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While data on the number of people in Scotland who have consented to participate in the range of clinical research studies that are supported by Health Boards in Scotland are routinely collected, data on the number of people referred to and screened for enrolment into the range of clinical research studies supported by Health Boards in Scotland are not. Therefore, the percentage of patients put forward for all clinical trials in Scotland that subsequently consent to be enrolled into those trials is not known.

There are 56.3 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) obstetrics & gynaecology staff working in NHS Lanarkshire as at December 2022.

There are 35.7 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) obstetrics & gynaecology staff working in NHS Forth Valley as at December 2022.

This includes staff at all medical grades.

Scottish Government has regular meetings with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on cladding remediation. The provisions in the Building Safety Act which impact on the ability of developers to obtain planning approval or building control approval apply to developers operating in England and do not extend to Scotland. We are determined to ensure that buildings in Scotland with potentially unsafe cladding are remediated and developers step up and meet their responsibilities. Our focus has been on securing that commitment from developers through a voluntary agreement but we are clear, if we need to then we will legislate to safeguard residents and homeowners.

The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of rural bus services and is committed, in conjunction with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of improving services. I convened the Bus Taskforce to bring key players in the sector together to make bus travel a more attractive choice for passengers through joint commitments to reform and improve bus services.

The Scottish Government provided £223m in emergency funding to support bus services during the pandemic and the Scottish Budget for 2022-23 allocation of £410m in funding for bus services and concessionary fares. The COVID recovery support for the bus sector through the Network Support Grant Plus was extended from June 2022, and again in October 2022, and due to end on 31 March 2023. The Network Support Grant Plus was always a temporary fund and extending to 31 March was to freeze fares on participating services to help people with the cost of travel over the winter.

We are supporting bus use through the Young Persons Free Bus Scheme, which means that around half of Scotland's population are now eligible for free bus travel. We continue to provide financial support for bus services to keep services more extensive and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case. Payments are based on the distance buses are operated, which is a particular advantage in rural areas where the routes are generally longer. Funding is also provided to local authorities in their annual settlement to support services they consider socially necessary and for community transport services, which can play an important role in rural transport networks. In 2021-22 they spent £55m in this way.

Since December 2020, the Scottish Government have supported operators through our Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus and Scottish Zero Emission Bus schemes, to acquire 548 new, zero emission buses and supporting infrastructure with awards totalling almost £113m. In addition, the Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme, worth £500k, was announced on 10 August 2022 to help organisations to understand the steps required to replace their bus fleet with zero emission alternatives.

My deepest thoughts and condolences remain with the family of Allan Marshall. There is now a live police investigation and it would be inappropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on that investigation. The Scottish Government will cooperate with any investigation undertaken by Police Scotland.

Housing to 2040 is Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy. It sets out a vision for what housing in Scotland will look like in 2040 and includes a set of principles to guide policy-making. It is supported by a route map for achieving the vision.

We are working with the sector to confirm a new governance process and a monitoring framework, so we and others across the sector can assess progress towards the vision set out in the strategy. A new Strategic Board has been established which will provide accountability on progress as well as advice on a suitable monitoring framework and reporting arrangements will be agreed as part of this process.

Further information about the Board and its membership will be made available when it meets later this month. Alongside this, we will continue to publish an annual update on the 30 indicators included in the broader Housing and Regeneration Outcomes Framework and review the alignment of this framework with Housing to 2040. The latest update was published on 18 November 2022.

The Scottish Government places great importance on swimming pools, and recognise the physical, social and economic benefits these facilities provide to communities across Scotland.

Whilst we have not undertaken an assessment of the social and economic impacts of swimming pool closures, the Scottish Government is working with sport scotland to accurately understand the current facilities provision and predict the landscape in the short, medium and long term by supporting Scottish Swimming to deliver the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project.

We have asked sport scotland to write to Ms Monica Lennon MSP with more details of the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project and to keep her updated as it progresses.

Zero Waste Scotland are currently working with businesses from the initial round of applications and an announcement on the outcome will be made in due course.

Licensing authorities have wide discretion in granting temporary exemptions or temporary licences within the powers of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and the Licensing Order.

Temporary licences of up to six weeks are permitted under the 1982 Act. The Licensing Order also makes provision for licensing authorities to grant temporary exemptions on application for a specified single continuous period not exceeding 6 weeks in any period of 12 months. Licensing authorities can make the temporary exemptions process light touch by offering a reduced fee, shorter application form or not applying some of the mandatory licence conditions.

These powers give licensing authorities the flexibility to cater for home sharing arrangements or large local events through the provision of short-term let accommodation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15120 on‎ 20 March 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