 Fy llwyddiadau, y ystafell y gwneud yn gymsrithion cyfnodol. Felly ymdell ydych chi'n mynd i gael achos lawrfyn yng Nghymru, gyd-diech chi i gael achos lawrfyn inni gwasanaeth a'r ffrindwch chi'n ei wneud. Cylwgrwydoedd Anabelle Ewing. Fy rwy'n ddigon i'r newid i'r gyfnodol gyfoenigau Ffifaradigol i feddwl iawn o fynd, rydw i'i gael osrwynt Cifan? yng nghymru yn gyntaf nhw'r gwmogol Faes combiningr. Rwyf yn ceisio ar gyfer yr ysgol i dweud o gweithio ond mae yn cydlunio i gyd yn cyflog am Paes sakei. Yr hyn yn iawn i gynlliant o'i Gweliannau Pesifolu yn rhaid mewn gysylltu gyda ar gyfer y mae'r apartagor yn mynd i gyd yn sefyd. Rwyf yn ceisio ar gyfer yr ysgol i gyd yn ceisio ar gyfer yr ysgol i gyd yn ceisio ar gyfer y mae amser yr amser. I wish to raise a serious and urgent housing case and will of course be happy to share the details with the minister. In fact my constituent has been in a specialist rehab unit for over a year following a catastrophic accident as a pedestrian. He's ready to be discharged but there's simply no housing for him to go to. Can I implore the housing minister therefore to use his good offices to now raise this case with the director of housing at five council as we need to see some urgency here such that my constituents young son and daughter can finally have their dad home and of course so that we can free up a highly prized rehab space for someone in urgent need. I thank Annabelle Ewing for raising this case. I'm sorry to hear about your constituent's accident and I'll of course share your concern. While this is a matter for five council, I ask my officials to lize with the local authority to try and secure the best possible outcome for your constituent and his family. To ask the Scottish Government what representation it has made to the UK Government regarding any medicine shortages in Scotland. Minister Jenny Minto, the Scottish Government meets routinely with the Department of Health and Social Care and other devolved nations to discuss and consider mitigations against the impacts of medicine shortages. This is primarily through the fortnightly UK medicines shortage response group meetings attended by the chief pharmaceutical officer for Scotland. Medicine shortages are also discussed in other regular meetings with the UK Government, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS. While we're working with partners to try to manage supply issues and offer advice to healthcare professionals about suitable alternatives, the regulatory powers on the supply of medicines are reserved to the UK Government. NHS Scotland has a robust system in place to manage medicine shortages when they arise and anyone affected by any shortage should speak to their clinical team in the first instance. Thank you Minister for that response. I've been contacted by constituents who are extremely worried about their difficulties in obtaining certain prescribed drugs and how this is impacting on both their physical and mental wellbeing. The latest figures indicate that there are 96 medicines on the shortage list at the end of last year, which has doubled the amount in the previous two years. As the minister said, this is reserved to the UK Government. So what, if anything, can the Scottish Government do to ensure adequate supplies? I completely understand the frustrations and worries of patients that the disruption in the supply of their medicines may cause. I thank Gordon MacDonald for raising that in the chamber. However, it's often the case that a suitable alternative, as I've said, can be prescribed and this is why it is important for people to speak to their clinical team. Medicine shortages are not unique to Scotland and impact on the whole of the UK. There are a number of contributing factors to medicine supplies such as Brexit and regulatory processes. We continue to work with and press the UK Government, the industry and health boards to find a lasting solution to minimise the impact on patients. The number of ADHD prescriptions has increased sevenfold of last decade and constituents have shared with me waiting times of two years in some cases for a diagnosis. Can the minister provide an update on the ADHD medicine shortage in Scotland and how can the Scottish Government address the unmet need of those who cannot get the medication or diagnosis when they need it? I thank the member for his question and, as I said and outlined in my last answer, we continue to press the UK Government, industry and health boards. I have got some dates with regard to ADHD, which I'm very happy to furnish the member with. The minister will recall from our earlier correspondence about the difficulties that a constituent and GP have raised in relation to his impact by diabetes medication. I know that national patient safety alerts have been issued to health boards reiterating that off-label use of such medicines for weight loss and management of obesity is strongly discouraged. However, can the minister please, either now or in writing to me, set out the changes that she's looking to take forward with the UK Government to expand the regulatory controls over this? Again, I thank the member for raising that in the chamber. It is a really important point to discuss and I'm happy to furnish you with the correct information once I get back to my office. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve recruitment and retention of GPs and consultants, particularly in rural areas. Cabinet Secretary, Michael Matheson. Improving recruitment and retention of GPs and other doctors is vital to Scotland's health and all localities, including rural areas. We provide a range of support to the GP workforce, including a rural-specific graduate entry degree, medical degree, Scotland gem, golden hollows for harder-to-fill posts and bursaries for GP specialty training. All aimed at attracting GPs to work in rural Scotland. The Scottish Government funds the national centre for remote and rural health and care, which focuses on recruitment and retention, education, training, research and evaluation, leadership and good practice. We will also publish our remote and rural workforce recruitment strategy by the end of 2024. Staff shortages mean that the public are waiting too long for in-person face-to-face appointments. The number of GPs has not increased under the SNP. It has decreased. Practices in Ayrshire are closing due to lack of GPs. Services at local hospitals are being downgraded due to lack of consultants. It is unacceptable and it is leaving patients particularly in rural areas without the care that they need. Can the cabinet secretary tell the people of Ayrshire what he is doing to reverse the decline? Cabinet secretary. I mentioned a range of measures that we are taking in order to help to support recruitment of GPs into rural areas. Alongside that, we are increasing training places in general practice as well. I am sure that the member will be pleased to hear that. The general practice speciality training programme this year has not only had an increase in places, but from the second quarter of the recruitment programme we are at 100 per cent in our recruitment programme for those who are looking to go into general practice. The combination of increasing training places alongside the incentives that we put in place in order to encourage people to adopt us to work within rural areas is all part of the programme of work that we are taking to encourage more doctors to work within rural communities. