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The following table shows the number of applications received and homes formally approved prior to, and since 19 July 2023 by local authority in 2023-24. It should also be noted that discussions have taken place to support additional acquisitions with other providers but formal applications have either not yet been received or are in the process of being approved:

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

It is clear the Geo Amey contract, which SPS leads on behalf of justice partners, is not working as it should and causing disruption. The SPS with justice partners and Scottish Government is working to resolve the issues.

SPS are determined to ensure that the care, welfare, and service delivery on non-court elements of the contract are supported and delivered with equal priority as the management of court operations and the secure escorting of those in custody.

The National Prison Care Network has also written to NHS Board Medical Directors requesting that patients are not removed or reprioritised on waiting lists if failure to attend an appointment has been the result of any transport cancellation.

Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is not considering a Norwegian-style system of funding and running an annual clean-up of fishing gear reported as lost. Scottish vessels are required to carry retrieval equipment aboard unless working exclusively within 12 nautical miles or never more than 24 hours at sea. Vessels must attempt to retrieve lost gear in a timely manner if it is safe to do so. Any gear that remains lost must be reported to the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre. Fishing licence holders have been reminded of these responsibilities with a fact sheet from fishery offices.

Electrification is commissioned at the completion of works and last schemes to be commissioned were Shotts Line Electrification (74km) and Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa Electrification (110km). Work on the development, design and construction of further electrification has continued throughout the 5 year period and a further 23 km will be commissioned this year on the Glasgow - Barrhead line. Work is also under way on the East Kilbride route.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21433 on 2 October 2023. 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

Our Green Industrial Strategy will set out how the Scottish Government will help businesses and investors to realise the enormous economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero. I will lead the development of the strategy, supported by ministerial colleagues.

Current guidelines for healthcare professionals regarding fibromyalgia are available from authoritative professional sources such as the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) - https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/management-of-chronic-pain/ and the Royal College of Physicians - https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/diagnosis-fibromyalgia-syndrome

The following tables shows applications and homes formally approved prior to, and since 19 July, including grant offered split by registered social landlord and local authority in 2023-24. It should also be noted that discussions have taken place to support additional acquisitions with other providers but formal applications have either not yet been received or are in the process of being approved.

We have not been able to provide purchase price information at this stage as, although approved, many of the properties have not yet been purchased:

The recent Women’s Health Plan: Interim Progress Update 2023 produced for the Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board and the quarterly blog by the Women’s Health Champion sets out progress made since the Report on Progress , which was published in January 2023.

There is now a Women’s Health Lead in nearly every NHS Board. It is for NHS Boards to determine the local role of their Women’s Health Leads according to local need and priority and with reference to the aims set out in the Women’s Health Plan .

The Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board will next meet on 15 November 2023, at which the minutes from the previous meeting will be agreed and subsequently published online.

The Scottish Government has been working with a number of partners to support the training and recruitment of a social care workforce to deliver integrated healthcare, which can include palliative care.

In collaboration with NES, the Scottish Government worked with the Home Office to ensure Adult Social Care workers were included on the Shortage Occupation List in February 2022, and that they will remain on this when this is next reviewed. To support international recruitment efforts, we have also collaborated with NES and COSLA to create the NES Centre for Workforce Supply: Social Care.

Further to this, we have been working with The Prince’s Trust and regional Developing the Young Workforce teams to encourage more young people to enter the social care workforce, and we continue to work with DWP, empowering their Work Coaches to support service users into careers in adult social care.

We also launched the National Induction Framework to support the onboarding process for new workers in February 2022, recognising that access to good onboarding can support staff retention by developing skills and confidence early on.

Under the Strategy Steering Group for Palliative Care, we have established a Workforce Education, Training and Resources Working Group to support the workforce and ensure that care is delivered by a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency workforce that is trained, skilled, valued and supported.