Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07634 on 21 April 2022. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07634 on 21 April 2022. 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 is committed to supporting the social care workforce and as part of this we have engaged with both COSLA and Scottish Care on this matter. COSLA has informed us that they would expect those working in a local government setting will receive the full 45p per mile rate set by HMRC. We will continue to engage with partners on this emerging issue.

Mileage rates, that is the rate per hour that can be claimed back against tax, is set by the UK Government and allows employers to set a mileage rate of up to 45p per hour for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter. The actual allowance paid is a matter for individual employers. We are however aware of the pressures faced by social care staff and will continue to engage with partners to consider how providers can best support their staff.

With regards to this specific question, we do not currently hold this information, this would be a matter for individuals based on a range of factors about their own working lives. Employers are able to claim up to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter, as per the current rates set by UK Government.

We are engaging with stakeholders to better understand the scope and nature of the pressures facing the social care workers, who provide an invaluable service to the people of Scotland.

Allowances for fuel that are paid to social care workers are a matter for individual employers and are not set by the Scottish Government. We are, however, actively engaged with our partners, including local government, to understand what impact the increase in fuel prices is having across Scotland, and how social care providers can support their staff to ensure they can continue to deliver the invaluable support they provide.

Table 1 – deaths from thrombosis-related conditions, 2008-2020

The Scottish Government takes the rate of inflation into account when making its spending decisions, but does not index or base all its spending decisions on a single specific measure of inflation.

The most frequently used measure of inflation is the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), prepared by the Office of National Statistics. The most recent data shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 7.0% in the 12 months to March 2022, up from 6.2% in February 2022.

Scottish Government's official forecaster is the Scottish Fiscal Commission, who in their December 2021 publication stated that CPI inflation for 2022 Q3 will be 3.9%. They will publish an updated forecast in May of this year.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of racism, including antisemitism. We adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism in June 2017. This is the Scottish Government position and it applies to all Ministers. We encourage all bodies to sign up to the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

We are actively engaged in consultation with Jewish students, Jewish community organisations, and stakeholders in higher education as part of our wider approach to tackling antisemitism.

On 23 February 2022, I held a round table discussion on antisemitism in higher education with Jewish students, representatives from the Jewish community, and stakeholders from the higher education sector. The event was organised in response to a letter from the Union of Jewish Students regarding universities and the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

It was an opportunity for students to share their experiences of antisemitism and also to hear from stakeholders about the work they are doing to confront this issue in practice. The discussion was very productive, with all parties agreeing to undertake positive actions to address antisemitism on campus going forward.

The Scottish Government closely monitors all emerging evidence on COVID-19 treatments and their clinical effectiveness.

On 17 March 2022, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that it had granted a Conditional Marketing Authorisation for Evusheld in Great Britain . The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is carrying out further testing on the treatment’s effectiveness against Omicron and its sub-variants. As part of the additional testing being undertaken by the UKHSA, an assessment of the most appropriate patient groups which could potentially benefit, as well as the deployment and administration process for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is also being considered. Once completed, these results will help inform any decisions on next steps for this treatment, including whether this medicine is procured and made available to patients. The Scottish Government will therefore closely monitor the outcome of this additional testing to ensure that any decisions to make Evusheld available to patients in Scotland are based on the best available evidence.