Chamber and committees

As per the answer to S6W-04540 on 1 December 2021, we expect that 29 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities will incur a net financial benefit from the implementation of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). This figure is calculated for the first year in which the scheme target is set at 90%, so savings will be realised by 2025.

Local authorities are also expected to benefit from a reduction in the impact of litter, and from efficiencies to collection services following the implementation of DRS. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is engaging with the three local authorites currently projected to not to make savings, to explore how such efficiencies may be realised.

These results have been calculated based on commercially sensitive data shared with ZWS by individual local authorities in confidence. It would therefore not be appropriate to provide a breakdown of these results publicly.

Scottish Health Service Costs, including expenditure by NHS Scotland on mental health, is published annually by Public Health Scotland at:

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-health-service-costs/scottish-health-service-costs-costsbook-2020-april-2019-to-march-2020/

The 2022-23 Scottish Budget provides investment of £18 billion for the Health and Social Care Portfolio, delivering on the commitment to pass on frontline health and care Barnett consequentials in full.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has operational responsibility for our Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme. Official MA statistics are published quarterly by SDS, including the number of starts, however a breakdown by month is not available.

The total number of MAs recruited by each occupational grouping is published at the end of each year, as recruitment of apprentices is carried out throughout the year. The MA 202-/22 Q4 (Year End) statistics are expected to be published in May 2022.

There are a large number of Small and Medium Enterprise businesses who take on smaller numbers of cohorts each year. The table below shows the top three employers who have recruited the largest number of MAs each year since 2019 and the volume of MA starts each year:

Official Modern Apprenticeship statistics are published by Skills Development Scotland quarterly, including the number of starts. The Modern Apprenticeship 2021-22 Q4 (Year End) statistics is expected to be published in May 2022. Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeship statistics are published on an annual basis.

The annual Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) statistics are:

? Cohort 4 (2019) – 3,450 (SCQF Level 6) and 442 (SCQF Level4/5) FA Starts

? Cohort 5 (2020) – 2,975 (SCQF Level 6) and 1,265 (SCQF Level4/5) FA Starts

The annual Modern Apprenticeship (MA) statistics are:

? 2019-20 – 27,875 MA Starts

? 2020-21 – 18,655 MA Starts

? 2021-22 Q2 – 11,104 MA Starts

The annual Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) statistics are:

? 2019-20 – 1,157 GA Starts

? 2020-21 – 1,158 GA Starts

The Quarter 2 statistics, published on 9 November 2021, show a positive increase in Modern Apprenticeship starts in comparison to the same time last year but are still lower than at the same point pre-pandemic, reflecting the ongoing impact from COVID-19.

The following table below provides a breakdown of the quarterly Modern Apprenticeship Starts since 2019/20 which are cumulative throughout the year.

Detailed data on the use of exemptions at a UK level is held by the Home Office and we are therefore unable to publically share this for other parts of the UK. However, we are able to confirm that in Scotland in the period between 26 November - 13 December there were a total of 217 people entering managed isolation after arriving from a red list country. In that same period, 123 seafarers have come to Scotland from red list countries using the seafarer exemption. This is a disproportionate number of travellers compared to the total entering managed isolation, which they are exempt from thanks to the sectoral exemption.

We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. With the recent removal of the countries from the red list, we expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for non-work related purposes.

The funding associated with the Health and Social Care Levy is estimated to be around £1 billion per annum on average across the UK Spending Review period; however HM Treasury has not specifically quantified this funding within our overall settlement. All frontline Health and Social Care consequentials are being passed on.

The Scottish Government recognises the negative impact that long COVID can have on the health and wellbeing of those affected. We are already taking action to ensure that people are supported in the most appropriate way possible, and are committed to do more.

We have published our approach paper which sets out 16 commitments to improve care and support for people with long COVID in Scotland.

Our approach outlines the work we are doing, with partners, to strengthen the key elements of care for people with long COVID - accessed through; supported self-management, assessment provided within primary and community care, rehabilitation support and; secondary care investigation and support where required.

Our commitments are backed by a £10 million ‘Long COVID Support Fund’, which will provide additional resource to strengthen services for people with long COVID across Scotland, by bolstering the capacity of existing NHS services, enabling improved care co-ordination and supporting staff education and training needs.

We are continuing to support clinicians to access evidence based information and advice on long COVID, to inform assessments, investigations and referrals for patients.

We are also funding nine Scottish-led research projects with a total funding commitment of £2.5m to improve understanding of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on physical and mental health, and help with developing effective clinical interventions to support recovery and rehabilitation.

Since the announcement on 17 March 2021 that ScotRail services will be provided through the Scottish Government’s Operator of Last Resort arrangements on expiry of the current franchise agreement, no costs have been charged for legal work in connection with those arrangements undertaken by solicitors of the Scottish Government Legal Directorate.

In terms of external solicitor costs, works to the value of £157,763 have been charged for to date. At this rate, Transport Scotland would estimate legal expenditure to be under £500,000 by the commencement of ScotRail Trains Ltd services on 1 April. It should be noted that this is a substantially lower amount than might have been expected in support of a rail franchise procurement competition.

Our review process has been informed by the latest evidence from public opinion as well as the clinical and scientific literature, and from international experience. We published an updated evidence paper on the COVID-19 status certification scheme on Friday 19 November 2021.

Understanding the effects of the scheme, and how it is being implemented, requires data about the use of the technology, vaccinations, and the impact on society and the economy. However, it is challenging to isolate the effects of any one element of the Covid response.

Vaccine uptake has slightly increased since the scheme was announced, although it is not possible to directly attribute rises to the introduction of certification. The proportion of those aged 12+ with a first dose rose from 86.0% to 90.5% and a second dose rose from 77.6% to 82.2%.