Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific research on the question of whether Scotland’s population has the capacity to deal with the number of jobs created from the energy transition.

However, it is clear that Scotland is facing a set of long-term demographic challenges, including an ageing workforce, and perhaps the most stark projection is that as of 2033 Scotland’s overall population will begin to decline, and this is exacerbated by the impact of the UK's exit from the EU and subsequent loss of freedom of movement of EU members wishing to live, study and work in Scotland.

Scotland’s long-term demographic challenges will have impacts for sectors, particularly those that are expected to be fast growing, like net zero. Independent analysis commissioned by the Scottish Government and conducted by Ernst and Young (EY) suggests that with the right support there could be almost 80,000 jobs in the low carbon energy production sector and a net-positive impact for overall energy production jobs by 2050.

In our forthcoming Just Transition Plans, the Scottish Government will set out how we intend to support existing workers and new entrants to the workforce to take advantage of these opportunities and deliver a just transition to net zero by 2045.

The Scottish Government laid legislation seeking the agreement of the Scottish Parliament to continue Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), and set the price per unit at 65 pence on 19 February 2024. Members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee voted to approve those orders on 26 March 2024 and I am pleased that there is cross party support for this policy.

The Scottish Government undertook an awareness raising campaign in 2018 before the original implementation of MUP, and we will take learning from that approach.

We are currently considering different options regarding public information campaigns and direct communications with businesses around the proposed changes to the minimum unit price of alcohol. These will be finalised after the sunset clause vote by the Scottish Parliament, which must take place before 30 April 2024.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of bringing “in-house” (assumed to mean wholly within Network Rail) the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.

Railway safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government and Network Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Government. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for rail safety, and it determines the appropriate funding for Network Rail. The Scottish Government has fully funded Network Rail Scotland to meet its funding requirements as specified by the ORR in its capacity as safety regulator for the next five-year rail investment Control Period, 2024-29, CP7.

Network Rail made a conscious choice to improve its approach to asset maintenance for CP7, relying less on renewals and more on maintenance. Whilst the workbank for the Rail Systems Alliance might reduce, Network Rail envisages more work delivered internally. This approach has been championed by the RMT union.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26467 on 16 April 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26467 on 16 April 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 .

Childcare voucher schemes were part of UK-wide tax legislation on employer supported childcare. They were closed to new entrants in 2018 and as such, parents and carers who are taking up new employment are not able to access them. While some Scottish families may still be using them, they have largely been replaced by Tax Free Childcare. As the Scottish Government is not involved in the administration or regulation of childcare voucher schemes, we have not conducted an assessment of them.

We are aware of the wealth of evidence that shows that access to affordable and flexible childcare can improve standards of living and address child poverty through reducing pressures on family income and enabling parents and carers, particularly women, to participate in work, education or training. There is more information on this evidence base in ‘Best Start - strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026: https://www.gov.scot/publications/best-start-strategic-early-learning-school-age-childcare-plan-scotland-2022-26/pages/10/

In the Plan, we have also set out our commitment to continue to engage with and seek to influence the UK Government to deliver better outcomes for children and families through childcare policy.

Our national guidance on recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of abusive or violent behaviour.

In 2019, we introduced a consistent approach to recording and monitoring incidents in schools. The SEEMiS system was identified as the most appropriate tool for schools and local authorities to record incidents. The Scottish Government does not have any plans to introduce a new system.

We are currently considering the guidance as part of the review into the national anti-bullying guidance, ‘Respect for All’. The updated guidance will be published in late 2024.

In the meantime, I made clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November and also reiterated in the strongest possible terms in the opposition debate on 6 March, my position on the need for more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools. I continue to encourage all schools to do that, recognising that recording of physical or verbal incidents is a matter for individual local authorities.

The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024. Since the establishment, the Nursing and Midwifery has held four ministerial led meetings in April, July, December 2023 and March 2024. The taskforce has also held two official led meetings in June 2023 and March 2024.The Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website: www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce

The principles that will govern access to the reopened Independent Living Fund, recommended by the Co-Production Working Group, are set out on the Independent Living Fund Scotland website, at https://ilf.scot/news-post/update-re-opening-ilf-in-scotland/

The following five grant schemes listed will have Fair Work conditionality added to the existing grant conditions

• Agri – Environment Climate Scheme (AECS),

• Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme (CAGS),

• Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC),

• Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), and

• Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS).

For CAGS and FGS Fair Work Conditionality will apply from 1 April 2024, for the three other schemes Fair Work Conditionality will be applied from the opening of the next application window for each scheme.

Fair Work conditionality applies to all employees irrespective of contractual length who are working on activity that relies on one of the grants listed above.