Chamber and committees

The additional £40 million for the culture sector was announced in light of the consequential funding expected from the £300 million uplift to the Culture Recovery Fund in March 2021 UK Budget. The Scottish Government has so far only received £9 million of these consequentials. We are still seeking clarity from HM Treasury on why the £40 million has not yet been passed on in full to us and are continuing to press the UK Government to deliver the remaining £31 million.

Despite only receiving to date £9 million of the consequentials, we have made available £25 million to support recovery in the culture sector, principally through the Cultural Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund (COVRF) and the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund (PAVRF). £17.2 million has been awarded to performing arts venues and culture organisations via Creative Scotland. £1.25m has also been announced for funding for the Public Library Covid Relief Fund. This leaves £6.55m remaining to be allocated, £2m of which is capital. We are working with the culture sector to understand ongoing needs, and announcements on the final allocations will be made in the coming weeks.

The total revenue funding provided by the Scottish Government to North Ayrshire Council as part of the annual local government finance settlement, in real terms, is set out in the following table.

It should be noted that the basis of local government funding changed with effect from 1 April 2008. The total revenue funding figures for 2008-09 onwards include previously ring-fenced funding which was outwith the annual local government finance settlement. It should also be noted that the funding for Police and Fire transferred out of the local government finance settlement with effect from 1 April 2013. As a result of these two changes the period between 1999-00 and 2007-08 is not directly comparable with the period between 2008-09 and 2012-13. Similarly the period between 2008-09 and 2012-13 is not directly comparable with the subsequent period from 2013-14 onwards.

The real terms figures were calculated using the October 2021 HM Treasury GDP deflators.

I am most grateful to my colleague, Mr Burnett, for raising the important matter of overseas recruitment for social care providers. Regarding the recent funding for NHS boards; this funding cannot be routed to social care providers, who sit outwith the NHS. However, I would be happy to explain to Mr Burnett the work which is ongoing to address recruitment within the sector.

The Scottish Government are working hard to attract more people to a career in the social care sector. For the past two years the Scottish Government has funded an Adult Social Care Marketing Campaign. A further national marketing campaign launched on 8 November to attract more people to the sector.

We believe that Scotland’s social care services benefit greatly from the staff in the workforce who come from overseas. The sector is deeply concerned about the impact that the post-EU Exit loss of freedom of movement will have on recruitment to critical frontline social care roles. Scottish Government and key sector partners will continue to engage with UK Ministers to highlight why Scotland’s social care sector must have access to workers from outwith the UK, to help meet shortfall in workforce capacity and avoid the subsequent impact on our most vulnerable citizens. We also highlight that Scotland’s care workers are qualified, registered and regulated.

We will continue to push for a migration system tailored to Scotland’s needs, including a Scottish Visa, and work with partners and employers to develop proposals that suit their requirements.

The Scottish Government currently directly employs the following number of solicitors, set out below by pay band/grade. SCS - Director is the most senior grade with legal trainees being the most junior grade. It should be noted that there are other individuals who may be qualified solicitors employed in non-legal roles in policy/operational directorates across the Scottish Government but that information is not centrally known or held.

Directorate for Legal Services

In the following table, the data provided covers the period from when the Scottish Government took control of the shipyard to the present day. The table includes a yearly workforce count, and a count taken when the shipyard entered administration on 16 August 2019. The Agency/Contracted count includes workers employed through agencies and contractors working under FMPG management control, including interims.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS does not hold the requested data. Since 2013, SPS has asked all persons on admission to custody to self-declare any known disability. The response is recorded on SPS’ internal system as either: yes, no or prefer not to disclose. However, the type of disability it is not specifically recorded.

Every individual in SPS custody is interviewed by a Healthcare Professional on admission in order to assess their healthcare needs. Where there is an identified need for additional support or reasonable adjustments whilst in custody, SPS, NHS and our education service partners will work in partnership to facilitate this.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS does not hold the requested data. Since 2013, SPS has asked all persons on admission to custody to self-declare any known disability. The response is recorded on SPS’ internal system as either: yes, no or prefer not to disclose. However, the type of disability it is not specifically recorded.

Every individual in SPS custody is interviewed by a Healthcare Professional on admission in order to assess their healthcare needs. Where there is an identified need for additional support or reasonable adjustments whilst in custody, SPS, NHS and our education service partners will work in partnership to facilitate this.

Covid-19 was the highest single cause of excess mortality during summer 2021. Every one of these deaths is a tragedy. All those affected by the virus have our sympathy and we are working to prevent others from experiencing that same heartbreak.

As a result of the Scottish Government’s vaccination programme and increased medical knowledge of the virus, in summer 2021 the mortality rate was far lower, despite greater transmission of the virus. We are now offering boosters to protect the population further.

We are also working to remobilise our NHS safely and will be providing over £300 million in a winter funding package to support the health of people across Scotland this winter.

I last met trade unions representing bus drivers on 5 October 2021 when these issues were raised and discussed. The Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, who holds regular roundtable discussions with the STUC and affiliate unions, including those which represent bus drivers, last met with STUC on 7 October and is due to meet them again on 25 November. Ministers value an open and constructive dialogue with our trade union partners and will continue to engage on these issues.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lived experiences of young people who require additional support, and to ensuring that young people are at the centre of all transition planning for their future.

The Scottish Government has partnered with Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland to deliver the Principles into Practice Trial Programme that sets out practical steps to be taken locally to coordinate planning and practice to deliver better outcomes for young people who require additional support to make the transition to young adult life, and to measure the difference they are making.

The Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) funding helps learners with additional support needs to overcome difficulties they may encounter in the course of their studies. Their Access and Inclusion strategy facilitates the SFC to outline areas of strategic importance and to direct funds to address these priorities. The Access and Inclusion Fund is an integral element of colleges’ core funding and is used to support the teaching and learning of disabled students.

The college funding formula also contains a bespoke price group which recognises the higher cost of teaching students who have greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other students and who have been assessed as requiring additional support. The bespoke courses delivered through this price group have smaller class sizes, and the funding model provides the college with additional resource to recognise the additional costs involved.

For 2021-22, SFC also issued clarification that students with disabilities, supported learners and students whose educational development does not match a standard progression model may be supported over an extended timeframe and on a non-standard pattern of progression.