Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not provide any funding to P&O Ferries.

For financial years up to and including 2018-19, the Administration Portfolio budget covered the costs of the core administration, including staffing, required to support the Scottish Government.

From financial year 2019-20, operating costs were aligned with the Portfolio budgets that they support and the Administration Portfolio was removed from the Scottish Budget. The new approach replaced the dual system of Administration and portfolio budgets both funding operating costs. As a result, Scottish Government operating costs are more transparent.

The increase in total operating cost of the Scottish Government in recent years reflects additional responsibilities taken on from the UK Government. The Scottish Government has taken on significant new powers, both raising its own revenues through devolved taxes and delivering public services such as social security and significant numbers of additional staff have been recruited to support these new responsibilities.

The change to reporting of operating costs means that we are unable to provide comparable information over the last five years. We can provide Directorate-level detail for the last three year financial years. However, there have been organisational changes each year, meaning that Directorates are not necessarily comparable year on year.

The Administration Portfolio outturn for 2017-18 and 2018-19 and the Operating Cost model introduced from 2019-20 are set out in the 2019-20 Budget Bill, Annex G, Table G.02. Annex G - Scottish Budget 2019-2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The following tables show the final outturn for 2019-20, 2020-21 and the 2021-22 budget for Operating Costs. The 2021-22 actuals will be available in mid-June, when Provisional Outturn is reported to Parliament.

Table 1 – deaths from thrombosis-related conditions, 2008-2020

With regards to this specific question, we do not currently hold this information, this would be a matter for individuals based on a range of factors about their own working lives. Employers are able to claim up to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter, as per the current rates set by UK Government.

We are engaging with stakeholders to better understand the scope and nature of the pressures facing the social care workers, who provide an invaluable service to the people of Scotland.

An analysis of the potential costs and benefits of expanding the range of materials captured in Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will form part of any research carried out should we consider such a change to the scheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06074 on 17 February 2022. 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 .

Data from the Renewable Energy Planning Database shows that there are 322 operational wind onshore projects and 7 operational wind offshore projects over 150kW in Scotland. Projects under this threshold are not captured.

In recognition of the scale of the existing shock of the pandemic and of the need to consider existing models of funding, governance, collaboration and delivery, the Deputy First Minister and the then Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science commissioned the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to undertake their Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability on 3 June 2020.

The Cumberford-Little report was highlighted in the commissioning letter from Ministers as a key element of the evidence base to be drawn on in the SFC review.

Many of the recommendations first made in the Cumberford-Little report are reflected in the final recommendations of the SFC Review, published in June 2021, including the recommendation for government to set out a compelling narrative and purpose for the sector and the need for a transparent and accessible performance regime directly related to purpose.

The Scottish Government published its response to the SFC review on 26 October 2021, broadly accepting and agreeing with the recommendations. The response acknowledges the importance of the Cumberford-Little report in shaping those recommendations.

Work is underway to implement the recommendations in the SFC review both within Government and within the SFC. In addition, the recently published National Strategy for Economic Transformation with its clear focus on skills recognises the central role Scotland’s colleges have in supporting business growth and economic recovery. The delivery of the actions described in NSET will further support the ambitions and recommendations as envisaged in the Cumberford-Little report.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07687 on 19 April 2022. 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 committed to supporting the social care workforce and as part of this we have engaged with both COSLA and Scottish Care on this matter. COSLA has informed us that they would expect those working in a local government setting will receive the full 45p per mile rate set by HMRC. We will continue to engage with partners on this emerging issue.