Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), including those in the Lothian Region, have devolved responsibility for the strategic planning and decision making for all functions delegated to them, including autism services for autistic adults and children in line with their statutory responsibilities under the Public Bodies (Scotland) Act (2014). These devolved responsibilities will include respite services and means that HSCPs have a major role to play in designing and ensuring delivery of local autism strategies and action plans, alongside service users, parents and carers, NHS Boards, local authority colleagues in housing, education, other relevant local services which may not be delegated to the HSCP, and services delivered by other community planning partners should also be involved.

COPFS is developing a protocol to support effective consultation between pathologists instructed by the Crown and the defence. This work is ongoing. The completion of that work and publication date of any consultation protocol will be informed by the responses from forensic pathologists and consultation with the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates. It is therefore not possible to confirm an expected publication date at this time.

Health and Social Care Partnerships have devolved responsibility for the strategic planning and decision making for all functions delegated to them, including autism services for autistic adults and children in line with their statutory responsibilities under the Public Bodies (Scotland) Act (2014). This means they have a major role to play in designing and ensuring delivery of local autism strategies and action plans, alongside NHS Boards and local authority colleagues in housing, education, Health Boards and other relevant local services which may not be delegated to the IA, and services delivered by other community planning partners.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to each partnership area through the Scottish Strategy for Autism to enable the innovation and development of autism services across Scotland. The Scottish Government will publish full details of the Strategy spend to date when it publishes the strategies priorities for 2018 to 2021 later in March.

We are able to provide information on contracts awarded after March 2016 when the Scottish Government introduced a single contracts database for contracts worth more than £50,000. Gathering information on contracts awarded prior to this date could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require the search of historical databases and hard-copy archives.

Since March 2016 the Scottish Government has requested and received Parent Company Guarantees from two contractors. This represents 2% of contracts listed and 0.6% of contract values listed.

We are able to provide information on contracts awarded after March 2016 when the Scottish Government introduced a single contracts database for contracts worth more than £50,000. Gathering information on contracts awarded prior to this date could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require the search of historical databases and hard-copy archives.

For contracts awarded since March 2016, the Scottish Government has twice sought and received Parent Company Guarantees following assessment of a company’s financial records. These were both sought after the tendering process but before signing the contract.

If financial checks reveal issues during a tendering process public bodies can choose not to contract with a bidder. They may also ask for further assurances such as Banker’s Guarantees or Parent Company Guarantees. One example is the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s agreement with Carillion where a parent company guarantee was sought and received. Unfortunately, the parent company went into liquidation meaning that the Parent Company Guarantee offered no protection.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the lives of autistic people, their families and carers through the Scottish Strategy for Autism. The initial £13.4million allocated to the strategy has been spent and used to help embed the strategy across local and national services and has focussed on key areas including diagnosis, education and transitions. This funding has also been used to support local and national projects working with autistic people, their families and carers through the Autism Innovation and Development fund.

Current funding is provided to the strategy on an annual basis subject to the UK wide spending review in line with all other Scottish Government departments.

The Scottish Government will publish full details of the Strategy spend to date when it publishes the strategies priorities for 2018 to 2021 later in March.

Self-directed support is the approach that Scotland takes to mainstream social care. An extensive programme of implementation has taken place since the Act came into force in 2014.

Over the period 2015-18, Scottish Government has invested into the Support in the Right Direction (£8.7m) and Innovation (£3.6m) funding streams. 55 third sector projects have been supported to seek creative solutions with people accessing social care which enable them to have more choice and control. As part of this programme SG has funded a project (Peace of Mind) to support users to pool budgets and explore how they could use social care budgets for a small number of hours of support to access services.

The Scottish Government will in 2021 review the evidence and evaluate the impact of the Scottish Strategy for Autism across Scotland. We will also report on our progress towards the priorities during 2020.

The scope and remit of the stakeholder group will be decided at its first meeting.

One of the Commission's recommendations was for the Commissioner for Fair Access to consider what further work is required to support equal access for other groups of learners. The Commissioner has confirmed that he will be looking at access issues for students with a disability as part of his programme of work for 2018.

Platform 12 extension works at Edinburgh Waverley were successfully completed to enable introduction of electric services in December 2017. The crossover between platforms 10 and 11 was successfully installed during the Christmas period.

The sale process recently concluded with Amey Rail Limited for Carillion’s Rail contracts, excludes projects in Scotland. Network Rail has therefore implemented their contingency arrangements for the projects in Scotland previously being undertaken by Carillion.

Network Rail expect to enter into new contracts with other suppliers for the delivery of the Waverley of the platform 5 & 6 extension works as part of the Department for Transport’s Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and, for the commissioning of the crossover between platforms 10 and 11.

Network Rail has been liaising with special managers appointed by pwc and existing commitments remain in place to protect Carillion staff and suppliers.