 Mewn hyn dysw, mae bw๊tfolkwlio wizardyn, gorffenned fedysg Paonwr. Felly lly shading diolch ar y cyhun To ask the Scottish Government in relation to its cross-government co-ordination on island policies, what discussions the Rural Affairs Secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding regulating second home ownership in rural and in island communities? Minister Paul MacLennan. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands regularly engages with colleagues in a variety of issues, and I personally look forward to working with her on the important issue of rural housing. Second homes bring benefits to those who own them in businesses that they support. However, in some communities they can impact the availability of homes to meet local needs, and it's important that we take action to pursue a fair balance. That's why just recently we published a joint consultation with COSLA seeking views on giving powers to local authorities to increase the rate of council tax on second and empty homes. The consultation on raising council tax for second homes is welcome. However, I fail to see how that policy will have any impact on the numbers of second homes, which we know can be an issue. The Highlands is the most effective area for second homes. Ullipool is one of many towns that are affected, and the community trust recently described the lack of housing supply there as a real and persistent crisis. Second homes, of course, reduce available stock for local families and can push up prices well beyond the reach of key workers. Businesses and the public sector then struggle to attract staff as there's just no housing available for workers. One solution may be to allow councils in these hotspot areas to limit second home numbers. Will the Government commit to looking seriously at that option? I thank Ashwin for that question. There are a few things that the Government is looking at just now. We will publish an action plan for housing in remote rural and island areas that will include up to £25 million from our affordable homes budget to allow suitable properties, including empty houses, to be purchased on the long-east and turned into affordable homes for key workers and others. I think that that's an important point that she raised, and it's something that I've been engaging with other ministers about already today. We recognise that good quality affordable housing is essential to help attract and retain people in Scotland's remote rural communities. I think that the point that you make is something that I would probably pick up with you in further discussions with, if that's okay in that regard. I think that many key things, as well, are how we try to attract first-time buyers into that area, because there's an issue in rural housing around about depopulations. Again, that's an important point that I think that we're looking at. There is support in terms of first-time buyers under LBTT, which enables, I suppose, a nil rate from £145,000 to £75,000, and it says that first-time buyers are £600 in tax. But it's a complex issue, and there are a number of things we need to look at in terms of that. I think that the rural action plan that we've talked about will be a major step forward, but there are key points that she mentions that I'll be happy to discuss with us. Minister, if you could address your comments through the microphone rather than to the member, we probably will pick them up. Supplementary first, Alasdair Allan. I welcome the COSLA and the Scottish Government consultation, which aims to tackle this matter and the disproportionate number of second homes in many parts of Scotland, not least my constituency. Can I ask what additional measures will be put in place to introduce a limit on the proportion of second homes in comparison to the homes lived in year-round, permitted in specific communities, specifically because of the wider impact that it has on house prices in that place, putting all but a very small number out of the housing market? Minister. The member will be aware that there are already additional measures that can be support local areas to manage numbers of second homes such as introduction of short-term let-control areas and the increase in LBT-ET additional dwelling supplements to 6 per cent. It helps first-time buyers to complete more fairly with buy-to-let investors or those buying second homes. I mentioned about the consultation previously, so we look forward to seeing responses to the consultation about providing powers to councils that they can use and choose to use that can be used to achieve a fairer taxation in housing in local communities which will inform our next steps in this important issue. Willie Rennie. I want to press the minister a bit further because the minister yesterday indicated that he might be prepared to go beyond just the council tax. I think that if we have done it for short-term lets in terms of planning and licensing, would he be prepared to consider using that for second homes as well? Minister. Yeah, again, I think that I'd be happy if Mr Rennie would want to forward proposals. I was happy to look at that and discuss that. I know that the First Minister mentioned that yesterday, but if he has any proposals to forward, I'm more than happy to discuss with him at a later stage. I'm briefly Katie Clark. A recent Spice report revealed that Arran has the highest rate of second home ownership in Scotland, accounting for 25 per cent of all privately owned homes on the island. Only 11 per cent of Arran's housing stock is available for affordable rents and, of course, rents on the island are more expensive than on the mainland. Will the minister advise on when the Scottish Government's remote, rural and island action plan for housing will be published and what is being considered that will particularly address areas where there is very high density of second homes? I think that I mentioned that it's going to be published relatively soon and I'll, of course, let the member know when that's going to be available at that particular time. I think that we talked about some of the issues that are there, the divide to let control areas. The control areas, as I think I mentioned before, is one part of that. I'm planning to engage to visit Argyll and Buton to talk about those issues as well and other rural authorities to talk about the issues that have been raised. It's more complex than that. I talked to her in a bit of consultation on the second homes supplement and, again, I'd be keen to find out what Argyll and Buton's understanding and position is in that one. To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to fishers in the