Chamber and committees

Circular CCD5/2003 provides guidance on the operation of free personal and nursing care and remains in operation.

We are aware of an inconsistency between this guidance and the Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance, around the availability of the integrated route of purchasing care and will seek to resolve this at an early opportunity.

The Scottish Government has just recently received a copy of The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland. The report and the recommendations within it will be considered as part of our refresh of our youth employment strategy.

The Scottish Government has just recently received a copy of The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland. The report and the recommendations within it will be considered as part of our refresh of our youth employment strategy.

The Scottish Government is investing £40 million in the new Fastlink scheme which will see, for the first time, direct transport from three main sites in the city centre (Buchanan Bus Station, Queen Street and Central Station) to the South Glasgow University Hospital campus. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are also investing a further £5.2 million as part of a detailed travel plan, which will improve accessibility to the new South Glasgow University Hospital campus. Improved public transport routes, traffic controls in the surrounding area and upgrading works to the local road network are all being implemented.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises that public transport connections are crucial and that is why it is working closely with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to ensure that investment is targeted at communities where there is currently poorer public transport links. As well as the new Fastlink service, the board recognises that a bus service is key to improving access to the site from South Glasgow and East Renfrewshire and intends to commission a new version of an existing bus service to continue directly into the site when the new hospital opens.

We share the ambitions of the report from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. That is why we responded quickly to the final report of the commission in June 2014, and have allocated £5 million of a £12 million budget in 2014-15 for early action:

£1 million to support the establishment of new regional employer partnerships;

£3 million for a skills package including pilots of foundation apprenticeships, allowing young people to start training while still at school; pilots of advanced apprenticeships in key skills sectors; developing our careers service; addressing gender segregation; and assisting young disabled people and minority groups with training and employment programmes;

£0.5 million to enable Education Scotland to bring a sharper focus on supporting young people towards work; and £0.5 million as part of a new £1 million government fund for establishing Investors in Young People accolade for business.

Our 2015-16 draft Budget includes a further £16.6 million for Young Workforce implementation, building on our work to create a world class vocational education system, for example, the programme has already engaged around 800 primary head teachers through national events. Most recently, on 9 November 2014, we announced that Rob Woodward, Chief Executive of STV, will chair our National Invest in Young People Group.

All this illustrates our close working with delivery partners, particularly local government, and employers, and that we are making good progress. We will publish a full implementation plan in the context of a refreshed youth employment strategy by the end of the year.

The Scottish Police Authority receives funding from the Scottish Government to enable the effective delivery of the statutory policing principles and functions set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

In doing so, it is for the Scottish Police Authority to decide how the funding is to be used within the terms set out in the agreed strategic plan, the Governance and Accountability Framework, the Scottish Public Finance Manual, and any relevant guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Police Authority has a permanent corporate structure in place which covers a number of areas including provision of legal services. The employment of staff is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority.

It is for the Scottish Police Authority to decide on how the funding it receives from the Scottish Government is to be used within the terms set out in the agreed strategic plan, the Governance and Accountability Framework, the Scottish Public Finance Manual, and any relevant guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government works closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate supply of registered midwives to meet future workforce requirements and to ensure a sustainable model of pre-registration and post-registration midwifery education provision.

The pre-registration midwifery programme provision across all Scottish universities is reviewed annually as part of the intake modelling, funding and performance management processes. This has allowed ongoing review of programme delivery, recruitment, progression and completion on all programmes.

To support the transition process, Scottish Government provided funding to all three remaining midwifery schools.

Reviewing the impact, NHS Education for Scotland annual data demonstrates a strong and sustained pattern of recruitment, progression and completion at the three remaining providers and an appropriate level of support to any students remaining on programmes at the three other institutions.