Chamber and committees

Public Health Scotland (PHS) follows statistical disclosure control (SDC) when publishing data, including those submitted for their most recent report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements.

PHS applies the SDC to data due to the sensitive nature of the topic, and to reduce the risk of identifying individuals, (especially those from small geographic areas) who in this case were the number of people accessing residential rehabilitation for substance use in River Garden.

The data was therefore suppressed and an asterisk used to denote this in the published report.

The Scottish Government will address the impact of changes to service provision on access and availability to alcohol and drug recovery services by continuing to ensure that the specific needs of women are considered in the design and delivery of services, and that a gendered approach is taken in all new or developing initiatives across the National Mission to reduce deaths and improve lives.

The Scottish Government provided specific funding of around £1.5m per year to Glasgow City Council to support the 218 Service. As a result of that funding relationship, Glasgow informed the Scottish Government of its plans to re-tender the service last year and discussions took place to confirm that the funding would still be available following that exercise.

Glasgow City Council has provided assurances that it worked closely with Turning Point Scotland to support individuals in transitioning to other support arrangements and that other services, including residential placements, are available to support people with similar needs. In particular, it has confirmed that all 218 service residents had moved on from the service as of 31 January 2024 – some residents naturally came to the end of their stay, while others moved back to their own tenancy or to accommodation with support.

As set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Action: Policy Package, Climate change action: policy package - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , we are developing a package of incentives schemes for deer management to pilot across Scotland. These local schemes will be implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management.

In addition to this the Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report. The responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course. In the meantime we are working on those DWG recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board. Deer Management Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

I will be responding directly to the EIS on the important issues raised around teacher workload in their most recent report.

I have also strengthened teacher union engagement in recent months through the creation of the Professional Association Forum, which allows for more routine engagement to discuss issues such as workload.

Any changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.

Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) are valued stakeholders and my officials at Transport Scotland engage frequently with the RTPs on various matters. However, whilst Strathclyde Partnership for Transport manages the Glasgow Subway, RTPs have no formal role in governance of ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper services.

Similarly, as bus services operate in a deregulated market, they are not subject to governance from local authorities or RTPs. However, local transport authorities, which include the model 3 RTPs, have a range of powers available to them in relation to bus services, including flexible tools available through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and the ability to subsidise services, where they consider these to be socially necessary. As such, my officials engage with them regularly in relation to bus services.

Scottish Government loss and damage funding of £10m is fully committed for the lifetime of this parliament, through to 2026.

We will utilise learning from our programmes to demonstrate to the world that funding loss and damage can take many forms, which we hope will inspire other governments, organisations and NGOs to be equally aspirational in their work to address loss and damage.

On aviation, the Scottish Government continues to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax (ADT) in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime. A Frequent-Flyer Levy has previously been discounted on the grounds that it would be disproportionately resource-intensive to administer. Upon implementation, the Scottish Government’s Air Departure Tax will apply to all affected flights, but without the need for recording the number of flights an individual has taken.

As a well-respected Global North Government, we continue to engage in discussions with governments, organisations and NGOs around the world who are also eager to ensure action on loss and damage is suitably funded. We continue to build meaningful and lasting international partnerships to mobilise action and ambition, and find solutions to address some of the key climate change issues; including through our position as co-chair of the Under 2 Coalition and engagement via the Regions4 Network.

The Scottish Government will continue to use its position to amplify the voices of the Global South and address the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalised people, especially young people and women. We continue to push for global ambition, recognising that $650m dollars of pledges so far is significant, but insufficient.

The Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) provides a total of at least £65 million for nature restoration projects led from communities across Scotland over this parliament. Financial decisions beyond that time will be announced as part of the annual budget process in the next parliament.

The Fair Fares Review, which was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland, reviewed the current provision of concessionary travel schemes and reaffirmed our commitment to maintain existing eligibility to the National Concessionary Travel Schemes for those who currently benefit.

Whilst the Scottish Government has no plans to extend the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 beyond the current eligibility criteria, the Review included a medium to long term recommended that further policy development be undertaken to consider better targeting of public funds towards supporting access to public transport for those who need it most, including consideration of concessionary travel support for those experiencing financial poverty.

The Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website. Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland .

The Fair Fares Review was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland.

The review considered the scope of both the Young Persons’ Scheme and Older and Disabled Persons Scheme, which provide free bus travel and were established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.

The Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland .

The Fair Fares Review was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland.

The review considered the current provision of concessionary travel schemes, including both the Young Persons’ Scheme and Older and Disabled Persons Scheme, which provide free bus travel and were established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.

The Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website. Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland .