Chamber and committees

The Care Inspectorate for Scotland are responsible for setting and reviewing the expected adult to child ratios for all childcare settings in Scotland. They also hold legislative responsibility for the scrutiny of childcare settings, which includes ensuring that the child to adult ratios are being adhered to.

The latest available data from the Scottish Health Service Costs book shows that for 2019-20 the percentage of NHS expenditure spent on child and adolescent mental health services was 0.61%.

We are working with partners to deliver the 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment to ensure that at least 10% of frontline NHS spend goes towards mental health and 1% goes on child and adolescent services by the end of this Parliament.

The majority of funding local authorities receive for preventing and responding to homelessness is provided through the annual local government finance settlement. On top of that, we have committed £53.5 million to local authorities to support the development and implementation of local authority rapid rehousing transition plans (RRTPs). This funding also includes an investment of up to £6.5 million for the Housing First pathfinder programme to support people with multiple and complex needs. The RRTP funding distribution is agreed with COSLA.

Annually, local authorities complete an activities and spend template which provides details of all RRTP activities over the course of the year, including details of funding sources in addition to Scottish Government funding. This allows the Scottish Government to monitor how local authorities are allocating resources to deliver priorities in their RRTPs.

Alongside the funding, there are a number of supporting structures which help local authorities develop and implement their RRTPs. These include five housing options hubs which bring together all 32 local authorities to share practice and experience; RRTP co-ordinators’ meetings; and the RRTP sub-group of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any further plans to use facial recognition technology in schools in Scotland however, as the First Minister stated in her response question S6F-00388 on 28 October 2021, she is clear that the use of facial recognition in schools to be neither a proportionate nor a necessary measure. I can confirm this remains the position, although the decision on whether to introduce biometric identification systems into schools is ultimately a matter for local authorities and individual schools to consider for themselves. I also understand that North Ayrshire Council no longer use facial recognition technology and have reverted back to using Personal Identification Numbers for pupils to collect their school lunches.

I would like to be clear in stating our position, which is that prior to introducing biometric systems education authorities should carry out a privacy impact assessment, or a proportionate equivalent, and consult with pupils and parents. Information should also be provided on data protection; how to opt out; consent; and about alternative systems that can be used. Schools and education authorities will also pay due attention to the Information Commissioner’s Office requirements that organisations that are using facial recognition technology should comply with data protection law before, during and after its use.

We have introduced a range of targeted measures to support people experiencing homelessness who are affected by the rising costs of living. We have committed £52.5 million since 2018-19 to support local authorities to implement rapid rehousing approaches, including Housing First. We are allocating £79 million in 2022-23 for Discretionary Housing Payments to support those struggling to meet housing costs.

As part of a wider package of funding to tackle the cost of living crisis, in 2022-23 we have committed a further £10 million to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund, which has been helping households with energy costs since late 2020.

No-one should go hungry or have to rely on charitable food provision. That is why we published a consultation on a plan to end the need for food banks. We will continue to work with partners to strengthen cash-first responses to hardship to ensure people have sufficient income to meet their needs and reduce the need for food banks. In line with this approach, we provided local authorities with £25 million of flexible funding from our Winter Support Fund to tackle financial insecurity over the winter.

For those experiencing the most acute forms of homelessness, we have provided over £690,000 of funding to support the introduction and operation of rapid rehousing welcome centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh. We have also made over £51,500 of flexible emergency funding available to third sector homelessness organisations for personalised budgets.

In 2002, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) adopted a new system for the management of Children’s Hearings data. Prior to 2002, information on Children’s Hearings was not recorded in the same way – only substantive decisions were recorded, and the data would therefore not be comparable. SCRA can be contacted for further detail on this if required. The number of children’s hearings held in each year since 2002-2003 are:

The Scottish Government is aware of the impact that invasive species can have on seabird populations. We are developing the Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy, which aims to optimise the conservation prospects of seabirds in Scotland through effective management of existing and emerging threats. We plan to consult on the Strategy in summer 2022.

The Scottish Government sits on the working group for the RSPB led UK Seabird Island Biosecurity Programme. This programme follows on from the Biosecurity for LIFE programme where invasive rats that were negatively impacting seabird populations were successfully removed from the Shiant isles. Through the working group RSPB are identifying funding opportunities for the programme.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that police and local authorities, who lead on tackling antisocial behaviour, continue to have the powers and resources they require. We understand there have been problems in the Tron area and that Police Scotland is working with partners to minimise antisocial behaviour and crime.

The Scottish Parliament passed the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Products) (Scotland) Act 2021. This came into force on 24 August 2021 and created a new specific statutory offence of threatening, abusing or assaulting a retail worker, adding to the offences that can already be used to prosecute those who abuse retail workers. Everyone should be able to work without fear of abuse and the criminal law should be used to deal with attacks.

Local authorities have the financial freedom to operate independently, with the vast majority of their funding provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of local authorities to manage their budgets and to allocate resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, including responding to antisocial behaviour.

Support has been provided to businesses through a £6 million City Centre Recovery Fund, to boost footfall and visitors to our city centres, the Scotland Loves Local fund and support for Business Improvement Districts. Since the start of the pandemic, businesses have benefitted from £4.5bn in support from the Scottish Government.

Care and Repair services operate throughout Scotland to offer independent advice and assistance to help homeowners repair, improve or adapt their homes so that they can live in comfort and safety in their own community. As of 1 March there were 27 care and repair offices in Scotland covering all local authority areas except West Lothian, with all providing help to vulnerable older and disabled people to install fire alarms under the government financed scheme.

The Scottish Government is committed to keeping The Promise. As outlined in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, we are working with The Promise and other partners to redesign the Children’s Hearings System. Sheriff David Mackie has been appointed as Chair of the Hearings System Working Group which has been established to develop more detailed recommendations in the coming year. There will also be reforms to the Children’s Hearings System through children’s care and justice legislation to be introduced in this Parliament.