 Diolch i'r cwestiwn gwahanol gynghoroedd cyfosiwn yn y ffordd wrth yr olygrion gymar-gwyrdd, ond dweud y cefnod, ac mae'n ysgawr o ddiwethaf y cyfosiwn gyntaf. Rwyf i ddOH yn y cwestiwn gwahanol, Mark Ruskell. Apos i'r cyfosiwn gwahanol gynghorm gyda gyd-Gyfrans i ysgawr yna cyfosiwn ynghyddiad Hwylfaenid Gwyrdd ynghyddiad i'r cyfosiwn gyfer hwn, os i fi ddoch i gynhyrydd hwn yn Gwyrdd. Marri Gwshol. The Scottish Government will collectively consider all the recommendations made by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission before any final conclusions are reached. The minister, Mary McAllan, confirmed on 6 October last year, during a parliamentary debate, that greyhound racing would be included within our commitment to consult with stakeholders on extending licensing legislation to animal care services. The responses to that consultation, along with the views of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee and SOC's recently published report, will inform our next steps in respect to greyhound racing in Scotland. I really would encourage all interested parties to share their views via the full public consultation, which is scheduled to be launched in early summer of this year. Mark Ruskell. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and I also be the first to welcome her back to her position and pay tribute to the considerable leadership that we have seen from her over the last two years. This report highlighted that, and I quote, a dog bread for racing in Scotland currently has poorer welfare than other dogs. The inherent risks of injuries and deaths associated with racing greyhounds up to 40 miles an hour round oval tracks, alongside the lack of veterinary presence at unlicensed tracks, led the commission to conclude that a phase out is desirable in their words. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is now time to explore options for a phase out in a way that leaves no dogs behind? First of all, I would just like to thank the member for his comments, but the Scottish Government absolutely appreciates the depth of feeling that is associated with that. That is why we have committed to undertake a full consultation later this year into animal care services, which is going to now include greyhound racing too. Scottish ministers will make clear our final position once we have been able to gather all that evidence. That includes looking at those recommendations that have been made by the SOC report. Once we have received all the responses of the consultation, we will fully consider all that information and then consider what those next steps might be. However, I would just like to reiterate that the forefront of all that is ultimately about improving animal welfare. I would want to assure the member that that is really at the front of our considerations on that. I support my colleague in this regard. I note that the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission also supports a snaring ban in Scotland, recommending sale of snares and their use to be banned on animal welfare grounds. However, the wildlife management and mureburn bill is just restricting, as it has been laid, the legislation. Can I advise the cabinet secretary that I will pursue, I imagine with others, a complete ban on snaring? I suggest in this instance that this question is not relevant to the substantive question. I am going to move on to question 2, Jamie Halcro Johnston. To ask the Scottish Government the number of affordable homes required to be built to meet the needs of rural communities across the highlands and islands. Local authorities, as the statutory housing authority, are responsible for assessing affordable housing needs in their area and setting out their plans to meet the requirements in their local housing strategy and strategic housing investment plan. We are committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 10 per cent will be in our remote rural and island communities. We are making £3.5 billion available to this Parliament for affordable housing across Scotland. The Highland and Islands region will see an increased investment in affordable housing of over £468 million this Parliament. That is £85 million more compared to the previous Parliament. There is a huge pressure on housing across my highlands and islands region and this is leaving many families and many key workers struggling to find a home. The Scottish Government has allocated less than £18 million of the £30 million available from the rural housing and island housing funds. Can the cabinet secretary explain why that support is not being fully utilised and how will she make sure that in the future funding gets to those communities in my region that they desperately need to build the homes that so many desperately need? First, I will reiterate to the member that, through the affordable housing supply programme, that is the general housing investment fund. The Highlands and Islands region is seeing £468 million more compared to the previous Parliament. He referred to the 30 million rural and island housing fund, which has been described as a game changer, and it is a demand-led budget that adds value, but it is demand-led so that the projects need to come through. It offers support to community groups and other complementing delivery by councils and registered social landlords. Through all those funds, between 2016-17 and 2021-22, we have supported the delivery of almost 8,000 affordable homes in rural and island areas. There is more to be done, and that is why we are bringing the remote rural and island housing action plan forward in the near future in order to see what more we can do to help rural housing development. The demand is there and it is urgent, but affordable housing policy is made with urban areas in mind, not rural areas. Will the cabinet secretary review housing policy with a night to rural areas and what works for rural areas? Young people are being forced away from home and essential services are remaining unstaffed because of a desperate lack of housing. We have done that, and that is why the work on the remote rural and island housing action plan has been under way for some time. I hope that Rhoda Grant has been inputting into that. We certainly have made sure that key stakeholders have been involved in the development of it. We are working with key agencies, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and the housing sector to strengthen joint work to support key workers and employer-led housing, so that plan will be published in the coming weeks. I agree with Rhoda Grant that we need to do more about key worker housing in rural areas, and that is why I am keen through the plan and other work to make sure that we do more about it. I am happy to speak to her further about that. 3. Neil Bibby To ask the Scottish Government how many GP surgeries are not currently accepting new patients. