Chamber and committees

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) lies at the heart of Scottish Government policies and the services that are available to support children, young people and families. For over a decade, GIRFEC has shaped the way children’s services are planned and delivered in Scotland, and it is well-embedded in policy and practice.

One of the core components of Getting it right for every child is a named person or equivalent role, who is a clear point of contact for children, young people and parents to go to for initial support and advice. Children and families should be made aware of the help and support that is available, including named person, however there is no requirement to accept the help offered.

Whilst there is an intention to repeal Parts 4 and 5 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, on named person and child’s plans (which were never implemented and are therefore not currently in force), the commitment remains to deliver these core components of GIRFEC within existing law.

I recently provided the Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee with an update on the arrangements to mobilise a wholly owned company to provide ScotRail services within the public sector under Scottish Government control.

I intend to keep Parliament updated as we progress these arrangements and we reach significant milestones.

The Core Scottish Government has not purchased any standard bicycles since 2007. The Core Scottish Government does not own any standard bicycles.

The Scottish Government holds cycle friendly employer status from Cycling Scotland. The Scottish Government offers a cycle to work scheme which allows staff to hire a bike and safety equipment, paid for through monthly salary deductions.

A total of eleven local authorities responded to the 2021 consultation on the draft Licensing Order and draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA). The Scottish Government also received responses from the Society of Local Authority Lawyers & Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR), and the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO).

Four local authorities and SOLAR raised concerns in relation to the fees set out in the draft BRIA. Two local authorities highlighted concerns about resourcing and two called for the Scottish Government to provide financial support to cover establishment costs.

Published consultation responses can be found here: https://consult.gov.scot/housing-and-social-justice/short-term-lets-draft-licensing-order-and-bria/consultation/published_select_respondent

All alarms have a limited lifespan of around ten years due to deterioration of the sensors over time. Where alarms are expired, or no longer fit for purpose, it is recommended they are disposed of appropriately either by returning to the retailer or taken to a local authority household waste recycling centre.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) previously published advice on the Management of end-of-life smoke detectors, including advice for businesses and households on safe disposal and promoting the environmentally sound management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) devices.

The new standard for fire alarms in Scottish homes requires alarms in any flat to be interlinked, so that warning will be given quickly in event of a fire, regardless of the room in which the alarm is triggered, and reduce the risk of harm. The new standard does not prevent alarms from also being linked to a warden call provider, and does not require alarms to be interlinked between flats.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that legal assistance continues to be available to all those facing issues such as housing concerns. In our Programme for Government we committed to engage with the legal professionals and other stakeholders to review the Legal Aid system, and to introduce a Legal Aid Reform Bill in this Parliament, ensuring that the system is flexible, easy to access and meets the needs of those who use it.

The Scottish Government has reiterated its commitment to retaining a demand led Fund to support a wide scope of actions. Particular consideration will be given, during the development of the Bill, to how more targeted and planned interventions can support user need.

The carbon levy raised since 2018 is

2018-19 £33,837

2019-20 £40,534

2020 –21 £558

2021-22 Payment due by end March 2022.

The levy is collected by our travel provider and paid back annually. It is not broken down by Ministers and Officials.

The carbon emissions levy is applied to all journeys undertaken by air as follows:

? Domestic – £5 per journey

? European – £6 per journey

? International – £15 per journey

Ministerial travel details are routinely and proactively published here:-

Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government recognises the effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on women looking to flee violence at home. That is why over the past 2 years we have invested an additional £10 million to allow rapid re-design of services and address backlogs, supporting organisations such as Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland. We have created a new Delivering Equally Safe Fund (£19 million per annum in 2021-23) and recently confirmed allocations to 121 projects from 112 organisations working to provide services and prevent gender-based violence. This includes support for women as well as services targeting male survivors such as the Respect Men’s Advice Line and SACRO’s FearFree project.

The Scottish Government and COSLA, in partnership with Public Health Scotland and the Improvement Service, developed supplementary guidance last year for local authorities and other key community planning partners. It ensures that a sustainable, joined-up approach to safeguarding the needs of women, children and young people experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic is embedded at a local strategic level. This is underpinned by our Equally Safe strategy.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has provided data for the number of ‘active’ practitioners and firms. This includes criminal practitioners and firms in each year that submitted at least one application for criminal legal assistance (Advice and Assistance, Legal Aid or Advice by way of Representation (ABWOR)). SLAB has been able to provide relevant data from October 2014. Data older than this is destroyed as per its records disposal procedures which are in line with good records management.

Criminal Practitioners Practising