The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested, as responsibility for managing Police Scotland’s call handling system, including for non-emergency 101 calls, rests with the Chief Constable.

Police Scotland publish performance data, including for the non-emergency 101 service, on their website at Call Handling Reports 2023 - Police Scotland . The average wait time for non-emergency 101 calls in the last 6 months is below.

Police Scotland has advised that when there is a surge in 999 calls they will re-prioritise Advisors from non-emergency (101) calls and emails as they aim to answer 999 calls under 10 seconds. Therefore there is a direct link between increase in 999 volumes and the average speed of answer for 101 non-emergency calls performance. As shown below, the months where there has been a notable increase in Police Scotland’s average answer times for 101 is as a direct consequence of aiming to achieve an average speed of answer of under 10 seconds for 999 calls. The average speed of answer for 999 calls for the same period is also below.

There has been a significant change in the contact volume profile (999, 101, Other Emergency Service calls and Contactus E-Mails) being experienced by the Police Scotland Service Centre following the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes sustained annual growth in 999 call volumes which have risen by 34% since 2018. This year there has been an increase of 18% in January to June when compared to 2022; with May and June increases of 25% and 37% respectively in 999 calls compared with the same month the previous year.

101 average speed of answer – Jan to July 2023

The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) sets out a framework for green skills planning and a clear direction for the changes needed in the skills system, signalling the role that industry, communities and individuals across Scotland will play in achieving this.

The Plan commits to maximising the uptake of all skills pathways relevant to supporting the transition to net zero across training, education and work-based learning through a range of short, medium, and long-term actions and can be found here: climate-emergency-skills-action-plan-2020-2025.pdf (skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk) .

All newly qualified teachers in Scotland must complete a period of probationary service to show that they meet the Standard for Full Registration.

In the September 2022 Teacher census there were 2,889 full-time equivalent probationary teachers employed in publicly funded schools on the Teacher Induction Scheme(TIS) or other single year induction schemes. A small number of teachers may also enter into teaching via a flexible or alternative route.

As noted in S6W-19781, we committed to publish the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Update by the end of the year alongside the Climate Change Plan.

The Crofting Commission publishes its application processing times in its Annual Report & Accounts. The median turnaround times for applications completed during Q1 of 2023-24 is as follows:

Croft House decrofting: 11 weeks

Apportionment: 117 weeks

The croft registration process belongs to Registers of Scotland, therefore these figures are not readily available.

Whilst the Commission’s capacity for processing casework declined in 2021-22, an increase to its budget in the last two years has enabled it to expand its staff resource and improvements are being made. The apportionment cases now being cleared include some of those affected by delays in 2021-22, or earlier.

The number of posts advertised annually by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: (1) the number of trainees who have completed training, obtained a CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) and whose posts are therefore vacant, and (2) whether any additional posts have been created.

We funded the creation of additional training places this year in both Medical and Clinical Oncology. This, coupled with high CCT rates, has led to lower fill rates. All unfilled posts are being readvertised in the last recruitment round of 2023, meaning these fill rates could improve. The end-year position will be known in November.

The Scottish Government is providing the funding per the following table for the financial year 2023-24. Health boards can use this funding to manage and remove asbestos as and when it is appropriate to do so.

We recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed or in poor condition. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance states that it is safe for asbestos to remain in place if it is in good condition, well-protected and unlikely to be disturbed. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate.

Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions of this government.

The Tackling Child Poverty Ministerial Oversight Group, which I will convene, will provide Ministerial-level oversight and assurance of the delivery of the actions set out in Best Start, Bright Futures.

Scottish Government analysis, published in April 2022, estimated that reversing key UK Government welfare changes that have taken place just since 2015 could lift an estimated 70,000 people out of poverty, including 30,000 children, in Scotland this year. We will continue to urge the UK Government to match our ambitions in tackling child poverty head on through reversing its policies such as the benefit cap and child cap and bedroom tax.

The following table presents the budget for NHS estate maintenance in each of the last three financial years. It is the intention of the Scottish Government to double the NHS estate maintenance funding over the Capital Spending Review period of 2021-2026.