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of GP surgeries operating with closed lists. Under the terms of their contracts with NHS boards, GP practices must apply to the local NHS board if they wish to close their patient list. The process for closing lists ensures that their practices do not have to register more patients than they can treat safely, and practice closure notices should include conditions for reopening of the lists. We expect all NHS boards to ensure that everyone is registered with a GP practice. Neil Bibby I think that it would be helpful if the Scottish Government could find out that information. I recently met residents of Twecker in East Dunbartonshire, which has traditionally relied on two GP surgeries in Kilcith and Kirkntillock, as well as previously having a weekly satellite service. New residents, however, told me that those surgeries are no longer accepting new patients, and the satellite service has not been restarted since Covid. They are instead having to travel to a third GP surgery with poor and unreliable public transport links. I also spoke to Mrs Cary, who, because of the lack of GP out-of-hours services, had to wait six hours to be taken 18 miles to the south side of Glasgow for treatment. What is the minister going to do to fix the problems that are having a huge impact on people in Twecker? Before I bring the minister in, we must have a more concise questions and responses. First of all, let me assure the member that my officials will be engaging with all the boards in health and social care partnerships to ascertain their plans for that area. I am absolutely clear that health and social care partnerships and health boards in the two local authority areas that are concerned need to work together to ensure that patients and their needs are met in Twecker. With the SNP cutting £65 million from the primary care budget, it is little wonder that GPs are struggling to take on new patients and GP surgeries are closing their doors forever. Will the minister commit to reinstating the £65 million to protect general practice and patients? The member will be aware that we have more GPs per head of population in Scotland than in every other UK nation. The Scottish Government is committed to recruiting 800 new GPs by 2027. We are significantly investing in a range of recruitment and retention initiatives so that being a GP remains an attractive career choice, as well as having recruited and launched our GP recruitment marketing campaign in June 2022. I know that for the new incoming cabinet secretary for health and social care and NHS recovery, primary care will be an absolute key area. I know that he will be keen to meet all interested parties to find the best way forward for that area of his portfolio. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address area poverty-related issues in schools. The Scottish Government is committed to closing the poverty-related attainment gap and has a long-standing commitment to investing £1 billion in the Scottish attainment challenge. Our spending plans for 2324 across education and skills provide additional funding members to address the cost of living crisis. That includes £13 million to continue the school clothing grant, an additional £16 million resource and £80 million capital to fund the expansion of free school meals for all primary six and seven pupils in receipt of the Scottish child payment, and investing £22 million to provide meals during the school holidays to the children who need them most. A key anti-povert initiative for Scotland has led the UK's by extending universal free school provision, which is increasingly important during the cost of living crisis. That policy is at the heart of a SNP Government strategy, with universal entitlement currently provided up to P5, with the intention to roll out to P6 and P7 as soon as possible. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will appreciate parents who are keen to see that delivered. I will ask for an update on that progress. A delay might be a result of capital works requiring completion. Can the Scottish Government not support councils where they are already ready to deliver this to deliver to universal school meals in P6 and P7 as soon as possible? I would ask again that members ensure that their questions are concise. As I mentioned in my original answer, we are of course going further than the free school meals that we have at the moment, which is the most generous provision anywhere in the UK. We will see the expansion to primary 6 and 7 pupils' receipt of the Scottish child payment as that first step. Bob Dorris rightly points out to some of the challenges that some local authorities have in terms of capital project work that is required, but that is exactly why we are investing that £80 million of capital funding in support of local authorities, and that is in addition to the £30 million that they have already been given. Question 5, Maggie Chapman. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reported comments by the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland regarding children and families with no recourse to public funds being unable to access front-line services in Scotland, what action it can take within devolved powers to monitor the situation of any such children and families, including any support that can be provided. Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison. The Scottish Government is clear that people with no recourse to the public funds should be able to access public services unless the service is restricted under the UK Government's immigration rules. The Scottish Government and COSLA published the ending destitution together strategy in 2021, with the aim of preventing and mitigating destitution caused by the impact of NRPF restrictions. As far as possible within devolved powers, the Scottish Government will continue to monitor this area and do all we can within devolved powers to protect and support our communities while obviously urging the UK Government to change its position on this matter. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Local authorities do not routinely publish data on the numbers of children and families subject to NRPF or how they monitor the issue, including costs and access to support. They are concerns about resourcing of local health and social care partnerships to support them and deal with the complex mental health needs involved. Will the cabinet secretary consider putting its current guidance, the joint national guidance with COSLA, on NRPF, into a statutory footing and consider what needs to be done to provide the specialist mental health services required in different parts of the country? The national guidance for local authority sets out the current legal framework and good practice to assist local authorities in meeting their statutory duties and delivering an effective response when working with people who have no recourse to public funds. The Scottish Government has provided funding of £223,000 to the Simon Community Scotland in partnership with SAFE in Scotland to explore and address challenges that people with no recourse to public funds face in accessing support for their mental health, and I am happy to speak to Maggie Chapman in more detail about that. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on investment in research and co-ordinated care services to support those living with long Covid. We are funding nine Scottish-led research projects on the long-term effects of Covid-19, with a total funding commitment of around £2.5 million. That includes projects to better understand the symptoms of and factors associated with long Covid, to examine effects on cognitive function and to evaluate rehabilitation approaches. In 2022-23, we have made available an initial £3 million from our £10 million long Covid support fund to support NHS boards to increase the capacity of existing services, supporting those with long Covid to develop them into more clearly defined local pathways and provide more co-ordinated experience for those accessing support. I recently visited the Lister Centre in Kilmarnac, where, among other pieces of extremely important work that is linked to heart, health and physiotherapy, the team will also be looking at providing Ayrsharnan's dedicated long Covid support. The work that the team does is incredible and should be commended, however, the reality is that having access to co-ordinated long Covid care services is not guaranteed, and it is a postcode lottery, and we know that it is those from the most deprived areas who are the most likely to report those symptoms. Therefore, will the minister commit to making it a priority to ensure that further resource is provided for long Covid to ensure that there is adequate research into its lasting impacts and clinics available right across the country to help those suffering? Absolutely. Our chief scientist office research funding schemes are open to applications on long Covid, and they are very much welcomed. They go through the CSO's standard independent expert review process to allow funding decisions to be made. The Sign Nice and RCGP guideline on long Covid is a living guideline, which means that its operation is reviewed and decisions are made in a dynamic way to continue or to improve services. Organisations responsible for its development continue to actively monitor the global evidence-based on Covid and to make sure that the recommendations are informed by the most up-to-date and high-quality evidence, regardless of where the studies in generating that evidence are. We must move on to the next question, and to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Learning for Sustainability Action Plan in educational settings in the north-east. As with any aspect of the curriculum, the implementation of learning for sustainability is led by local authorities and individual education settings, but I am aware of the great work that is taking place right across the country, including in the north-east. The Scottish Government has been working with a range of partners to refresh its learning for sustainability action plan for the first published in 2019 to further raise the ambition, and that will be published very shortly. Jackie Dunbar I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. Promoting skills development, aligned with the fastest-growing industries of the north-east, is essential for Scotland to meet our net zero ambitions, yet, after another long-drawn out announcement from the UK Government this morning, the Tory Government failed to give any credible detail on when the Acorn project will be given the green light to progress. Does the cabinet secretary think that Westminster Governments will ever stop treating Scotland's energy as a cash cow for the UK Treasury, and will it ever harness the skills here to deliver a just transition? I would ask Ms Dunbar to remember that the focus of questions must be on issues for which the Government has general responsibility, on the issue of the transition. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am not surprised that the Tories do not like to hear this once again, because there is a lack of focus on a just transition from the UK Government, and that makes the Scottish Government's job on this even more difficult. So, while there are some welcome announcements in the UK Government's package, it did not provide a clear content and a strategy to decarbonise the energy economy. The decision not to award Scottish cluster track 1 status was quite frankly illogical, and while we welcome the UK Government finally setting out that the Scottish cluster is eligible for track 2, we have failed to provide any certainty around when that funding will be awarded. So, this Government will continue to support the North East and ensure that we are supporting our highly skilled workforce. It is disappointing that the UK Government has once again failed to do so. Thank you. That concludes general questions. Before we move to First Minister's questions, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery His Excellency, Mr Sturla, Sir Jonson, Ambassador of Iceland.