Nehalyn and the Near constituency who have reportedly expressed concern about their livelihoods and the future of their communities in light of the potential economic and cultural impact that highly protected marine areas may have on coastal and island communities once designated. First, I want to take this opportunity to say that I am aware of the strength of feeling arising from the highly protected marine area consultation and that we remain committed to continued meaningful engagement with fishers and coastal and island communities. Our consultation has just closed and we are analysing responses and carefully considering feedback. I must also reiterate that no sites have been proposed yet. Site selection will be a participatory process and the expertise of fishers, amongst others, will be crucial to ensuring proposals provide benefits for the sustainable fishing of our marine ecosystems. I thank the minister for her answer. Members will appreciate the need to tackle biodiversity loss, but in many parts of the highlands and islands, human communities are at risk too. The population of my constituency has nearly half since the second world war and is projected to drop by another 16 per cent by 2042. Given fishing strong economic and cultural ties across the west coast, does the minister understand why HPMA proposals have now inspired the Skipanish song and can she say how the proposals can be reconciled with the Scottish Government's commitments around depopulation and other items in the national islands plan? I thank the member very much for his question and for his concern about this matter. This concerns us all. If we do not take action in the marine space, there is a risk that the marine environment will not remain resilient enough to continue to provide the resources and benefits that we gain for it for the long term. Protecting our marine environment ensures not only that we protect the natural asset upon which the fishing industry and other industries are built but helps to develop and manage the potential devastating impacts on this industry of climate change. Communities can absolutely benefit from highly protected marine areas and, indeed, the Alamlish Bay no-take zone was as a result of campaigning by the local community group. Based on studies co-ordinated by that group, it has been noted that since protection, commercial important species have increased in size, age and density. I have a number of supplementaries. They will have to be brief as will the responses. First, Jamie Halcro Johnston. Thank you. With communities up in arms and SNP backbench rebellion looming, the Scottish Government now seems to be desperate at least to be seen to be listening on these plans, but they've already caused huge anger amongst coastal communities. Will the minister now drop these plans and going forward, going back to the drawing board, engage fully to find agreement with local communities and stakeholders on a way forward? Again, I absolutely appreciate the strength of feeling here. The consultation on these matters only closed on Monday and we will take the time to consider all the responses. Consultations are a tool that we use to collect views from interested groups. The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns from marine users and industries, including fishers, about the potential impacts that HPMAs may have on them. These impacts may benefit certain fish stocks. HPMAs studies show that they increase the stock, which can spill over to adjacent areas and which benefits fishers in the form of increased extra offspring in juvenile and adult animals, which benefit commercial and, of course, HPMAs can benefit recreational sectors as well. Given the strength of feeling around the HPMAs, will the minister listen to the consultation and withdraw those proposals, or does she see them as a red line within the Bute House agreement? As I said to the member in the previous question, the consultation has only just closed. It includes a very wide range of views, which we will now consider and assess. Of course, it is important to create the right balance in our marine space. We recognise the importance of continued investment in Scotland's seafood and wider marine sectors, as well as balancing the needs for eco marine protection and for renewable energy. The minister talks about meaningful engagement and recognises the concerns that are being expressed across island and coastal communities throughout Scotland. When will she meet those who are most affected in their communities? I will reiterate again that no sites have been selected for this. We want the site selection process to be participatory at every step of the way. This is part of a just transition, as we transition our marine spaces to, as we work towards net zero. We absolutely intend to have meaningful community engagement every step of the way. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I should say before I start this that I would refer members to my register of interests that I have been involved in farming partnership for over 40 years. To ask the Scottish Government whether all farmers will have the ability to apply for and be granted all conditionality payments under its new agricultural support scheme. Our vision for agriculture sets our clear commitment to maintain direct support for our producers. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands has said plainly in this chamber and I will re-emphasise that our producers will not face any cliff edge as we transition to the four-tier support framework. We will deliver with our industry to ensure further future support is most effective and accessible for all types of farmer, crafter and land manager, enabling them to continue to produce high quality food and deliver on our shared outcomes for biodiversity recovery and climate adaptation and mitigation. Thank you for that answer. Unfortunately, that did not answer the question. Let's try it one more time. 50% of the future farm payment will be based on conditionality. Will all farmers across Scotland be able to apply and be granted those grants if appropriate? Yes or no? I appreciate the member's concern here. Our commitment has been to co-develop and working with those who are directly impacted who are expected to deliver the outcomes on the ground has been really important. That is reflected in our creation of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board area, co-chaired by the cabinet secretary and by the NFU president, Martin Kennedy. He can be assured that the interests of all farmers are very well represented in that work. What the Tories continually miss is that in Scotland