Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government launched its Suicide Prevention Action Plan: Every Life Matters in 2018. Our National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) is driving forward implementation and reports annually on progress, both on the Action Plan and on the supplementary recommendations and actions agreed since the Action Plan was published. Its most recent annual report was issued in September 2020. A supplementary two-year review of progress made under the Action Plan was published earlier this year.

Many of the key deliverables of the Action Plan have been achieved to date, including the launch of Scotland’s social movement: ‘United to Prevent Suicide’; production of learning resources to support suicide prevention; pilot services to support those bereaved by suicide; and guidance to encourage, inform, and support local suicide prevention approaches.

The Scottish Government continues to work with the NSPLG and partners to prioritise work on the Action Plan and on the key activities on suicide prevention set out in our October 2020 Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan.

As stated in the answer to question S5W-34151 on 13 January 2021, work on establishing the taskforce was paused because of the need to focus on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other priorities, including EU exit. However, we expect the taskforce to be established later this year and will provide further details in due course.

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

The Scottish Government has already paid £32.7 million to more than 21,800 taxi drivers through the Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund. We committed to paying those taxi drivers who previously received a grant, a further grant of £1,500, taking support to a total of £3,000 and the Finance Secretary announced on Wednesday we have allocated a further £62 million for taxi drivers and operators, bringing the total support for the taxi sector during the pandemic to more than £90 million. Local authorities will begin to process the second driver payment during week beginning 7 June.

For taxi operators, local authorities will contact all eligible vehicle licence holders this month to brief them on their potential entitlement and will aim to make payments promptly within a maximum four week period. Amounts payable will be based on the number of vehicle licences each owner/operator holds with operators receiving grants between £4,000 and £15,000.

The Active Nation Commissioner, Lee Craigie, was appointed to her role in December 2018 for a 3 year term. There are currently no plans to put the role on a statutory footing.

We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on many people’s mental health. The Scottish COVID-19 Mental Health Tracker study provides data which, alongside other sources, the Scottish Government use to track the mental health and wellbeing of the Scottish population. This provides insight into the potential impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and restrictions on mental health and has allowed us to tailor our mental health policy response to the pandemic as needs evolve. We published Wave 1 of the Tracker Study in October 2020, and Wave 2 in February 2021.

In line with emerging needs, we published the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan on 8 October 2020. The Plan outlines the Scottish Government’s response to the impacts of COVID-19 and addresses the challenges that the pandemic has had, and will continue to have, on the population’s mental health. The Plan is comprehensive and contains over 100 actions, including actions on suicide prevention. We continue to work with our National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and other key stakeholders on the Plan’s implementation.

There is currently no clear evidence on the pandemic’s impact on suicide rates in Scotland. Annual suicide statistics for 2020 will be published this August by National Records of Scotland. We recognise the importance of timely data on probable suicides to support local suicide prevention planning and are working closely with Public Health Scotland who will roll this out over the summer.

As Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise I am seeking an urgent meeting with Lord Grimstone, UKG Minister of State for Investment with responsibility for the Office for Investment, to clarify the status of UKG engagement with Tesla. Scottish Enterprise officials are also engaging with the Office for Investment in addition to the planned Ministerial engagement. I visited Tesla in California previously to discuss inward investment opportunities and SDI engages with them.

In 2021-22, the Scottish poundage is 49.0p with a supplement at the Intermediate Property Rate (IPR) of 1.3p for properties with a rateable value from £51,000 to £95,000; and of 2.6p at the Higher Property Rate (HPR) for properties with a rateable value over £95,000. In England, the equivalent multiplier is 49.9p with a supplement of 1.3p for properties with a rateable value over £51,000. The following table shows the estimated costs of reducing the HPR to 2.2p, thus equalising the total tax rate paid by these properties in Scotland (49p + 2.2p) with the rate they would pay in England (49.9p + 1.3p) had this change been delivered in 2021-22.

Regulations to support the delivery of Low Emission Zones came into effect on 31 May 2021. These are the Low Emission Zones (Emission Standards, Exemptions and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, and the Low Emission Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Although the timescale for Low Emission Zones (LEZ) implementation has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to the introduction of LEZs within Scotland’s four largest cities in 2022. We are continuing to support the local authorities with their implementation plans, including the provision of grant funding contributions for the enforcement systems. Work to deliver the LEZs is now at an advanced stage, with the relevant local authorities expected to launch public consultations on their proposed schemes later this year.

The Scottish Government is also providing funding through the LEZ Support Fund to assist small businesses and individuals with the cost of complying with the LEZ requirements.

In addition we are continuing to support the bus industry through a range of measures to provide cleaner, less polluting LEZ compliant buses.

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to adjust the Levels allocation across Scotland as announced by the First Minister on Tuesday, 1 June 2021.

The Regulations also permit funfairs to reopen in Level 2 areas and adjust the rules on physical distancing and face coverings at marriage and civil partnerships to allow a party to the marriage or civil partnership to be accompanied down the aisle, or similar, by a friend or family member.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/227/contents/made .

Teachers’ terms and conditions stipulate that composite classes cannot exceed 25 pupils. Local authorities have flexibility over how year groups should be balanced within a composite class.

The Scottish Government’s view is that the quality of the teacher and the organisation of the class to meet the range of children’s learning needs are more important factors in the success of children in composite classes, than the composition of the classes themselves. There are no plans to review the arrangements for composite classes.