Tuesday 22 September 2020

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Constitution and External Affairs

Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (): To ask the what the outcome is of its latest review into border health measures, and whether there will be any changes to the regulations. (S5W-31965) : We have continued to review the health measures closely over the last three weeks and have assessed that there remains a requirement for them to remain in place to reduce the risk of transmission and safeguard health. There will be no changes to the regulations at this stage, but we will continue to review both the country and sector exemptions on an ongoing basis and make any future adjustments as necessary.

Murdo Fraser (Mid and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £5.3 million it has spent on COVID-19-related campaigns across all media channels has been allocated to expenditure on (a) Facebook, (b) Instagram, (c) , (d) local newspapers, (e) national newspapers, (f) (i) online, (ii) television and (iii) radio advertising and (g) other media sources. (S5W-31700) Kate Forbes: Please note that the £5.3 million figure has subsequently been corrected to £5.8 million.

______a - Facebook Note - Facebook & Instagram spend is recorded together rather than by site b - £246,543 Instagram

Spend in , Herald on Sunday, Glasgow Times, The National & National on Sunday. Please note c - additional spend in Newsquest has been made through Newsquest Mediaforce packages but we do not know the breakdown of costs to individual publications, for that reason we have not included those costs.

£40,174 d - Local / Regional Newspapers £780,377 e - National Newspapers £259,071

Note - this includes the spend on Facebook and f1 - Online Instagram £1,199,301 f2 - £1,963,246 Television f3 - Radio £747,703

Spend in Broadcast Media (e.g STV Player, Sky Adsmart) £662,034 g - Others £4,384 Spend in Magazines

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys using the ministerial car pool there have been in each year since 2007, broken down by minister. (S5W-31737) Kate Forbes: The following table details the total number of journeys conducted by the Government Car Service since 2007.

Year Total journeys 2007-08 See note (1) 2008-09 9,417 2009-10 9,437 2010-11 8,159 2011-12 9,201 2012-13 10,389 2013-14 9,543 2014-15 10,039 2015-16 10,619 2016-17 9,527 2017-18 10,050 2018-19 10,755 2019-20 8,604 Notes

1. No records held .

A full breakdown of each Ministers journeys are proactively published on the Scottish Government website.

https:--www.webarchive.org.uk-wayback-archive-20160109001309-http:-- www.gov.scot-About-People-14944-travel-MinisterialCarJourneys- CarJourneys07-08

https:--www.gov.scot-collections-ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts-

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of journeys using the ministerial car pool in each year since 2007. (S5W-31738) Kate Forbes: The following table details the total cost of the Government Car Service since 2007.

Year Total cost (1) 2007-08 £962,142 2008-09 £980,985 2009-10 £995,658 2010-11 £974,678 2011-12 £1,074,714 2012-13 £1,204,864 2013-14 £1,156,208 2014-15 £1,184,851 2015-16 £1,145,521 2016-17 £1,092,375 2017-18 £1,177,398 2018-19 £1,323,131 2019-20 £1,344.978

Notes 1. Total costs include staff salaries, employer’s contributions, fuel, vehicle maintenance, private hire and travel and subsistence .

Economy

Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (): To ask the Scottish Government how it will respond to the Citizen Assembly's report that is required under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, and whether it will do so in time for the Parliament to scrutinise this response before the end of the current session. (S5W-31592) : The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2019 requires Scotland’s Climate Assembly to lay its report before the Scottish Parliament by 28 February 2021. The Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Act 2020 amended this requirement, stating if the Assembly is unable to lay the report by this date for a reason relating to coronavirus, they must lay the report as soon as reasonably practicable after that date.

We will carefully consider all recommendations made in Assembly’s final report. The Act requires the Scottish Government to publish a statement within six months of receiving a copy of the report, setting out how we intend to respond to the recommendations made in it.

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the estimated cost per carcass of killing red and roe deer calves that are too small for game dealers to collect. (S5W-31602) Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) does not have an estimated cost per carcass relating specifically to the culling of juvenile deer, however the average sale weights of red and roe deer juvenile carcasses from across Scotland’s national forests and land in FY 2019-20 were 24.8 kg and 9.3 kg respectively.

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what (a) research was undertaken and (b) assessments were carried out in (i) local and (ii) national forests prior to the policy decision to kill lactating female red and roe deer, some with dependent calves, from 1 September 2020. (S5W-31603) Roseanna Cunningham: Wild deer numbers in Scotland have increased in recent years and are now thought to be nearing 1 million as noted in Deer Working Group’s report in December 2019. The Scottish Government has not changed its policy regarding the authorisation for the culling of female deer during the closed season since the introduction of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011.

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration was given to targeting the culling of female deer in September 2020 in the most affected areas rather than adopting a nationwide blanket approach. (S5W-31604) Roseanna Cunningham: Deer are present across the whole of Scotland’s national forests and land, and, being mobile animals, can damage a wide range of tree crops and habitats. Deer impacts can have a significant and negative effect on Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS), core objectives including climate change mitigation measures and biodiversity targets as well as timber production and operating costs.

