In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to stop any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least.

We are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.

Funding for flood resilience is distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. The allocation mechanism is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders on a national basis, rather than bespoke to each local authority, and as such there was no discussion around increasing flood resilience funding for local authorities within the Highlands and Islands region at the meeting on 5 September.

The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to a list of prioritised flood protection schemes, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.

The Scottish Government’s Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) provides funding for the implementation of multidisciplinary teams in primary care, including Community Link Workers. The PCIF was not subject to reductions announced in the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update so there has been no assessment of impacts.

The latest data that the Scottish Government holds on CLW numbers (to 31 March 2024) shows that CLW programmes in the six integration authorities within the Highlands and Islands region were funded (except for one post in Argyle and Bute) from integration authority PCIF allocations. These figures are published – please see the supplementary tables that accompany the summary report: Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The decision to prescribe any medicine is for the clinician in charge of an individual’s care, having considered their clinical condition and any relevant clinical guidance.

An Island Communities Impact Assessment has been carried out and will be published on the Scottish Government’s website The Scottish Government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) by the end of September 2024. The current grant funding provision for the Western Isles Advice Project which is part of the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Early Resolution and Advice Programme, will continue under the existing criteria for funding until 30 September 2024.

Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.