Chamber and committees

The disproportionate cost threshold is £600.

The introduction of mandatory Bovine EID is a substantial project and all applicable legislation is being reviewed. The Scottish Government have undertaken scoping work to determine the main changes to legislation that will be necessary. Once the necessary work is complete a response will be issued to the Bovine EID stakeholder group with an indicative timetable.

Any changes to future Regulations concerning cattle identification, will be subject to a full public consultation. This will also include the future use of paper passports.

The Scottish Government places great importance on the range of services Arms Length External Organisations (ALEOs) provide and believes everyone should have access to these services. While there are no limits set by the Scottish or UK Government on the amount a Scottish local authority, and by extension ALEOs can borrow, local authorities are under a statutory duty to determine and keep under review the maximum amount which it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure, including associated borrowing levels.

The Scottish Government for our part have provided local authorities with nearly £13.5 billion in 2023-24, a cash increase in local government day to day spending of over £793 million which represents a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent.

I refer the member to the question S6W-19335 on 12 July 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 Scottish Government is progressing the Fair Fares Review 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 – including our ferry services. The Fair Fares Review will report by the end of 2023 and we will continue a meaningful and constructive approach to engaging with stakeholders throughout the process.

No formal assessment has been carried out on the impact of increased mortgage rates on First Time Buyers (FTB’s), however we are aware that an increase in mortgage rates will make it more difficult for many FTB’s to obtain mortgage lending or in fact access it due to a decreased number of products available.

The latest data suggests a slowdown in housing market activity for first-time buyers, with mortgage advances falling to 5,520 in Q1 2023, this is 8% lower than the pre-pandemic baseline. This is potentially due to successive increases in the Bank Rate since December 2021.

We continue to support home ownership and have interventions in place to help first time buyers through our Low Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme which helps people on low to moderate incomes to buy their first home.

Our first-time buyer relief for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax has the effect of raising the nil-rate threshold from £145,000 to £175,000, saving first-time buyers up to £600.

While application numbers to our schemes have yet to show a decline we anticipate that the current mortgage market conditions will make delivery of our schemes more challenging.

Investing in skills across people’s lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and success as the economy and labour market continues to evolve over the coming decades. This is underlined by our commitment to a skilled workforce set out within the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Apprenticeships are a key tool for employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs both now and in the future. There are currently over 80 Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) frameworks available in Scotland, including Freight Logistics which has a pathway in Driving Goods Vehicles.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provide funding contributions towards the cost of training and assessing MAs on behalf of Scottish Government. Funding contributions are available for Freight Logistics (Driving Goods Vehicles) across all age groups. Full details of the current contribution rates can be found on the SDS website at 2021-22-appendix-1-ma-contribution-table010623.pdf (skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk)

The Scottish Government is considering the income threshold for access to the Part-Time Fee Grant in light of the current changing financial landscape and the issues relating to individual earnings. This will form part of a wider review of student support for part-time learners, highlighted in the Initial Priorities paper of the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills, published on the 28 June.

As our spring campaign officially ended on 30 June, the level of stock held in Scotland is minimal, after a programme where we delivered over 490,000 doses. The number of doses currently held by NHS Scotland is calculated to be around 96,000.

In addition there remains residual stock allocated to Scotland within the ownership of UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) that has not been drawn down by NHS Scotland health boards.

The Scottish Government is committed to equitable and timely access to general and specialist palliative care services, as needed, by each person of any age, living with any illnesses, in all places. We want people to receive care where they feel most comfortable. For many, but not all, this will be at home supported by their family and friends and cared for by primary care teams and care staff.

It is the responsibility of Integrated Joint Boards to plan and commission adult palliative care services which are provided in a wide range of settings including acute hospitals, community hospitals, specialist palliative care units, hospices, care homes and people’s own homes.

We are currently developing a new Palliative and End of Live Care Strategy with an overarching aim that everyone in Scotland receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around death and bereavement support based on their needs and preferences, including support for families and carers.