We know some people may not have access to the technology required to make an online application for a new or updated card. For this reason, other routes are available to help ensure no eligible young person is excluded. Applications to update cards can be made in-person via local councils and through some schools. Many local councils have dedicated staff on hand to help applicants who might have difficulty accessing the online card management system.

Some young people, or their legal guardians, may have difficulty providing the proofs of person or of address to access the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, including young people who are (a) care-experienced and (b) estranged from parents, family or care givers. To this end, many local councils have dedicated staff on hand to help applicants who might have difficulty with the application process, including care-experienced young people, and need particular support. Transport Scotland has not been prescriptive on what constitutes acceptable proof or verification that an individual is eligible for the scheme. This is to allow delivery partners and local authorities the flexibility to support applications from a range of eligible individuals.

The Scottish Government have produced guidance which has been issued to all local authorities, advising that children and young people should be supported to access free bus travel where appropriate, with specific guidance aimed at supporting those who will have the most difficulty in providing documentary evidence. As corporate parents, local authorities are committed to ensuring that the children and young people they look after experience the same opportunities and life experiences as are open to their non-care experienced peers.

At the time the scheme opened in January, because of the high levels of transmission associated with the Omicron variant, we asked that only those with an essential need to travel by bus apply and that anyone travelling should follow the latest advice to keep themselves and others safe. Since travel restrictions have eased, we are asking all eligible young people to apply for free bus travel and have been working to make the application process easier to use. On 28 January we released the Transport Scot Pass Collect app, which lets people aged 16 – 21, who already have a National Entitlement Card or Young Scot National Entitlement Card, to download free bus travel onto their existing card. This means they may not need to apply for a replacement card.

In designing the scheme, Transport Scotland worked closely with Barnardo's Scotland on how to safeguard young people travelling on the bus network, including providing training material for bus drivers. This helps drivers to recognise and respond to children or young people who need support while travelling on the bus network and help ensure that they can travel safely.

We know some people may not be able to apply online, for example if they do not hold the required proofs. For this reason applications can be made in-person via local councils. Local councils determine the documents which are required for offline applications and accept a wider range of proofs such as interactions with other local authority departments. Many local councils also have dedicated staff on hand to help applicants who might have difficulty with the application process.

In some council areas, schools are coordinating applications on behalf of their pupils. Schools will contact parents or guardians and pupils directly if this arrangement is in place.

We are fully committed to taking action to prevent deaths from non-communicable disease. Work is underway to deliver a range of measures to target harmful health behaviours such as smoking, unhealthy diet and obesity and alcohol misuse.

• We published our out of home action plan in September last year.
• On 03 Feb 2022 we launched our consultation to introduce regulations on the domestic advertising of e-cigarettes.
• We are taking a range of actions to reduce alcohol-related harms including consulting on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising this year, reviewing the level of the minimum unit price and improving health information on product labels.
• Our Programme for Government committed to introduce a Public Health Bill that includes restrictions on unhealthier food and drink promotions during the course of this parliament. Government officials are working on this and other policy proposals for the Bill and will be consulting on them throughout 2022. We will continue to engage stakeholders as proposals develop.
• We are undertaking a range of work to ensure that weight management, alcohol treatment, and smoking cessation services can be accessed when needed.

Group antenatal classes were able to resume from 31 July 2020. Current guidance for delivery of maternity and neonatal services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic states that antenatal and postnatal group sessions can continue virtually or in person, subject to local risk assessment in NHS Boards.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) delivering maternity and neonatal services through the pandemic: beyond Level Zero - guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government will only make plans to introduce any changes to the eligible age range for the bowel screening programme in Scotland if this is recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC).

The UK NSC advises Ministers and the NHS in the 4 UK countries on all aspects of screening. The Committee’s recommendations are based on the latest evidence and agreed criteria for appraising the viability, effectiveness and appropriateness of a screening programme.

The current age ranges for the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme are based on the 2018 recommendation that screening for bowel cancer using the faecal-immunochemical test should be offered every 2 years to men and women between the ages of 50 and 74 in the UK.

The Scottish Government continues to stress that it is important at any age to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, and to report any concerns to a GP Practice so that these can be investigated.

Current guidance is being reviewed in collaboration with the sector, taking into account advice provided by the Covid-19 Advisory Sub-Group on Colleges and Universities. The Scottish Government’s 4 Harms approach ensures that the fullest range of impacts is taken into account in developing measures or guidance in all sectors, including for universities and colleges. Some students will already be receiving full time in-person teaching in line with our advice to prioritise students whose qualifications/progression are at risk. It is also for institutions to determine an appropriate balance between online and in-person teaching where that focuses on the reduction and management of risk and a cautious approach to keep people safe.

Kaftrio ® has been available for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 12 years and older since 1 September 2020. This follows a pricing agreement with the manufacturer. There is provision in the access policy and pricing agreement for expanding access to Kaftrio ® as licence extensions are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The most recent extension in January 2022 allows for Kaftrio ® to be used in children aged 6 to 11 years.

This means that clinicians - working in cystic fibrosis treatment centres - can now prescribe Kaftrio ® for younger patients whom they consider will benefit from its use.

Dr Colin Church was appointed as independent Chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland in November 2021.

SEPA, as with other stakeholders, has the opportunity to submit a response to the ongoing call for evidence and to participate in the review process led by Dr Church . I do not expect Mr A’Hearn’s resignation to have an impact on SEPA’s participation in the review process but this is a matter for SEPA and Dr Church to determine.

SEPA have started the process of recruitment and expect a Chief Executive to be in post later this year.

We know that some homeowners may not be able to meet the cost of fitting the necessary alarms which is why we provided £500,000 through Care and Repair Scotland to help elderly and disabled people. We have also made available a further £500,000 to Care and Repair to extend this support beyond 1 February 2022.

This is in addition to the £1m funding provided to SFRS for its Home Fire Safety Visit programme to owner occupied properties assessed to be at high risk from fire.

We also provided £15m loan funding to social landlords to support them to fit compliant alarms for all tenants.

Flexibility is built into the existing legislation through a provision setting out that the work should be done “within such period as is reasonable in all the circumstances”, allowing flexibility for home owners unable to install alarms by 1 February 2022.