Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any specific assessment of the impact of delays in ferry replacement on island economies.

The ferries network has seen significant improvements in the last decade a result of the 2013 Ferries Plan. Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are keenly aware of the importance of reliable ferry services upon which our island communities depend. With 6 major vessels currently in construction, and more vessel replacement projects ongoing, the future ferries network will be more reliable and resilient bringing travel to and from the islands communities up to meet their needs.

The previous Minister for Community Safety met with the FBU on 2 February 2023. This meeting, which included Professor Anna Stec of the University of Central Lancashire, was specifically to discuss issues around the FBU DECON campaign including firefighter health screening, the SFRS estate and budgets.

ScotRail currently has no plans to change its current policy on toilet charges at stations.

For those people who have been prescribed lifesaving equipment at home, such as home hemodialysis, any reimbursement of energy costs would be the responsibility of the NHS Board. In relation to home oxygen concentrators, the energy costs are covered by a contract with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), part of NHS Scotland and delivered by Dolby Vivisol. As such, reimbursement of energy costs for running home oxygen concentrators are made to patients by Dolby Vivisol.

Our Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) was first established in late 2020, as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, delivered via trusted third sector partners, to help households struggling with their energy costs who were at risk of severely rationing, or self-disconnecting entirely because they could not afford their energy costs.

The First Minister, has confirmed the Scottish Government will now build on the doubling of the Fuel Insecurity Fund announced last year, to now triple it to £30 million for 2023-24. The Fund is a critical plank in our support to people who are struggling with their energy costs. It continues to provide a lifeline to households who are at risk of self-rationing or self-disconnecting their energy use.

This will be delivered in 2023-24 by third sector partner organisations, specifically the Fuel Bank Foundation (FBF), Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) and the Wise Group. Whilst core staff costs will be provided to Energy Action Scotland, as Scotland’s National Fuel Poverty charity.

FBF and ADS have to date from FIF funding, provided direct financial assistance, up to a limited ceiling, as a short-term crisis support to disabled people for help with their energy costs related to lifesaving medical equipment in their homes.

In light of the current impact of the cost crisis on disabled people, the former Minister for Equalities and Older People approved an immediate priorities plan and set up a Short Life Working Group to focus on progressing this work. The first meeting of this group took place in March 2023 and the group will meet four more times between now and May 2024. Although out of scope for the SLWG, further updates will be provided to them on the analysis of the energy costs and reimbursement of lifesaving equipment at home.

Transport Scotland undertakes an annual assessment of the safety performance of the entire trunk road network, including the A90. This assessment considers accident patterns and rates in the form of Route Accident Reduction Plans (RARP), and screens all locations where three or more personal injury accidents have occurred in a three-year period. This ensures that full consideration is given to accidents that may be spread along a specific corridor. Further investigations are then carried out and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are prioritised for delivery.

Two interactive signs were erected in 2017 with a third interactive sign to supplement the northbound signs erected in 2021. These signs alert drivers to vehicles turning at the junction and encourage drivers to drive within the speed limit. Other work involved an additional northbound advance direction sign. There are currently no further road safety improvement plans at A90 Toll of Birness, however, this will be monitored through the Annual Road Safety Review.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16574 on 19 April 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 does not hold this information. The allocation of SEPA staff resource is the responsibility of SEPA’s CEO and Senior Management Team.

SEPA’s Corporate Plan will be renewed in 2024 and Ministers will work with SEPA to agree the Key Performance Indicators and priority areas to be included in that Plan.

The Scottish Government recognises the important international platform offered by the Venice Biennale to promote the best contemporary art and architecture from Scotland on the world stage.

The decision by Creative Scotland and the other Scotland + Venice partners to pause their involvement in the Venice Biennale in 2024 allows for an important period of reflection and review.

The decision does not affect the delivery of the 2023 Scotland + Venice Architecture project, A Fragile Correspondence, which will take place in Venice from May – November, this year.

The Scotland + Venice partners will be undertaking sectoral engagement to explore new approaches to the project for the longer term while also looking to identify opportunities for artists and curators to experience the Biennale in 2024.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting the Scottish culture sector’s international interests and ambitions and is currently developing an International Culture Strategy to that end.

Currently, there are charges in place for the use of toilet facilities at Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen, and Glasgow Queen Street stations.

In 2021, the Scottish Government reached a joint agreement with local authorities to increase the national minimum school clothing grant to £120 for each eligible primary school pupil, and £150 for each eligible secondary school pupil. This was an increase from the national minimum grant of £100 per eligible pupil which was agreed with local authorities in 2018.

The Scottish Government provided funding to local authorities of £11.8m in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years to support eligible families to benefit from the minimum school clothing grant. In 2023-24, the Scottish Government has increased funding to £13m to support local authorities to maintain the school clothing grant in line with increased inflation costs.

It is for local authorities to determine their own eligibility criteria for school clothing grant and authorities have the option to set their grant level higher than the minimum if they wish.

Decisions about funding to local authorities in respect of the school clothing grant in future financial years will be made as part of wider considerations on the Scottish Budget, taking into account economic and other circumstances, including continued delivery of the Covid Recovery Strategy and its aim to increase support for low-income households.