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the recruitment challenges in the highlands and islands quarter of the GP practices in north highlands are run by the NHS. Cost of living on islands is 20 to 30 per cent higher than the rest of Scotland, including food prices. Therefore, services are being withdrawn and provided by very expensive locums. The Scottish Government does not allow NHS boards to play a premium taking into account those costs for fear of causing internal competition. Is the Scottish Government going to ensure that there is equal access to healthcare, regardless of where you live? Of course, it is important. If the member wants to write to me about the issue of the incentive that she is referring to, I am more than happy to look at that particular matter. I was not entirely clear with the point that she was making there, but I have mentioned a range of measures that we are taking in order to help to support the recruitment of those in general practice in our island communities, all of which play an important part in helping to address the concerns that she has. Of course, the establishment of the national centre for remote and rural health and care has got a particular focus in its early work on primary care, and that is looking particularly at issues and challenges within the highlands and islands of Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed waiting times for hernia operations with NHS Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish Government meets NHS boards on a regular basis. We also commission and work closely with the centre for sustainable delivery, which was set up to drive service improvement, innovation and redesign. It meets regularly with health boards to discuss any challenges impacting on activity and to provide any necessary support. The centre for sustainable delivery last met with NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 17 January this year. The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing waiting times and improving access to services, including for general surgery. We are working closely with all NHS boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and there is targeted work being taken forward with weekend working, focusing on hernia repair and laparoscoptic, to make sure that we continue to develop programmes for dealing with issues of hernia repairs going forward. I have a constituent in Dumfries and Galloway who has been waiting for treatment four years after they were diagnosed with a double hernia. Another who's hernia operation in August 2022 was cancelled 10 minutes before they were due to go into theatre, and they are still waiting because of cancellations. Another who inquired two months ago about how long we need to wait and was told by the local hospital, they had no idea that they were still looking at referrals from last June. I could go on waiting lists for hernia operations in the region have risen by 175 per cent in the past five years. A year is now in the median wait, so does the cabinet secretary think that that's acceptable? If not, will he tell my constituents when he's actually going to bring down those waiting times? Frankly, they are waiting far, far too long. I recognise that individuals are waiting too long, but the member will recognise that in the course of the past five years there has been a global pandemic, which had an impact on planned treatment. As I mentioned, NHS Dumfries and Galloway are taking forward work in order to provide targeted support to address issues around delays on hernia repairs and the other work that they are doing around gallbladder operations, all of which is intended to make sure that they reduce the waits that patients that the member made reference to are actually addressed. We will make sure that the boards bring forward their detailed plans for 24-25, that we will continue to make sure that they are taking the measures in order to reduce these long waits. Let's ensure that we are concise, colleagues. We'll get more members in. I move to question 5 on a call, Michelle Thomson. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made, including through any funding to the national autism implementation team, to help all NHS board areas to establish adult neurodevelopmental pathways? Excellent progress has been made in many board areas since we accepted the recommendations of the adult neurodevelopmental pathways report last year. We have provided £567,000 for implementation to the national autism implementation team. Nine of the 14 NHS health boards in Scotland now have adult neurodevelopmental pathways strategic groups and five have a current local action plan. Progress in this area remains a priority. Michelle Thomson, I thank the minister for that response and am pleased to hear about the progress thus far. There still remains gaps for those adults who present with symptoms of ADHD or other neurodevelopmental conditions whilst they are waiting for the establishment of the adult pathways. Can the minister outline what other further help at this intervening point is available until we reach the 100 per cent coverage that she clearly seeks? I absolutely appreciate how difficult it can be to wait for access to diagnosis and that the picture is currently inconsistent across Scotland. That is why we are continuing to fund the national autism implementation team, who work with boards to support them. That includes establishing and reviewing the evidence and best practice strategic groups and responding to specific issues in local areas. We also launched the adult autism support fund last year. In the first six months of the fund, we distributed £500,000 to charities who will directly support individuals with a diagnosis, but also, crucially, those without a formal diagnosis so that those awaiting diagnosis can access support. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the potential harm of gambling to individuals, families and communities. People with gambling addiction in Scotland can get support through a range of services, including those posted on NHS Inform, primary care services and mental health services and secondary care, as appropriate. We have established a gambling-related harms working group with Public Health Scotland to consider what needs to be prioritised for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment. The UK Government white paper high stakes gambling reform for the digital age includes proposals on a levy to fund research, prevention and treatment. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland benefits from those proposals. Covid has exacerbated harm from gambling with more women reporting that they now have a gambling problem. Manchester has published a gambling harms action plan to try and alleviate the blight on lives that problem gambling creates. Will the Government consider creating a similar gambling harms action plan to help protect the people of Scotland? I thank Kevin Stewart for his question and reflect strongly on his points about the increase in women gambling. Our gambling harms working group will be considering our local authorities action plans as well as those such as Manchester's approach. I recently met with Glasgow City Council, which hosted a gambling harms summit in 2021, to share knowledge, insights and ideas on tackling gambling harms. From that, it has produced a whole-system approach local action plan to tackle gambling harms. In addition, as I have said before, we will continue to work with the UK Government on measures on their gambling reform white paper. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding charges levied by the maritime and coast card agency for converting and investing in net zero fishing vessels. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs recently wrote to the UK minister for maritime international and security about the fees charged by the maritime and coast card agency in relation to modifications intended to transition fishing vessels to electric power. They confirmed that, for fishing vessels under 15 metres long, the fees payable relate to the actual costs incurred and are recovered in line with regulations. Supporting and encouraging early adopters of electric technology and board fishing vessels is a key aim, however, of the Scottish Government. I thank the minister for that reply. There is a pressing need for the fishing industry to decarbonise. Last year, a study produced for fisheries innovation and sustainability warned that failing to invest in alternative technology could leave fleets unviable. Despite that, fishers looking to convert vessels from diesel to electricity face sizable fees for maritime and coast card agencies. Does the minister agree with me that the UK Government should be encouraging that kind of investment instead of raising unnecessary barriers? I might ask you to redirect your microphone a little before you begin. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Well, as Kenneth Gibson rightly points out, are fishers the most innovative in the world and are early adopters of this technology. The Scottish Government has given £900,000 in support for fuel efficiencies and adaptation of fishing vessels. It is disappointing that UK Government and the MCA are potentially creating barriers that could prevent small fishing businesses benefiting from innovative technologies in both emissions reduction and autonomy. That is why we wrote to the UK counterpart to raise concerns about that approach. Sadly, the UK Government does not seem inclined to act to help those smaller vessels to mitigate an adaptive climate change, but, as always, we will continue to make this important case. To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of annual woodland planting targets have been met in each year since 2017 to 2018. Since 2017, Scotland has, in the face of significant challenges such as Brexit, Covid and weather disruption such as Storm Irwin, on average delivered around 75 per cent of the annual woodland creation target. Scotland's contribution to all woodland planting across the UK over that period is more than any other UK nation. Thank the minister for that answer, but even before the SNP Government announced a £32 million cut to the woodland grant scheme, the Government had already failed to meet five out of its six-year targets. Mary Gougeon herself admitted that the SNP Government will fail to meet next year's target. Is this massive cut a sign that the minister has completely given up on meeting net zero targets and woodland creation planting targets? Let us hear the member. The funding support is important. As a result of the cut to a capital allocation by the UK Government, we are still going to create over 9,000 hectares of new woodland. Woodland creation is a long-term activity, and we have significantly invested in the forestry sector in Scotland to help to increase the capacity to deliver woodland creation. Whilst the reduction in grant funding is not what we wanted, other sources of funding for tree planting are increasing, and we remain committed to increasing woodland's creation delivery in the medium term, despite this year's challenges. Scotland outperforms the rest of the UK in tree planting, but further action is needed to ensure barriers to progress do not prevent us reaching our targets. Does the minister share my bemusement that, while the Tories want more money for various initiatives, they are content with Scotland's budget being slashed as their bosses in Westminster did not lift a finger to scope it? Ms Harper makes a good point. A trend is emerging with every decision that we have had to make as a result of a workplace autumn statement and the capital allocation being cut. The Tories are getting to their feet and asking why we are cutting things in our budget. The message is clear that farmers and crofters are better off with the Scottish Government than any Westminster Government, whether it is Labour or Tully. Do not just take our word for it, just listen to farmers in Lancashire or Wales who fear for their very existence.