Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has carried out economic analysis of impacts of the provisions of the Land Reform Bill. This is set out in the. Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government has not calculated the likely savings resulting from the provision of thrombectomy procedures. However, academic research suggests that thrombectomy is cost-effective and likely to result in long-term savings.

The Scottish Government does not currently plan to provide overall outcome information beyond mortality.

A tool for collection of empirical data relating to stroke rehabilitation provision - including time to rehabilitation assessment, creation of rehabilitation plans, commencement of rehabilitation, input from various Allied Health Professional specialities and time to commencing community rehabilitation - has been developed. Data collection with this tool is currently being trialled in two NHS Boards, with the aim of using this across Scotland and including this in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit once data collection has been assessed.

The Scottish Government has not calculated the likely savings resulting from the provision of thrombectomy procedures. However, academic research suggests that thrombectomy is cost-effective and likely to result in long-term savings.

As part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Board review process, Boards are expected to demonstrate rehabilitation provision in a variety of settings, and at a range of intensities, as well as outlining a robust rehab assessment process and the availability of symptom-specific rehabilitation pathways.

Boards must also demonstrate that there is a clear pathway for people who have had strokes to re-engage with stroke rehabilitation services as appropriate.

Where rehabilitation provision is found not to fully align with these criteria, the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme works with stroke services to develop action plans for improvement.

The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to doing all it can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs through our National Mission and addressing the twin public health challenges on alcohol and drugs.

Long-term thinking has been embedded into the National Mission, as we are investing in a comprehensive range of services, from prevention and early intervention to treatment and long-term recovery support. For example, implementing the Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards across Scotland, ensures high-quality treatment options for those affected by addiction will be met for years to come.

In addition, capital investment in residential rehabilitation has increased the number of spaces for people, both now and in the future, and our work on tackling stigma aims to fundamentally break down barriers for those seeking support.

The Scottish Government is also developing a National Service Specification alongside guidance, which provide clarity on the types of treatment and recovery services available for drugs and alcohol and in the long term, improve joint working between public and third sector partners. We plan full public consultation on a draft specification with an aim to publish in 2025.

Within the National Mission strategy we are also adapting to new trends such as the change in global markets with the increased prevalence of new synthetic substances, such as the synthetic opioids nitazenes, which is of real concern.

To ensure that our future strategic plans are evidence-based, they will be informed by the National Mission evaluation, with the final publication expected in 2026. In accordance with democratic processes, any future strategic plans will also take into account the outcomes of the 2026 Scottish election.

The Scottish Government monitors pay in the hospitality sector using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (table 5.6a) published by the Office for National Statistics. This data is available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/regionbyindustry2digitsicashetable5.

The latest available data shows that median gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) for all employees in the Accommodation and Food Services sector was estimated to be £10.89 in 2023. This was the lowest median hourly pay across all industrial sectors in Scotland for which data are published by ONS. The median gross hourly pay in the Accommodation and Food Service sector for the last 10 years is shown in the following table.

Table 1: Median gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) in the accommodation and food services sector, 2014-2023

The Scottish Government regularly engages with local authorities on the processes and operation of the landlord register digital platform, which is maintained and updated on an ongoing basis.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of important reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interest of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review of the current landlord registration regime will be undertaken, taking account of the impact of the new measures.

Statistics on gross value added (GVA) by industry are published in the Quarterly National Accounts for Scotland, covering periods from 1998 onwards. The latest estimates of current price GVA for the accommodation and food services sector can be found in Table D of the other national accounts summary tables at https://www.gov.scot/publications/gdp-quarterly-national-accounts-2024-q1/.

The current paying agency is performing well, making payments more quickly and stably than before. The existing system was built to deliver against the CAP and while we work to reform the support system we must also prioritise existing payment delivery to ensure no cliff edges. Regular maintenance of the system is required to protect the integrity and stability of existing payments and the Scottish Government must allocate sufficient budget to ensure continuation of that stability. However, these systems, whilst vital for maintain ongoing payments, are not designed to deliver the four tier support framework required for the Agricultural reform programme. Therefore, we are currently working on what capabilities and requirements will be needed in the future.