In order to deliver proactive and effective deer management on Scotland’s national forests and land, FLS annually applies to NatureScot for authorisation to shoot deer out of season across the whole landholding.

Out of season shooting is however evidence-led, prioritised and targeted at the most vulnerable areas of woodland or open habitat currently at risk of, or subject to, deer damage impacts. Evidence and relevant data to inform the targeting of culling of deer is sourced from the FLS Wildlife Management System database and formal damage assessment of crops carried out by independent surveyors. Additional localised culling may also be necessary for human safety or deer welfare reasons.

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to starting the red deer culls closer to the start of the legal open season for 2020 when calves are stronger and do not rely on their mothers. (S5W-31606) Roseanna Cunningham: Since 2013, land managers have been able to able to operate under a General Authorisation when controlling red deer outwith the open season to protect against damage. In order to operate under this General Authorisation land managers must meet certain criteria and conditions. This approach was reviewed in 2016.

During the period of highest welfare, between 1 April and 31 August, the culling of female deer can only be carried out under specific authorisation from NatureScot and only in exceptional circumstances. In developing this approach, NatureScot commissioned research into birth and weaning dates across wild deer in Scotland to strike a balance between safeguarding deer welfare and protecting Scotland’s land and forestry against ecological damage.

Elaine Smith (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting business owners whose business practice does not meet the criteria set for (a) government and (b) local authority business support. (S5W-31621) Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government understands the importance of supporting businesses at this difficult time. A range of business support products and services is in place to provide advice, guidance and other assistance to those businesses which may not have qualified for one of the Covid-19 specific schemes.

Support services and programmes for businesses are available via FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the use of lead shot over wetlands. (S5W-31622) Roseanna Cunningham: The Environmental Protection (Restrictions on Use of Lead Shot) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 prohibit the use of lead shot with a shot gun on or over wetlands in Scotland, in order to prevent the ingestion of lead shot by wildfowl and other wading birds.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30927 by Fergus Ewing on 24 August 2020, whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) how much each farmer was fined and (b) each farmer's geographical location. Holding answer issued: 22 September 2020 (S5W-31632) Fergus Ewing: A holding answer was provided.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31438 by Fiona Hyslop on 3 September 2020, how many awards from the culture and heritage support package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been allocated in each local authority area toward each of the 13 purposes set out in the response, also broken down by the (a) largest, (b) smallest and (c) average size of award. (S5W-31673) Fiona Hyslop: The funding for the purposes set out in my answer to question S5W-31438 is mostly being distributed through open funds which have been recently, are currently, or will soon be, open for applications.

£2.5 million from the £97 million was added to our £10 million Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund. On 5th August, Creative Scotland announced how the first £7.5 million of this Fund would be allocated to performing arts venues in Scotland already in receipt of its Regular Funding. The full list of awards is available on Creative Scotland’s website.

Funding was provided to 20 institutions in twelve of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. The largest awards were for £750,000, received by Aberdeen Performing Arts in Aberdeen, Eden Court Theatre and Cinema in Highland, and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company in Edinburgh. The smallest award was £75,400 to Platform (Glasgow East Arts Company) in Glasgow. The average award was just under £373,000. Decisions on the remaining £5 million in the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund are due to be made by 24th September.

The £6 million Events Industry Support Fund which is part of the £10 million support for event organisers and their supply chains, closed to applications on 14th September. VisitScotland is currently assessing applications. Details on further funding support for the events sector will be available shortly.

The Grassroots Music Venue Stabilisation Fund was announced on 10th July. The deadline for applications was the 3rd September and the assessment panel was due to meet on 18th September to consider the applications. Applicants will be notified of decisions on the 22nd September.

Funding for Historic Environment Scotland including the £5.9 million to secure committed grants to heritage organisations, and the National Trust for Scotland will deliver benefits across Scotland. It is not possible to provide specific allocations for each local authority area.

The £270,000 awarded to the New Lanark Trust to help secure the future of the New Lanark World Heritage Site is targeted funding within the South Lanarkshire Council local authority area.

