Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government will be consulting over the summer on provisions to allow for a limited extension of the Scottish SPCA’s current powers to investigate wildlife crime. We will consider whether there is a requirement to update the BRIA following the outcome of this consultation.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role organisations across the third sector play in improving outcomes for disabled children and is providing core funding to a number of third sector organisations which provide services for disabled children and their families.

Despite facing one of the most challenging fiscal environments since devolution, we are maintaining the level of funding through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund (CYPFEI & ALEC). All organisations in receipt of these funds received a 5% uplift in 2022-23. This has been continued in 2023-24 and committed to in 2024-25.

The Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector fund is also providing core funding to a number of organisations which support disabled children and their families.

Under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, local authorities have a duty to assess someone’s need for adoption support services and then provide that support. This may include counselling and guidance for parents who have adopted or may adopt a child, as well as assistance in relation to the adoption process, including preparation for adoption.

In 2023-24, the Scottish Government allocated over £480,000 directly to organisations delivering support for adoptive families and practitioners. This funding supports a range of initiatives, including: a national helpline; services for practitioners; an Adoption Contact Register; Adoption Week Scotland; and Adoption UK’s PATHways service. PATHways is a free therapeutic intervention programme which helps adoptive parents to achieve better outcomes for their children by giving them early access to a clinical psychologist and peer support.

The Scottish Government has also allocated £32 million in 2023-24 to Children’s Services Planning Partnerships in local areas as part of the Whole Family Wellbeing programme of activity, which aims to deliver transformational change to improve holistic whole family support, including for adoptive parents.

Scottish Government grant making is allocated across portfolios to various parts of the third sector to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the information requested is not available.

Under the Adoption Agencies Regulations (Scotland) 2009, each local authority or adoption agency which is carrying out functions such as the assessment of prospective adopters must appoint an adoption panel.

The Scottish Government’s 2011 Guidance on the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 sets out that the adoption panel should reflect the community from which children and families may come, as adopters are wide ranging and panels need to be informed and sensitive to issues around ethnicity, beliefs, sexuality and lifestyles.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19714 on 12 July 2023 for details of the programme for the £5 million pledge for the loss and damage funding.

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

Our thoughts remain with the family of the person who died in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle on the A85 between Crianlarich and Lix Toll on 23 August 2021.

Each year Transport Scotland, through its Operating Companies, undertakes a review of collisions on the trunk road network to identify cluster sites, or routes with recorded collisions that may be worthwhile of further investigation. This evidence led approach ensures that resources can be targeted at locations where the greatest potential for casualty reduction is available.

The most recent screening process did not identify the A85 between Glen Ogle and Crianlarich as a priority site for further investigation for safer active travel provision. The fatal accident referred to above was the only accident involving a pedal cyclist on this part of the A85 since 2014, which does not indicate a trend of injury accidents. Transport Scotland will continue to monitor road safety at this location.

The programme will be delivered via a grant-funded partner. The initial funding will be used for global consultation on selection criteria and methodology with the aim of presenting it in draft at COP28. Grants will then be disbursed on the basis of these criteria to global communities most in need. Officials will also seek to leverage matched finance from other sources to increase the impact and value of this funding. This approach was tested with global stakeholders at an event in March to ensure that it upholds the principles identified at SG’s loss and damage conference last year, demonstrates best practice and ensures the maximum contribution of equitable funding goes to global communities most in need. Parliament will be updated accordingly when a decision has been reached on a grant-funded partner, in advance of a public announcement.

The National Trauma Training Programme (NTTP) provides freely available and evidence based trauma training resources for the whole workforce, including education and health professionals, supported by over £8 million investment since 2018. This is key to ensuring that children, young people and their families are supported effectively by workforces and services that recognise the impact of adverse and traumatic experiences, and provide support which is centred around relationships and causes no further harm.

In 2023, the Scottish Government will publish a long-term delivery plan for the NTTP which will include an outline of future commitments and priorities for supporting trauma-informed practice across the children and families workforce.

Education Scotland has also developed a Keeping Trauma in Mind professional learning programme to support education practitioners across Scotland with their knowledge, understanding and skills required to support children and young people (including adoptees) who may be impacted by trauma.

The Scottish Government's recently published National Innovation Strategy identifies Scotland's Health and Life Sciences sector as an innovation priority area, and outlines a tailored cluster approach to each of the innovation priority areas in order to scale innovative activity to drive economic outcomes, attract additional investment and elevate Scotland's impact on a global stage. The National Innovation Strategy further outlines encouragement and support for the breadth of Scotland's businesses to innovate, helping our business base to adopt the innovative technologies and processes that will help increase their resilience and capacity for growth. The Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness has also underlined the importance of continued support for innovation in life sciences and public health research in its Interim Report, published in August 2022. A strong and resilient life sciences sector, with highly innovative clusters involving our business and research base, will help Scotland be able to respond to upcoming challenges including any potential future pandemics.