Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07245 on 8 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Since its launch in 2013 we have supported more than 59,000 training places through the Employability Fund, giving unemployed individuals the support they need to move towards and into work. This of course sits alongside our wider package of employability support such as Community Jobs Scotland, Scotland’s Employer Recruitment Incentive and Modern Apprenticeships.

The UK government spending review of November 2015 was hugely challenging to the devolved Scottish budgets, including employability. Despite the severe restrictions imposed we were able to commit to supporting a further 11,650 Employability Fund training opportunities in 2016-17.

Responses to the Open Market Review outline the commercial investment plans of communications providers and, as such, are commercially sensitive. On that basis, responses will not be published. However, we will publicly consult on a proposed intervention area for the Reaching 100% programme, which will be based on these responses.

A public consultation on the draft intervention area for our Reaching 100% programme will be launched once the evaluation of Open Market Review responses is complete. We expect the public consultation to launch late Spring 2017.

Researchers can apply to the Chief Scientist Office for funding. The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.

http://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/funding-2/

Applications looking at possible links between football and dementia are welcomed. In common with all other applications, these would go through the CSO's standard independent peer review process.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish FA are in regular contact to discuss a range of issues. This has included discussion on the issue of potential links between heading a football and dementia. We take these issues very seriously, and will work with partners on the developing research, including the study recently commissioned by UEFA, the Governing Body for football in Europe, and the summit meeting proposed by Alzheimer Scotland.

The National Standards for forensic examinations in cases of sexual violence will be rolled out soon after they are developed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which is expected by the end of 2017.

Our Permanence And Care Excellence (PACE) programme is working in a number of local authority areas to determine how outcomes for Looked After Children can be improved. The issue of therapeutic support forms part of the discussions in these areas.

The framework is currently used by a number of public bodies, and the specific number of interpreters employed or contracted is not held centrally. Central data focusses on the number of assignments, some of which may deploy multiple interpreters.

The Scottish Government does not record which meetings are minuted and which are not, nor does it record the reasons for this decision.

Officials are encouraged to carefully consider the need for an official record of the meetings they convene. It is at the discretion of the meeting organiser and/ or chairperson as to whether minutes are taken. It is also their responsibility to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the minutes when they are taken and to ensure they are shared and recorded appropriately.