Chamber and committees

Instrumental music tuition is now available free of charge in all Scottish local authorities following agreement between Scottish Government and local authorities as part of the implementation of the Scottish Government's100-day manifesto commitments.

The Scottish Government has provided funding of over £7m in the 2021-22 academic year to sustain provision at current levels and is committed to working with local authorities to develop a model for a long-term sustainable instrumental music tuition service which includes sustainable funding arrangements.

COPFS has noted the findings of the study. The statistics quoted in that study indicate that the average time taken to complete an FAI in 2017-19 was at its lowest figure since the period 2005-07. That figure – 603 days – was more than one third lower than the figure (990) from the previous period which predated the introduction of the 2016 Act.

COPFS is committed to reducing the timescale for commencing FAIs, including those arising from deaths in custody, whilst ensuring that the circumstances surrounding each death are thoroughly investigated. COPFS has introduced a number of measures since the implementation of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 to reduce the average time taken to complete FAIs. Funding for the overall COPFS budget has been increased in recent years to help support the progress of these and other investigations. Dedicated teams were set up within the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit of Crown Office to specifically investigate deaths where an FAI requires to be held. A Case Management Panel ensures there is regular oversight of all deaths in custody investigations by senior managers on a regular basis. These reforms have already resulted in reductions in the duration of death investigations and it is expected that they will continue to do so.

In addition, a dedicated Crown Office team is to be established to investigate all deaths in legal custody. It is anticipated that such a team will allow for accelerated processes for particular categories of death and greater scope for conjoining FAIs and will reduce the time taken to conclude these investigations.

From 1 November 2021, the way in which the Scottish Government provides overseas trade support will be aligned with our energy transition, as highlighted in our policy announcement on 15 October 2021. We will also co-design our energy transition with industry stakeholders as promised in the Just Transition Commissions Report Response

Scottish Development International (SDI), will implement this policy through the assessment of potential projects and their suitability for support in line with the published guidance and exemptions. Our exemptions are deliberately aligned with the UK Government’s guidance . This decision was made following wide stakeholder engagement and responds to strong feedback from stakeholders on the importance of technical alignment in order to avoid any unintended confusion for our agencies and the industry in the practical implementation of this policy.

There has been no change in the Scottish Government’s position and we are not currently able to offer support in the funding of adult Dyslexia assessments. However, wider support is provided for people with Dyslexia – including funding for Dyslexia Scotland through our Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention & Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI & ALEC) fund, to provide information, advice and support.

In addition, dyslexia may be considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and, as such, employers have a legal duty to ensure employees are not discriminated against. Employers must make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to enable a disabled member of staff to carry out their role to a satisfactory standard. There is no requirement to have had a dyslexia diagnostic assessment in order for reasonable adjustments to be put in place in the workplace.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04069 on 9 November 2021 asking the Scottish Government how many social enterprises have made use of the cultural and creative Social Enterprise Network since it began operating.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has been allocated additional funding of £2,586,000 this year through transfers made at the Autumn Budget Revision, of this £1,728,000 was funding for STEM bursaries. Changes to budgets made at the Autumn Budget Revision are published on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/2021-22-autumn-budget-revision-budget-scotland-act/ 

The infection, prevention, and control (IPC) guidance for dentistry is currently being reviewed by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland are responsible for the Scottish Guidance. This Guidance has a provisional publication date of 29 November.

The Cabinet Secretary recently wrote to NHS dental teams describing the proposals from the Scottish Government on how we recover NHS dental services to normal practice. This letter is attached for reference: Letter from the Cabinet Secretary to NHS dental teams | Scottish Dental.

The next round of allocations will be confirmed and dispersed to local authority areas shortly. We will provide further information once the allocations have been confirmed.

The 2020-21 Arts Alive programme received 52 applications and 42 were successful.

The applications comprised of:

• 32 applications for school sessions, from 31 applicants, covering 35 schools. 32 applications were successful.
• 20 applications for school residencies, from 20 applicants, covering 31 schools. 10 were successful.

Broken down by Local Authority Area:

The Scottish Government routinely publishes official labour market statistics for disabled people in Scotland and uses these to analyse how labour market barriers and outcomes for disabled people are changing over time and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.

Latest data are published at:

Labour market monthly briefing: October 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We know, for example, the disability employment gap in Scotland - the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - narrowed over the latest year to July 2020 – June 2021, to 32.0 percentage points.

Analysis is also published as part of the annual progress report of a Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: employment action plan - our plan to at least halve the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038.

Latest report available here: Fairer Scotland for disabled people - employment action plan: progress report - year 2 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)