- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported reduction in the number of legal aid solicitors.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its international offices.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024
- Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Anti-Racism in Education Programme.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Audit Scotland report, Scotland’s colleges 2024; what its position is on the ongoing viability of Scotland's colleges, and how it plans to address any financial shortfalls in funding for this sector, in light of the role that it plays in skilling the next generation of Scotland's workforce.
Answer
Ministers recognise the crucial role that our colleges play and notably, the Audit Scotland report recognises that the courses that college students undertake contribute not only to their own development but also to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth.
Against a challenging backdrop of financial pressures across the public sector, a priority has been to protect investment in the college sector as far as possible. It is the responsibility of each college to manage its operations in line with the funding allocated by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). As part of this we expect each institution to continually reassess operational models and explore avenues for cost reduction and revenue maximisation in this demanding climate.
We are committed to work alongside colleges and the SFC through the Tripartite Alignment Group to provide greater flexibility for institutions in how they use the investment that is available. The SFC has proposed modifications to the college funding model to provide short-term relief to colleges and has expressed plans to revamp the funding model for future sustainability; while Scottish Government has progressed work on college disposals in order to help deliver flexibilities to colleges in their approach to managing their estate.
The Audit Scotland report recognises there are important opportunities coming from reform. As we progress with reform, we will work closely with colleges and other stakeholders to ensure that they have a sustainable future.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing the working hours of 8,000 civil servants while increasing pay by 3% represents value for money.
Answer
A key condition of the agreement for the Scottish Government to move to a 35-hour week was that productivity levels are maintained, and that costs are not increased as a result. These conditions are consistent with the findings of research into shorter working weeks, which point towards the wellbeing benefits of such improvements to terms and conditions and, in some cases, even positive impacts on productivity.
The Scottish Government’s position is that the 3% (of which 2.25% was in-year) pay award for 2024-25, alongside the introduction of the 35-hour week, does represent good value for money. Both elements formed part of a two-year pay deal, which was reached during a period of high inflation, and is consistent with pay awards reached across the Scottish Public Sector. Achieving agreement on pay with the recognised trade unions for this extended period has also meant the Scottish Government has avoided the costly impacts of industrial action.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on airport drop-off fees in Scottish airports and any equalities impact that they have on people with mobility issues or who rely on vehicular drop-off and pick-up when no other option is available or suitable.
Answer
The introduction of drop off charges, their level and their terms and conditions are a matter for individual airports. We expect airport operators to comply with equalities legislation in all aspects of their operations, including in relation to drop off charges and providing support for disabled passengers arriving at an airport.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the principle and methodology of council tax as a taxation method to contribute to the funding of local authorities, and what its position is on whether the current local taxation model is fit for purpose.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to fairer, more inclusive and fiscally sustainable forms of local taxation. We are exploring proposals for meaningful long-term changes to Council Tax in partnership with COSLA through the ‘Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform’.
We continue to partner with COSLA and local authorities on local empowerment measures in the spirit of the Verity House Agreement. We have undertaken intensive collaborative work on a Fiscal Framework for local government. This includes facilitating opportunities for greater local fiscal empowerment in the future, with the aim to give councils more flexibility. Through the ‘Joint Working Group’ we can explore opportunities for local empowerment collaboratively with local government.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any funding reductions that
have been made as a result of the reallocation of funds to local authority pay
awards.
Answer
Public sector pay continues to be a significant driver of in-year pressures and, under the current devolution settlement, any substantive in-year pressures can only be funded by reductions elsewhere. If the UK Government does not fully fund public sector pay deals, there will be a significant gap between the expectations of the workforce and the available funding.
As confirmed in the Fiscal Statement to the Scottish Parliament on 3 September, the Scottish Government has identified a range of measures to support the 2024-25 budget totalling almost £1 billion, of which up to £500 million are direct savings. Correspondence with the Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration on 3 September, confirmed that the impact of these measures has been appropriately assessed, including in formal impact assessments where required.
In relation to local authority pay awards, the Scottish Government has agreed with local government that they can draw on specific existing programmes to fund pay deals. The relevant funding will be replaced in 2025-26 and assurance has been sought from local authorities to confirm that they are able to mitigate any impacts in 2024-25 and that delivery timescales will not be significantly impacted.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its current recycling targets are for (a) all and (b) household waste.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan, published in 2010, set out targets to recycle 70% of all waste by 2025 and 60% of household waste by 2020.
Scotland has made significant progress in reducing waste, increasing recycling and decarbonising the waste sector, but there is further work to be done. The overall recycling rate in Scotland of 62.3% in 2022 is at its highest level since records began in 2011. In 2022 the household recycling rate was 43.3%.
The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act, passed unanimously in June 2024, includes our commitment to determine new circular economy targets for Scotland from 2025, to support our work to reduce emissions to tackle the climate emergency.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been budgeted by Transport Scotland for the delivery of the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme, and what impact the "current funding restraints", which the Cabinet Secretary for Transport made reference to on 10 April 2024 in a letter to a representative of Aberdeen City Council, has had on (a) this budget and (b) the delivery of the scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government is facing significant pressures on its capital budget, with an expected real terms reduction from the UK Government to capital funding in Scotland of nearly 9% over five years. This equates to a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion between 2023-24 and 2027-28 which will significantly affect the Scottish Government’s ability to maintain investment in transport infrastructure across Scotland.
However, the Scottish Government remains committed to the delivery of the proposed A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme as part of a package of additional investment alongside the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
The current estimated cost for the scheme is approximately £24.7m at 2019 prices (excluding non-recoverable VAT). This estimate will continue to be refined and updated as the scheme design becomes more developed.
The necessary on-going design preparatory work in 2024-25 is being funded through the Scottish Government’s Roads Improvement budget line.
Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence when the scheme is approved under the statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be determined in line with available budgets.
