Chamber and committees

Having spoken to Public Health Scotland, I can confirm that only limited information is published in the Stage of Treatment publication on cancelled planned operations. You will find this information at: Cancelled planned operations - Month ending 30 September 2021 - Cancelled planned operations - Publications - Public Health Scotland

If you would like more detailed information, I would suggest contacting NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde directly.

The Scottish Government will consult on a draft Islands Energy Strategy in 2022, setting out its approach to supporting island residents and communities to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhance sustainability, and meet their energy needs now and in the future. As part of this work, we will review the evidence base and options for an "islands uplift" across our delivery programmes as part of our commitment to provide additional support for rural and island homes for heat and energy efficiency.

Support is available to all householders across Scotland, including in rural and island areas, through Home Energy Scotland (HES), funded by the Scottish Government. HES offers free, bespoke advice on measures appropriate to homes, and on the funding available for all domestic energy efficiency and renewables measures, including zero emissions heating. Loans are available of up to a maximum of £15,000 for energy efficiency measures (attracting up to 45% cashback grant (£6,000) and a maximum £17,500 for renewables measures (attracting up to 75% cashback grant (£7,500)).

Rural and island community groups and organisations can access advice and funding support to explore their renewable energy options through the Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) delivered by Local Energy Scotland (LES).

The Scottish Government's investment of at least £1.8 billion will strengthen demand and support an increase in jobs and skilled workers right across Scotland. We will work with industry to co-produce a ‘Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan’ by Summer 2022 which will include a focus on developing local supply chains, attracting inward investment and securing local jobs, training and skills, particularly in our islands and remote communities.

Skills Development Scotland wrote to contracted training providers and employers in October 2021, setting out their intention to extend Modern Apprenticeships (MA) contracts. This extension was for a period of 12 months from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. SDS can extend these contracts for a further 12 months from 2023 to 2024. Any extensions are subject to budget allocation for that financial year.

SDS have made clear that any organisation seeking to bid for MA contracts out with the commissioning period can do this as a sub-contractor, working with an existing contracted provider.

SDS may also extend other contracts such as for IT services or facilities, in line with normal practice for these type of contracts.

Zero Waste Scotland officials have met twice with Scottish Government Ministers in the period February 2021 to present.

Details of both occasions are outlined below and include: meeting date, meeting purpose, location and a list of attendees.

19 Aug 21 - Introductory Ministerial Meeting - Virtual via Microsoft Teams

• Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson
• Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Miri McAllan
• Vic Emery, Chair, Zero Waste Scotland
• Iain Gulland, CEO, Zero Waste Scotland
• SG Supporting Officials

27 Sep 21 - Introductory Ministerial Meeting – Virtual via Microsoft Teams

• Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater
• Vic Emery, Chair, Zero Waste Scotland
• Iain Gulland, CEO, Zero Waste Scotland
• SG Supporting Officials

Since 2018, the Scottish Government has consulted and reported on funding for advice services twice, publishing our review “Publicly-funded advice services in Scotland: review report” in 2018 and our “Debt Advice Routemap” in December 2019. Both reports identified changes to advice delivery and funding models that could improve the efficiency and sustainability of the advice sector and increase the impact and effectiveness of funding. The Scottish Government is taking forward actions to implement and build upon these changes taking account of the impact of the Covid pandemic on the advice sector.

The Scottish Government understands the impact of annual funding agreements on adviser wellbeing and job security, which is why we are undertaking work to support creating a more sustainable and effective model of funding in the future. This includes testing innovative approaches using digital technology and working with the Improvement Service to help us identify a model through which devolved debt advice levy funding can best be distributed in order to have the maximum impact, both locally and nationally. We also continue to fund Money Advice Scotland to develop and run a programme to support and improve adviser wellbeing.

As we committed to in Housing to 2040, the Scottish Government will shortly be publishing a consultation on a draft rented sector strategy. Our strategy will seek to improve accessibility, affordability and standards across the whole rented sector in Scotland. The draft strategy will also set out how we will deliver a new deal for tenants – giving them more secure, stable, affordable tenancies with improved standards of accommodation, new controls on rent and more flexibility to personalise homes.

We aim is to publish a first draft of the strategy, for a full 12 week public consultation, by the end of this calendar year and to publish a final version of the strategy in the second half of 2022. Any legislative aspects identified will be included in a housing bill in this term of parliament and other legislation, as appropriate.

Our vision is for people to have equality of outcomes no matter what tenure they live in and we recognise that greater flexibility to keep pets is important for wellbeing, and for being able to consider a tenancy a settled home. That is why it is a commitment in the Shared Policy Programme, and we will set out more detail in the draft strategy when it is published for consultation.

Local Authorities are responsible and are indeed best placed to make decisions regarding waste services and each authority chooses a collection and management strategy suitable for them.

However, we recognise that Covid-19 has impacted the amount of waste created in Scotland, and disposable face coverings contribute to this as they cannot be recycled. Therefore, Scottish Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): public use of face coverings guidance includes information on the appropriate disposal of face coverings and information encouraging the use of reusable face coverings. Disposable face coverings should be disposed of in residual (black bag) waste or litter bins.

Additionally, Zero Waste Scotland launched their communication campaign on 2 December, Face It: Reuse Beats Single Use , to encourage the public to wear reusable face coverings. The campaign includes further information on disposal of face coverings and has a communications toolkit for stakeholders to download and use.

COP26 delivered some progress on Loss and Damage – and, in pledging £2 million, the Scottish Government were pleased to lead the way as the first [developed nation] to pledge funds. However it is widely acknowledged the issue requires greater prominence and wider action at scale. In the run up to COP27, the Scottish Government will be working with international colleagues including Under 2 members such as Wallonia, research communities and philanthropic partners with the aim of building broader consensus and plans for programming on Loss and Damage.

We recognise that the scale of finance needed far outstrips what Scotland alone can commit but we hope that our action will galvanise others to be similarly ambitious. We will be working closely over this coming year with international colleagues.

In 2021-22, over £14 million has been provided to welfare and debt advice services aligned to Social Justice priorities and to projects in the Justice Programme, including law centres. The value of funding in future financial years will form part of the setting of the overall budget for 2022-23.

The Scottish Government runs a number of funding programmes across all areas of its responsibility, some of which are open to applications from advice agencies and law centres. All funding streams have their own assessment criteria based on the needs of the policy areas with responsibility for the funding programme. Such a varied approach allows for targeted funding that responds to identified policy need. For example, the Investing in Communities Fund, which is anticipated to re-open for applications in April 2022, is a community-focused fund which supports community organisations based in the places they serve to deliver a holistic range of projects and services that help to tackle all forms of poverty and inequalities. Funding for these projects through these programmes is in addition to the figure of £14 million above.

In addition, advice services receive funding from multiple other sources, including Local Authorities, which remain the biggest funders of advice in Scotland. The Common Advice Performance Management Reporting Framework published on 28 January 2021 found that total Local Authority funding for money and welfare rights advice services was just over £28 million in 2019-20, of which £13 million was spent on externally delivered provision including free advice and law centres.