we are committed to supporting farming and food production. However, farming will have to adapt to meet our net zero targets. Indeed, farmers have the skills to do that. Can I ask the minister, for example, of good practice that would see farmers become eligible under each of the tiers? As briefly as possible, minister. Thank you very much for that question. The new support framework, which is being co-developed with partners, will support them to take the opportunities that this transition presents and help to develop our vision for agriculture. We continue to support and invest in our farmers and crofters, taking action on climate change through a range of initiatives, including farming for better climate, Scotland's farm advisory service, the Agricultural Transformation Fund, the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, the Agriculture Biodiversity and Climate Change Network and the Integrating Tree Network. Through those initiatives, we continue to encourage the uptake of low-carbon farming practices by offering financial support and providing practical advice and guidance on the knowledge and skills transfer and demonstrating the climate and business benefits of taking action. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with food producers, manufacturers and distributors regarding supply chains and how to tackle food insecurity and food poverty. The Scottish Government has regular engagement with food producers, manufacturers and distributors, including via the Food Sector Resilience Group and the Retail Industry Leadership Group. We also engage directly with third sector food groups such as FairShare that redistribute food for social good. While third sector groups are able to provide inclusive community activities, the Scottish Government believes that everyone should have the money they need to access food with dignity and choice. As promised in our programme for government, we will soon publish our plan, Grounded in Human Rights, that sets out the further action we will take to improve the response to hardship and reduce the need for food banks. Monica Lennon. I'm grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for her response and I'm glad that she did mention FairShare. We're seeing food prices at the highest rate of inflation for almost 50 years. FairShare have reiterated the struggles that they're experiencing. As colleagues know, redistributes are plus food to charities and communities across the country, but they're seeing a real reduction in what's available to them because of industry pressures. I know there was a summit last year that the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs convened. Will there be a follow-up, and what more can the Government do to support charities like FairShare? I would join with Monica Lennon in commending the work that foodshare does. It is unfortunately still widely needed in our communities. Yes, she's right to point out to the work that the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs has convened on this, and certainly within my portfolio I'm also very interested in working with FairShare and with other parts of the third sector to see what we can do to support them. I think that the important part, which I also mentioned in my original answer, is our plan that we are due to publish soon to ensure that we're also looking at what can be done to support families and to end the use of food banks and the need for food banks in Scotland. But until we are at that stage, there is a role, unfortunately, for food banks. There is a role for the work that FairShare does, and I'm happy to have further discussions with Monica Lennon and should she wish to do so in this area. I'm the supplementary Rachel Hamilton. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Yesterday, Humzae Yousaf's flimsy document failed to mention agriculture and farming, and also failed to look at the significant potential for innovation and technology, such as genetic technology, a vital role in decarbonising the industry and improving yields, improving reliability for crops and improving food security. Will the minister, or will the cabinet secretary, reconsider their intransigent position on gene technology? Well, strangely enough, Presiding Officer. I don't agree with the premise or the context that the member is putting on either the document that was published yesterday or in the work that has been done on the Government on this wider area. Clearly, this is an area where I appreciate that there are different views on it. The Government has made its views on this already, and it's a shame that Rachel Hamilton is not actually listening to the answer to the question, Presiding Officer, so I'll perhaps leave it there. Question 5, Rose McAll. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it's taking to tackle livestock worrying. Minister, on this later. The Dogs Protection of Livestock Amendment Scotland Act 2021 has been enforced for over a year, and it provides Police Scotland and the courts with greater powers to deal with those who allow their dogs to worry, attack or kill livestock in Scotland's countryside. Increasing awareness is a key factor in the prevention of livestock worrying incident and the associated unnecessary suffering. The Scottish Outdoors Access Code is clear on the rights and responsibilities of land managers and those exercising access rights and is widely publicised. More generally, the Scottish Government delivered an awareness-raising digital campaign in partnership with the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 2021 to promote responsible dog ownership. The campaign has been rerun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on a number of occasions and directs the public the information about the law on controlling your dog on the mygovs.scot website. This website makes it clear that dog owners are responsible for the actions of their dog and sets out potential penalties for failing to control dogs. Rose McCall. I thank the minister for the answer and I'm sure the minister will be aware of the horrific attack on livestock and a farm near Kelty in Fife resulting in the death of 20 lambs and over £7,000 worth of damage. I note the responses so I'm going to come back on some of them. Farmers from my region and across the whole of rural Scotland are already having to deal with the stresses of the lambing season. As a matter for the courts, guidelines of a maximum fine of £40,000 and 12 months in prisonment brought in in 2021 doesn't appear to have had the deterrent that it was meant to have. A survey conducted by NFU Mutual in February found that 29% of respondents knew