Chamber and committees

The budget process is underway and we are prioritising programmes of work which have the greatest impact on the delivery of our three core missions of equality, opportunity, and community. We will set out our spending plans in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget on 19 December.

The Scottish Government has met with several Local Authorities to discuss their delivery of Free School Meals during which views on being involved in any future pilot were sought. These meetings took place; on the following dates;

• Western Isles Council – 5 July 2023
• Inverclyde Council – 26 July 2023
• North Ayrshire Council – 9 August 2023
• COSLA – 16 August 2023
• Edinburgh City Council – 16 August 2023

Most recently, on 11 October 2023, ADES and COSLA were invited to ask members if they would be interested in taking part in the pilot of universal free school meals at secondary.

The Hydrogen Action Plan, published in December 2022, set out a clear commitment to support renewable hydrogen production.

In May 2023, a funding award totalling over £7 million to thirty-one projects via the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme was announced, which supports innovation in the production, storage, and integration of renewable hydrogen. Thirty of these projects are now underway.

The Energy Transition Fund and the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund were launched in June and September 2020 respectively.

Information on the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 for 2021-22, 2022-23 and April to September 2023 is provided in the following tables. Data for the full year of 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.

Offences of Protection of livestock from dogs, by local authority, 2021-22 to 2022-23

The vast majority of spending on mental health is delivered through NHS board budgets – and this is not directly affected by the budget reprioritisation. Between the Scottish Government and NHS boards we expect spending on Mental Health to be well in excess of £1.3 billion in financial year 2023-24.

The 2023-24 direct mental health budget of £260.3 million is still more than double the 2020-21 mental health budget of £117.1 million and supports delivery of the new ten-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and recently published delivery and workforce plans, the Suicide Prevention Strategy and action plan and Scotland's first Self-Harm Strategy and action plan. These Plans have been produced with affordability and deliverability within that overall financial envelope as a primary consideration.

(i),(ii),(iii) The Scottish Government does not hold data that allows us to distinguish between rural and urban crime, or theft of specific items. These offences are likely to be charged under broader crimes of Attempted theft and theft and/or Theft of a motor vehicle.

(iv) Information on the number of police recorded offences of Protection of livestock from dogs, by LA, is provided in the below tables. Data for the full year of 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.

Offences of Protection of livestock from dogs, by local authority, 2021-22 to 2022-23

The Scottish Government understand the importance of sport and physical activity and the positive impact that it has, not only on physical, mental, and social health but on wider social outcomes.

We are committed to ensuring that all children in primary schools receive at least two hours of physical education each school week, and all young people in secondaries 1 to 4 receive at least two 50-minute periods of physical education each school week.

Alongside opportunities to be physically active in physical education, sportscotland works in partnership with all 32 local authorities to invest in and support Active Schools. Active Schools is dedicated to developing and supporting the delivery of high quality sport and physical activity opportunities to all children and young people taking an inclusive approach and providing targeted opportunities where there is a need.

Data published by sportscotland shows significantly increased participation levels across the past academic year (2022-23), with 4.6 million visits to Active Schools sessions, a rise of 34% on 2021-22.

We have committed to ensure that sportscotland’s Active Schools programme is free for all children and young people by the end of this Parliament.

In addition we are funding the Active Play Development Project which provides children with the opportunity to develop physical skills in their early years and to encourage a long-term, positive relationship with physical activity. The programme targets areas of disadvantage and will support more children from areas of higher deprivation, to develop the skills and confidence to enjoy being more physically active.

On 12 October 2023, I announced the start of the nominations process and invited communities and organisations across the country to develop and submit their proposals for their area to become Scotland’s next National Park. Nominations are due to be submitted by 29 February 2024.

The Scottish Government is aware of at least 10 local groups who are actively engaging with their communities and developing proposals for a new National Park in their area.

Detailed guidance on the nomination and appraisal process for new National Parks has been published, and support is being made available to groups that are exploring or developing a proposal.

In Spring 2024 all nominations received by the deadline will be appraised against the criteria set out in the appraisal framework. This will inform the decision on which area or areas should go forward for designation as a new National Park.

In Summer 2024 the Scottish Government will commission a reporter to carry out a detailed investigation into the area or areas selected to become a new National Park. Based on the outcome of that investigation, secondary legislation is expected to be laid before the Parliament in order to designate at least one new National Park by 2026.

The 2021 Programme for Government included a commitment to review Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education in 2022. To deliver on this, the Scottish Government worked in collaboration with a wide range of partners including the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the professional body for Speech and Language Therapists in the UK. The Review has now been completed and recommendations were published reporting a number of short, medium and long terms actions needed to address workforce and education challenges, including the development of ‘earn and learn’ routes to become an AHP in Scotland.

An advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations and the first meeting was held on 9 October 2023. The group will be chaired by Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer who will report progress towards the implementation of the recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer and Scottish Ministers as required.

Scotland’s two iconic national parks were established in 2000 as Non-Departmental Public Bodies and their governance arrangements were set down in Designation orders thereafter.

NDPBs operate at arms lengths from Scottish Government and are wholly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The relationship with government is set out in a Framework Agreement between the body and Scottish Ministers, both national parks have these agreements in place.

Scottish Ministers regularly meet both National Parks to discuss a range of matters, including governance.