Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12943 on 20 December 2022. 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

In 2016, the then Education Secretary’s Good Governance Task Group reported back on the lessons learned at Glasgow Clyde, North Glasgow and Coatbridge Colleges. The Task Group made a series of recommendations to improve governance in Scotland’s colleges.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, work on taking forward recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group was put on hold. The Scottish Government has restarted the work around the Task Group’s recommendations and is currently consulting on proposals to introduce trade union nominees onto College Boards. This work will sit within a wider package of transformation and change within the tertiary education and skills sector, as the Scottish Government progresses recommendations from the SFC Review of Coherence and Sustainability 2021.

The Scottish Government works with stakeholders through the Good Governance Steering Group, where work around governance reforms in the college sector is discussed; at present work to implement the recommendation of adding trade unions nominees on boards is underway, along with work to refresh the Ministerial Guidance. No decision has yet been taken on the timeframe for implementing other recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group.

In his 2019 letter to the Education and Skills Committee, the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science proposed to undertake the introducing of the ability for the SFC to attend the board meetings of assigned colleges.

Given the recent resumption of work around the Good College Governance Task Group’s recommendations, following a pause due to the pandemic, the Scottish Government has no immediate plans to implement direct observation of college board meetings. However, Scottish Government officials will work with the SFC, Colleges Scotland, regional strategic boards, trade unions, student associations, and the College Development network through the Good Governance Steering Group to implement changes to college governance in the best possible way.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx' .

There is no application process for an area seeking recognition as a National Scenic Area (NSA).

NSAs were first designated by Scottish Ministers in 1980, the areas having been identified by the Countryside Commission for Scotland (Scotland’s Scenic Heritage, 1978). In December 2010 under the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, NSAs were given a statutory basis. Section 50 of the act sets out the criteria for designation:

(a) whether the area is of outstanding natural beauty,

(b) the amenity of the area, including (i) whether it is of historical, cultural or environmental importance; and (ii) the nature of any buildings or other structures within it, and

(c) any flora, fauna or physiographical features of the area, whether or not to any extent the product of human intervention in the landscape.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx '.

Although aviation is currently reserved to the UK Government, we continue to do all we can within the powers available to support Scotland’s airports recover from the impact of Covid and grow Scotland’s international connectivity for business, tourism, exports and the wider economy.

Last month I met airlines who provided an update on how their networks are recovering from the impact of Covid and was briefed on some encouraging signs of recovery. The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of improving Scotland’s direct international connectivity and continue to be proactive in restoring and growing our direct international connectivity. That is why our cross-Government route development team continues to work closely with Scotland’s airports and airlines globally to help restore and grow international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions. In developing our Aviation Strategy, we are considering how best to improve our approach to recognise the particular impact Covid had on airlines’ route networks and fleet plans. It remains our aspiration that Scotland should be as well connected as peer nations and regions, and recent announcements of new routes for 2023 to Atlanta with Delta Air Lines, and Calgary with WestJet, are welcome developments.

We continue to provide funding to support the operations of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL). In 2021-22 we provided HIAL with over £75 million in funding to maintain their operations. This funding means that HIAL’s airport charges are kept lower than they would otherwise be enabling the operation of commercial air services.

The Control of Entry arrangement are set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. It is the responsibility of the NHS Boards to put in place a Pharmacy Practice Committee and require NHS Boards to undertake a formal 60-day consultation with local communities who may be affected when an application is made to open a community pharmacy.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Minister are entirely independent on the Control of Entry process. The Scottish Government do not undertake any assessment on the consultations carried out in considering applications for the opening of a community pharmacy. The role of the National Appeal Panel is to consider appeals against decisions made by Pharmacy Practice Committees.

Extensive work has already taken place to develop projections for the health and social care workforce, including engagement with stakeholders to understand different user needs, and actively including these in the specification for the Projections.

Early conclusions from the developing projections model indicate:

• Further workforce growth, from current record staffing levels in Health and Social Care, will be required between now and 2030, across the health and social care workforce, to successfully respond to known demographic trends within Scotland’s population.
• The relationship between service demand and workforce demand is heavily influenced by other factors including the development of new roles and the reform of existing job roles, alongside evolutions in service models, investment in technology and, artificial intelligence and new skills.

Projected workforce demand in the short-medium term will continue to be managed through a portfolio approach to operational workforce planning, in accordance with the framework set out in the National Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy.

Through this approach we continue to invest, at historically high levels, in the education and training of pre-registration healthcare professionals, continue to invest in widening access, apprenticeships, role diversification and role reform, and continue to invest in ethical and proportionate international recruitment of qualified health and care staff, to supplement domestic supply routes, in line with projected needs.

We aim to set out high level conclusions from projections in the coming months. Clearly, these projections are iterative and will respond to and change depending on emerging evidence and data.

Biodiversity is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture and our ambition to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland.

Our aim is to develop a support framework that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high-quality food production.

In addition the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 sets out a clear ambition for Scotland to be Nature Positive by 2030, and to have restored and regenerated biodiversity across the country by 2045. Work is underway to ensure agricultural policy aligns with these goals and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13235 on 20 December 2022. The UK Animal Welfare Committee is currently considering the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter and we will explore the need for any changes to current practice or legislation once the committee publishes its findings. 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 .