about the potential fines and 32% of dog owners understood that they could be imprisoned and that's only if their pets went on to attack. So what more will the Scottish Government do to stop the mutilation of defence of those animals and protect farmers livelihoods? I absolutely understand the strength of feeling here. Any dog attack, one dog attack is one too many. The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable as well as causing obvious suffering to the animals concerned. The damage inflicted on flocks and herds can have severe financial and psychological consequences for farmers. Estimates from Police Scotland fell from 301 in 2021. While NFU Mutual estimated the cost of dog attacks on Scotland's livestock fell by almost 31% last year. So I'm pleased to say that the situation is improving and under the recently new law which was brought as a private member's bill by Emma Harper the member is correct that under the law owners of dogs that attack or worry livestock can be fined up to £40,000 or face a prison sentence of up to 12 months. Currently we do not have any data for the implementation of the law because it is relatively new, but sentencing in any given case is a matter for the independent court within the overall legal framework. I have to move on to question 6 despite there being interesting supplementaries. The responses are going to have to be brief but so too are the questions. Number 6 is Willie Coffey. Thanks very much to ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding agriculture and the food to the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-specific partnership. We are assessing the deal further and await more detail from the UK Government although their own scoping assessments show that any benefits including tariff reductions will be limited a mere 0.08% increase in UK GDP. So while there may be some limited growth opportunities for Scottish food and drink producers, these are very limited and there are significant risks. Particularly for our sensitive agricultural products set to be damaged by bilateral deals with the UK Government recently agreed with New Zealand and Australia and which the former deaf secretary of state has already criticised as poor deals for the sector. It also remains unclear how the UK will protect domestic standards against the arbitration process of the trading. Willie Coffey. The alliance for better food and farming has said that the UK has joined a trade bloc where food farming and environmental standards are lower than our own. That raises real concerns about the impact of consumer health and farm businesses in the UK. The NFUS and RSPCA have also cited similar concerns about animal welfare standards. Does the minister share my concern that this deal represents another post-Brexit race to the bottom? As briefly as possible minister. I very much share these concerns and that's one reason that the Scottish ministers continue to argue for a role in UK trade negotiations so that we can safeguard Scotland's interests and watch out for such risks. We believe that the UK is potentially joining a trade bloc where many food farming and environmental standards are significantly lower than our own and that's not a good road to go down. Gillian Mackay. To ask the Scottish Government how it anticipates its proposed agriculture bill and future payments framework will support progress towards meeting Scotland's emissions reduction targets. First Minister. Farmers, crofters and other land managers have a key role to play in meeting our climate targets. The new support framework which is being co-developed with partners will support them to take the opportunities of this transition and help deliver our vision for agriculture. The vision makes clear our commitment to enable producers of high quality food to deliver on our shared outcomes for biodiversity recovery and climate adaptation and mitigation. The next climate change plan due in draft this year will include proposals and proposals to ensure the agriculture sector continues to play its part in meeting our ambitious net zero national target. Gillian Mackay. I thank the minister for that answer. Integrating woodland onto farms is a big opportunity for farmers across Scotland and for local environments. Can the minister set out how the new framework and revised forestry grant scheme will improve support to all farmers seeking to establish woodland on their land or land they manage? We are currently consulting on future grant support for forestry which includes a specific question on how to better support farmers to establish trees on their farms and look forward to hearing what stakeholders suggest. We envisage building on the principle of the recently introduced provision to include woodland creation as eligible activity and ecological focus areas. We are actively promoting the integrating trees network, a farmer led initiative which aims to encourage more farmers and crofters to plant trees and to raise awareness of the multiple benefits that planting trees can bring to agricultural businesses. Marie McNeill. To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government regarding access for Scotland's food and drink industry to seasonal migrant workers. Mr Emmer Rodyd. Thank you. The Scottish Government is clear that we need a migration policy tailored to the needs of Scotland's economy, public services and communities. We need people to contribute at all levels of our economy however the UK Government has repeatedly ignored calls from Scottish ministers for a workable immigration system fit for all sectors including the food and drink industry. That is despite recent recommendations from independent researchers from the UK Government to closely involve Scottish agricultural representatives in shaping future policy and schemes. UK Government policies are clearly being implemented without full understanding of the potentially catastrophic impact on rural and island communities. The UK Government must take a collaborative and evidence based approach to immigration policy before irreparable damage is done to our economy. Marie McNeill. Key sectors in this industry are being left unable to access the workforce that requires and people who wish to come to Scotland to make a valued contribution. Brexit being removed from the EU and the end of the freedom of movement have created the barriers and is leaving our world-class food and drink industry hamstrung. Does the minister share my concerns about this and will she continue to urge the UK Government to give any indication as briefly as possible, minister? Yes, absolutely. Like other sectors, the food and drink sector faces significant workforce recruitment and retention issues. Many of those are not new but they have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. Many EU citizens have left the UK, resulting in a loss of skills that can't be quickly and easily replaced on the matter of continuing to press the UK Government. The cabinet secretary has written repeatedly to the UK Government and will continue to do so. The member will support those calls. Thank you, minister. That concludes portfolio questions on rural and island affairs. We now move on to the next portfolio, which is health and social care. Again, there's a lot of interest. I would make the same plea, hopefully with a slightly more positive response in terms of brevity in both questions and in responses. Those wishing to ask a supplementary should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question. I call first. Question number one, Ms Callaghan. