Chamber and committees

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Arms' Length External Organisations (ALEO) should mirror the Local Authority’s asset transfer policy and act within the spirit of the law. In addition to those bodies listed in Schedule 3 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, Scottish Ministers may by order designate other bodies as a relevant authority. If an ALEO meets the criteria in section 78(4) and (5) of the Act, it can be designated as a relevant authority by an order under section 78(3) but this would not amend schedule 3. As there is no prescribed process by which organisations are considered for designation, each one of Glasgow City Council's ALEOs would have to be considered on an individual basis.

The Scottish Government ensures accountability and transparency in the governance of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) through the SPS Framework Document which was updated and published last year (2024). This includes the Chief Executive’s direct accountability to Scottish Ministers, financial and performance monitoring, ministerial oversight, and the role of the Portfolio Accountable Officer in overseeing the operational and financial performance of SPS.

The HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) plays a key role in holding SPS to account by reporting on prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners, with recommendations for improvement that must be considered and implemented by the SPS where required.

The Parole Board for Scotland and officials at Community Justice Division initiated the redrafting of the memorandum of understanding/agreement in summer 2022. Protracted discussions and negotiations on the nature and detail of the document; and resource intensive pressures on both parties meant that delivery of the document took longer than anticipated. Agreement on the document had neared finalisation by the end of 2024, however sign-off and clearance by interested parties allowed for publication of the MOA to proceed into early 2025.

The provisions contained within Part 2 of the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill are proposed to allow for the sharing of information for the efficient and effective provision of public health and social care services. Within this context the provisions could enable the appropriate sharing of information in order to consider data-driven approaches to early intervention and targeted support, thereby helping to prevent individuals from experiencing homelessness at an earlier stage.

The Bill is informed by the extensive co-design work, commissioned by Scottish Ministers, to better inform the development of this legislation, which has included individuals with experience of homelessness. Details of this work can be found here: National Care Service - information sharing to improve care support: seldom heard voices co-design findings - gov.scot

The specific spend from the Single Scottish Estate (SSE) programme budget during the 2024-25 financial year was £611,000. This budget covers a range of delivery matters for the programme, including funding 7 posts dedicated to the SSE work. The business as usual function of Property and Construction Division also provides delivery support to the programme.

Given that drug and alcohol related problems can contribute to loss of accommodation, the actions taken through Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) to provide recovery-based support can help prevent homelessness. To help align their contribution, ADPs bring together a range of partners at the local level with experience and responsibilities spanning the statutory, third sector, and community space to ensure that strategic planning reflects the wealth of local knowledge and expertise in providing services to those most in need. Whilst there is no prescriptive direction as to which individuals and organisations should sit on or contribute to an ADP, there is an expectation that local authorities will field representation with sufficient insight into wider services within their remit, such as Housing, Social Work, and Education, to ensure appropriate linkage to those areas of service provision.

The Scottish Government wants to ensure that progress is made based on the principles of shared public responsibility and earlier intervention to prevent homelessness, as set out in the proposals for new homelessness prevention duties in the Housing (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government is currently working with COSLA, and in consultation with other partners, to revise the Partnership Delivery Framework to Reduce the Use of and Harm from Alcohol and Drugs, to bring greater clarity and consistency to the remit, membership, and organisation of ADPs.

The site of the former Braehead Brickworks is within the operational land of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project and is maintained by the project contractor, Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP). SRP has no plans for the site.

Each of the bodies referenced are responsible for setting their budgets in accordance with their strategic plans and to meet the needs of their local population. How they allocate funding to delivery partners to achieve their outcomes is a decision for them however there is an expectation that public bodies funded by the Scottish Government will develop Equality Impact Assessments through the Equality Act 2010.

Where individuals or organisations feel that public bodies have not fulfilled their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, this should be drawn to the attention of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as escalation is a matter for the Commission. The process involves the Commission's power to issue a compliance notice, and subsequently seek enforcement through the courts, if necessary.

Scottish Ministers cannot direct EHRC because it is independent from Government. As it is a reserved public body, the Scottish Parliament cannot change its powers.

As part of a commitment made in its improving urban waters routemap, Scottish Water installed 1000 new overflow monitors by December 2024 and it now publishes overflow information online. It is not correct to state that combined sewer overflows spill every 90 seconds as the data published by Scottish Water only covers a subset of overflows.

Scottish Water aims to install an additional 700 monitors during 2025. Information gathered by overflow monitors allows Scottish Water to optimise the management of its sewer networks and understand where spills occur most frequently and why. This information is critical in informing future investment needs to achieve the greatest benefit for customers and the environment.

Furthermore, Scottish Water’s investment in its assets has contributed towards 87% of Scotland’s entire water environment being assessed by SEPA as having a ‘high’ or ‘good’ classification for water quality and 97% of Scotland’s bathing waters currently achieve the bathing water quality standards.