Michelle Ballantyne (South Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30413 by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 July 2020, when it expects to engage with stakeholders to support the development of the wild salmon strategy. (S5W-31707) Roseanna Cunningham: Marine Scotland has contacted a number of stakeholders to invite them to participate in the Wild Salmon Strategy Advisory Group. The first (online) meeting of the Advisory Group is planned for October.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects its "national network of world-class start up incubators or tech scalers", as announced in its 2020-21 Programme for Government, will cost, and when it expects funding to be delivered. (S5W-31708) Kate Forbes: I announced on 3 September an initial £4 million funding in financial year 2021-22 towards the establishment of a national "Tech Scaler" network, one of Mr Logan’s key recommendations, which will provide incubation space while also delivering the best available mentoring and training for our company founders.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the UK Government will provide grants of £1,500 to larger businesses, and £1,000 to other businesses, in England for each three-week period that they are forced to close as a result of local lockdowns or targeted restrictions, whether it will match this level of support for businesses forced to close for these reasons in Scotland. (S5W-31710) Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government provided £1m of funding through Aberdeen City Council to provide grants of £1,000 and £1,500 to businesses required to close as a result of the local restrictions in Aberdeen over the period 5 August to 26 August 2020. We will consider the needs of businesses in other areas to reflect the nature of local circumstances and the restrictions imposed. Discussions are ongoing with the UK Government in relation to any consequential funding arising from its decision to provide financial support.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many companies have been awarded R&D grants by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2007. (S5W-31730) Fiona Hyslop: Existing information held by Scottish Enterprise on R&D grants (including large R&D, SMART and small R&D awards) is provided in the following table: Number of offers 2019-20 162 2018-19 143 2017-18 147 2016-17 165

Please note that this information shows the number of grant offers to companies. These are not always drawn down.

A further manual exercise is required to provide a fuller data set and Scottish Enterprise will write directly to the member with this additional information in due course.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what resources are available to Scottish Enterprise to provide grants in 2020-21. (S5W-31733) Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Enterprise receives an annual budget from the Scottish Government to support their work in helping deliver sustainable economic growth across Scotland. Scottish Enterprise also generates its own income through investments and property assets.

Scottish Enterprise’s budget for this financial year is £529m. This includes substantial in year allocations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide additional support for companies through a variety of new funds, including the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund and the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund. Both of these were administered by Scottish Enterprise in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise.

Some of the products and services routinely provided by Scottish Enterprise have also been re-prioritised to provide targeted support to companies adversely affected by COVID-19.

The experience of administering the COVID-19 funding has given Scottish Enterprise valuable insight into how the agency might offer business funding in the future, with an increased focus on eligibility criteria that would allow funding to address a particular challenge or opportunity.

Scottish Enterprise is continuing to develop the range of products and services it offers to support businesses’ growth ambitions. The agency is currently reviewing all projects (other than those for which there is already a legal commitment) and will be working closely with partners and customers to ensure they are kept abreast of any changes.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much has been awarded by Scottish Enterprise in business grants in each year since 2007. (S5W-31734) Fiona Hyslop: The full breakdown by year since 2008-09 is as follows. Data prior to 2008 is not available as this was previously held by the network of local enterprise companies.

Financial Year Total (£k) 2008-09 85,746 2009-10 104,610 2010-11 100,027 2011-12 104,660 2012-13 95,267 2013-14 103,216 2014-15 88,334 2015-16 80,274 2016-17 87,684 2017-18 89,237 2018-19 115,452 2019-20 103,671 Total 1,158,178

These figures include all grant expenditure by Scottish Enterprise in each financial year including, for example, Regional Selective Assistance, intervention framework support, Research & Development and support for property or land development.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many companies are in the pipeline to receive support funding from Scottish Enterprise. (S5W-31735) Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Enterprise’s ‘pipeline’ includes companies at all stages in the large grant application process prior to a company formally accepting an offer. This includes those who have made an initial enquiry, those with projects under appraisal and those considering an offer. Not all companies in the ‘pipeline’ will proceed to full application and, for a variety of reasons, not all will receive an offer. It is therefore not possible to accurately predict how many companies in the ‘pipeline’ will receive support funding from Scottish Enterprise.

In addition, grant funding is only one element of the support Scottish Enterprise provides to companies. The expertise and advice provided by Scottish Enterprise staff is often a key support mechanism for companies across Scotland.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been provided by Scottish Enterprise to life-science companies in each year since 2007. (S5W-31736) Fiona Hyslop: Existing information held by Scottish Enterprise grants to life sciences companies is provided in the following table:

Number of offers 2018-19 177 2017-18 195 2016-17 273 2015-16 276 2014-15 284

Please note that this information shows the number of grant offers to companies. These are not always drawn down. These information includes grants to life science companies or to recipients where the project is a life sciences based project.

A further manual exercise is required to provide a fuller data set and Scottish Enterprise will write directly to the member with this additional information in due course.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Programme for Government, when it will “[bring] forward firm plans to encourage greater landing of catch into Scottish ports”. (S5W-31739) Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the economic benefit delivered to Scotland by amending the current economic link provisions set out in licence conditions.