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the NHS Lanarkshire annual report of the Director of Public Health for 2021-22, which was published this March. Minister Jenny Minter. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome the NHS Lanarkshire Public Health annual report and the insights it provides. It's encouraging to see the excellent initiatives underway and the renewed focus on health improvement. Resistance health inequalities remain exacerbated by the cost of living crisis and Covid pandemic. As the First Minister set out yesterday, the Scottish Government will support those with the greatest need using every power available to protect the vulnerable. We will develop a sustainable health and social care system that ensures that people get the right care in the right place at the right time. Working with Cabinet colleagues to reduce poverty, prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities. Stephanie Cull. I thank the minister for that response. The Lanarkshire Director of the Public Health report highlights the profound and disproportionate Covid impact on residents living in the most deprived areas of my constituency. As the minister said, they have been further exacerbated by the current Tory cost of living crisis. Although the additional £1 million to directly fund GP practices serving the most deprived patients across Greater Glasgow and Clyde is most welcome, will the minister consider extending vital targeted funding beyond the inclusion health action and general practice programme, and specifically Lanarkshire, where the burden of preventable long-term ill health is compounded by our proximity to Glasgow and the well-known Glasgow effects? Minister. I thank Stephanie Callaghan for that very important and insightful question. The First Minister's vision for Scotland sets out in equality, opportunity, community, new leadership, a fresh start published yesterday reaffirmed the Government's commitment to tackling the causes of health inequalities. Inclusion health action and general practice is a new programme that needs to be tested and evaluated. We have deliberately targeted 22, 23, 24 funding at practices in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. That is because there is a clear evidence that this is where we have the greatest areas of deprivation in Scotland. We want to ensure that this new programme is effective and learned from the first full year. However, I will ask officials to explore future expansion of the programme to other areas of deprivation, and in particular Lanarkshire. I wish supplementary Monica Lennon. I welcome Jenny Minto to her new role. The report also shows worringly the number of deaths from respiratory disease increased by nearly 8 per cent and asthma in long UK also say that North Lanarkshire is an area where people are more likely to die of lung disease compared to other parts of Scotland. Will the minister and her team discuss us with NHS Lanarkshire and let us know what action can be taken? Minister. I thank Monica Lennon for that question. It is a really important issue and I would like to give careful consideration to my answer. I absolutely appreciate that poverty remains a key driver of poor health in areas. I would like to speak further with my officials and respond to you in writing. Question 2, Pam Duncan-Glancy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how it responds to the reported £21 million of budget reductions for health and social care in Glasgow. NHS Scotland funding is at record high levels and the draft 2324 health budget provides over £1 billion of social care support for social care support meaning social care spending is increased by over £800 million compared to £2122. From a Scottish Government perspective it is ahead of our trajectory to increase spending by 25 per cent, £840 million over the life of the Parliament and despite inadequate block grant funding from the UK Government our settlements from the UK Government have suffered a decade of austerity with average real-term cuts of over 5 per cent equating to a loss of £18 billion. In the face of the UK Government's cuts to our budget we have protected councils budgets to provide more than 25 per cent in the 2324 a cash increase of over £570 million or 4.5 per cent. Thank the minister for that answer but I feel like she cannot possibly be listening to trade unions or service users in constituents in Glasgow whose quality of life depends on these services. The HSCP is already long past the point of sustainable delivery and now according to their own budget paper are likely to breach the statutory obligations in the city. What is the SNP Green Scottish Government going to do now to sort out the mess that Humza Yousaf has left behind in health and social care and properly fund and deliver the vital public services the people of Glasgow need and deserve? My starting point in all of these issues which I'm sure we'd all agree with is the people using social care services and the workforce delivering this vital care. We absolutely need to ensure that people are in the best environment which in many cases is in their home or within their own community. We are more than happy, we meet regularly with COSLA and with provider representatives to understand the current issues that are facing them and encourage and welcome open communication. We remain absolutely committed to establishing a national care service which I'm sure many in this chamber will agree will absolutely be the answer to these challenges that the member is raising because we are continuing our work with a co-design process. Our overarching ambition remains to end that postcode lottery in care provision throughout Scotland through our national