 FfnDidWal. Mae'r eitem i bobl yw weithiau gyda'r cwestiwnな, ac mae'r cwestiwn nr 1, Cenneth Gibson. Gareth Gollwnan. Rwy'n meddwl, o terfalenny, i siarad â'r shooter samur cymdeithas, dyma rydyn ni'n dweud o actorasoedd cymdeithasol yn y cyfrifolio cy impro. Rydyn ni'n cael eu cyfrifolio gyfrifolio cyfrifolio gyfrifolio cyfrifolio gyfrifolio gyfrifolio Scotland are governed only with their consent. The devolution settlement built in a requirement that changes to this Parliament's powers should only be made with the agreement of this Parliament either by approval of section 30 orders or by legislative consent under the Sule convention. Unfortunately, the current UK Government has failed to adhere to the democratic principle and has restricted the powers of this Parliament without its agreement. Labour leader Keir Starmer says that winning the next UK general election delivers a mandate for his party to implement constitutional change if it uses to recognise that a pro-independence victory across Scotland would also deliver a similar mandate. What does that say about Labour's credentials as a democratic party? Does he have any confidence that the timid and compliant branch office in Scotland might evolve a different view, one that respects the democratically expressed wishes of the Scottish people? This double standard undermines the credibility of Labour's recent constitutional report. It would be unacceptable for changes to devolution to be made without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. Proceeding to implement proposals to change the devolution settlement on the basis of a manifesto pledge while denying the right of a Scottish Government elected to hold a referendum on independence on the same basis would further undermine Scottish democracy. I would note in passing, Presiding Officer, that the House of Commons debated measures yesterday that could have ensured that this Parliament would have the power to hold a referendum on Scotland's future. The Tories voted to block Scottish democracy and the Labour Party abstained. I have repeatedly asked questions in this Parliament over recent weeks on currency, on Europe and on border checks for an independent Scotland, but ministers have been unable to answer any of them. Is the cabinet secretary sure that he is ready for a referendum? I would be delighted to have a referendum and I would be delighted to have the support of the Scottish Liberal Democrats that we could hold a referendum in Scotland. Perhaps Willie Rennie could confirm how Liberal Democrat MPs voted in yesterday's vote in the House of Commons. I suspect that they bravely abstained. Question 2 has been withdrawn. Question 3, Edward Mountain. To ask the Scottish Government when the National Treatment Centre Highland will be fully operational. NTC Highland is on track to open in April 2023. Edward Mountain. I am sorry, Presiding Officer, but I could not hear that answer. NTC Highland is due to open in April 2023. I thank the minister for that answer and I too welcome the long overdue national treatment centre in Inverness and the fact that it is nearing completion only 18 months late. Members need this facility now more than ever, especially as research shows that there is a risk of a seven-year wait for orthopedic treatment. Unexceptible waiting times will not begin to be reduced until the National Treatment Centre has a full workload and in place and they are not. 30 per cent is still to be recruited. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that it will not only open on 3 April but will be fully operational on 3 April? Edward Mountain is the season, but he should not be a grinch when it comes to the fantastic investment that the SNP-led Scottish Government is making in Inverness and in Highland. He should welcome the fact that we are on track to deliver 1,350 orthopedic procedures in the first year of NTC Highland opening up. He should be grateful for the investment that the SNP Government is making in Highland. It was a right thing to do. In fact, our NTC programme was one that we announced pre-pandemic but even more important, given the pressures of the pandemic. Staffing and recruitment is on-going. He mentioned some of the figures of workforce by NHS Highland. Those recruitment efforts are on-going. As he would expect in a project of the size and the scale, it will open in a rightly so phased manner. It will meet the target that I set out in October of 1,350 orthopedic procedures in the first financial year. I am not sure that the audience bought that answer. One in seven Scots are languishing on waiting lists. It was reported earlier this year that half the Government's NTCs would be delayed, so it is not just an issue in Highland. Will the cabinet secretary tell us that Jan tomorrow is not good enough? Is he going to tell us whether he expects there to be any further slippage elsewhere in the country in the current timetable? I gave a recent update on national treatment centres and what their opening dates are. I am happy to write to Paul O'Kane if he has not seen that update and provide the latest in that regard, but this Government is, of course, taking steps to deal with those long waits. What, of course, was missing from the pantomime villum's answer—the Paul O'Kane's answer—was the fact that the pandemic has had a huge impact, of course, and he is just burying his head in the sand, if he does not recognise the impact and the effect that the biggest shock our NHS has ever faced in its 74-year existence has had. We have seen some progress in reducing the longest waits right up and down the country, and that is the relentless focus of my role, but also of this Government as a whole. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has recently had with the Scottish Resilience Partnership in preparation for winter. The Scottish Resilience Partnership is a strategic policy forum for resilience issues, which takes a common approach to setting strategic direction and priorities for resilience in Scotland. I can confirm that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans attended the most recent SRP meeting on 25 October and discussed with partners their updates on the preparations that they were taking for winter. That included learning from previous severe weather events and testing and exercising. SRP chair Jim Savage was present at the SCORM meeting on 2 Wednesday 2 November and provided a brief update. SRP Deputy DCC Graham was present on Tuesday 8 December to represent SRP. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Throughout this week, Scotland has seen a significant drop in temperatures with associated yellow weather warnings issued. Industrial actions south of the border has moved travellers on to roads, shetland householders have been without power and tragically the risks around frozen ice on lakes were highlighted earlier in the week. Can I ask the cabinet secretary to outline what steps our constituents should take this winter to ensure that they stay safe during adverse weather events and where they can find the best available information and advice? The best location for constituents to seek advice on what they should do during periods of adverse weather is through the Scottish Government Ready Scotland website, ready.scot. It provides information for the public on how to prepare and stay safe during periods of severe winter weather, including warning people not to venture on to frozen water. The advice also includes keeping up to date with the latest weather warnings, checking on vulnerable neighbours and also an event of a power failure to call 105 free of charge for help and advice. I would certainly want to encourage anyone who is seeking advice to make access of this particular resource, which provides a whole range of different information on what action could be taken during adverse weather. To ask the Scottish Government to provide an update on the promise Scotland. The promise Scotland set up plan 2021-24 sets the outcomes that must be achieved by organisations across Scotland by 2024. They are specifically engaged in key national work on the children's hearing system redesign, development of a model for lifelong advocacy and involvement in work to understand the best models of governance and financial arrangements of care. At local level, they are working with children's services partnerships and national bodies with their own delivering plan 2021-24, bringing together and supporting common interests and activities. Could the minister please give an outline of financial and family support currently available to adopted children in Scotland? There are a range of financial practice support available to adopted children, young people and their families. All local authorities have a legal duty to provide support to meet the needs of adoptive families, which could include an adoption allowance in certain circumstances. We are also taking direct action this year. We have initiated the whole family wellbeing programme activity to help to transform the delivery of holistic family support. That includes investing £2 million through children's services planning partnerships and supporting them in driving this work at the local level. We have also provided £350,000 to third sector organisations to support adopted children, young people and families. That has included things such as funding adoption UKScot to provide a national helpline and funding birthlink to provide and maintain an adoption contact register to support contact between adopted people and their birth parents and relatives. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Barat and Battersea community campus project. We are pleased to say that there has been extended engagement with the community and service delivery partners on a range of approaches and the preferred cluster approach will ensure that a community hub is created. NHS Western Isles has submitted their outline business case for the replacement of St Brendan's hospital to the Scottish Government. The business case will be reviewed and assessed by the NHS capital investment group at their next meeting in January. Following that review, we will make a decision on next steps based on the recommendation from that group. Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Futures Trust remain in close contact with the council and NHS Western Isles regarding delivery of this vital project, which will serve the Barat community. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer and welcome the progress on that much-needed facility. I wonder if she is able to confirm when the next stages in the process of approving finance will be and when more detailed architects drawings might be available for the community to see. Cabinet secretary. In relation to the health elements of the campus, the cabinet secretary for health and social care will decide on the next steps on approval of finance after the business case has been reviewed by the NHS capital investment group in the new year. The funding for the school elements of the campus has already been approved through phase 1 of the learning estate investment programme, with further detailed discussions on going as the project develops. The design proposals were shared publicly earlier this year as part of the planning process. The feedback was very positive and allowed the process to continue with expected wide community support. Following approval to proceed into the next stage of development in the new year, the design information will be available to the community for comment through the planning process. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that NHS boards comply with public procurement rules in relation to the purchase and operation of specialist medical equipment. Specialist medical equipment is purchased from regulated procurement frameworks, whether available or under new procurement tenders initiated in accordance with relevant legislation. Health boards employ specialist procurement professionals to ensure compliance with procurement rules. NHS standing financial instructions stipulate the required governance concerning the procurement of all products and services. The Scottish Government provides procurement guidance and support to all health boards via its procurement website, procurement policy notes and the Scottish procurement policy handbook. My constituent Jason Donnelly of Medical Devices UK has raised very serious concerns with me about failures in procurement practice, breaches of FOI legislation and potentially unsafe working practices within NHS Grampian. He has also, I believe, raised those concerns with his constituency MSP John Swinney. Mr Swinney wrote to the health secretary raising those concerns on 8 March this year, but, to my knowledge, there has not been a response to that letter. I myself wrote to the health secretary on 13 June and again on 30 September, but I have not had a response. Given the very serious matters that my constituent has raised, when will I receive a reply to my letters and will the health secretary institute an urgent inquiry into the concerns that have been raised that affect patient safety? Cabinet Secretary, I will, of course, look into any reasons why Mr Fraser has not received a response. Of course, I apologise if that has been unnecessarily delayed. The issues that have been raised by his constituent, and he is correct, have also been raised to me via the Deputy First Minister, are making pretty serious allegations in quite a long and complex procurement issue. Therefore, I can confirm to Murdo Fraser that I have asked Greater Glasgow and Clyde to provide an external review in relation to the allegations and concerns that have been raised. I have asked Greater Glasgow and Clyde to report back to me by the end of January, and I will keep Murdo Fraser and, indeed, the constituency MSP John Swinney updated on the outcome of that external review. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the Scottish Government can learn from the potentially fraudulent mistakes of the UK Government and rule out the use of VIP procurement lanes? VIP lanes were a measure that was introduced by the UK Government during the pandemic to procure PPE. They were used by Government officials, ministers, MPs, members of the House of Lords and health professionals to submit offers of PPE. That is perhaps problematic, but there are further concerns that proper due diligence, to put it mildly, was not carried out in some of those VIP lanes submissions. We are used to job for the boys when it comes to the Conservatives, perhaps it is jobs for the badnesses too. If the lines have shown that previous SNP health secretaries were aware of this wrong doing by NHS Grampian in relation to Mr Donnelly, can the cabinet secretary explain why the Government has taken so long to take action in this very serious case? Cabinet secretary? I would be careful if Ms Bailey has concrete evidence that there was wrong doing. She is happy to provide that to me and, indeed, to Greater Glasgow and Clyde who are going to be conducting the external review. It is important that we allow Greater Glasgow and Clyde to conduct that external review, and, as I have said, I have asked for that external review to be completed by the end of January next year. I can keep Ms Bailey updated in this outcome. To ask the Scottish Government what the next steps are in implementing buffer zones outside abortion clinics in Scotland in light of the UK Supreme Court judgment on this issue, handed down on 7 December 2022. Minister Marie Todd. The Scottish Government welcomes the UK Supreme Court's judgment. We are carefully considering the judgment in the Scottish context and remain committed to supporting Gillian Mackay MSP with the development of her member's bill to safeguard access for women in Scotland to healthcare facilities that provide abortion services without fear, harassment or intimidation. Colin Beattie. I thank the minister for her response. It is vital that healthcare services can be accessed without harassment, and, going forward, I hope that we can continue the commitment to work across party on this issue. Now that the UK Supreme Court has clarified the legal situation on buffer zones, can I ask the minister when the Scottish Government expects to convene the next abortion summit? Minister. We remain committed to working with other parties across the chamber to ensure that women can access fundamental health services without feeling harassed or intimidated, as is their right. Officials are exploring potential dates for the summit on abortion care, which is currently expected to take place in February 2023. Thank you. That concludes general questions. There will be a very short pause before we move to First Minister's Questions.