Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20938 on 26 September 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

The Scottish Government welcomes the report from Public Health Scotland as a contribution to the evidence base on probable suicides in Scotland. It is positive that the trends show there has been a reduction in the rate of suicide in Scotland from the position in 2011. However, from such reports and listening to those with lived experience of suicide, we know there is still much work to do to reduce suicide deaths and for people at high risk of suicide – including middle aged men. The report confirms many of the contributing factors and experiences faced by those who die by suicide such as poverty, homelessness and the cost of living crisis, and the findings will inform the delivery of our Creating Hope Together Action Plan.

Taking a whole of government and society approach focused on addressing the social determinants of suicide, which we know are concentrated in particular communities of place, interest and experience, is fundamental to our Strategy. This dedicated work is further complemented by our new Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy , published jointly with CoSLA on 29 June 2023, that places early intervention at its heart, which we know is key to reducing suicide deaths.

We are also supporting a range of local suicide prevention initiatives across Scotland through our £15 million per annum Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund . The Fund is focused on tackling inequalities and supported nearly 300 suicide prevention initiatives in 2022-23, as well as projects aimed at building social connection in our communities, which we know promote good mental health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people. We are continuing to work on a proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill. Following scoping work in 2022, and an extended period of further engagement with stakeholders, practitioners, and people with lived experience, we will launch a public consultation on a proposed Bill by the end of 2023.

The Scottish Government is taking a human rights-based approach to the Bill’s development and is working to ensure that it is fully co-designed with people with lived experience.

3 Panels have been supporting the work to develop policy for the Bill – a professional panel, a stakeholders panel and a lived experience panel. The members of the lived experience panel are all neurodivergent people with a wide range of life experiences.

The Scottish Government-funded Farm Advisory Service (FAS) is and will continue to offer a range of high-quality generic and bespoke consultancy and specialist advice to Scottish farmers, crofters, and land managers. This includes advice on sustainable practice at its core.

Current and future advisory services will be monitored and contractually required to prioritise inclusion and accessibility for all support, including the uptake of sustainable practices.

The Scottish Government recognises that bycatch and entanglement in any type of fishing gear can pose a risk to our iconic marine life and we remain committed to continuing to tackle this issue in our waters through our various domestic and international obligations. Relying on observer monitoring programmes and mandatory reporting already underway to record bycatch and entanglement events across the fishing fleet, we will build on the proactive steps that industry has taken in this area to explore effective measures that can be taken to minimise such instances. The Future Catching Policy will review technical measures which are already in use through both regulation and voluntary good practice as well as any promising, innovative solutions to determine potential improvements.

Using our core stakeholder engagement group, FMAC and our dedicated Future Catching Policy Subgroup, we intend to host technical and spatial workshops to develop a suite of measures in step with Scotland's unique and diverse geographical and fishing challenges and on a fleet segment basis, to avoid blanket approaches to technical measures and ensure a more tailored and effective suite of measures which match the unique issues faced by each fleet segment. Once we have developed a suite of measures collaboratively with stakeholders we will then consult again before taking forward legislation to implement these measures.

The Scottish Government is providing almost £3 billion in this financial year to help families and households face the increased cost of living. We continue to do everything we can within our limited powers to support those worst affected by the Cost Crisis.

This includes tripling the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £30 million this year, which supports anyone who is at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing their energy use, regardless of which home they live in or fuel type they use. The Fuel Insecurity Fund continues to be a vital lifeline for many struggling households.

The Scottish Government is also taking action to support longer term ambitions for heat, energy efficiency and fuel poverty measures, including £119m targeted at fuel poor households. This will continue to be delivered through a package of support via long-standing programmes that have already supported over 150,000 households in or at risk of fuel poverty.

With subsidised support under the Energy Price Guarantee ending in July, the UK Government now has the means and opportunity to provide targeted support for those that need it the most. As the UK government holds the necessary levers, the Scottish Government has consistently called for the provision of meaningful, targeted support to those who need it most – which is why we support the call for the introduction of a social tariff to help the most vulnerable in our society.

There are five recommendations for the Scottish Government in the report. These include improved data gathering, setting standards and funding for out of area placements. We will consider these recommendations in detail and provide a full response to the Mental Welfare Commission in due course.

The recommendations of the ongoing Active Travel Transformation Project will be made publicly available. It is intended that these will be shared in the coming months.

A report which summarises the work undertaken and lessons learned from the first stage of the Project will be also published. This report will include learning from Project workshops, and summarises issues surfaced through wider Project engagement.

The Scottish Government has provided funding for 215 properties through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme since the Scheme was established in April 2020.