Chamber and committees

The Covid recovery strategy sets out an ambitious vision for recovery that is focused on bringing about a fairer future for those most affected during the pandemic, including people living in rural communities. The Covid recovery programme board, which I co-chair alongside the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, oversees work to achieve that vision and recognises the need for local communities to inform on-going priorities for recovery.

Policies such as the place-based investment fund and the regeneration capital grant fund support investment and regeneration projects that are shaped by the needs and aspirations of local communities and deliver inclusive growth for remote communities.

I can confirm that the issues that Maggie Chapman raises will be fully addressed as part of the no one left behind work that the Government is undertaking. The next stage of development is expected to commence early in the new year and will involve the delivery of specialist support services, and I will be very happy to update Maggie Chapman on the progress that is made.

It is important that we continue to deliver services to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities and support their participation in our society and economy.

Mr McArthur puts to me the issues that Councillor Stockan put to me. There is a lot of complexity around the local government finance formula and there is a procedural question, because local government considers changes to the distribution formula through the work of the settlement and distribution group, which is an entirely local authority-led process.

I have heard the issues that Councillor Stockan raised. Some of those questions interact with the setting of the floor for the local government finance settlement, which is also relevant to the question. Those points will be reflected on as the Government formulates its budget and as we consider it in its passage through Parliament over the next few months.

Mr Rennie raises a number of legitimate points on the provision of bus services. We are supporting the industry to increase usage. For example, the extension of the concessionary travel scheme to young people has had a discernible effect. Obviously, the Government contributes on the basis of the number of concessionary fares that are given.

Measures such as that one are designed to increase usage of bus services. There will be various ways in which we can support the industry, and the Government looks to work with it to find the most effective ways in which we can do that. The member’s points about the community bus fund are ones that the Government will consider.

The impacts of the pandemic were not felt evenly across Scotland and some people, including disabled people, were disproportionately affected. The Scottish Government recognises that, and our Covid recovery strategy focuses on delivering a fairer future and addressing the systemic inequalities that were exacerbated during the pandemic.

The Scottish Government recognises the concerns of public service workers and the need for sustainable pay deals and fair working conditions. Indeed, the Scottish Government has supported public sector pay increases at an anticipated additional cost of £700 million.

The Government will continue to engage with workforces as part of our work to implement the principles of the Covid recovery strategy, which focuses on reforming public services and reducing systemic inequalities.

Mr Briggs raises serious issues, and I will happily meet him to discuss that concept. On that occasion, perhaps we can think further about any particular research that will be necessary in that respect. I suspect that some work must have been undertaken—it is a few years since I have been close to that question. Our dear late colleague Margo MacDonald was never backward in coming forward to me in budget processes to argue on the issues that Mr Briggs has raised. I will happily meet him to discuss that question.

Tempting as it is for me to disclose the details of the budget to the Parliament today, Mr Fraser will understand that I cannot do that.

I am mindful of those issues, because ensuring that we encourage people to use public transport—and for there to be credible bus services to allow people to choose to use that transport—is very much part of the Government’s agenda to decarbonise transport as part of our moves towards net zero.

I do not for a moment accept the characterisation of the difficult issues with which we wrestled during the Covid pandemic that Tess White offered in her supplementary question.

The issues that she raises must be considered carefully by ministers. As I said in my original answer, the measures are subject to consultation with relevant interested parties and, of course, on that particular power there would have to be very extensive consultation and dialogue with interested parties and in particular with victims. I give Parliament the assurance that the Government will carefully consider all those issues, as would be expected of us under statute.

The temporary justice measures in the 2022 act can only be extended beyond November 2023 if the Parliament agrees. The act requires ministers to review the operation of the measures to decide whether they should be extended. That review must include consultation that ministers consider appropriate. If ministers decide that any measures should be extended, they will lay two documents before the Parliament: draft regulations to extend the measures by one year, and a statement summarising the review findings, the consultation undertaken and the reasons given for seeking an extension. Any regulations would be subject to the affirmative procedure.