Chamber and committees

The Gateway Review was focused on activities that lie on the critical path for delivery of DRS, such as establishment of the scheme’s infrastructure and implementation of the regulatory function. This determined which organisations would be interviewed during the short timeframe of the review. The Scottish Government has also met with other sectors, including hospitality and small producers, to understand the impact of the pandemic on them and to ensure that their views are taken into account.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02164 on
‎ 31 August 2021. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02164 on
‎ 31 August 2021. 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

We remain committed to financial transparency. Transactions are reported to Audit Scotland and disclosed in the Scottish Government’s annual accounts. Ministers also keep Parliament and Committees informed at appropriate junctures. This transparency is balanced against the need for commercial confidentiality where required to protect commercial interests.

To improve our approach when providing support we have strengthened our internal commercial capacity and are making updates to the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

The Permanent Secretary wrote to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee on 19 February 2021 on how the Scottish Government is strengthening its approach to providing support and managing its on-going interests in businesses. Please find a link to the letter here .

The Scottish Government did not dismiss any employees during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 in (a) Scotland and (b) the Grampian region.

Not all of the information being requested is held at present by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Funding Council has however provided HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data showing what percentage of all students studying medicine at Scottish medical schools, across all years of studies, were Scottish domiciled. This data is limited up to and including academic year 2019-20.

The published remit for the OECD’s Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence, sets out the approach taken to the review. This can be accessed at: Independent+Review+of+Curriculum+for+Excellence+-+Remit.pdf (www.gov.scot)

The OECD established a team of core OECD staff and international experts with experience in curriculum and assessment implementation. The process included:

• A comprehensive desk-based analysis of policy documents, evidence and research on CfE implementation, which included, amongst other documents, the initial evidence base provided by the Scottish Government in July 2020, papers published as part of the Education & Skills Committee’s Inquiry on Subject Choice and published academic articles and research.
• Compilation of information from key stakeholders’ websites and think tank publications.
• A series of interviews and virtual school visits plus focus groups to gather primary data. These included discussions with the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Scottish Government officials, national agencies, local government representatives, college and university bodies, employer groups, academics, teachers and head teachers, parents, young people, Gaelic and subject specific interest groups, and members of Scotland’s education governance groups.

This represented a significant and comprehensive amount of documentation, with many different perspectives informing the review.

The OECD were clear that it was not feasible for them to consider more information than they specifically requested, nor was the purpose of the Review to generate new written submissions or replace what would otherwise be a national consultation.

The OECD were made aware of any requests to submit written submissions and advised that should any additional information be required they would request this.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with COSLA, including on Covid recovery, and the well-established mechanisms in place provide an opportunity for future discussions on this matter should COSLA seek to raise this with the Scottish Government.

Widening access to medicine for disadvantaged students remains a primary focus of the Scottish Government. As of academic year 2021-22, there are 60 places shared among Scotland's 5 medical schools which are reserved for students who meet the criteria for widening access, and we have committed to doubling that number over the lifetime of this Parliament. There are also SG funded pre-medical entry courses running at the universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow which aim to prepare aspiring medical students by helping them to get the academic qualifications required for entry into undergraduate medicine.

All medical students who are studying medicine full-time as a first degree are entitled to the standard undergraduate student support package for the full duration of their studies. This means the teaching costs are paid by the Scottish Government to the Universities (via the Scottish Funding Council) and their tuition fees are paid by the Scottish Government through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). They can also apply to SAAS for various loans and bursaries to help with living costs, depending on their individual circumstances.

I regularly meet with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to discuss a range of issues. The most recent liaison meeting took place on 16 September 2020 via MS Teams and the next meeting is scheduled to take place on 15 September 2021.

At the meeting in September 2020 I expressed my thanks for the continuing work and flexible approach taken by firefighters during the Covid pandemic period and underlined the importance the Scottish Government places on Fair Work principles. Matters discussed included communication between FBU officials and SFRS mangers, paid union facility time, firefighter pay, broadening the role of firefighters and Scottish Government funding to SFRS.