Chamber and committees

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) publish the Courts Data Scotland bulletin on a quarterly basis, which provides national level information on confiscation order penalties.

The recording of sex or gender in crime reporting and case management is an operational matter for Police Scotland. The Scottish Government expect Police Scotland to ensure its recording practices are compliant with legal obligations and support accurate, consistent data collection. The Scottish Government also recognises the importance of public confidence in how sensitive crimes are recorded and investigated. Police Scotland is currently undertaking a review of their recording and use of data relating to sex and gender.

Whilst the Scottish Government is not a social care employer, we are working with key stakeholders, including COSLA, trade unions and provider representatives to introduce sectoral bargaining for commissioned social care services.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific analysis of the impact of the recent NHS pay deal on recruitment and retention in the adult social care sector, however for this financial year we are investing £125 million to enable adult social care workers in the third and private sectors to be paid at least the Real Living Wage rate, which takes the estimated total investment to deliver this policy up to £950 million.

This £12.60 per hour minimum pay rate that came into effect in April 2025 represents an increase of 5%.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-04747 on 4 June 2025 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament.

The Scottish Government strongly supports the production of accurate statistics, based on the transparent recording of information. In terms of crime-related Official statistics in Scotland, it is a matter for relevant public bodies that collect information on sex to establish the best approach in their individual institutional settings. For all Official statistics, producers are required to follow the Code of Practice for Statistics, which states that organisations should commit to releasing their statistics in an open and transparent manner that promotes confidence. In 2021, the Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance on the collection of data on sex and gender for public bodies in Scotland. This guidance recommends that statistics producers should collect and publish data that best serves the needs of users in their specific context, an approach that aligns with the guidance published by the Office for Statistics Regulation in 2024. The Scottish Government has committed to reviewing its guidance on collecting data on sex and gender by the end of 2026 as part of the Non-Binary Equality Action Plan.

Where a confiscation order has been made by the court, payment of the order is supervised by the Court which imposed it.

Where payment is not made within the time permitted by the Court the case will be brought back before the Court at which time further enforcement to recover the outstanding balance will be considered. That may include, for example, the appointment of an administrator who will undertake the ingathering and management of realisable property.

Recovered monies from confiscation orders are remitted to the Scottish Consolidated Fund which goes towards the Cashback for Communities Programme.

The Scottish Government has committed £156m to the Programme since 2008, which supports young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system and the communities most affected by crime through various projects, including youth work, employability support, creative arts, and sports projects.

The Programme prioritises young people living in the bottom 20% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) or with protected characteristics which may increase risk of being drawn into anti-social or offending behaviour.

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing delayed discharges and addressing the variation in delays across the country and this remains a priority for this Government. However, it is important to reflect that 97% of all discharges happen without delay.

The latest published delayed discharge figures show some progress in reducing the number of people delayed, and we continue to work to drive that number down further. Statistics show that during April 2025, on average 1,854 people were delayed in hospital each day, 3% fewer than in April 2024, the lowest level since October 2023, and a 9% reduction from the peak in October 2024.

The progress comes off the back off intensive work that is being done on a whole system basis, with Health and Social Care Partnerships, the National Health Service, Local Government and community and voluntary sector partners – to ensure that capacity is there to support them.

Furthermore, our budget for 2025-26 set out a clear plan to reduce waiting times, delayed discharges and improve hospital flow, supported by £200 million in targeted investment. Underpinning this is the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan which was published on the 31st of March this year. This is a plan to improve access to treatment, shift the balance of care from acute services to the community, and improve access to health and social care services through digital and technological innovation and prevention.

I am confident that this improvement can continue, delivering better outcomes for patients so that they are cared for in the right setting and hospital beds are there for those who need them.

It is a matter for Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine to meet the needs of their local population. However, in response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards who provide regional services across Scotland for children and adults with neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families who have children with DMD, and this is now underway. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all those who eligible to ensure fair and equitable access across Scotland.