care service as was recommended in the independent review of adult social care. A brief supplementary, Ivan McKee. Lightburn hospital in my constituency all for significant additional step down or step up capacity which has been proven to relieve the pressure on bed blocking in acute hospitals as Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board indicated to me in a letter from them to do so at a far lower cost. Can I ask what discussions the minister can have with the board to understand how best to maximise the use of this asset to clear bed blocking and waiting lists in a more cost effective manner? Let me state again my starting point that we need to provide care for patients in the community largely but in the best place in the right place for them at the right time. I am more than happy to hear from the member the specifics of the case he raises and begin discussions with Glasgow in order to find solutions to the challenges that they are facing. I think all over the country we need to encourage flexibility actually in how we provide care in order to meet the needs of those patients who should be at the centre of all the decisions. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported potential reductions to bed numbers and the closure of a ward at University hospital Ayr. NHS Ayrshire and Arn have been clear that the plan closure of beds relates to additional pandemic capacity across the system and that there are no plans to close core beds at either Ayr or Crosthouse hospital. Five months ago I wrote to Humza Yousaf to demand that services at Ayr hospital would not be reduced. He replied and I quote there are absolutely no plans to close surgical, ICU or A and E services. It is now reported that ward 10 at Ayr hospital may close 75 beds could be cut and two beds are being moved to Crosthouse hospital. One senior NHS staff member described this move to me as shocking. It lets down NHS staff and puts patient safety at risk. Cabinet Secretary why has the First Minister broken his promise to the people of Ayrshire? First of all we need to be careful in conflating two different issues here. The first issue is the surge capacity that was created during the course of the pandemic when ward 10 was exactly that in Ayr hospital. Such capacity to deal with challenges during the course of the pandemic and as boards across the country are going through this process you no longer require that capacity and are therefore removing these facilities. That is exactly what is happening here but as has been made very clear by the health board as well is that core capacity remains the same. In the second issue which the member made the ICU beds you will be aware that there is an interim arrangement that has been put in place by Ayrshire and the health board to deal with a specific staffing issue they have at Ayr hospital and they have not been able to recruit a consultant to cover the ICU beds there. I am sure that the member would recognise that it is absolutely critical that the beds of this nature have the right skilled medical cover to meet their needs. That is exactly why they have put this interim arrangement in place in order to facilitate safe patient care. Supplementary from Jackie Baillie who joins us online. Thank you Presiding Officer and as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Welfare I would like to say that we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do Thank you Presiding Officer and as the Cabinet Secretary has alluded to NHS issue and iron did announce that intensive care beds at Ayr hospital would transfer to crosshouse on an interim basis but I have subsequently been contacted by staff who tell me that the transfer is to be made permanent and consequently vascular and orthopedic surgery have already moved with more likely to follow. Can the Cabinet Secretary advise whether this is the case and why it has not been subject to public consultation as this is a significant service change and can he also advise whether the process for consulting on major service change is being amended and if so why this has not been made public? Cabinet Secretary The answer to the latter point that the member is making is that there has been no change to that particular process and if the board were taking forward a full consultation exercise in which to do so. That is why the board has confirmed that the arrangements are put in place on an interim basis given the staffing challenges that they have and their desire to make sure that they continue the full complement of ICU beds within the bold area but to do so on a 24-hour a day 365 days basis right across the bold area and that is why I have had to put that in place. The A&E target air hospital has not been met for two years. Delayed discharges in South Ayrshire has almost doubled in the last year. NHS Ayrshire and Arran have reported capacity levels at air hospital at 100 per cent. Will the cabinet secretary accept that these cuts in beds are nothing to do with a lack of demand and nothing to do with a lack of need? It is a lack of funding because NHS Ayrshire and Arran deficit is set to double to an eye water of £6 million this year. As I have already mentioned and I am sure the member has heard me that the core bed capacity in Ayrshire and Arran remains the same. Those are such capacity beds that were put in place to the purpose of the pandemic. The health board has also made very clear that the closure of those particular beds will be carried out in a safe sequential manner which will take place over a period of time as they manage their delayed discharges in order to see a reduction in the level of delayed discharges in the sector as it stands and as we move more towards care support in the community. They have given us assurance that they will take this forward in an appropriate way not to make sure that quality of care is maintained going forward. To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve effective communication collaboration between health and social care providers. The Scottish Government is actively involved in many programme support designed for the benefits of health and social care integration through effective communication and collaboration between all partners in the system. Several proposals brought forward by the ministerial strategic group for health and community care are concerned with collaborative leadership and building relationships. Much work has been done in this area in recent years including training for integration joint board members and engaging with stakeholders to support integration foster collaboration and encourage the sharing of practice across Scotland. I