Chamber and committees

Social Security Scotland routinely publish official statistics publications on each of the devolved benefits at:https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications

For benefits where clients can apply to Social Security Scotland, published statistics include information on the number of applications received and the outcomes of applications, including the number that have been rejected. The latest publication for each benefit can be found at:

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods statistics to 31 August 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-31-august-2021

Funeral Support Payment statistics to 30 September 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/funeral-support-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021

Young Carer Grant statistics to 31 July 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/young-carer-grant-high-level-statistics-to-31-july-2021

Job Start Payment statistics to 30 September 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/job-start-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021

Scottish Child Payment statistics to 30 June 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/scottish-child-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-june-2021

The overall social security budget for the 2021-22 financial year was set in January 2021, at almost £4 billion. This includes £3.5 billion for demand-led benefits expenditure, and almost £0.5 billion for Social Security Programme implementation investment and Social Security Scotland operating costs.

The Scottish Government has put in place robust processes to manage the risks associated with demand-led expenditure on this scale and the potential impact any variations could have on the wider Scottish Budget. After the financial year has ended, our Budget position will be presented to Parliament in the Provisional Outturn statement and confirmed in the 2021-22 consolidated accounts in the normal way.

The policing of COP26 was an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who was clear that the delivery of the event would be compliant with human rights legislation, would facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensure public safety.

Around 5,200 officers at the conference were from forces throughout England and Wales and deployed on a mutual aid basis. All of these officers were under the command of the Chief Constable who, from the outset underlined the duty and responsibility of all officers and staff to police in line with the values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights.

All officers deployed on a mutual aid basis were briefed both on the powers available in Scotland and on Police Scotland’s approach to public order. Police Scotland’s senior command were clear that any officer who fell short of these values would be returned to their home force.

Initial work is underway to support the establishment of a PRS tenant participation panel. The first phase of this work is focusing on hearing from PRS tenants in developing our draft Rented Sector Strategy consultation document. As part of this, we are working in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and through the Tenants Information Service and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service exploring tenants’ priorities for change.

This initial work, alongside engagement with tenant organisations, including tenants’ unions, such as Living Rent who the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with in September, will help to inform the longer term establishment of the panel and recruit participants.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04361 on
‎ 24 November 2021. 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

Social Security Scotland routinely publish information as part of the quarterly Official Statistics release ‘Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods’. This includes information on the value of payments issued for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments each month.

Number and value of Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments issued, by year

As we committed to in Housing to 2040 , tenant participation is at the heart of our work to develop the Rented Sector Strategy. Alongside meetings with tenants and tenants’ groups, we are working in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Tenants Information Service and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service to understand tenants’ lived experiences and hear their views.

The Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with Living Rent in September to discuss a range of issues, and going forward, we will also look at the wider role of tenants’ unions across Europe.

The Draft Rented Sector Strategy Consultation will be published by the end of 2021 for a full 12 week public consultation, at which point tenants and tenants’ groups will have further opportunity to provide their views. We will also undertake further engagement with tenants groups during the consultation period and on the lead up to publishing a final version of the Strategy in the latter part of 2022.

The policing of COP26 was an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who ensured that the delivery of the event would be compliant with human rights legislation and that the priority of Police Scotland was to facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensure public safety.

The service prioritised regular engagement with activist groups in preparation for COP26, and throughout the summit. I am very pleased to note that this proportionate and facilitative approach resulted in a low number of arrests.

Mindful of the need for, and benefits of, independent and transparent oversight, Police Scotland established an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to consider issues of policing around the conference. This is chaired by John Scott QC and membership includes environmental campaigners, human rights experts, academia (including representatives from national human rights institutions), policing oversight bodies and a representative from the United Nations. Specific meetings of the IAG were convened on Friday 5th November and again on Tuesday 9th November to discuss the issue of police containment raised in a letter from climate campaign groups.

There also was detailed and continual scrutiny of the approach to the policing of protest at the Conference, including at all recent meetings of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and its dedicated monthly COP26 Oversight Group. A review published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland in June also highlighted a high degree of assurance around Police Scotland’s planning for the event.

The Chair of the IAG has been invited to attend the meeting of the Board of the Scottish Police Authority on 24 November to offer an initial assessment and the group plans to complete a final report to the COP 26 Oversight Group of the SPA in March 2022.

I met with Police Scotland’s senior command on a daily basis about issues related to the conference and I am hugely grateful to officers and staff who ensured the safety and security of 127 World leaders, many thousands of delegates and activists and of course the people of Glasgow.

The Scottish Government will hold a debate in the Scottish Parliament before the end of the year to set out its plan to deliver this commitment.

The plan will detail how every General Practice across Scotland will have access to a Mental Health and Wellbeing Service by April 2026, creating 1,000 additional dedicated staff who can help grow community mental health resilience and help direct social prescribing.

The Department for Transport (DfT) publish annual figures on their website on the number of Electric Vehicles (EV’s) registered in the UK, a link can be found here Cars (VEH02) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . This data does not provide a breakdown of EV’s registered per region, data is only available per region on the total number of vehicles registered across all propulsion groups.

The following table which includes the total number of EV's registered in the UK over the last 5 years and the market share they represent.