Chamber and committees

In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

Section 41 of The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 (“the Continuity Act”) required Scottish Ministers to review and prepare a report on the following matters:

• whether the provisions of this Chapter have ensured that there continues to be effective and appropriate governance relating to the environment following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU,
• whether the law in Scotland on access to justice on environmental matters is effective and sufficient, and
• whether and, if so, how the establishment of an environmental court could enhance the governance arrangements.

The Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance Arrangements was published on 1 June. The subsequent consultation on the Report was launched on the 2 June and closed on the 13 October.

The Scottish Government is currently considering the responses made to the consultation on the Report, and as required by s41 of the Continuity Act will publish a response to Parliament, including recommendations in response to the views raised in the consultation.

The Minister for Parliamentary Business regularly discusses legislative proposals and potential legislative vehicles with his Ministerial colleagues, including the proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill. However, introduction of specific primary legislation is considered in the wider context of overall legislative programmes. Decisions on future legislative programmes are a matter for Cabinet and will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government, in the normal way.

In the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government stated its commitment to continue to explore the development of legislative proposals on a wellbeing and sustainable development Bill, to support greater implementation of the NPF, and to ensure the interests of future generations are taken into account in decisions made today.

The Scottish Government has a long history of providing support for town centre regeneration and continues to provide a strong policy framework, with clear priorities and actions to help facilitate and deliver change. This includes our world leading Town Centre First Principle, which was first developed in Scotland.

Our regeneration strategy published in 2011 reflects our support for town centres as a central part of community life and as the backbone of Scotland’s economy. We further strengthened our ambitions for town centres through the Town Centre Action Plan in 2013 and re-affirmed our commitment in collaboration with COSLA for the Town Centre Action Plan 2 published in April 2022. TCAP 2 is a call to action and sets out some of the ways in which we can all seek to do our part, locally and nationally.

The Scottish Government supports Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) as the ‘go to’ body for town centre advice and support. STP works collaboratively with the Scottish Government, local authorities, and other stakeholder groups on engagement, implementation, and delivery of short and long-term town centre strategies.

Town centre regeneration in Scotland has also been backed by multiple investment programmes. Our Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) established in 2021/22, backed with over £300m over 5 years makes an important contribution to supporting ambitions for place, community regeneration, town centres and 20-minute neighbourhoods. PBIP is also complemented by the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) and Regeneration and Capital Grant Fund (RGCF), now in its tenth year. Information on the RCGF funding awarded is publicly available.

Though by no means exhaustive, previous programmes that have supported town centre regeneration since 1999 also include:

The latest information on the percentage of pupils who reached the expected standard in numeracy in P1 and P7 is available in Table 1 of the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) publication which can be found on the Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/publications/achievement-curriculum-excellence-cfe-levels-2021-22/

Note that these figures relate to numeracy as opposed to mathematics.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked its Chief Executive to respond. His response is as follows:

Scottish Water regularly reviews its generator strategy across the country for all water and wastewater treatment works to minimise disruption in the event of wide scale power outages. Significant work has also been undertaken to understand the medium to long term investment needs. This has identified additional sites that will receive a standby generator, or a hook up, to allow quicker deployment of temporary generators at pumping stations when needed.

The Scottish Government has received the report from NHS National Services Scotland on the options appraisal process on Mother and Baby Unit provision in Scotland. It is intended to publish the report once those options have been fully considered and next steps determined.

Full details of the digital prescribing and dispensing programme are publicly available on NHS National Services Scotland website. See https://www.nss.nhs.scot/national-programmes/digital-prescribing-and-dispensing-pathways/about-the-digital-prescribing-and-dispensing-pathways-programme/ .

Through this website, information on stakeholder engagement is detailed within quarterly newsletters which also confirm progress against key milestones. The programme as a whole remains on track, as set out in our Digital Health and Care Delivery Plan.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing accessible CAMHS services for children and young people who are deaf.

The CAMHS National Service Specification states that all children and families should receive support and services that are accessible and meet their needs. It is essential that the Scottish Government and CAMHS services engage with the deaf community and representative organisations to ensure we understand how services could better meet their needs.

As part of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board, the Scottish Government engaged with stakeholders including the National Deaf Children’s Society and representatives with lived experience to understand their needs which are being considered in future planning.

We are continuing to provide local authorities with £15 million per annum to fund community-based mental health supports for children and young people, including targeted provision for those in at-risk groups and a systematic focus on those with protected characteristics.

Kingdom Survivors Abuse Project (KASP) currently receives £40,152 per annum, over four years (2020-2024), through the Scottish Government’s Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS) Fund for their voluntary befriending service.

Objectives were set for KASP at the start of the Fund and have remained the same. They are expected to support 20 survivors a year with a view to improving wellbeing and resilience for survivors and ensuring survivors have access to quality, appropriate and timely services across Scotland.