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The detailed information requested is currently being collated from those bodies that fall within the responsibilities of the Scottish Ministers. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number: 66325).

While we have not specifically assessed the psychosocial impact of living with fluctuating conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring people with long-term conditions receive safe, effective, person-centred care, including appropriate psychosocial support. NHS Boards are expected to follow best practice in delivering this care.

We are currently developing a Long Term Conditions Framework to inform future approaches to prevention, diagnosis and care, including mental health and wellbeing support.

We are also considering the message of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025 and will reflect this in future planning.

Under an MoU with JMSC (Joint Maritime Security Centre), the amount of dedicated fishery protection manned fixed wing flying hours remains at 200 hours per annum. There is therefore no impact on dedicated fishery surveillance. Additionally, the use of Remote Piloted Aircraft Surveillance from the Scottish Government’s Marine Protection Vessels supplements fishery surveillance as does the expansion of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) on Scallop dredge and pelagic vessels.

Existing laws already regulate the sale of dangerous bladed items. We continue to work closely with Police Scotland, local authorities and retailers to reduce knife related harm and to support the enforcement of these safeguards, including age restriction requirements. Retailers also have an important role to play in keeping their communities safe by ensuring the items they sell, including kitchen knives, are stored and displayed responsibly.

In this context, the Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce a legal requirement for kitchen knives to be security-tagged or kept behind the counter in retail premises.

The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s report Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change and values its contribution to improving care for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

We are committed to ensuring that people living in Scotland with long term conditions like IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred.

Actions which the Scottish Government is taking include:

• An Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan The Recovery and Renewal Plan - Endoscopy and urology diagnostic: recovery and renewal plan - gov.scot backed by £70 million. The plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign.
• Funding the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) with a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in IBD care which is being taken forward through the MPPP’s National Gastroenterology Speciality Delivery Group (SDG). They have developed a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland which was published in January 2025: inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-pathway.pdf. The SDG is also developing a lower gastrointestinal pathway which will provide primary care guidance about testing and diagnosis for people with IBD in Scotland.
• Developing a new Long Term Conditions Framework to better recognise that many people living with long term conditions share similar needs and may benefit from the same types of support and care, regardless of their condition.

We will continue to work with clinicians, patients, and third sector partners to improve services and outcomes for those living with IBD.

The Scottish Government welcomes the theme of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025, How it feels, and values the work of charities like Crohn’s and Colitis UK in highlighting the challenges of managing often invisible symptoms.

We are committed to a person-centred approach across all health and care services, including those supporting people with inflammatory bowel disease. Our policy focuses on understanding individual needs and enabling outcomes that matter to people, helping them live well on their terms. We are currently developing a new Long Term Conditions Framework, shaped by lived experience engagement.

Publicly available influenza vaccine uptake data is published every Thursday, by Public Health Scotland (PHS), via PHS Vaccination Surveillance. Publication of influenza uptake data by eligible cohort group began on Thursday 23 October. Publication of uptake for each of the 14 Health Boards began on Thursday 27 November.

NHS Highland, along with the other territorial Health Boards, have access to a range of management information data that is updated each Tuesday by PHS. This has been available to the Health Boards since Tuesday 23 September.

The challenges faced by seasonal workers and their employers are complex, and therefore significant work is required in order to bring these bespoke standards into place. Whilst we will progress this work for the remainder of this parliamentary session, the government does not expect to legislate within this current parliamentary session.

As previously stated, we are assessing what is required pursuant to section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how long patients wait for a GP appointment.

Most general practices in Scotland are run by independent contractors who are responsible for their own appointment arrangements.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of early diagnosis of diabetes in the avoidance of its complications. The UK National Screening Committee advises on how testing and screening is used across the four UK nations. Based on their most up to date recommendation, there is currently no UK-wide screening programme for Type 1 diabetes in children because there is insufficient evidence that population screening would improve health outcomes compared to current practice.

While current clinical advice does not support mandatory screening for Type 1 diabetes, Scotland - through NHS Research Scotland - supported the UK’s largest screening trial for children with Type 1 diabetes, the ELSA study. The study aimed to screen 20,000 children aged 3 to 13 for early markers of Type 1 diabetes and identify those at high risk of developing the condition. The findings will play a key role in guiding future policy decisions.

Current NICE clinical guidelines recommend that any child displaying symptoms of Type 1 diabetes should be referred immediately to paediatric diabetes services for diagnosis and care. The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards and healthcare professionals including GPs to consider all relevant clinical guidelines when assessing children who are presenting with symptoms of diabetes.

We encourage parents and carers to urgently contact their GP if their child is displaying symptoms of diabetes. They will be best placed to provide specific advice and support based on their child’s individual circumstances.