Chamber and committees

We recognise and value the unique role that childminders play in delivering 1140 hours of high quality funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to children and families. We are pleased to see an increasing proportion of childminding services being approved to deliver funded ELC, with the most recent data from December 2021 showing that 1,319 childminders had been approved. At the time, this was 33% of all childminders operating, though clearly challenges remain in terms of recruitment and retention.

We continue to work with our partners, including the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA), to increase the number of childminders - and therefore childminding places - in Scotland through the implementation of Our Commitment to Childminding , which was developed with partners and published in January 2021. The report sets out how Scottish Government, Local Authorities, partners and childminders will work together meaningfully and in genuine partnership to deliver improved outcomes for childminders, while continuing to ensure that a high quality experience for children is maintained.

Our work with partners includes supporting the delivery of targeted recruitment models, such as the Scottish Rural Childminding Partnership which aims to recruit and train 100 new childminders in remote and rural areas.

Further to the answers to questions S6W-12054 and S6W-12392 we would reiterate that we are currently considering the most appropriate approach for continuity of these services and will provide further advice once our plans have been finalised.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13137 on‎ 9 January 2023. 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

All of the ScotRail Trains Ltd fleet is owned by third party rolling stock leasing companies.

Public ownership of ScotRail provides Transport Scotland with the opportunity for the previous approach to rolling stock procurement to be reviewed.

The value of Scottish Child Payment for one child receiving the payment for one year is £1,300. This has been calculated by multiplying the now £25 per week rate by the 52 weeks in a standard calendar year.

The phasing of the PDR review programme is kept under review to ensure that it reflects – and helps to promote – wider Scottish Government objectives. The stakeholder update which I issued with the Chief Planner in October 2022 confirmed that, in light of the current cost and climate crises, Phase 3 of the review will focus on PDR for domestic and non-domestic renewable energy equipment – and that a consultation will be published early in 2023.

Scottish Government officials, in conjunction with the Chair of the National Bairns’ Hoose Governance Group, have carried out extensive engagement with key partners from across children’s services, health, justice, and the third sector. This includes Chief Officers’ Public Protection Groups (COGs), who will play a key role in the delivery of Bairns’ Hoose.

We are currently working with our partners to develop a phased approach to implementation of Bairns’ Hoose across Scotland, with a Pathfinder phase beginning in 2023. We will publish further information on our plans for delivery in the coming months.

The design and delivery of Bairns’ Hoose will be between partners at a local level and though local structures. It is anticipated that COGs will collaborate regionally, according to their needs and proximity to local resources, to identify the number of Bairns’ Hooses required in their area.

Bairns’ Hooses will build on the Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviews, which is being introduced nationally from 2021 to 2024 and will be seen as the ‘justice room’ of the Bairns’ Hoose.

The latest available figure, as at 27 October 2022, there are 31,793 Power of Attorney (PoA) deeds awaiting registration.

For week commencing 6 September 2021 the Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland (OPG) were processing the following Power of Attorney applications:

• Electronic (EPOAR) submissions received on 12 March 2021
• Postal submissions received around 22 February 2021

For week commencing 19 December 2022, the Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland (OPG) were processing the following Power of Attorney applications:

• Electronic (EPOAR) submissions received on 19 May 2022
• Postal submissions received around 10 May 2022

There is an expedited system for more urgent applications.

Within the 2023-24 Budget, the Scottish Government has provided COVID recovery funding to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) totalling £26.8m which includes £0.3m for OPG recovery.

The Scottish Government has also provided additional capital funding to SCTS for 2023-24 including for the Office of the Public Guardian IT system

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on the content of our consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion.

Officials in the Alcohol Harm Prevention Team have met with the ASA at regular intervals to discuss alcohol marketing and ASA research.

I will meet with key stakeholders, including the ASA and other advertising bodies, during the consultation period to directly hear their views on the proposals and any potential impacts they may have.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with COSLA to find a way forward on the introduction of a Scottish Recommended Allowance for foster and kinship carers.