Chamber and committees

The moratorium on unconventional gas extraction does not cover geothermal energy and should therefore not discourage investment in geothermal energy technologies or have an impact on geothermal energy exploration.

The Scottish Government is keen to develop the potential of a geothermal industry in Scotland which will help reduce carbon emissions while providing additional security of energy supplies. The Scottish Government has been working with stakeholders to explore the capacity of geothermal and its viability as a self-sustaining, economically attractive investment prospect with local community support for the principles of the project, including an understanding of its potential environmental impact.

During 2015-16, the Scottish Government made £179,000 grant available to explore the technical feasibility, environmental sustainability and economic viability of four locations in Scotland: Fife, North Lanarkshire, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City. The findings of these studies are available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Action/lowcarbon/LCITP/geothermal. A technical appraisal of the feasibility study reports has been undertaken, and a further grant of £37,000 has been awarded to the University of St Andrews for development work in Fife.

The roles of the regulatory authorities in relation to these developments is outlined in the Scottish Government guidance document available at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Energy-sources/19185/GeothermalEnergy/RegulatoryGuidance.

Chief Scientific Adviser for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Professor Louise Heathwaite, was engaged in the review from the outset and throughout. Since coming into post, the Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, Professor Sheila Rowan, has met officials and Professor Heathwaite to discuss this issue.

The Scottish Government values the contribution of the scientific advisors, and our evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas underlines the value the Scottish Government places on robust science.

In Scotland, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) operate the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) in partnership with local authorities. The scheme is intended to help consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by providing at-a-glance information about food hygiene compliance. The scheme is assessed by local authorities during their food law inspections at catering and retail outlets. FHIS applies to all food outlets that supply food to consumers, including restaurants, takeaways and food shops, and is based on a simple, two-tier ‘Pass’ or ‘Improvement Required’ format.

While FSS strongly encourages food businesses to display their FHIS certificate and/or sticker publicly in their premises it is not currently mandatory to do so. All results are published and can be found on the Food Standards Scotland website at http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/fhis/search.

FSS is currently conducting a full review of the scheme in Scotland and the potential for a mandatory scheme is being considered as part of this process. Any formal consultation on proposals for a revised scheme would be carried out by FSS during 2017.

There are no current plans to undertake a review. Xeroderma Pigmentosum is an extremely rare disease affecting around 100 people across the UK. Treatment and supervision for this condition is highly specialised which is best delivered through specialist hospital services who can advise on appropriate protective garments and equipment to fit the particular needs for the patient concerned.

Further to the response provided to the answer to question S5W-03315 on 18 October 2016, it is for local authorities and schools, in partnership with their NHS Board and wider school communities, to identify their priorities for learning and health promotion. This may include learning and awareness raising about rare diseases.

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

Health and wellbeing in Curriculum for Excellence is the responsibility of all school staff and promotes pupils' understanding of their own health and wellbeing.

Schools and local authorities are required to ensure that health promotion is at the heart of a school’s activities by the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007. A school is health promoting if it provides activities, environment and facilities which promote physical, social, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of pupils. It is for local authorities and schools, in partnership with the NHS Board and wider school communities, to identify their priorities for learning and health promotion. This may include learning about sun safety and the promotion of the use of sunscreen.

Guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Schools, was published in 2001 to support NHS boards, education authorities and schools to develop policies on managing healthcare needs in schools, including individual healthcare planning. These policies may include the use of sunscreen in schools. The Scottish Government intends to consult on new guidance on supporting the healthcare needs of children and young people in schools later this year.

The Scottish Government's Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) sets out actions and priorities which aim to improve the experience and clinical outcomes for patients living with stroke across Scotland by supporting the community to adopt a seamless approach to the delivery of care across the recognised pathway for stroke for all patients regardless of where they live or are treated in Scotland.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan Lead and Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) National Clinical Coordinator continue to work closely with each Health board’s stroke Managed Clinical Network (MCN) to ensure that the key priorities from the Stroke Improvement Plan and the Scottish Stroke Care Standards are implemented and monitored. This involves supporting the MCN in taking forward improvements through coaching and developing mechanisms for improving local services. The Improvement Plan Lead and SSCA Coordinator visit all Health boards at least once per year facilitating a formal Health board Annual Review Meeting to assess performance, discuss where standards are not being met and formulate an improvement plan with clearly identified actions where necessary. Data is reviewed six monthly and where necessary, a walkthrough of the patient pathway is conducted to identify areas where improvements in care can be made.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) is managed by Information and Statistics Division (ISD) Scotland under that name. The Scottish Stroke Care Audit Annual Report was renamed as the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Report to reflect the inclusion of reporting on the quality improvement priorities in the Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) in addition to the stroke data measured against the Scottish Stroke Standards. Reporting on the actions in the Stroke Improvement Plan are closely monitored by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report published on 12 July contains data collected on stroke rehabilitation. From November 2015 to January 2016 a rehabilitation sprint audit was conducted in all acute and integrated stroke units and is again a focus for the Scottish Stroke Care Audit in 2016. The Stroke Improvement Plan, published in 2014 contains priorities on services focussed on transition to the community as well as supported self-management and living with stroke. Progress on the status of each NHS Board in relation to the priorities and actions in the improvement plan is closely monitored by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke.

A variety of funding sources are available for charitable trusts and other bodies to upgrade and carry out maintenance on public footpaths.

Grants to support the costs of the maintenance of urban public amenity areas in existing woodlands are available under the ‘Sustainable Management of Forests – Public Access’ option under the Woods In and Around Towns scheme, which is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP). Details can be found at the following link: https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/forestry-grant-scheme/sustainable-management-of-forests/public-access-woods-in-and-around-towns/.

In addition, the improving public access fund, which is part of the SRDP Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme, aims to support new and upgraded paths for public use: (https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/improving-public-access/).

Scottish Natural Heritage has provided funding to support Paths for All to run a community grant scheme and Volunteering Matters to run an ‘Action Earth’ grants scheme. The Paths for All Community Paths Grants scheme is now closed for 2016 but offered up to £1,500 to help community groups maintain, as well as improve and promote, their local community paths: (http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/support/community-path-grants.html).

‘Action Earth’ grants range from £50 to £250 (up to £500 on a Local Nature Reserve) to purchase tools and materials or to cover volunteer expenses, for practical activities that involve volunteers in improving outdoor spaces: (http://www.communityscot.org.uk/news/article/action-earth-grab-grant/).