We will publish firm plans as part of our Future Fisheries Management Strategy later this year.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all air quality management areas currently in Scotland. (S5W-31746) Roseanna Cunningham: The information requested can be found on the Air Quality in Scotland website at: http://www.scottishairquality.scot/laqm/aqma

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work being undertaken by the Scottish National Investment Bank regarding ultra-low emission buses. (S5W-31748) Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish National Investment Bank team are working with partners across the public sector to develop investment opportunities, including in the transport sector. Once formally established, the Scottish National Investment Bank will communicate its outcomes accordingly.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Agricultural Transformation Fund (a) has been and (b) remains to be allocated in 2020-21; what this will fund, and whether it plans to continue providing this funding in 2021-22 and future years. (S5W-31754) Fergus Ewing: Funding announced for the Agricultural Transformation Fund in the 2020-21 Scottish Budget was £20m capital and £20m Financial transactions. A total of £11.5m of capital expenditure has been announced so far this financial year which is made of £1.5m for forestry machinery and small farm and croft woodland planting and £10m for the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme.

None of the Financial transactions funding has yet been allocated. Opportunities to utilise this funding have been limited due to Covid restrictions on business earlier in the year.

Other options for funding are being investigated and further announcements on those will be made in future. Allocations of funding for future years will be dependent on the outcome of the Capital Spending Review and the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the scientific evidence used to inform its decision to restrict the playing of background music in hospitality venues. (S5W-31763) Fergus Ewing: Factors such as background sound that may lead to raised voices or cause people to lean-in close to others to be heard are a risk factor in the transmission of coronavirus. This is recognised by a wide body of scientific evidence in relation to the role of aerosols in the transmission of viruses. The current position of no background sound, including low level music and audio from television, is a measured and cautious approach to reduce risk. It is being kept under review and government continues to work with industry experts to consider how guidance can be developed to allow low level background sound to be managed safely.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement measures will be applied to ensure that producers that do not currently use barcodes for drinks containers adopt them for use in the deposit return scheme (DRS). (S5W-31771) Roseanna Cunningham: Identification and adoption of appropriate measures to identify scheme articles as part of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which could include use of a barcode, will be a decision for the businesses with responsibility for implementation of the scheme, including any scheme administrator(s). Accordingly, the DRS Regulations do not mandate that scheme articles carry a barcode nor do they create any powers to enforce use of a barcode.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how non-refillable drinks cans, known as crowlers, will be treated under the deposit return scheme (DRS). (S5W-31772) Roseanna Cunningham: Regulation 3 of the Deposit and Return Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2020 sets out the conditions under which a drink is a scheme article for the purposes of the Regulations. We will work with industry to ensure that crowlers are treated in a consistent and proportionate manner under the scheme. Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how producers will be able to register products in the deposit return scheme (DRS) that have no barcodes. (S5W-31773) Roseanna Cunningham: The Deposit and Return Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2020 require registered producers to submit relevant information to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to support identification of scheme articles; this could include, but is not limited to, any unique codes or marks such as a barcode. SEPA is currently working with industry to design a registration process that will ensure all relevant information is captured.

Education, Communities and Justice

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) primary and (b) secondary school attendance rate has been since August 2020. Holding answer issued: 22 September 2020 (S5W-31588) John Swinney: A holding answer was provided.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to communicate the availability of the rent adjudication service offered by Rent Service Scotland, in light of 0.0001% of households in the private rented sector reportedly having used the service over the last two years. (S5W-31653) Kevin Stewart: All relevant Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) related documentation produced by the Scottish Government provides information to tenants on the rent adjudication process.

We also recently introduced a new ‘Know Your Rights’ page at the beginning of every PRT tenancy agreement. This specifically sets out that a tenant can apply to Rent Service Scotland for adjudication, if they have been notified of a rent increase by their landlord, which they believe to be unreasonable. The PRT and the Easy Read Notes that must accompany every PRT each also contain sections titled ‘Rent Increases’ which provide comprehensive information about rent adjudication.

On the Rent Increase Notice, that a landlord must give their tenant three months’ in advance of a proposed rent increase, it makes very clear what a tenant needs to do if they wish to make a referral to Rent Service Scotland so that their rent can be adjudicated by a Rent Officer. More generally, in April 2020 we undertook a social media campaign signposting tenants’ to further information on their tenancy rights. In August 2020 tenants’ also rights featured in the Scottish Government TV, radio and social media financial awareness campaign in partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland. This included information about how tenants could access advice about managing rent from Citizens Advice Scotland both online or from a bureau.

You will be aware that I also recently wrote to every private rented home in Scotland, where I again highlighted key rights and signposted tenants to the Scottish Government’s private rental rights page ( https://www.mygov.scot/private-rental-rights/ ), which provides information on rent adjudication and Rent Service Scotland. This page is frequently updated to provide the latest information for private renters.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it has granted permission for any mid-market rents for units funded through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme to exceed the mid-point of market rent levels for the relevant Broad Rental Market Area. (S5W-31657) Kevin Stewart: All mid-market rented units funded through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme must meet rental affordability criteria at project approval and at first let. The Scottish Government has not given permission for any units to exceed the mid-point of market rent levels for the relevant Broad Rental Market Area.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to incorporate all international human right treaties directly into Scots Law. (S5W-31695) Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government is committed to being at the forefront of human rights leadership and, as such, is undertaking a range of work to ensure that human rights are fully respected, protected and fulfilled in line with Scotland’s international treaty obligations.

