Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-259 on 13 June 2011. All answers to parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-259 on 13 June 2011. All answers to parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Students placements appear under the financial year in which the placement started. Due to internal structural changes not all DGs/agencies were in existence throughout the three year period. Where a DG/agency did not exist in that financial year the entry has been left blank.

The tables show the information we hold on our HR system for the number of paid student placements in the periods requested by Director General. In addition to these, we also offered a number of unpaid work experience placements.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing 40 work experience opportunities for students within the current financial year.

We receive many approaches from students and colleges/universities seeking opportunities within the Scottish Government; we do not advertise any specific schemes. Some specialist business areas do, on occasion, approach relevant learning institutes to make them aware of potential opportunities.

The Scottish Government has, in previous years, run an annual diversity placement scheme specifically for ethnic minority and disabled graduates and undergraduates. These diversity placements were advertised on university vacancy boards and with specific ethnic minority and disability employment organisations, including LINKnet and Skillnet, working with their support officers to identify suitable candidates and opportunities. This approach is currently being reviewed.

(a) Information on Scottish Government statistics is held by output rather than by source and is published at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/Products/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on.

An exercise to list all sources was carried out in 2009, the results of which are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/Datarequirement.

The Scottish Government often use data that is already collected as part of administration systems for statistical purposes. Information on the use of administration systems for statistical purposes is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/StatementAdminSources/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on.

Information on social research products is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/research.

Information on data collection exercises by Public Bodies, including Agencies is not held centrally.

(b) The following table lists all organisations commission to conduct social research on behalf of the Scottish Government since January 2010.

Table of Organisations Commission to Conduct Social Research on Behalf of the Scottish Government since January 2010*

Note: *Table may exclude a small number of organisations commission for statistical data collections

(c) All social research commissioned by the Scottish Government is commissioned with procurement support from the Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate who work with the Scottish Public Procurement Toolkit which adheres to the thresholds required for EU advertisements and is in full accordance with the EU directives. The vast majority of statistical work is commissioned through competitive tender.

Scottish Government officials have met City of Edinburgh Council officials on three occasions between March and May 2011 to discuss the School Leaver Destination Report and how they can provide focused support to the authority to improve school leaver destinations.

Scottish Government officials are now carrying out an agreed review of transition planning from school to college, the outcome of which will be an action plan to drive continuous improvement in local service delivery for young people.

David MacBrayne Ltd (DML) operates in a commercial environment providing ferry services under contracts won through competitive tendering. It is appropriate for DML to make pay arrangements that reflect this environment and the associated labour market. A decision was therefore taken in 2008 that DML should not be subject to public sector pay policy.

In conveying this decision to the company, it was made clear that DML must continue to control pay costs closely, through affordable pay settlements.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is a specialist organisation funded by a levy income met by the Scottish red meat supply chain. QMS receives no direct grant in aid from the Scottish Government. In the light of these factors and in response to representations from the organisation, it was decided in 2009 that it was no longer appropriate for QMS to be covered by public sector pay policy. In reaching pay settlements, QMS is required to have regard to the thresholds that apply to public sector pay in Scotland.

When the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) was established, it was decided and announced that the body would not be subject to public sector pay policy. This was to provide SFT with the scope and flexibility needed to recruit and retain staff with specific commercial, legal and other experience and skills which are not generally available in the public sector.

SFT’s pay arrangements are overseen by the body’s remuneration committee and must be affordable within the overall budget agreed by the Parliament.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-456 on 10 June 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government has not carried out a formal impact assessment of the proposed changes to the child maintenance system. However, the proposals in the UK Government’s Green Paper (http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/strengthening-families.shtml) and in the Bill will impact on families in Scotland. In particular, the Green Paper proposes that, with some exceptions, parents who choose to enter the UK Government’s statutory child maintenance system will be charged. The Green Paper did not take account of Scotland: for example, family support services are organised differently in Scotland, with some of them receiving funding from the Scottish Government, and the Family Justice Review referred to in the Green Paper does not extend to Scotland. We have opened a dialogue with the Department for Work and Pensions on their proposals and will continue to discuss the proposals with the UK Government.

As the healthy start scheme is administered by the Department of Health, the detailed information requested is currently being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52939).

Responsibility for ensuring benefit and tax credit uptake lies with the UK Government, however the Scottish Government recognises that providing national and local services that support benefit uptake can significantly increase household income. Through the Achieving Our Potential budget, the Scottish Government continues to fund some innovative initiatives which work with people to ensure that they receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Macmillan Cancer Support has been allocated £406,500 this financial year to continue to provide income maximisation across the five cancer treatment centres in Scotland and in two NHS boards for patients with long-term conditions.

Linkwide has received £300,000 to continue their older people’s advice service, which provides an outreach support and advice service in Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian to vulnerable older people with a particular emphasis on clients who have health problems, or who live in remote areas.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde received over £1 million for the Healthier, Wealthier Children project in 2009-11, which continues to provide financial inclusion and other support to vulnerable families in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, with a multi-agency approach to referrals and intervention.

Citizens Advice Direct continues to receive £80,000 this financial year to provide telephone benefit checks to those people referred through the Energy Assistance Package and Home Insulation Scheme.

The Child Poverty Action Group provides a second tier advice service and has received £408,000 this year to deliver the second tier advice, information and training services, and the Benefits for Students Training, Advice and Information Service. This offers advice, training and support to frontline staff that are in contact with households that are likely to be entitled to benefits and tax credits.

In addition, a number of organisations and initiatives receive Scottish Government funding to provide a wide range of support to individuals and families which includes benefits advice, for example Parenting in Scotland, Citizens Advice Direct, Contact-a-Family and the Family Nurse Partnership.

It’s important to note that the majority of services to support benefit entitlement are provided by local government and their third sector partners funded through the local government settlement.