Living Donation Scotland Board, whose role, working with referring Renal Units and Transplant Centres, is to make it easier to access living donor kidney transplantation. The Scottish Government also supports the Renal Units in their work by hosting an annual event for staff to share good practice and learning.

In addition, the Scottish Government is taking a number of steps to make accessing kidney donation easier as set out in the Scottish Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 . The plan makes clear that whilst it will not be feasible for everyone, the aim is to encourage all those who need a kidney transplant to consider and explore options for a living donor transplant as their first transplant.

To ensure that every recipient who would benefit from a kidney transplant receives standard information about living donation during transplant assessment, the Scottish Government provides living donor information packs and a range of resources through the Organ Donation Scotland website, including written information, video and clear pathway contact information access for recipients and donors. Annual living donation multi-media campaigns have also proven successful in increasing awareness for donors.

Finally, following a pilot project, the Renal Education and Choices at Home (REACH Transplant) programme was implemented in 2022. REACH Transplant is funded by the Scottish Government and has involved the appointment of both a REACH transplant programme lead and ten REACH Transplant nurses across Scotland, based in each Renal Unit. The REACH Transplant nurses work with local nephrologists to identify those at an early stage who may need a kidney transplant in the future. A visit is organised with the recipient and their support network in a place of their choice to provide information on living kidney donation and to support the recipient to discuss living donation. The aim of this tailored support and timely referral for living donor transplantation is to increase the likelihood of pre-emptive transplantation by overcoming barriers and ensuring equity of treatment choice.