Since the introduction of the Forestry Grant Scheme in 2016, 7 woodland creation projects with a value of £1.9M have been agreed directly with Gresham House.

The national standards for the delivery of adult tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services require that weight management services should be provided to those above 18 years of age. There should be no upper age limit for people accessing these services.

In the interest of patient safety and the clinical effectiveness of the intervention, age limits may be set for more intensive interventions, based on published evidence.

In relation to more intensive weight management interventions, such as the type 2 diabetes remission programme of total diet replacement, the criteria set by the national clinical advisory group in relation to age is men and women aged 18–65 years. This was done in keeping with the protocol from the DiRECT clinical trial. The standards set out that exceptions may be made where appropriate.

The standards reference bariatric surgery because of the essential role of tier 3 weight management services in the preparation and progression for such surgery. However, as bariatric surgery is a tier 4 service, it is not within the scope of the standards. For bariatric surgery as a weight loss intervention, an upper age limit of 44 years is set for priority groups within the National Performance Forum Obesity Treatment: Best Practice Guide.

In all instances, NHS boards have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment and make decisions to offer services based on clinical judgement and local needs.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Prison Service.

In Scotland, a formal identification of dyslexia or a learning difficulty is not required before appropriate support is provided, although I recognise that a diagnosis can be helpful for children and young people and their families.

We want all children and young people, to receive the support they need to reach their full potential. Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. We are committed to supporting teachers and school staff to meet these needs.

Our national approach recognises that children and young people with dyslexia benefit from early identification. We are working with local government partners to continue to improve the consistency of early identification through the adoption of the Scottish working definition of dyslexia and use of the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit’s Dyslexia Identification Pathway.

The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to support people with dyslexia. This includes the provision of support for dyslexic learners from nursery through school and into further and higher education, and access to support when entering employment, as well as in the workplace.

The Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 places duties on education authorities to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those with dyslexia. The cost of individual supports will vary according to the needs of each pupil.

The Scottish Funding Council’s Access and Inclusion Fund is used to support the teaching and learning of disabled students in Further Education, which includes dyslexia. In 2021-22, £51.8m worth of support was allocated. Additional funding is also available as part of the Student Support budget.

In addition, the Disabled Students’ Allowance supports disabled students and those with additional learning needs in Higher Education. In the 2021-22 academic year, over 2,000 students with dyslexia received support amounting to £3.5 million.

Dyslexia Scotland provide a range of support, initiatives and advice for those with dyslexia, their families and those who support or work with them. In 2022-23, the Scottish Government provided funding to Dyslexia Scotland of over £250,000 to support this work.

The Scottish Government has not made any specific economic assessment of the costs of late diagnosis or failure to diagnose dyslexia in individuals or across society as a whole.

Our emphasis is on the provision of free, effective support in educational settings including schools, colleges and universities.

The Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 places duties on education authorities to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. We are also committed to supporting teachers and school staff to meet these needs.

As part of our national approach to dyslexia, we have developed a range of free professional learning opportunities for teachers, which are aimed at supporting them to further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in supporting learners with dyslexia and to reduce barriers to learning. This includes the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit ( https://www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk/addressing-dyslexia-toolkit ), its dyslexia identification pathway and the free Dyslexia Inclusive Practice online professional learning modules for staff.

Employment support is also available to adults with dyslexia. This includes access to work support which does not require a formal assessment of dyslexia. In 2020-21 people with learning difficulties accounted for 46% of the disabled people supported through modern apprenticeships.

The Scottish Government does not currently fund adult assessments for dyslexia and has therefore made no economic assessment of the cost. We are not presently considering a pilot scheme.

Free support and assessment for dyslexia is provided to children and young people in educational settings.

Additional support is available to adults with dyslexia regardless of the availability of diagnosis. This includes access to work support to obtain and maintain employment.

The Scottish Government works closely with and funds Dyslexia Scotland who provide information, advice and support to people with dyslexia and those who support them.

We do not collect national-level data associated with this provision. Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. Some of this provision has been and continues to be supported through Scottish Government funding.

The Scottish Government does not have responsibility for overseeing the functioning of the Loch Awe Improvement Association. As a community lead organisation, who holds a number of fishing rights within the Loch Awe area, the Association administers the Loch Awe and Associated Waters Protection Order 1992. This involves applying to the Scottish Government for the granting of water warden warrants, which is a responsibility that rests with Scottish Ministers.

Property owners and landowners have primary responsibility for protection of their land and property from flooding. A range of other bodies have responsibility for different aspects of flood risk management. These roles and responsibilities are clearly set out in Flood Risk Management (Scotland) 2009 Act. The Act creates a joined up and coordinated process to manage flood risk at a national and local level.

Scottish Government oversees the implementation of the Act. Scottish Ministers are responsible for setting the policy framework for implementing how flooding is managed in Scotland including the responsibility for approving the objectives and actions set out in the national flood risk management plans.

SEPA is Scotland’s national flood forecasting, flood warning and strategic flood risk management authority. They produce the national flood risk management plans, provide flood forecasting and warning services, provide flood risk advice to planning authorities and carry out awareness raising activities to increase community resilience.

Local authorities ensure local accountability by leading on the preparation of local flood risk management plans, which supplement the national plans prepared by SEPA and ensure actions are locally targeted and delivered. They also have the ability to make and build flood protection schemes. Local authorities also inspect, clear and repair watercourses to reduce flood risk and routinely maintain road gullies on public roads and highways to ensure adequate road drainage. During severe flooding, local authorities will work with the emergency services and co-ordinate shelter for people evacuated from their homes.

Scottish Water are responsible for the operation of public foul and combined sewers and the public waste water network; managing problems caused by sewers either flooding or becoming restricted due to chokes or collapses; removing foul drainage and the drainage of rainwater from roofs and paved areas, from within the curtilage of premises, on connection to the public sewer.