Chamber and committees

We are working with Disabled People’s organisations and their members to develop a new Disability Equality Strategy. Our focus is on listening to what disabled people have told us are the challenges and obstacles they face, and finding solutions that we can deliver.

The steering group has met 5 times to identify priorities for the strategy and specific actions. Work is ongoing and the strategy will be consulted on with wider stakeholders and partners when the actions are defined.

The last Disability Summit was held in December 2020 to evaluate the impact of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Delivery Plan 2016-2021. Over 100 people attended online and the voices of disabled people with lived and living experience were heard.

The Scottish Government’s current priority is co-designing the Disability Equality strategy with Disabled People’s Organisations. This work has involved analysing research and reports which incorporate the lived and living experience of disabled people in Scotland and agreeing on the priorities for the strategy.

We will engage with disabled people, third sector organisations and delivery partners when the strategy is drafted to gather views and feedback. We expect this to take the form of a fully accessible consultation and engagement activities.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation sets out how we will establish Scotland as a world-class entrepreneurial nation, recognised as one of the best countries to start and grow a business.

Since the Strategy’s publication we have announced the appointment of Mark Logan as Chief Entrepreneur, launched our Techscaler network to support the creation of more tech start-ups and published the Pathways Report: A New Approach for Woman in Entrepreneurship to address the barriers woman face in entrepreneurship and business start-up.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the impacts of the M8, including noise, and the recent motion passed by Glasgow City Council to trial lower speed limits on the city centre motorway. I have asked Transport Scotland to liaise with Glasgow City Council regarding these proposals and explore opportunities to mitigate the impact of the M8 on the surrounding area.

We will consider the proposed Right to Addiction Recovery Bill when it is introduced by Mr Ross to Parliament.

Meanwhile, we have committed £250 million pounds now, through the National Mission, to tackle the drug deaths crisis.

We are also looking to the National Collaborative – which includes people affected by substance use and their families – to bring forward a Charter of Rights.

This will aim to set out how rights in the forthcoming Human Rights Bill can be implemented to improve the lives of people affected by substance use.

I am due to meet with Shetland Islands Council in May 2023.

The review of the expressive arts curricular area is part of the ongoing National Discussion on Education as well as the Hayward review into qualifications and assessment. In the immediate term, Screen Scotland, in partnership with the education community, are piloting, in selected schools, a new Film and Screen curriculum for Scotland as part of the expressive arts curricular area. This pilot programme is being delivered across early years, primary and secondary settings.

The draft Film and Screen curriculum has been created to meet the needs of a shifting economy, employment landscape and learner demographic. A full evaluation of this will be made at the end of the pilot programme.

The R100 contracts, which are delivering full fibre, gigabit capable connections across the length and breadth of Scotland, are currently expected to conclude during 2027-28.

For those properties beyond the reach of the R100 contract build or commercial coverage plans, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme – offering vouchers worth up to £5,000 – remains available to help secure a superfast broadband connection.

During 2022 Cabinet met 41 times. A Law Officer attended 27 of these meetings: the Lord Advocate on 18 occasions and the Solicitor General on behalf of the Lord Advocate on nine occasions.

Following their meeting on 14 December 2022, the National Partnership for Culture met on 15 February 2023 to support the development of the Culture Strategy Action Plan Refresh. The partnership will meet again in the coming months to discuss its remit, structure and future work plans.