Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s challenging budget position impacts on the budget available for the delivery of the Empowering Communities Programme which supports Coalfield Regeneration Trust’s (CRT’s) grant. Officials advised CRT that we would be unable to deliver funding at the same level as previous years and worked with the Trust to help prioritise their 2023-24 work programme on protecting those elements which have the greatest impact and outcomes for coalfields communities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23510 on 19 December 2023. 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 Deputy First Minister has made clear the very challenging position on the Scottish Government’s capital budget. This is forecast to result in a 9.8% real terms cut in our capital funding over the medium term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.

Through the existing capital investment routes including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, we have, over a number of years, encouraged the CRT to work with relevant local authorities to bring forward proposals to develop assets, to support community led regeneration while providing an alternative source of income generation for CRT. This is aimed at reducing the Trust’s reliance on revenue grant.

Since 2022, ScotRail has been committed to developing a robust evidence base on which to inform future plans and investment on fares and ticketing. This has included obtaining customer insight to identify opportunities, testing and learning to encourage more customers to rail through short-term promotions, and a ticketing/retail review assessing a range of retail channels and ticketing options.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland in the EU, giving people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, as set out in the Programme for Government. I’m pleased to confirm that on 4th March we are publishing ‘An independent Scotland’s place in the world’.

This is the eleventh paper in the Building a New Scotland series, featuring detailed proposals for Scotland becoming a new sovereign state on the world stage.

It sets out our plans for Scotland to become a good global citizen, building partnerships with other countries and international organisations to address global challenges, promoting human rights and development, advancing an ambitious, progressive agenda and securing agreements in international forums aligned with our values and interests. It will also set out plans to promote innovation, trade and investment.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly. I can also confirm that we intend hold a debate in Parliament on Scotland’s place in the world on 5th March.

An independent Scotland’s place in the world will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from 4th March at www.gov.scot/newscotland .

We are unable to provide all the information in the form requested. This is because members of staff involved in the administration of the Empowering Communities Programme (ECP) undertake a variety of duties relating to the delivery of Scottish Government business including supporting Ministers. We do not routinely record the time spent or staff costs incurred related to the different elements of our work.

However we can advise that 5 members of staff, with an FTE of 4.6, spend the majority of their time supporting the delivery of the ECP, which includes the administration.

As at 15 February 2024, £481,423.63 had been paid to applicants. Administration costs to the same date are approximately £120,000.

The original scheme closure date was specified in the Scheme documentation and announced at the time of the Scheme’s opening as 6 December 2023. This date was then extended to 31 March 2024. The Government therefore urges any woman who wishes to apply, but has not yet done so, to ensure that an application is sent prior to this date.

The closure of the Reimbursement Scheme to applications has no effect on the arrangements that NHS National Services Scotland has entered into with both Spire Hospital, Bristol, and Dr Veronikis in the USA. In any situation where it is determined that removal surgery is clinically appropriate, the patient will remain able to choose, via the official NHS referral process, to have that surgery carried out in the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow, in an NHS England centre, or by one of the two contracted independent providers.

NatureScot commissioned the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to prepare a non-native species risk assessment as part of their feasibility study into options for controlling feral pigs in Scotland.

APHA completed the risk assessment in 2015 and was published in 2022 in NatureScot Research Report 876 - Preliminary assessment completed in 2015 of the feasibility of maintaining, limiting or eradicating feral pigs in Scotland | NatureScot Massei G. & Ward A. 2022.

Following a peer-review of the risk assessment by the Scottish Government Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), NatureScot updated and published the report ‘Updated non-native species risk assessment of feral pigs in Scotland. NatureScot Research Report 1288’. A copy of the report, which includes information on the distribution and potential impacts of feral pigs in Scotland, can be found on NatureScot’s website at NatureScot Research Report 1288 - Updated non-native species risk assessment of feral pigs in Scotland | NatureScot .

A member of the Scottish Youth Parliament attended the relationships and behaviour summit held on 25 October, on relationships and behaviour approaches.

All three summits included representatives from a range of children’s and young people’s organisations.

The Scottish Government continues to provide £100,000 annual funding to enable CELCIS to support the facilitation of a Virtual Head Teacher network. There are currently 18 virtual head teachers (or equivalent) who are members of the network with a standing offer of support to other local authorities who are considering implementing the role. The network has recently been expanded to include two Attainment Advisers from Education Scotland to offer additional support to the network and virtual head teachers.

Funding is provided to CELCIS for them to facilitate, support and manage a network of Virtual Head Teachers. This includes undertaking research and evaluation around the development of the role in Scotland and how it can help improve the lives and education outcomes of care experienced young people. Decisions around the introduction of the role remain with each individual local authority.