The First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership proposed recommendations to create a new statutory framework for human rights in Scotland. The National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership is progressing these recommendations at pace with a remit to consider bringing protections from a range of international human rights treaties into domestic law.

As the 2020-21 Programme for Government states, the Taskforce work includes consideration of how best to incorporate the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women into domestic legislation. Active consideration is also being given to the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Convention on Racial Discrimination. Additionally, a Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 1 September 2020 to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This programme of work demonstrates significant progress in the Scottish Government’s commitment to be at the forefront of human rights leadership.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to landlords where rental payments are not received from tenants. (S5W-31757) Kevin Stewart: The PRS Landlord (non-business) Covid19 Loan was introduced to provide a support option for smaller scale landlords that supports them to work with tenants to manage arrears during the pandemic. The loan is available to landlords not operating as a business who have 5 or less properties available for let. The loan is interest free and repayable over 12 months.

The scheme will be extended in line with the anticipated extension of notice periods within the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act. The existing criteria will remain as at launch except that the scheme will be expanded to allow landlord to apply for loan assistance in relation to up to three let properties, the initial limit was just one let property. Additionally loan repayments will also be scheduled over 24 months.

Throughout the pandemic the messaging from Scottish Government has been clear, that rent remains payable, where tenants can continue to pay they must do so and where tenants’ income or employment has been impacted by Covid-19 they should seek support. We have also been clear that no-one should lose their home as a result of the pandemic and landlords should be flexible with tenants who are facing financial hardship.

Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered changing the criteria for accessing the Private Rent Sector Landlord COVID-19 Loan Scheme to allow landlords in all categories to apply. (S5W-31765) Kevin Stewart: The PRS Landlord (non-business) Covid19 Loan Support loan fund is being extended in line with the anticipated extension of notice periods within the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act.

During the first six months of the scheme we have listened to landlords and stakeholders and the extension will expand the number of let properties a landlord can apply for assistance in respect of, from one property to up to three. Additionally the repayment period will now be set at 24 months. The existing limit of support to landlords who are not registered as businesses and have 5 or less let properties will remain.

Health and Social Care

Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the works at Wards 2A/2B at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children. (S5W-31968) Jeane Freeman: Work on site has been progressing, although this has necessarily had to accommodate the fact that the hospital has remained operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there have been significant delays as a result of COVID-19. This has included significant challenges with supply chains and the continued effects of social distancing during construction works.

We are still awaiting the finalised programme of works but NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are expecting work to be complete in May 2021.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are treating this with the upmost priority and I expect them only to open wards 2A/2B when the Board and the Scottish Government are assured the new systems have been commissioned and validated in line with guidance and Infection Control are supportive of service commencement.

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government what (a) mental health and (b) practical support will be provided to patients who are experiencing delays to treatment as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether it has considered establishing a centralised resource where people can access information about waiting times. (S5W-31591) Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is providing additional support to patients as a result of increased delays due to the COVID19 pandemic.

This includes providing funding to increase the capacity of NHS24’s telephone and online mental health support services, which includes expanding the NHS24 Mental Health Hub so that it is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This also includes expanding the capacity of the Breathing Space telephone helpline and web support service, and providing extra capacity for Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. We have also provided £1 million to expand and develop the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme into a nationwide response for people in distress. Now, anyone who phones the NHS24 Mental Health Hub in emotional distress from anywhere in Scotland and who does not need emergency clinical intervention and is assessed as appropriate for referral to DBI can be referred to the DBI Programme for further support. Further advice and support for people with poor mental health is available through the NHS Inform and Clear Your Head websites, which have information on practical tips, resources, and services to support wellbeing.

For Cancer Patients who may have any concerns a national helpline has been established on 0800 917 7711. Patients are also being encouraged to contact their own local emergency contact number if necessary.

In respect of current waiting times we fully expect Health Boards to be realistic in their communications with patients on their likely wait as a result of COVID19. Each individual will have a different wait based on the particular treatment they require, and patients will be seen on the basis of their clinical priority.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many people residing in the NHS Highland area attended out-of-area PET scans in (a) each year since 2016 and (b) 2020 to date. (S5W-31612) Jeane Freeman: This information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government or by Public Health Scotland.

Any Information relating to patients attending a PET scans out of area will be held by the Local Health Board.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was to NHS Highland to refer patients for out-of-area PET Scans, including travel, in (a) each year since 2016 and (b) 2020 to date. (S5W-31613) Jeane Freeman: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Costs on local travel arrangements will be held by the local Health Board. David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce travel for patients requiring health services within the Highlands and Islands. (S5W-31614) Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to make every effort to treat patients within their local Health Board areas where there is access to the treatment and care they need.

During these unprecedented times with increased Health and Safety requirements as well as physical distancing measures, patients may be required to travel in order to receive safe and swift access to the treatment and care they require.

However, in order to reduce this travel, some mainland Health Boards are providing visiting medical services to deliver care in Island communities for certain specialities, alongside delivering additional activity on site by utilising Mobile Vanguard Theatres and Endoscopy Units to limit patients need to travel out with their Board area.

Many Health Boards are also utilising digital technology such as NHS Near Me , to support delivery of Outpatient activity across Scotland and receiving clinical support from colleagues in mainland Boards. In addition, Island Boards are utilising the services of locum support.

There remains further work to be done to resume all elective treatments, and our approach will continue to be informed by national and local clinical priorities, as well as the need to keep the virus under control and ensure the NHS has the capacity to respond to any resurgence of the virus.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the need for PET Scans for NHS Highland patients from 2021 onwards. (S5W-31615) Jeane Freeman: The location of PET scanners across NHS Scotland has been subject to national strategic planning for many years and NHS Highland is represented in these discussions.

NHS Highland patients requiring a PET-CT scan who are fit and able are currently referred to NHS Grampian if they live in the North of Scottish or to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde if they live in the Argyll area.

The need for a PET scanner within NHS Highland is regularly reviewed and at present the clinical load does not justify a fully running service. David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Highland regarding the provision of a PET scanner in the board's area, and what representations it has received from the board in this regard. (S5W-31617) Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31615 on 22 September 2020. 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 .

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce new PET scanners across Scotland. (S5W-31618) Jeane Freeman: In 2018 a strategy was developed by the PET/CT Capital Planning Group that set out the proposed way forward for the next 5-10 years. A national approach has been taken at present with 5 PET CT scanners currently supporting NHSScotland located within the Glasgow, Lothian, Tayside and Grampian Health Board areas.

The need for additional PET scanners is kept under regularly review with the next formal review planned for 2023.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to decentralise health services. (S5W-31619) Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to make every effort to treat patients within their local area. However there will always be circumstances where patients may have to travel to larger Health Boards to receive specific treatment.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce details of the 2020-21 flu vaccination programme, including the vaccinations to be provided at GP surgeries. (S5W-31626) Joe FitzPatrick: Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities with support from GP practices. The administration of vaccinations provided in General Practices will depend on each Health Board’s individual delivery model. The Flu Vaccination programme for those who are entitled to a free seasonal flu vaccine will begin on 1 October as planned.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is putting in place to ensure that identified priority groups seeking to access influenza vaccinations via the NHS are not disadvantaged by private provision. (S5W-31627) Joe FitzPatrick: Those most at risk from the seasonal flu are already eligible to receive the vaccine for free. The Scottish Government is expanding free eligibility for the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 to:

• Social care workers who provide direct care; • Household members of individuals who are shielding; • Those aged 55 and over; and • 50 to 54 year olds as vaccines supply allows.

We have secured additional vaccine and aim to vaccinate more people than ever before.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it expects influenza vaccinations to be available to NHS patients at their GP surgery. (S5W-31628) Joe FitzPatrick: Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities. This is a change from previous years, where GP practices, took the lead role in providing flu immunisations.

NHS Scotland Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, with GP practices delivery dependant on each Health Boards approach.

The Flu Vaccination programme for those who are entitled to a free seasonal flu vaccine will begin on 1 October, as planned.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when identified priority groups will be contacted regarding their invitation to receive an influenza vaccination. (S5W-31629) Joe FitzPatrick: Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities.

Scottish Health Boards will begin to send invitation letters by post from the 18 September to those who are entitled to a free seasonal flu vaccine.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what options patients in identified priority groups will have to access NHS influenza vaccinations, other than at their GP surgery. (S5W-31630) Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31628 on 22 September 2020. 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

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the anticipated increase in uptake as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, what guidance it has issued to GPs for managing demand for influenza vaccinations. (S5W-31631) Joe FitzPatrick: NHS Scotland Health Boards will deliver the Seasonal Flu Vaccination programme 2020/21 and guidance was provided by the Chief Medical Officer on 7 August (https://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/cmo/CMO(2020)19.pdf ).

Scottish Health Boards are currently preparing plans for delivery of the seasonal flu vaccination which includes using a variety of settings given this is an expanded programme.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of COVID-19 on people living with blood cancers being able to make informed choices regarding their long-term care and treatment. (S5W-31634) Jeane Freeman: Teams of clinicians all across Scotland provided clinical input to the Scottish Government’s response to COVID-19.