thank the minister for that response and the area that she has outlined. I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have been discharged without an appropriate care package in place. I have had cases relating to both NHS 4th valley and experiences in other health boards such as NHS Lothian. Given the adverse impact such discharges have upon service users and their families and the commitment some of which is already outlined to quality service into creation can the cabinet secretary give more detail as to specific work being undertaken to reduce such instances? I would be more than happy to look into any specific issues if the member wishes to pass on the details to me. Whilst we absolutely recognise the pressures facing our health and social care system individual discharged decisions should be undertaken by the relevant multidisciplinary teams to ensure that the appropriate care package should be required is available even if this is part of a discharge to assess decision. We are working very closely with the acute and social care system to ensure that best practice on discharge is embedded and sustained through our hospital occupancy and delayed discharge action plan that was issued to partners last month. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the inclusion health action in general practice programme within the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. In March 2023 is part of our efforts to improve the health outcomes of some of the most disadvantaged patients. We provided new inclusion health action in general practice funding of £300,000 to practices in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with a highest level of poverty and disadvantage. On 5 April, the First Minister announced a further £1 million of inclusion health action funding for this financial year. The funding enables practices to take practical action to tackle challenges they and their patients face in relation to health inequalities. Bill Kidd. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Last month the Progressive Economy Forum published findings that UK Government austerity policies lost £540 billion in public spending since 2010. Compounding research from the University of Glasgow showed that people across the UK are dying younger as a result of austerity with people in the poorest areas being hardest hit. Over the past 200 years there has been consistent improvement in mortality rates up until 2012 when, in fact, life expectancy reduced specifically for people living in poverty. How does the minister feel that he might agree with this that people are unacceptable? Many of the health inequalities that people suffer that result in premature death are as a result of social inequality that they experience. Social inequality is larger driven by financial inequality within our society. The research that the member made reference to, which was by the University of Glasgow and the Centre for Population Health highlights clearly the very close association with austerity policy and the impact that it has on social inequality and then directly into health inequality. There is absolutely no doubt about the evidential link that exists between austerity policies that are being pursued by the UK Government that have a direct impact on life expectancy. That is why the measures that we take forward in tackling public health have to be closely linked to tackling social inequality. That is why the measures, for example, are based in the chamber in the measures that we can take forward in order to reduce child poverty that are systematically undermined by austerity being pursued by the UK Government that has a consequence results in greater social inequality and results in reduced life expectancy. As the academic secretary is very clear, the link is between austerity from the UK Government and the impact that it has on life expectancy. I welcome the cabinet secretary to his new role. Data from Public Health Scotland shows that the overall risk of developing cancer is 30 per cent higher in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived. That is just one example of deprived communities paying the harshest price of health inequalities. Data shows that cancer, drug deaths and alcohol related admissions are all more prevalent in those areas. Can I ask the cabinet secretary how he will prioritise prevention in his new role to tackle the root causes of the multitude of health inequalities in Scotland? My memory is an important point. As I go back to the point that I was making about social inequality being one of the major drivers of the health inequalities that we experience in our society. Some of the funding that we are providing for inclusion health action is about supporting the GP practices that are working with patients that have the poorest outcomes because of those social inequalities to give them more time and support to be able to work directly and support them to tackle some of the negative outcomes that patients experience as a result of public health challenges that they require. Alongside that, all the other measures were taken in terms of promoting smoking cessation making sure that we are reducing the level of alcohol intake. All of those public health measures play an important part. However, those measures can only take us so far unless we tackle what is the endemic problem of social inequality and the root cause of that is the lack of support that is needed by colleagues over on that side of the chamber in Westminster. Question 6, Alex Rowley. How many social care posts remain unfilled across Scotland? The Scottish Government doesn't hold this information. There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland with local authorities responsible for providing or commissioning services. Local authorities in health and social care partnerships will wish to ensure that a range of services, their workforce planning arrangements take full account of the need to have safe and sustainable numbers of staff. The Scottish Social Services Council is a regulator of social care services that publishes an annual report on vacancies in social services that can be found on their website. Alex Rowley. The fact is that nobody knows how many vacant posts there are across Scotland. Local authorities in a FOI most of them can tell you what posts are vacant but they cannot tell you in the private sector. If you take 5 over 60% of the provision of social care is in the private sector, social care companies are struggling to recruit. They cannot recruit. How on earth are we going to tackle the problems when we don't know exactly what the problems are? There are