Seòmar agus comataidhean

There are no plans for any court closures during the current parliamentary session. The current court model provides appropriate access to justice for Scotland’s communities.

The management of the court estate is an operational matter for SCTS. SCTS have stated that there is no current evidence to support any further court closures following the most recent court closures in 2015.

Court locations can only be closed following the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

The linked press release contains a breakdown of VCAF funding from 2022-2025.

Victims will benefit from key support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government has awarded over £205 million of regeneration funding to Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) from 2007 to 2023 for the purpose of supporting the delivery of its 20-year operating plan. This includes direct support through annual capital and resource funding to develop and regenerate key sites identified in the plan, support core running costs and other activities it delivers in support of local communities.

Grant awards were made in each financial year are provided in the following table:

We understand how distressing and debilitating Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be, and we want to ensure that all people living with the condition in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support.

The Scottish Government has committed £1.95 million to the ‘Precision-MS: Integrating precision metrics of brain health into early treatment of Multiple Sclerosis’ study. The NHS Research Scotland Neuroprogressive Network are currently supporting 11 MS Research studies - to date 258 patients have been recruited to these.

We are working hard to deliver the commitments of our Neurological Care and Support Framework 2020-25 to ensure everyone with a neurological condition can access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms.

Through the Framework we have invested over £300k in projects specifically to improve the health and wellbeing of people with MS in Scotland.

Police Scotland is reviewing the project’s timings as part of their wider planning for 2023/24 and beyond.

My predecessor met with the Assistant Chief Constable on 9 February on this matter, and whilst all those involved with delivering the National Dashcam Safety Portal remain committed to implementing this important safety initiative, I have asked my officials for an urgent update from Police Scotland on this matter.

A detailed analysis of the composition of household waste and other available data has been undertaken and we aim to publish an updated food waste estimate in the coming months.

Our consultation on proposals for a Waste and Circular Economy Route Map set out proposed measures to accelerate progress towards our food waste reduction target, building on our 2019 Food Waste Reduction Action Plan. We will publish a review of progress and final Route Map later this year.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on the number of businesses that have used the Capitalising on Military Talent toolkit.

Community Link Workers are generalists who support people with a range of social and economic issues which can include mental health. The Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) funds Community Link Workers (CLWs) as part of primary care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). At March 2022, 249 WTE CLWs had been recruited to support GP practices.

The Scottish Government wants to ensure the quality, fairness and consistency of social care support provision regardless of where people live in Scotland. Framework guidance on National Eligibility Criteria and Waiting times for the Personal and Nursing Care of Older People was issued jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA for use by local authorities on 28 September 2009.

Four eligibility categories - Critical, Substantial, Moderate and Low Risk are defined in the framework. In addition, the category of "No Risk" is used for people who are assessed as not coming under any of the four eligibility categories, and "Not available" is used when the eligibility category is not known. The eligibility criteria consider both the severity of the risks and the urgency for intervention to respond to the risks.

The national framework recognised that local authorities should set eligibility criteria that indicate what level of need they and their partners recognise as requiring services. In setting criteria, local authorities consider a range of factors including the overall level of resources available to meet need, the cost of service provision and ensuring equity in their service decisions. These criteria are not required by statute, but most local authorities have relied on them for the allocation of limited resources.

Eligibility criteria can be a barrier to accessing social care support. We want the focus to be on people getting the support they need when they need it, not on eligibility. The Scottish Government and COSLA are committed to "the overhaul of the current mechanism of eligibility criteria to ensure an approach to social care support that is based upon human rights and needs" (Joint Statement of Intent and Next Steps for Adult Social Care, December 2022), and are working together with partners and stakeholders on the development of alternative approaches.

The Scottish Government can investigate complex cases in relation to future broadband connections delivered through Scottish Government funded programmes such as the Reaching 100% (R100) programme. Through our online checker at www.scotlandsuperfast.com , members of the public are able to check if their property will receive a connection through the R100 contracts or if it is eligible for a voucher worth up to £5,000 through our R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS). There is an online enquiry form to contact the R100 team directly for additional information.

In cases where members of the public have issues related to connections being delivered by commercial suppliers, it falls upon Ofcom as the UK’s telecoms regulator to investigate any such matters: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/contact-us .