Chamber and committees

Electricity network policy and regulation are reserved matters, and the responsibility of the UK Government and Ofgem respectively. However, the Scottish Government works closely with each of these to ensure that Scottish policies, priorities and circumstances, such as our Energy Strategy and Climate Change plan are fully reflected in the relevant decision making processes.

We know how important it is to ensure that the electricity distribution infrastructure in Scotland is able to support the anticipated growth in electric vehicles, as well as the wider decarbonisation of the whole energy system in Scotland. The Scottish Government is working closely with Scotland’s distribution network owners, given their vital role in helping to fulfil the Scottish Government's ambition – set out in the 2017-18 Programme for Government – to phase out the need for petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032.

This will include collaborating on modelling work to help identify where distribution network upgrades may be required, which may affect determination a number of applications for which we are responsible under section 37 of the Electricity Act, and to inform the nature of the investment and regulatory decisions which the network companies will need to ask of Ofgem as part of the price control process.

Our Networks Vision Statement, which we committed to produce within our Energy Strategy and which aim to publish before the end of this year, will set out more detail on how we expect Scotland’s electricity and gas networks to develop and to support the transition to a low carbon economy over the coming decades.

Homeopathic Outpatient appointments are not covered by Waiting Time Standards and Boards are not therefore required to provide this information to Information Services Division (ISD) for publication. The information requested is not therefore held centrally. The question asks about the number of outpatient referrals to Homeopathy. Three Boards have provided ISD with data on the number of new outpatient attendance for homeopathy and integrative care. These numbers are not necessarily the same as the number of referrals as a person referred may not attend the appointment.

Figures in the following table shows the number of New Outpatient attendances, by Board, for the last five financial years:

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18492 on 24 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18492 on 24 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

This has not been discussed with the Scottish Government. It is entirely a matter for the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.

Any changes made to the legal aid system via primary or secondary legislation are subject to a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment. There is no requirement to assess impact of regulations on the number of new entrants to the criminal legal aid sector as part of this assessment.

Crime has been reducing over several years and since 2013 the number of criminal case reports to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has reduced from 293,671 to 177,801, a reduction of nearly 39%. In that same period the number of criminal legal aid providers has reduced by less than 16%.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board has been able to confirm that in 2017-2018 the number of criminal legal aid trainees was 86 in firms that do criminal legal aid work regularly worth in excess of £100k per annum. This is a minimum number that can be clearly identified, and there are more trainees in mixed practice firms with smaller income from criminal legal aid work. Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been training around 21 criminal lawyers per year in the last 5 years. A number of them will go on to work in criminal defence firms.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board will analyse data from the Law Society of Scotland on trainee numbers over the last five years, however against the backdrop of a sustained decrease in criminal cases proceeding at court the figures suggest new entrants who seek to progress a career providing criminal legal services can do so. The only current limitation is the amount of work available to practitioners.

Mr Johnson is referred to the answers previously provided at S5W-18485 and S5W-18489 on 27 September 2018 . The Scottish Government has been analysing the recommendations contained in the review “Rethinking Legal Aid” and as set out in the Programme for Government last week we will provide our response in the Autumn.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Scottish Government's analysis of the current position is that while crime is reducing and the number of criminal court actions is reducing, the number of practitioners on the criminal legal assistance register is still high in comparison to the work available. Since 2013 the number of criminal case reports to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has reduced from 293,671 in that year to 177,801 this year, a reduction of nearly 39%. In that same period the number of criminal legal aid practitioners has reduced by less than 16% to 1173.

Of the 177,801 cases reported to COPFS, 53,288 cases were marked for non-court disposal. Leaving 124,513 cases processed for some form of court action and therefore possibly eligible for some form of legal aid payment. That is 106 cases on average per practitioner or fewer than 9 a month. The current figures would suggest that there are sufficient numbers to undertake the available caseload.

As identified in “Rethinking Legal Aid” there is an oversupply of providers in some areas and undersupply in others. The Scottish Government has been analysing the recommendations made in that report and will provide a response in the Autumn.

The £2.3 million Future Projects Fund at the Institute of Coding is for the enhancement of higher-level digital skills provision in England, so it is expected to generate Barnett consequentials. As you will be aware, any Barnett consequentials accrued to the Scottish Government are added to the Scottish block as a whole and it is then for Scottish Ministers to decide how best to allocate resources on the basis of competing pressures and priorities.

It should be noted that in 2015, the Scottish Government set up the UK’s first industry-led digital skills academy: CodeClan. CodeClan offers students (graduates, career changers, women returners) SQA accredited qualification in software development. To date, SG has invested over £3m in CodeClan with almost 500 students having graduated, and has attracted 213 industry partners.

Since 2015-16 the Scottish Government has also funded an internationally recognised MSc programme in data science, including artificial intelligence and data engineering, through The Data Lab. Since its inception the course has supported 260 MSc places.

The £2.3 million Future Projects Fund at the Institute of Coding is for the enhancement of higher-level digital skills provision in England. The Fund is understood not to be for research projects and the Scottish Government will therefore not be providing additional funding for researchers in Scotland in relation to the Institute of Coding.