The first publication of the results from the Carers Census was released on 15 December 2020. This report presented data on carers being supported by local services during the first year following the implementation of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. However, as this was the first time that this collection had been undertaken and many data providers were still in the midst of designing new systems to collect and record the required data, the figures presented in the publication are incomplete. Therefore, results should be interpreted with caution.

Young carers accounted for 12% of the individual carers identified within the Carers Census (2,680 out of 23,180). Previous estimates of the total carer population suggest that young carers account for less than 5% of all unpaid carers. This may indicate that carer support services are reaching a greater proportion of young carers compared to adult carers.

Based on records where information on support provided was available; 89% of young carers were provided with advice and information, 60% with counselling or emotional support and 45% with short breaks or respite. The data suggested that young carers were much more likely to be provided with counselling or emotional support or short breaks or respite than adult carers, which may reflect the different support needs for young carers.

Once the final Respiratory Action Plan has been published later this year, we will develop a programme for its implementation. This implementation programme will give a clearer understanding of the funding required in 2021 and subsequent financial years to deliver the commitments and priorities for asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and obstructive sleep apnoea.

The Scottish Government recognises the contribution the third sector makes on the issues that matter to those who live with heart disease across Scotland. That is why the National Advisory Committee for Heart Disease includes representation from third sector partners, enabling their input into the delivery of the Heart Disease Improvement Plan and the development of the refreshed plan, due to be published this year. We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with the third sector and other key stakeholders to ensure equitable and timely access to diagnosis, treatment and care for people with heart disease in Scotland.

Providing high quality, person centred care for people towards the end of life is an important priority for the Scottish Government. We want people to get the care and support that is right for them and enable them to stay in their local community for as long as possible.

Due to the challenges associated with the pandemic, we are seeing more people being cared for in community and homely settings. That is why last year we provided additional resource to Integration Authorities to help ensure that those being cared for in community settings can get the care that is right for them.

Additionally, in November 2020, we published our Adult Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan which includes a focus on supporting people to get the care that is right for them when time becomes short. To support this work, we provided Integration Authorities with an additional £72 million to help ensure that those being cared for in the community, including those with palliative care needs, have access to the right services at the right time.

The Scottish Government proposed abolishing the requirement for corroboration in criminal cases during the passage of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. At that time however there was no parliamentary consensus. The Scottish Government therefore asked Lord Bonomy to carry out an independent review to consider what additional safeguards may be required if the corroboration rule was removed.

Since the Bonomy Review reported in April 2015 the Scottish Government has taken forward a wide range of criminal justice reforms, including many to improve how the justice system deals with allegations of sexual offending and to improve support for victims. Lord Bonomy’s recommendation to study jury reasoning and decision-making has also been taken forward and landmark Scottish jury research was published in October 2019. Findings from the research were explored at a series of engagement events held in Spring 2020 and the possibility of abolishing or reforming the corroboration rule was one of the themes discussed. There was opposition to reform amongst a number of stakeholders, including the legal profession. A summary of engagement events was published in December 2020.

I met with Opposition Justice Spokespeople in December 2020 to discuss corroboration and there was collective agreement that the issue requires further exploration. The Scottish Government is committed to building consensus on reforms in this area, and to engaging further with justice partners and opposition parties to develop a shared understanding of the evolving legal position and implications and potential unintended consequences of any legislative reform, while continuing discussions with those with direct experience of the justice system, including survivors.

The Respiratory Care Action Plan has been developed in partnership with key stakeholders from across health and social care and the third sector. The Plan will set out priorities and commitments which aim to improve the diagnosis, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions.

We recognise that initiatives that work in partnership with the NHS and the third sector, play an important role in providing support to people living with respiratory conditions. We will work with third sector representatives, including Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to highlight the role of the third sector in implementing the priorities and commitments set out in the Plan.

Based on the current guidelines issued by the Chief Medical Officer on 5 February ( CMO(2021)03 - COVID-19 vaccination programme: bringing forward priority cohorts (scot.nhs.uk) , and wherever practical health boards should seek to vaccinate patients in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) priority group who are in hospital prior to their discharge.

The recommendation for patients admitted to hospital for non-COVID illness, is not to give a vaccine until the patient recovers from their acute illness. The Chief Medical Officer advises that patients should be only vaccinated once they have recovered, so any side effects are not confused with symptoms of the disease they were admitted to hospital for. This is a standard recommendation in the Green Book for all vaccines and applied across all UK countries.

Operational policing decisions are the responsibility of the Chief Constable but Police Scotland have confirmed that they have no plans to increase the number of patrols around schools.

The Care Experienced Bursary (CEB) is available to eligible full-time further education students and higher education students studying at undergraduate level.

To be eligible to claim the CEB, students must have been looked after by a Local Authority in the UK, before the age of 18.

At this time, students who have experienced care outside of the UK do not meet the eligibility to access this particular bursary.

There are no current plans to change the eligibility criteria for the CEB, however, as with all student support policies I will keep this under close review.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34861 on 25 February 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx