Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is aware that drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) services in Edinburgh were temporarily suspended in 2022 and has worked with the local authority and other partners over recent months to understand the issues behind this and offer support where appropriate. DTTO services were reinstated in late February on a limited basis and we will continue to support efforts to ensure that those in need can access drug treatment across Scotland.

As recently announced in our Drug Deaths Taskforce Response, the Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of DTTOs and other relevant orders to assess how they have been used, their outcomes, and whether they are the most effective mechanism to support recovery and reduce recidivism rates.

The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions to ensure access to affordable credit for people on low-incomes. This includes investing £8.5 million in our Community Sustainability Fund, which launched in December 2022, where community lenders can access loans for a range of purposes including support with cash flow and to promote the availability of affordable credit. Also investing up to £1 million in a No-Interest Loan Scheme pilot to offer a lifeline for people on low incomes who are financially excluded and unable to borrow from mainstream or community lenders due to their credit score or affordability issues.

This work builds on the £15 million grant funding allocated to Scottish Community Lenders in 2021 to promote the availability of affordable credit, strengthen the balance sheet of affordable credit providers and improve financial resilience. Along with the £2 million Affordable Credit Fund, backed by funding of £1 million from the Scottish Government and £1 million from Carnegie UK Trust, to enable low income families to access affordable credit.

In addition, the Scottish Government is represented on Financial Inclusion for Scotland, whose aims include enabling better financial inclusion in Scotland by supporting those who find it difficult to access fair or affordable financial services.

SEPA has been provided funding by the Scottish Government to establish their regulatory service for the scheme. Once the scheme is operational, SEPA will be funded for the service via the producer registration fees collected. The Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS) for Scotland 2020 regulations provide that businesses with a taxable turnover in excess of £85,000 will pay an annual £365 fee when registering as a producer for Scotland's DRS. This regulatory activity will include provision of advice and guidance to businesses to support them in achieving compliance.

The SPCB’s procurement function operates in accordance with its published Procurement Strategy and established industry practice including guidance published by the Scottish Government. There are robust processes in place to deliver sustainable contracts that provide best value for money and resilient supply chain governance.

To support this strategy, and in line with procurement regulations, as a matter of policy the SPCB does not publish specific information regarding contracts or tenders which might prejudice fair competition, which would prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation or otherwise be contrary to the public interest.

I am therefore limited in the detail I can provide in response to your questions. I can confirm that two quotations were submitted for the contract advertised as FEB471362.

Scottish Government Ministers took the decision to extend all current funding for the 115 organisations funded under the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention & Adult Learning & Empowering Communities (CYPFEI & ALEC) third sector fund for three months and consider options for the existing fund together with fully considering bids under the new Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learning (CYPFAL) third sector fund. Following this consideration, Ministers took the decision to extend all existing funding under CYPFEI and ALEC for two financial years, providing £29m to 115 organisations to end March 2025. Officials wrote to all affected organisations on 20 March 2023 to communicate this decision. In addition, Ministers have decided to award an additional £6m to 22 further organisations under the CYPFAL third sector fund over the next two financial years to end March 2025.

An Lanntair are a key stakeholder of our public bodies. The Scottish Government has not met An Lanntair directly during this period, however Highlands and Islands Enterprise hold regular meetings with An Lanntair, normally on a monthly basis, to discuss operational matters.

In addition, as they are a regularly funded organisation (RFO), An Lanntair has met with Creative Scotland during this period through virtual and in-person meetings, and phone calls.

The key outcomes from those discussions include (i) funding levels, (ii) additional financial support from the various Scottish Government COVID-19 Emergency Funds and (iii) updates of An Lanntair’s ongoing RFO activity including artistic planning, annual review and annual reporting.

The Scottish Government will continue to have regular dialogue with the culture sector and, given the recent changes in the Scottish Government Ministerial team, introductory meetings between relevant Ministers and Creative Scotland and partners across the sector are currently being considered.

Keeping children safe from abuse and exploitation is a key priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to ensuring that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland.

That is why we are taking forward a range of work with our partners, including Stop It Now! Scotland and the NSPCC, to both prevent abuse and intervene early to ensure that risk and harm to children and young people is recognised and acted on quickly and effectively. For example, in February of this year, we delivered a public awareness campaign across a range of radio, TV and digital channels to inform parents about the risks of online harm and how to protect their children online.

Cross-directorate Government-supported work-streams collectively take action to prevent and protect children in Scotland from child sexual abuse and provide appropriate support to victims and survivors of such abuse. This includes funding to support a range of activity and programmes with a particular focus on early intervention and prevention and the revision of the National Child Protection Guidance that defines and clarifies roles and responsibilities for everyone working with children and young people, setting out the foundation for protective action to keep children safe from harm.

The most recent statistics show the number of children on the Child Protection Register in Scotland has decreased and is the lowest rate of any nation in the UK. The number of looked after children is also at its lowest level since 2006.

The breadth of work happening across Government and our commitment to a continuing focus on prevention and early intervention is such that we do not think that a national strategy to tackle child sexual abuse is required at this time. The Scottish Government will keep under review whether a dedicated strategy is needed in this sensitive and important area.

Scottish Ballet is one of Scotland’s five National Performing Companies and has met with Scottish Ministers on two occasions since May 2021.

On 22 February 2022 Scottish Ballet held an introductory meeting with Neil Gray following his appointment as Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and Minister with special responsibility for refugees from Ukraine.

On 11 January 2023 Scottish Ballet, along with the other National Performing Companies, met with the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture to explore how their international tours could further enhance the reputation and brand of Scotland overseas.

As a National Performing Company the Scottish Ballet receive direct funding from Scottish Government. Scottish Government officials have met regularly since May 2021 with the Scottish Ballet as part of normal grant management processes.

The Scottish Government will continue to have regular dialogue with the culture sector and, given the recent changes in the Scottish Government Ministerial team, introductory meetings between relevant Ministers and the National Performing Companies are currently being considered.

The First Minister was briefed on the Ministerial Code; Civil Service Code; Code of Conduct for Special Advisers; guidance on Collective Decision Making; procedures for making a formal complaint about a minister’s or former minister’s behaviour; Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Scheme guidance; Safeguarding and Securing Scottish Government Business guidance; the Scottish Government’s IT Code of Conduct, Records Management Plan and Policy and Security Data Handling Standard.

In addition the First Minister was briefed on the private office function; Ministerial Pay, Pensions, declarations of interests; guidance on travel, expenses and gifts; and an overview of the Scottish Government and its governance structures.

The First Minister was provided with a diary note to discuss forthcoming engagements; background information on Bute House arrangements; Counterterrorism Incident guidance; and the civil service liaison arrangements with the outgoing First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

The First Minister was also briefed on portfolio priorities and on the Bute House Agreement.

Free school meals are universally available during term-time to all children in primaries 1 to 5 at publicly-funded schools and to all children at publicly-funded special schools.

After primary 5, children and young people remain eligible to receive free school meals if their families meet the eligibility criteria set out within legislation until they leave school. This is the most generous provision of free school meals across the UK. However, it is for children, young people and their families to choose to take up this provision.

We remain committed to expanding universal free school meals to all primary school pupils over the course of this parliament, and our next step towards this will be the expansion of free school meals for all Primary 6 and 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.