Haematologists have been advising the Scottish Government continuously throughout the response to COVID-19. We have been very cautious in issuing guidance on who should be shielding during the pandemic as we did not want to do so unnecessarily. Only those with high personal risk were asked to consider shielding. We have published national guidance on cancer treatment, and patient information on COVID19 and cancer. Using this guidance, we expect, as always, all clinicians to have clear and open conversations with their patients about their treatment options.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that haematologists are adequately represented in the assessment of new medicines. (S5W-31636) Jeane Freeman: The licensing of new medicines is reserved to the UK Government, and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Decisions around which medicines are made routinely available on the NHS in Scotland are made independently of Ministers and Parliament by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). The SMC is a committee of clinicians, pharmacists, NHS board representatives, the pharmaceutical industry and the public. The SMC also routinely consults with a network of experts in a wide variety of fields about all new medicines under review.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what capital projects for cancer services are being developed, broken down by expected completion date. (S5W-31637) Jeane Freeman: NHS Grampian : The ANCHOR Centre - brings all Haematology, Oncology and Radiotherapy Day and Outpatient services under one roof. There will also be a dedicated lounge for teenage and young adult patients, an Aseptic Pharmacy for the production of chemotherapy treatments, and dedicated teaching and research facilities. Planned construction completion January 2023.

NHS Lothian: Edinburgh Cancer Centre – upgrade of the oncology facilities at the Western General Hospital (WGH) in order to provide a sustainable safe cancer services . Planned construction completion November 2022.

NHS Lothian are also in the early stages of developing an Initial Agreement for a regional cancer centre for the South East of Scotland. No business case has yet been submitted to the Scottish Government for review, but we are aware that one is being developed and we will review it as soon as it is submitted.

Scottish Government also continues to provide capital support for the replacement of radiotherapy equipment across NHSScotland on an annual basis. The replacement programme includes funding for MRI Simulators within the RT/PET plan.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence Service data. (S5W-31638) Jeane Freeman: Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence includes various sources of data. General cancer registration data is included up to 2018. 2019 Data will be available in April 2021.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how the National Cancer Recovery Plan will address the needs of people living with blood cancers, given their higher risk of COVID-19 infection. (S5W-31640) Jeane Freeman: Our National Cancer Recovery plan will address COVID19 risks in a number of ways, which will not be disease specific as the mitigation of these risks will help a wide range of patients.

Health Boards have been tasked with urgent implementation of local Clinical Prioritisation Groups (CPG’s) that will oversee ‘green-site’ theatre allocations on a regular (weekly) basis to ensure that prioritised patients are apportioned appropriate, and preferential, access to all green-site theatres.

Elective cancer surgery should be upscaled in ‘green sites’ with full adherence to and implementation of national policies for patient and staff testing before, during and after surgery.

Safety measures around use of personal protective equipment and the enhanced cleaning programmes.

Blood Cancer patients will also benefit from our future of shielding planning which will:

• Provide people with updated clinical evidence about their conditions and what that means for their risk from Covid, • Help those shielding understand the changing levels of infection in the community and how to reduce the chance of catching the virus • Provide that information in a way that is accessible, understandable and helpful, • Give people who are shielding access to support that can help them make informed choices about their lives, • Support people shielding to put their choices into practice. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether COVID-19 interim treatment policies will be funded until the end of the 2020-21 financial year. (S5W-31641) Jeane Freeman: We expect that the funding for the implementation of National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group recommendations to be made available for the remainder of the financial year.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of COVID-19 on people living with blood cancers being able to access innovative medicines as a result of the pause to clinical trials. (S5W-31642) Jeane Freeman: The Chief Scientist Office published a statement on the restart framework for clinical trial activity on May 27th 2020.

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/cso-statement-on-the-restart-framework/

This confirmed that the Chief Scientist Office will monitor restart across Scotland, including setting up a COVID-19 Restart Operational Group to share best practice and support development of operational processes and guidance to support the resumption of non-COVID research activity across NHS Research Scotland, and a Restart Strategic Oversight Group is to provide advice, support and guidance to CSO on all aspects of non-COVID research restart.

Both these groups have been established and details are available from the NHS Research Scotland website.

http://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/coronavirus/arrangements-for-clinical- trials

As part of the Scottish Government Cancer Recovery Plan a Cancer Clinical Trials subgroup is being established to provide advice, support and guidance on the restart of Cancer Clinical Trials.

The National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group was rapidly convened in response to COVID19 outbreak and has since met regularly to recommend new treatment options for many cancer types, including blood cancer.

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30555 by Joe FitzPatrick on 30 July 2020, when it now expects to publish the Draft Framework for Recovery and Rehabilitation for people recovering from COVID-19 and to build resilience in the population against future pandemics. (S5W-31646) Joe FitzPatrick: We published the Framework for supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic on 13 August 2020 and it is available to read on the Scottish Government’s website. https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-supporting-people-through- recovery-rehabilitation-during-covid-19-pandemic/ . ‎

We are learning from other pandemics to consider potential implications while investing in research to better understand the dynamics of COVID-19 and its impact. In addition to the Framework we are prioritising the clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals and funding research into the long-term effects of COVID-19. We are committed to understanding the effects of this virus in Scotland so we can implement measures to support recovery from the infection.

