Chamber and committees

The Children and Young People’s (Scotland) Act 2014 puts into Scottish law the requirement under the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to seek the views of children in services planning. The Children's Rights and Services Planning Working Group, which includes members from local authorities, NHS boards and the third sector, has a remit to oversee and advise on the national support for the implementation of Part 1 (sections 2 and 3) public authorities duties to report on the UNCRC, and Part 3, children’s services planning duties on behalf of Scottish Ministers. This includes the development of statutory guidance and regulations, and ensuring that appropriate and effective participation and engagement takes place in the preparation for the new duties.

The remit will also include how statutory guidance will reflect the need for children’s services plans to provide for children’s services both universal and targeted (including for disabled children), as well as reflecting Part 3 requirements to provide services in a local area which support wellbeing, prevention and early intervention, are integrated and make the best use of resources.

Consistent with ministers’ responsibilities within Part 1 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, once commenced, child impact assessment screening will be undertaken in relation to all proposed new Government legislation and policies. Full child impact assessments will be completed where initial screening indicates any relevant impact on the rights and wellbeing of children in Scotland. A template and supporting guidance, for such assessments is being prepared currently.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and provide auxiliary aids and services to avoid substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled children. In addition, service providers have a duty to actively deal with inequality, and to prevent direct disability discrimination, indirect disability discrimination and discrimination arising from disability and harassment or victimisation on the basis, or a perceived basis, of protected characteristics, including disability. It is for individual service providers to ensure that they comply with these duties.

In addition, under the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 responsible bodies have duties to develop and publish accessibility strategies to increase pupils access to the curriculum, access to the physical environment of schools and improving communication with disabled pupils. Also education authorities and other agencies have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including disabled pupils.

Furthermore, the Children's Rights and Services Planning Working Group, which includes members from local authorities, NHS boards and the third sector, oversees and advises on the national support and engagement required for the implementation of Children’s Services Planning duties (Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 - Part 3), including the development of statutory guidance and regulations. This will include how statutory guidance will reflect the need for Children’s Services Plans to provide for children’s services both universal and targeted (including for disabled children), as well as reflecting Part 3 requirements to provide services in a local area which: support wellbeing, prevention and early intervention, are integrated and make the best use of resources.

We have allocated an additional £10 million in 2015-16 to support the delivery of improved cycling and walking infrastructure, and to support its use and help people make smarter travel choices.

We will make further announcements on this funding in due course and have written to Spokes confirming the 2015-16 budget for cycling and walking.

Revenue funding of £70.5 million over two years has been agreed and confirmed to deliver the commitment to free school meals for p1-p3 and in September 2014, we were pleased to agree with COSLA capital funding for local government of £24.8 million in 2014-15.

These figures are confirmed by the latest local government finance circular, which was published on 11 December 2014, and provides a breakdown by local authority: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/11203

The school curriculum in Scotland is non-statutory and decisions about what topics are covered and how they are covered, are left to the professional judgement of teachers and not government ministers. Education Scotland provides support for teachers and schools to ensure that the curriculum remains relevant, engaging and inspiring for all learners. Their Studying Scotland website contains a section on Great Scots, which includes historical figures, modern day and past entrepreneurs, performers and sports men and women. An entry on Andrew Carnegie will appear very shortly on the website.

The UK Coal Authority is the licensing authority for underground coal gasification in Scotland and the UK.

The Scottish Government will take a cautious, responsible, evidence-based approach to the development of new energy technologies, such as underground coal gasification. This should give security and confidence to the people of Scotland that such resources would only be developed if it can be done in an environmentally safe and satisfactory way.

It is the Scottish Government’s understanding that no decision has been taken by the Australian Government to ban underground coal gasification developments.

The Scottish Government is clear that the deployment of new energy technologies like underground coal gasification can only happen if they are in line with our environmental objectives and regulatory requirements. Protection of the environment is of prime importance.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has statutory responsibility for the protection of Scotland’s water environment. It has powers under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 to regulate activities that interact with our water environment.

The application form for the Emergency Food Fund set out five criteria, which were:

Projects which will help respond to immediate demands for emergency food aid and help address the underlying causes of food poverty;

Projects which can demonstrate a partnership approach;

Projects that build more sustainable local solutions to food poverty;

Projects that adopt an assets-based approach;

Project costs.