- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009, and what conclusion any such review reached regarding the efficacy of the regulations in providing proportionate and equitable support for adoptive families.
Answer
A National Review of Care Allowances was published in 2018 which highlighted that each local authority is able to develop their own adoption allowance scheme within the parameters of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (‘the 2007 Act’). Under the 2007 Act, local authorities have a duty to assess someone’s need for adoption support services and to provide this support.
Adoption agencies should ensure that prospective adopters are made aware at the earliest opportunity of the adoption process about the purpose of an adoption allowance, as well as the process for applying.
In addition, the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (‘the 2009 Regulations’) are designed to ensure that those persons identified in section 1 of the 2007 Act can access and receive the ongoing support for an adoption required to ensure the improved outcomes associated with adoption. It is the duty of local authorities to implement these duties to ensure that adoptive families receive this support.
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that adoptive families receive the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life. This includes the provision of over £770,000 funding in 2024/25 to organisations delivering services and support to adoptive families and practitioners.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to improve access to a timely diagnosis of blood cancer for (a) black and minority ethnic people, (b) people from deprived backgrounds and (c) people who live in remote locations.
Answer
We are committed to tackling health inequalities and providing access to the highest quality of care for all, which is why our ambitious cancer strategy has a focus on reducing inequities in access to all cancer care, and cancer outcomes.
We continue to support improving timely access to cancer services. We committed in our Programme for Government to opening a further Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS) in 2024/25, bringing our national total to six.
A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is also underway via the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time. This is further supported by a new primary care cancer education platform Gateway C, which was launched on 30th April in NHS Scotland.
- Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its policy that adult social care workers must earn at least the real Living Wage, what estimate it has made of the potential Barnett consequential funding that might receive if the UK Government were to replicate this approach in England.
Answer
Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding to ensure that adult social care workers, delivering direct care in the third and private sectors, are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW).
As employment powers are reserved, this uplift is funded by the Scottish Government but processed, delivered and assured by Local Authorities through the annual contract variation process. This year, the Scottish Government transferred £230 million to Local Government to deliver the uplift to at least £12 per hour.
As we do not have access to the relevant contractual information in England, we are unable to estimate how much it would cost to replicate this approach in England or the subsequent Barnett consequentials.
In the absence of Barnett consequentials, the Scottish Government’s commitment to prioritise funding a minimum RLW rate clearly demonstrates the value we place on the Scottish social care workforce.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statutory duty on local authorities to implement deer management plans, and the reported increased importance of recording deer numbers to meet the target of an additional 50,000 culled deer annually, for what reason data is available for only five out of 32 local authorities, and whether it will provide funding to local authorities to ensure that accurate deer management plans can be produced to facilitate the recording of deer numbers.
Answer
NatureScot only receives cull return data from the five local authorities that manage deer on their land. The remaining local authorities do not undertake deer culls, and therefore do not provide cull returns.
Naturescot has funded local authorities approximately £37,000 over the last seven years to produce deer management plans and deer statements alongside providing expert advice and guidance. NatureScot will continue to work with local authorities to support their deer management efforts.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to take action to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving deer across the Central Belt.
Answer
Alongside our work to reduce deer populations which should have an impact on reducing the number of deer involved in road traffic accidents, we are also taking action at ‘hotspots’ where there are higher numbers of deer vehicle collisions.
NatureScot and Transport Scotland have been recording and analysing deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) across the Scottish road network since 2008. Between 2022 to 2025 several ‘hotspots’ for DVCs were identified as part of this work, most of which were in the Central Belt. NatureScot are now running a project looking at site-specific mitigation options in three Central Belt sites. This includes site visits to liaise with landowners over deer management.
Alongside this, a ‘Deer Aware’ media campaign is being run in the Central Belt. The campaign warns drivers on trunk roads of the increased likelihood of deer on the road in the spring.
We are also investigating the practicality of incorporating wildlife crossings into the design of the proposed replacement pedestrian bridges across the M8 trunk road near to Junction 3, Livingston. Such ‘green bridges’ can service multiple users and provide a safe alternative route for wildlife across busy roads.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the potential negative impact on the mental health of deer stalkers required to cull pregnant female deer, whether it has considered alternative measures to extending the female deer season until 31 March, and what its position is on whether the extension is appropriate, in light of such concerns regarding the mental health implications for the workforce.
Answer
The Scottish Government want to ensure that changes to deer management policy are effective in achieving our climate and biodiversity aims.
We are aware that there are a range of views on changes to the female deer close seasons. That is why we undertook a full public consultation on proposals for deer legislation which included this issue. We have also ensured that animal welfare organisations have been fully consulted.
We are carefully considering all the responses, and we are in regular contact with gamekeepers and other land management stakeholders, on deer management issues. We will continue to work with them as our deer management legislation develops.
It is important to note that deer close seasons set a time period during which it is unlawful to kill a female deer, on deer welfare grounds. The timing of deer management outside these close seasons remans a decision for deer stalkers and, where appropriate, their employers.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its proposed Natural Environment Bill and the anticipated timescale for its progress through the Parliament.
Answer
The most recent Programme for Government (2024-25) sets out the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce the Natural Environment Bill in this current parliamentary year.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can share the results of the Planet Youth pilot scheme in each year since the scheme was established across participating schools in the Highlands and Islands region.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Highland is one of 6 local authority areas implementing Planet Youth in Scotland. Data on the Highlands and Islands schools participating in the Planet Youth pilot is held by the Highland Alcohol and Drug Partnership and the charity Winning Scotland.
Winning Scotland has been carrying out research on the progress of the pilot in participating local authorities in Scotland, including Highland. Five communities are involved in the pilot in Highland and the data has, and continues to be, shared with the local coalitions which have formed around those communities. This includes community planning partners, schools, third sector, businesses and others.
- Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 earlier than April 2025.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
Implementation of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 was initially to be April 2024. Following the onset of the cost crisis in the public sector, Disclosure Scotland advised its Ministers that a one-year delay would be more cost effective in the context of the worsening financial climate. This delay would allow Disclosure Scotland to build the required technology at reduced expense and deliver a better product in terms of quality.
Disclosure Scotland advised Ministers that the longer delivery period would also allow our stakeholders more time to get ready for the coming changes and that the delay would not diminish the child and adult protection services that are the number one priority for Scottish Ministers in operating the PVG Scheme.
Ministers decided to agree a one-year delay in Act implementation but asked that appropriate elements of the new legislation should be commenced sooner, where possible.
Accordingly, parts of the Act and the policy intent of the Act have commenced earlier than the substantive implementation date, specifically:
On 10 December 2021, the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.1 and Transitory Provision) Regulations 2021 came into force. These related to sections 83-85 of the 2020 Act which enabled individuals to withdraw from the PVG Scheme, to apply for removal from the barred list(s), permitted Scottish Ministers powers to obtain information to assess whether an individual is no longer unsuitable and to remove an individual from the list(s).
On 19 December 2022,The Police Act 1997 (Offences in Schedules 8A and 8B) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2022 updated the offence lists in the Police Act 1997 to reflect the changes listed in the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.
On 01 April 2023,the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.2) Regulations 2023 came into force. These related to section 89 of the 2020 Act and provided Scottish Ministers must issue guidance to the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland relating to disclosure of ‘other relevant information’.
On 30 September 2024, Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.3) Regulations 2024 brought into force provisions of the 2020 Act including section 82 which amended the PVG Act to give local authorities and integration joint boards referral powers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of its current ability to provide additional childcare to (a) parents and (b) guardians of nursery-age children with (i) short- and (ii) long-term additional support needs.
Answer
Education authorities have a duty under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their children, including in respect of funded early learning and childcare (ELC). The Scottish Government provides funding to education authorities for additional support for learning as part of their block grant. It is for individual education authorities to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.
