Chamber and committees

Scottish Government remain in discussions with NHS Grampian to finalise brokerage to support a financial deficit in 2024-25. We have asked NHS Grampian for more information on what has driven the financial deficit together with assurance that financial sustainability will improve in future years. We await a response from NHS Grampian but expect the matter to be resolved in early course.

According to data obtained via the Public Contracts Scotland Contract Register, the Scottish Government currently has one active contract that includes the requirement to install cavity wall insulation. This is the Managing Agent for the Heat in Buildings Scotland National Scheme (HIBS), which oversees the delivery of the Warmer Homes Scotland programme (WHS).

The Managing Agent and all installation sub-contractors are required to have the skills outlined in the PAS 2030:2019 and PAS 2035:2019 standards (note: adherence with the new PAS 2035:2023 standard shall be required from 31 March 2025). These PAS standards ensure a consistent, high-quality approach to retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, focusing on assessment, design, and installation practices.

At procurement phase, the suppliers were required to demonstrate that they had appropriately skilled staff and to provide a detailed implementation plan on how they would organise their team and resources in order to meet both the contract requirements and PAS 2035 standards. In addition to having the essential skills and experience, the supplier is required to continue to develop and improve their workforce - sharing knowledge and skills with their sub-contractors.

Each installation completed is also subject to multiple quality inspections with further independent audit inspections carried out on a sample of work at various stages of the WHS Customer Journey.

A link to the Contract Award Notice for the HIBS Managing Agent contract is provided for information.

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN481760

VisitScotland is responsible for producing, and maintaining, guidance on the operation of the Visitor Levy. Following the outcome of the meetings with stakeholders, as referred to in the response to the question in S6W-35723 on
25 March 2025, we will work with VisitScotland as they consider any changes to guidance. This may include further information in relation to those operating their business within a local area with a Visitor Levy scheme.

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

The Scottish Government is working with VisitScotland to establish a series of meetings which will include key representatives from the tourism industry and local government. These discussions will provide an opportunity to improve and refine published guidance including consideration of operational aspects of the levy such as administration, reporting, and forms.

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published to accompany the introduction of the then Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill 2023. The BRIA can be found on the Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/visitor-levy-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/

The BRIA was written using the best available information at the time, based on evidence gathered from engagement with relevant stakeholders. Local authorities are encouraged to actively consider the varying capacities of businesses in the local area. It is important that the administrative requirements on smaller businesses are minimised. If a council introduces a visitor levy it is required to establish a visitor levy forum, with members from businesses, communities, and tourism organisations, to provide the council with views on a visitor levy scheme.

An online reporting and payment platform is being developed by some Councils with the Improvement Service. This platform will be for use by businesses across Scotland to remit the visitor levy to the Council if their accommodation is liable and will help. This standardised system will help streamline the returns process and support businesses operating across multiple authorities.

The Scottish Government's procurement activities are conducted in compliance with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Regulated procurements are transparently advertised on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website, ensuring open access to potential suppliers. A link to PCS is provided below for information.

Selection and Award Criteria are outlined in the published Contract Notice and are detailed within the associated tender documentation depending on the specific nature of the procurement. This approach supports the public procurement principles of fairness, transparency and equal treatment.

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

While universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual institutions, including Edinburgh, as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges.

In line with our Fair Work principles, the Scottish Government expects universities to work with trade unions and staff representatives to reach the right decisions and ensure workers are treated fairly; and for workers to have appropriate channels for maintaining constructive and meaningful dialogue with the University. The Scottish Government expects universities to make every effort to protect jobs. Compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other cost saving measures have been fully explored.

The Scottish Government recognises the pivotal role played by Scotland’s world-class universities in our economy and wider society. Ministers listened closely to the sector in the development of this year’s budget, and are investing over £1.1 billion in university teaching and research.

Water bodies may be monitored for different purposes, such as public health or assessing the status of the water environment, which helps determine the location for quality monitoring and reporting.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant barriers faced by unpaid carers, many of whom are women, in accessing employment and fair work in the labour market. This is why unpaid carers have been identified as one of our key cohorts for support.

We have made a Programme for Government commitment to provide employability support to meet the needs of all parents or carers on a demand-led basis by ensuring closer working across childcare, education, housing, justice, and health services, so that people can quickly and easily access the support needed to enter and stay in work.

The Scottish Government’s National Carers Strategy (https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-carers-strategy/) published in December 2022, sets out our cross-government approach to carer support and recognition, with an emphasis on the need for collaboration between national and local government, the third sector, wider public and private sector. The Strategy sets out the importance of all employers being flexible and supportive of carers in the workforce and outlines our commitment to fund and promote the Carer Positive employer accreditation scheme. There are now more than half a million employees working in 290 Carer Positive organisations across Scotland.

We are working to ensure holistic wrap-around support is available throughout our support services. No One Left Behind is our approach to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are voluntary, aiming to support individuals (including paid and unpaid carers) towards the right job at the right time. The No One Left Behind Strategic Plan 2024-27 was published in September 2024, outlining our priorities for devolved employability services moving forward, and reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement and expanding reach of our services including unpaid carers.

Over 73,000 people received support through No One Left Behind from April 2019 to September 2024.

Scottish Government are unable to provide this information at present.

The recently announced £102 million apprenticeship funding for 2025-26 represents a projection of the funding Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will spend to support 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship (MA) starts and 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) starts, as well as MAs and FAs already in training.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are currently completing the contract/grant award process for 2025-26 so are unable to confirm the exact figure until all contracts are accepted by providers.

It should be noted that SDS are exercising a Plus 1 extension period to the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) contracts for 2025-26, therefore providers are allocated the same volumes as they were awarded at the start of the 2024-25 contract year.

The 2024-25 MA awards have been published and can be accessed via the link below for further insight into the distribution of provision: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/1r4etei1/modern-apprenticeships-april-24-25-contracts-by-framework.pdf

Foundation Apprenticeship Grant Awards totalling 2,500 opportunities have been issued to existing SDS-funded learning providers, including Local Authorities and Independent Learning Providers, for delivery commencing in academic year
2025-26. SDS is unable to confirm an exact figure until all contract awards are accepted by providers.

It should be noted that the Scottish Funding Council also support both Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships, and will provide 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship opportunities this year.