<>The Scottish Government published Conserve and Save: The Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland in October 2010. This plan introduced, for the first time, a headline target to reduce final energy (end-use) consumption by 12% by 2020 using a 2005-07 baseline as published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The latest DECC energy trends data indicated that overall, Scotland is on track to meet the 12% 2020 target for final maximum energy consumption. The Scottish Government does not hold centrally information broken down by individual sector.

The overarching Scotland target of 12% establishes a minimum level of ambition for all sectors, including the public sector. The Carbon Trust have helped to support over 140 public bodies to ensure that appropriate energy saving performance and targets are included within Carbon Management Plans. They report that implemented measures in 2011-12 have saved the Public Sector around 398 GWh of energy, generating annual cost savings of nearly £4.3 million. The Scottish Government does not hold centrally detailed Carbon Management Plan information.

The Scottish Government published Conserve and Save: The Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland in October 2010. This plan introduced, for the first time, a headline target to reduce final energy (end-use) consumption by 12% by 2020 using a 2005-07 baseline as published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The latest DECC energy trends data indicated that overall, Scotland is on track to meet the 12% 2020 reduction target for final maximum energy consumption.

The Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with around £11.5 billion in 2012-13. Orkney Islands Council will receive over £76 million this year, whilst Shetland Islands Council will receive over £98.5 million. The vast majority of this funding, including funding for ferry services, is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of each local authority, as an independent corporate body, to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Information on how much Island Councils pay their employees annually in distant islands allowance is not held centrally. This is a matter for councils as independent corporate bodies responsible for the pay and conditions of service of their employees.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is responsible for supporting, ensuring and monitoring the quality of NHS care, including that of older people.

Integrated working between health and social care scrutiny bodies is important in assuring the quality of care, including that of older people. This joined up working will continue to be important as we move towards the integration of health and social care.

The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 provides for a range of powers to enable multi-agency and joint inspections to take place and the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and other scrutiny bodies have a duty to co-operate and co-ordinate their activity to improve the scrutiny of health and social care services.

(a) GPs

Health boards are required to ensure that care provided to older people by GPs is consistent with their contractual requirements and the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice. Under the Quality and Outcomes Framework or enhanced services elements of the GP contract, boards may also have specific pathways identified detailing care of the elderly, and these would be monitored as part of the contract review process.

(b) NHS

HIS is responsible for supporting, ensuring and monitoring the quality of NHS care, including that of older people. HIS is required by law to prepare an inspection plan which is approved by Scottish ministers. The 2012-13 plan focuses on a range of areas including, the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, assuring the Care of Older People in Acute Hospitals, independent Healthcare Regulation, Scrutiny of Children’s Services and Inspections of Healthcare in Prisons. The plan will include both announced and unannounced inspections.

(c) Social Work departments

The Care Inspectorate ensures that the social work component of all regulated care services, including home care for older people, is inspected in two ways: at local authority level as part of the wider scrutiny of local authority services and at individual registered care service level to inspect the quality of care delivered by individual service providers, including local authorities.

(d) (i) Integrated

On 8 May 2012 I launched a consultation (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/05/6469) on proposals for integration of adult health and social care.

The Scottish Government recognises that effective collaborative working with external scrutiny partners will be important, and will work with the Care Inspectorate, HIS and the Mental Welfare Commission to ensure an appropriately integrated approach to reviewing the quality of service and outcomes is achieved.

(d) (ii) Individual Care Providers

The Care Inspectorate undertakes annual unannounced inspections of certain services for the elderly, including home care. The Care Inspectorate inspects the quality of the care services provided to individuals, including whether the package of care agreed with the social work care manager and recorded in the single shared assessment is indeed being delivered and regularly reviewed and whether it results in positive outcomes for individual service users. The inspection process also includes consulting with individuals in receipt of the care service, their carers and relatives and other professionals such as GPs to seek wider views about the quality of service being offered.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08816 on 23 August 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government is not considering establishing any fixed infrastructure links between the Shetland Islands. Our plans are described within the Scottish Government’s 2011 Infrastructure Investment Plan.

As was highlighted by Audit Scotland in their Best Value review of Highlands and Islands, the Scottish Government has already provided enhanced levels of capital funding to the service. It is a matter for Highlands and Islands Joint Fire and Rescue Board, with the help of a peer support team as required, to prioritise and effectively manage capital projects until the establishment of the new single service, when it will then be a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to take forward.

Issues arising from sickness absence and attendance management are matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Authorities.