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The information requested is not held centrally. We expect all NHS Boards to follow all relevant guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary wastage in medication.

The Scottish Government recognises that inappropriate inhaler technique can lead to medicine wastage and impaired control of a person’s asthma. Review of inhaler technique should form part of a medication review between the individual and their medical professional. This is an important recommendation in the current Scottish Government Quality Prescribing for Respiratory guide and the planned update to this guidance will continue to reinforce this message. As part of the medication review, the appropriateness of the inhalers should be reviewed, which has been shown to reduce wastage and improved treatment.

There is no single programme of monitoring and evaluation for the Winter Support Fund. Evaluations of the £25 million local authority flexible funding and £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be published by summer 2022. We do not intend to publish an overarching evaluation of the funding awarded to third sector organisations.

The £25 million local authority flexible funding will be evaluated on the key activities delivered and key groups supported while the funding issued through the Fuel Insecurity Fund and to third sector organisations will be evaluated against the objectives and/or key performance indicators agreed with individual grant recipients.

As set out in the Restorative Justice Action Plan, we have committed to make restorative justice services available across Scotland by 2023 to all those who wish to access it. We are working with stakeholders on creating a ‘hub and spoke’ model for service delivery. This will consist of a National Hub that will have a strategic, oversight role, with services delivered locally via Regional Hubs. The location where facilitated meetings will take place will be determined by the needs of those looking to access the service.

The Scottish Parliament unanimously backed the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill on 25 January 2022. The Bill will now proceed to Royal Assent with the reimbursement scheme opening as soon as practically possible thereafter.

The Bill focussed solely on reimbursement for the removal of mesh that was inserted transvaginally for Stress Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse, the two procedures that, in Scotland, have been subject to a halt since September 2018. This is in light of the specific circumstances surrounding transvaginal mesh removal, as set out in the Policy Memorandum that accompanies the Bill. There are therefore no plans to extend the reimbursement scheme to include mesh used in other sites such as hernia repair.

Group antenatal classes were able to resume from 31 July 2020. Current guidance for delivery of maternity and neonatal services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic states that antenatal and postnatal group sessions can continue virtually or in person, subject to local risk assessment in NHS Boards.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) delivering maternity and neonatal services through the pandemic: beyond Level Zero - guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Water Industry Commission for Scotland has responsibility for setting charge caps and otherwise sets out expectations or forecasts including for income as a guide to Scottish Water and stakeholders. Consideration of the economic circumstances of customers encompassed both GDP growth and the GDP level relative to pre-pandemic, wage growth relative to inflation and unemployment levels. Scottish Water’s Independent Customer Group was consulted prior to Scottish Water making its charging decisions for the 2022-23 financial year and its clear preference was to see increases held to around 4%.

Whilst there is no formal requirement to consult the Scottish Government, Ministers were made aware of the outcome of the independent process, including the rationale underpinning the decision by Scottish Water's Board on the scheme of charges for 2022-23.

Where national guidance, including in the form of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), does not exist, as in this case, NHS Boards develop guidance using up to date evidence, including NICE guidelines through their existing Board governance structures.

We would expect the information in the updated NICE guideline, NG207, to be used by NHS Boards to assist pregnant women when making decisions about induction of labour.

The Scottish Government considers that both Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd and ScotRail Trains Ltd should be subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

It is our intention for this requirement to be included in the governance arrangements for both organisations.

We absolutely remain committed to our policy position, which remains that public bodies should work with their staff representatives to negotiate no compulsory agreements for 2022-23 where it is practical to do so.

For a new body like ScotRail Trains Ltd, which does not have an existing agreement on no compulsory redundancies, I would expect there to be negotiations on this as part of the Public Sector Pay Policy discussions, which are crucial to the change that is needed as ScotRail comes under Scottish Government control on 1 April 2022.