Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10989 on 3 October 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

At present, and in line with previous UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendations, there is no lung screening programme in Scotland to expand. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10989 on 3 October 2022, regarding the UK NSC’s recent recommendation to move towards the implementation of a targeted screening programme for lung cancer in adults aged 55–74 with a history of smoking.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09651 on 19 July 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

As the tax authority with responsibility for the collection and management of Scotland’s devolved taxes, Revenue Scotland publishes monthly and annual data on its website regarding the number of property conveyances and non-residential leases subject to the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) and the associated tax liabilities. These are available at https://revenue.scot/news-publications/publications/statistics .

Local authority level data is published on an annual basis, as part of Revenue Scotland’s Annual Summary of Trends in the Devolved Taxes. The report for‎ 2020-21, which provides data for the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2021, is available at: Annual Summary of Trends in the Devolved Taxes 2020-2021 | Revenue Scotland . The report for 2021-2022 is due to be published in November or December 2022.

In particular, the ‘Data for Figure 19’ tab in the figures and tables file of this publication includes estimates of gross ADS declared due for qualifying conveyances by local authority and year. This tab also includes information on the proportion of ADS revenue which taxpayers did or did not intend to reclaim in each local authority area.

We are working closely with local authorities and COSLA to speed up the matching process and increase the numbers of displaced people moving into host accommodation. We are asking councils to ensure all private offers in their area have been subject to disclosure checks before being paired with a displaced person. We are also ensuring accommodation checks are carried out so that properties being offered are appropriate for the matched guests. And of course, new hosts continually come into the process.

The Scottish Government has committed £11.2 million in funding to increase capacity of resettlement teams, support refurbishment of properties, and enhance the pace of host checks.

The Scottish Government has published statistics on the number of displaced people being supported in welcome accommodation, progress in conducting checks on volunteer hosts, and the performance of the national matching service: Key points - Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This information will be published on a regular basis.

Whilst we continue to face economic challenges and a cost of living crisis the Scottish Government remains committed to investing in employability and training to help the economy recover. We are committed to transforming employment support to simplify the landscape and deliver better outcomes for people who are further removed from Scotland’s labour market to achieve their full potential.

Through our No One Left Behind partnership approach we are delivering employability services that are flexible, person-centred, integrated and aligned with other key services including health, justice, housing and advice services. As support is tailored to meet individual need, the offer will vary from person to person, However, examples of employability support offered through No One Left Behind and Fair Start Scotland, our first iteration of devolved employment provision nationally includes, but is not limited to; debt and money advice, CV writing and interview preparation including mock interviews and sector-specific training, advice and guidance on childcare options and financial assistance towards immediate costs, financial support towards clothing and travel costs for interviews. In-work support is also offered, ensuring support and guidance is available to both individuals and employers as appropriate to help the individual sustain employment.

The Scottish Government has not held discussions about a single UK-wide missing persons database.

Since 2016, Police Scotland has recorded detailed statistical information on their National Missing Persons Database (NMPD) of every missing person investigation it has undertaken. In 2019, Police Scotland rolled out the National Missing Persons Application (NMPA) across the entire force, replacing NMPD, to provide available details that help officers make informed investigative decisions to trace a missing person as quickly and safely as possible.

All UK forces inform the National Crime Agency if a person has been missing for more than 72 hours. If Police Scotland have reason to believe that a person has travelled to another part of the UK they will contact and work with that force directly.

The Scottish Government recognises that there may be instances where a host relationship breaks down. Where a relationship breaks down, the displaced person can make contact with their local authority who will re-enter them to the matching process and find a suitable alternative accommodation.

It is important to recognise that matching people with hosts is a complex process. Time must be taken to ensure that the needs of both the host family and Ukrainians are met, and that both are suitably supported to make a decision that is right for them. Their housing and support needs and preferences will be assessed and the matching service will seek to match them with accommodation suitable for their needs. Where additional needs are identified, they will be directed to specialist local authority support teams.

We have made £11.2m of additional funding available to local authorities, which they can use to bolster their resettlement teams, enhance the pace of host checks, and support refurbishment of properties. In addition we have funded additional staff in local authorities to speed up the process and we are also introducing a new digital matching tool to support the matching process. We are currently reviewing the operation of the super sponsor scheme, including measures to improve matching.

The Scottish Government recognises that there may be instances where a host relationship breaks down. Where a relationship breaks down, it is the responsibility of local authorities to re-enter a displaced person into the matching process and find a suitable alternative accommodation.

On 22 September, the Scottish Government published its first summary of the latest Scotland-level data and information on people displaced by the war in Ukraine coming to Scotland through the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme visa schemes which provides detail on matching progress: Key points - Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .