Chamber and committees

The final subsidy for ScotRail for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. Subsidy provided to other train operating companies is a matter for the UK Department for Transport, Transport for London and the Welsh Government.

The Scottish Government recognises the pressure on household budgets which is why in 2024-25 we continued to allocate around £3bn a year to policies which tackle poverty and help with the cost of living for households.  This includes providing free bus travel for over 2 million people and continuing to invest in discretionary housing payments with £90.5m being made available in 2024-25.

Additionally in November we announced a £41 million package of support for people struggling with energy costs this winter. This includes: an additional £20 million which will be provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund, to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis; an additional £20 million for the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme, which helps people install energy efficiency measures and more efficient heating systems, saving on average around £300 per year in household energy bills, and making £1 million of grant-funding available to registered social landlords to fund work to help sustain tenancies.

The Scottish Government believes that a social tariff is the best way to ensure that energy consumers are protected against high costs and can afford all of their energy needs. The powers to implement a social tariff remain with the UK Government and we are committed to working closely with them to advocate for the delivery of a social tariff across Great Britain. We established a Social Tariff Working Group in November, bringing together stakeholders to co-design a deliverable social tariff policy, and will share the outputs from the group with UK Government as soon as possible.

As detailed in my letter to NZET Committee on 17 December 2024, the technological and financial landscape has changed significantly since the Decarbonisation Action Plan was first published. The Scottish Government currently faces significant financial and budgetary pressures. As a consequence of these challenges, it is clear that the 2020 Decarbonisation Action Plan commitment to decarbonise rail services by 2035 can no longer be met. A revised target of 2045 is planned for the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-31908 on 11 December 2024. 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 replacement for ScotRail’s High Speed Trains (HST) is expected to be more energy efficient than the HSTs and therefore will significantly reduce emissions, a direct contribution to decarbonisation.

Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to recognise the additional costs of being disabled or living with a long-term health condition. Individuals who are impacted by Long COVID may be entitled to Adult Disability Payment depending on their individual circumstances.

Income replacement benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, which provide financial support to people of working age who are unable to work due to illness, are fully reserved to the UK Government. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently being delivered by the UK Government, prior to the delivery of Employment Injury Assistance in Scotland. The UK Government determines which conditions should be prescribed for the purposes of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the interim report and thanks the Chair, Edel Harris, for her work. The Scottish Government is carefully considering these initial findings and looks forward to the publication of the final report in July 2025. A written response to that final report will be published within six months of its submission.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering vital public services and supporting our third sector but continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.

The 2025-26 draft budget, which will be subject to the approval of the Parliament, included an allocation for the Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI & ALEC) and Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector funds.

Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods including the number and value of payments.

Since the introduction of Best Start Grant School Age Payment in June 2019, £34,086,106 has been paid to eligible clients. The following table shows the total number and value of School Age Payments made over each financial years since its introduction:

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication and thanks the Chair, Edel Harris for her work. The Scottish Government is now carefully considering these initial findings, including the areas the Chair considers may be capable of early action. A written response to the final report will be published within six months, following assessment of policy and delivery implications and the affordability of proposals.