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to include (a) blind and partially-sighted and (b) other disabled people in testing the accessibility of the proximity tracing that app that it plans to launch. (S5W-31660) Jeane Freeman: An assessment and accessibility testing was completed for the Protect Scotland app. This assessment informed the development of the app and considered the needs of people with a visual impairment and or a disability. These needs will be considered in an ongoing basis and if individuals wish to share their experience they can do so by contacting: [email protected]

A new Equalities & Digital Inclusion group has been established to work in partnership with organisations including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), deafscotland and Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) to ensure that the app can provide the best possible user experience.

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many children have been refused support by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in each year since 2007. (S5W-31724) Clare Haughey: Data on the number of children who have been refused support by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is not held. However, Public Health Scotland collects data on ‘rejected referrals’ in CAMHS, which correspond to cases in which a referral is deemed as not appropriate and the individual may be referred back to their GP or sign-posted to another service.

The earliest reliable data on rejected referrals in CAMHS is from January 2015 up until June 2020 (i.e. the latest period for which published data is available). The number and proportion of rejected referrals is shown in the following table.

Annual CAMHS Summary – Scotland (2015-2020)

Year All Referrals Accepted Rejected % Rejected 2015 36,450 30,731 5,719 15.7 2016 39,748 32,843 6,905 17.4 2017 40,575 33,309 7,266 17.9 2018 42,026 34,666 7,360 17.5 2019 42,607 35,042 7,565 17.8 2020* 15,938 13,006 2,932 18.4 Total 217,344 179,597 37,747 17.4

* Incomplete year so figures likely to change

These figures sit within a wider context of work to improve the support that is available to children, young people and their families. Our 2020-21 Programme for Government references the work which is underway to develop a full recovery plan for mental health services; to ensure the implementation of the CAMHS Service Specification; and to introduce Community Mental Health and Wellbeing support services for 5-24 year olds. We are also investing in a range of other support measures which include enhanced digital resources on mental health and wellbeing available via Young Scot’s website and social media, and the expansion of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme which is now available nationally to those above the age of 16.

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government how people who are unable to download the software necessary to use the Test and Protect App, or do not have a smartphone, will be able to access it. (S5W-31770) Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31769 on 21 September 2020. 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. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that people with phones that are incompatible with the Test and Protect app will be able to access the technology. (S5W-31779) Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31769 on 21 September 2020. 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.

Index Heading:

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what impact domestic and foreign travel had on the COVID-19 clusters in Aberdeen in August 2020 and Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire in September; what action it took to deal with the impact of this domestic and foreign travel; whether it considers that the action it took was proportionate and, if so, what the reasons are for its position on this matter. Holding answer issued: 22 September 2020 (S5W-31585) Humza Yousaf: A holding answer was provided.

Transport Scotland

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been given to local authorities for monitoring Spaces for People schemes and the criteria for assessing whether measures can be made permanent. (S5W-31607) Michael Matheson: Sustrans Scotland, who administer the Spaces for People programme, is providing guidance on monitoring as part of a package of support offered to local authorities. Guidance, which is bespoke and based on need, typically includes advice on developing monitoring plans, undertaking data collection, analysing data and reporting.

A national monitoring and evaluation framework for Spaces for People has been developed by Sustrans in partnership with Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland and distributed to local authorities.

It is for local authorities to determine, through evaluation of projects, whether or not they merit being made permanent. The Scottish Government provides support to local authorities for the creation of permanent walking and cycling infrastructure through the Places for Everyone programme.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government which (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies have not yet completed the implementation of Spaces for People schemes. (S5W-31608) Michael Matheson: All local authorities and public bodies which successfully applied for Spaces for People funding have schemes that are not yet completed.

Local authorities are at different stages with implementation of their schemes.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken against councils and other public bodies that have delayed the implementation of Spaces for People schemes. (S5W-31609) Michael Matheson: The implementation of Spaces for People schemes is a matter for the local authorities and public bodies which successfully applied for funding. Sustrans Scotland, which administers Spaces for People, is offering support to help overcome any barriers to delivery.

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it expects all Spaces for People schemes to be completed. (S5W-31610) Michael Matheson: The delivery of Spaces for People schemes is a matter for the local authorities and public bodies which successfully applied for funding. Sustrans Scotland is working closely with local authorities to support delivery of schemes .

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Logan Review, whether its commitment to reduce inter-city rail journey pricing will benefit all travellers or only those working in target sectors. (S5W-31623) Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government will consider issues relating to all travellers within its review.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Logan Review, at what level the inter-city rail price threshold is between each of Scotland’s cities, and whether its commitment to reduce inter-city journey pricing applies to those specific thresholds, or a Scotland-wide threshold. (S5W-31624) Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government will consider the level and geographic scope of thresholds within its review.

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Logan Review, whether (a) price controls and (b) rail operator subsidies are being considered as mechanisms to reduce inter-city rail journey pricing. (S5W-31625) Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government will consider these mechanisms within its review.