Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-25300

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Alternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS since 2019.

Alternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS has received funding from the Scottish Government’s Prison to Rehab Protocol since 2022. The pathway supports individuals leaving prison who would benefit from accessing abstinence based treatment on release, based on an individual needs based assessment.

Alternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS is a recipient of the National Drugs Mission fund. Whilst Scottish Government do not directly set the objectives, the Corra Foundation has administered the National Drugs Mission Funds on our behalf, since 2021, to third sector and grassroots organisations and details of the projects are available at : Grant holder data - Corra Foundation .

Question reference: S6W-24928

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to improve A&E waiting list times at NHS Forth Valley.

Officials meet regularly with NHS Forth Valley to ensure progress against their delivery plan. The board have a number of actions underway to support performance recovery including optimisation of their Flow Navigation Centre to ensure better links with primary and community care, increasing frailty capacity and focused work to embed their Discharge without Delay approach.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards including NHS Forth Valley to support delivery of the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services.

Question reference: S6W-25298

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Refugee Sanctuary Scotland since 2019.

Refugee Sanctuary Scotland was formerly known as Refugee Survival Trust, up to July 2023. The Scottish Government has not provided funding to Refugee Sanctuary Scotland, but has provided funding to the organisation under their former name since 2019.

The following table contains a list of objectives set by Scottish Government with reference to the funding provided to the organisation then known as Refugee Survival Trust since 2019.

Funding	Objective
Immediate Priorities Fund	To address the additional needs of asylum seekers and people subject to NRPF that will occur as a result of anticipated Covid-19 restrictions in the Glasgow area for the period 2020 - 2021.
Immediate Priorities Fund	To address the immediate needs of refugees and asylum seekers, in particular those experiencing or at risk of destitution during the current public health crisis 2020 – 2021.
Immediate Priorities Fund	To address challenges as a result of Covid-19, to support vulnerable individuals and those in need, to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they are experiencing, and protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland 2020 – 2021.

Refugee Survival Trust also received funding under the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund, which is operated by Paths for All, for a pilot project facilitating public transport access.

Question reference: S6W-24906

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Royal Blind Asylum and School since 2019.

The Royal Blind School receives annual grant funding from the Scottish Government, which is used to support the direct delivery of specialist education and care provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs, including those with visual impairment. The key recurring grant objectives set out for the school in their annual grant letters since 2019-20 are:

Provide high quality education and / or care to the children and young people who attend the Royal Blind School and Sight Scotland education outreach services.
Continue to develop the delivery of peripatetic support to local authorities, children and young people with visual impairment.
Identify collaboratively, the development objectives with all pupils, staff and stakeholders.
Evidence and maintain the Royal Blind School’s leading position and its value to the provision and enhancement of good practice in education, learning and care for school age children with Visual Impairment and particularly those with complex additional support needs.
Ensure the ongoing viability of the school, continue to be committed to attracting and developing alternative sources of income through commercial activity and partnership working.
Improve and develop partnership opportunities with all stakeholders of the Royal Blind School.
In addition to the core objectives set out above, two further objectives were set within specific years. These were not recurring objectives and were met within the years set.
Throughout 2020-21 implement the actions/activities in the School Improvement Plan to ensure children and young people who attend the Royal Blind School receive high quality education and care.
To continue to develop and operate the Learning Hub in order to provide support to local authorities, children and young people with visual impairment and their families and other agencies with visual impairment across Scotland; and provide by 31 March 2020 an evaluation of progress in the 2019-20 outcomes report.

Question reference: S6W-25297

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 19 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to LGBT Youth Scotland since 2019.

To support work on advancing LGBTQI+ Equality, the Scottish Government provides funding to organisations such as LGBT Youth Scotland to promote equality of opportunity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ people.

The following table contains the funding and objectives for this funding provided to LGBT Youth Scotland since 2019.

Fund	Objectives
EQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING: 1 JULY 2019 – 30 JUNE 2020	A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristics Reduced levels of hate crime Increased community participation, engagement and community cohesion Addressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life
EQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: 1 JULY 2019 – 30 JUNE 2020	Societal understanding of gender based violence is increased and tolerance of it is decreased (leading to a reduction in violence and abuse experienced by women and children, and an increase in positive gender norms and expectations) Service providers have increased understanding of all forms of gender based violence, and work effectively together to address these issues through the provision of appropriate, high quality services The harmful effects of gender based violence experienced by women and children are reduced by early intervention and their safety and wellbeing needs are better met by effective service provision Interventions, service design and service delivery are improved as a result of the participation of women and children affected by gender based violence
COVID-19 SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND: 2020-21	To support vulnerable individuals and those in need, to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they are experiencing, and protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland.
EQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: 1 JULY 2020 – 30 SEPTEMBER 2021	Societal understanding of gender based violence is increased and tolerance of it is decreased (leading to a reduction in violence and abuse experienced by women and children, and an increase in positive gender norms and expectations) Service providers have increased understanding of all forms of gender based violence, and work effectively together to address these issues through the provision of appropriate, high quality services The harmful effects of gender based violence experienced by women and children are reduced by early intervention and their safety and wellbeing needs are better met by effective service provision Interventions, service design and service delivery are improved as a result of the participation of women and children affected by gender based violence
EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND: 1 OCTOBER 2021-30 SEPTEMBER 2024	People have greater awareness of their human rights and how to access them; People with protected characteristics have increased access to remedy where their rights have not been upheld People with protected characteristics have increased participation in public life; People with protected characteristics have increased influence in decisions that affect them; Actors in civil society increasingly use Scotland’s domestic and international equality and human rights framework to influence and effect change
EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND: 1 OCTOBER 2022-31 MARCH 2023 1 APRIL 2023-31 MARCH 2024	People have greater awareness of their human rights and how to access them; People with protected characteristics have increased participation in public life; People with protected characteristics have increased influence in decisions that affect them; The Scottish Government has better access to data and depth of information about the experiences of people with protected characteristics; Public services increasingly embed equality and human rights in their strategic planning and their day-to-day functions The experience of people with protected characteristics is increasingly used to inform the policy and practice of public bodies
DELIVERING EQUALLY SAFE: OCTOBER 2021 – SEPTEMBER 2023 DELIVERING EQUALLY SAFE: 1 OCTOBER 2022 – 31 MARCH 2023 DELIVERING EQUALLY SAFE: 1 APRIL 2023 – 31 MARCH 2024	Women and children affected by violence are identified (early) Women and children’s safety needs are met Women and children’s wider wellbeing needs are met Fewer people adhere to gender stereotypes People have increased understanding of all forms of VAWG (causes, consequences, and appropriate responses) Power, decision-making and material resources are distributed more equally between men and women. Tolerance of VAWG is reduced and people are more likely to recognise and challenge it Perpetrators are identified early Perpetrators are supported to change their behaviour Perpetrators are sanctioned / held to account Violence against women and girls is reduced / eradicated Negative impacts on women and children who have been affected by violence are reduced / eradicated

Question reference: S6W-25299

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 19 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community Project Limited since 2019.

Question reference: S6W-25303

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 16 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Dornoch and District Christian Fellowship since 2019.

Question reference: S6O-03113

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its current relationship with local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-25295

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Barbara Koerner Memorial Trust since 2019.

Question reference: S6W-24910

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to The Poverty Alliance since 2019.

The Scottish Government has provided The Poverty Alliance with funding to support a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring that the insights of people who have lived experienced of poverty inform policy and delivery. This is in addition to funding for the Living Wage Scotland Accreditation and Recognition Project which aims to increase the number of workers in Scotland receiving a pay increase to the real Living Wage, increase the number of Living Hours accredited employers, support policy development and grow the Living Wage movement.

Additional payments were also made to procure the development of guidance, venue hire and catering, travel expenses and the delivery of workshops.

Due to the volume of information, full detail of objectives for grant funding from 2019 onwards has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib. number 64875.

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