tens of thousands of older people across Scotland in need to care packages that are unable to access those care packages. Does the minister agree that we have to tackle poor pay and in the private sector we have to tackle the unacceptable terms and conditions that workers are being asked to work under? That's why we've got the problem. I would agree with the member that we have to tackle pay and conditions, both pay and conditions in order to improve the situation in social care. I visited a hub in Fife yesterday. It was an absolutely inspiring visit and incredible work going on. One of the things I heard from the people working there was the challenges of providing care in wealthy areas where people who work in social care cannot afford to live. There are different challenges in different parts of the country and this Government is determined to tackle every single one of them. In terms of pay, we have already provided 100 million additional funding to uplift pay for workers providing direct adult social care and commission service for this financial year. From April these workers will see their pay increased to a minimum of £10.90 per hour in line with the real living wage for the £23.24 financial year. That represents a 14.7% increase for these workers in the last two years with pay rising from at least £9.50 per hour in April 21 to £10.90 per hour in April 21. I want to get a supplementary and I'm going to call Christine Grahame but it will need to be briefly. It is brief. What impact has Brexit had on staffing levels in the care sector? Similarly brief minister. We're deeply concerned about the impact of the EU exit on recruitment to critical front line social care roles. The Scottish Government always recognised the crucial importance of non-UK citizens to Scotland's economy, to our society and to the delivery of our vital health and social care services. The Scottish Government have provided funding to NHS education for Scotland to lead the delivery of a programme for work of work to support social care providers to increase workforce capacity through international recruitment. The aim of that programme is to support social care providers to navigate the UK immigration system more easily and to have support available to alleviate some of that bureaucratic burden on the international system. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting NHS boards including NHS Aesianarn which has outsourced child and adolescent mental health services in order to reduce waiting times to bring such services back in-house. Minister Murito. The use of the independence sector has been an option open to all health boards to help to address short term capacity issues through Scottish Government investment. We continue to engage in support boards including NHS Aesianarn to build their workforce and to implement the national CAMHS service specification. The Scottish Government allocated around £40 million to improve CAMHS and neurodevelopmental services for children and young people in 2021-22 and in 2022-23 and invested £32 million via the mental health outcomes framework to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all. For that answer we're well aware of the pressures facing health boards and CAMHS services but the issues with long waiting lists are long and it really is due to SNP in action. Health boards are now having to outsource CAMHS services to reduce waiting times. I would have expected the minister to commit Government to returning services in-house. Can I ask the minister, are the committee to support health boards to return services in-house and if so what the timetable for that will be? I can assure the member that we are absolutely committed to improving in-house services and part of tackling the backlog is the use of private services. We've allocated £32 million to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for everyone. The priorities for the funding were to continue to deliver improvements in CAMHS and psychological therapies, eating disorders, neurodevelopment services as well as on-going innovation and service reform and I would hope to be able to return to the chamber sometime soon to report positive progress. A very brief supplementary from Tess White who joins us online. Does the minister think that the strong report has been sufficiently implemented and if so can she explain why waiting times for CAMHS treatment have gone backwards? Similarly, brief minister. I can assure the member that largely across the country waiting times for CAMHS treatment are going in the right direction. In some places, because of the focus on tackling long waits, the number of people waiting beyond 18 weeks has extended, but that I expect to be a temporary challenge as the situation improves and I would expect, as I said, to be able to report real progress to the chamber very soon. In question 8, Rhoda Grant. The Scottish Government when it will review the NHS Scotland patient travel scheme on the Highlands and Islands patient travel scheme. Review is a substantial exercise for the Scottish Government and NHS boards and regrettably remains delayed due to on-going prioritisation of the remobilisation of services. It will be taken forward as soon as possible taking full account of the matters raised by members including Ms Grant. Financial support for travel remains available for patients and authorised escorts according to eligibility, criteria and medical requirements. Boards are expected to support patients to identify and access support available taking account of individual circumstances and ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions. Rhoda Grant. My constituents can travel long distances to access healthcare and it can be really expensive, especially if an overnight stay is necessary. It will cost £50 for an overnight stay but budget rooms in Inverness can cost an excess of £400 in the summer. That means that constituents are cancelling treatment and they are not able to take family with them because the criteria is unreasonable. This is now urgent. Will the minister make it a high priority and review this as soon as possible? As briefly as possible minister. Thank you. I recognise that Rhoda Grant has raised having experienced them myself and with many constituents that have experienced them. However, the Scottish Government continues to work with boards in order to limit the need for travel in the first place where possible and clinically appropriate especially utilising the near me but I do understand the issues that you have raised and happy to look into. Minister that concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front benches to change.