Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Directorate for International Trade and Investment directly manages the Trade and Investment Envoy Network.

We also work closely with the GlobalScot Network managed by the Scottish Enterprise to advance our trade and investment ambitions. Through GlobalScots, we engage with individual Scottish University alumni overseas to maintain good relations with Scotland and also offer a route for appropriate alumni to join the network, thereby adding to its diversity and reach.

The Directorate of International Trade and Investment has also worked with Scottish Government colleagues to develop the Scottish Government connections strategy, which is focused on developing stronger links with diaspora groups.

Scotland has some of the strongest homelessness legislation in the world and all local authorities have a legal duty to provide support to anyone at risk of homelessness, including veterans.

Preventing homelessness from happening in the first place is the best and most effective way to end homelessness. That is why, we commissioned the Veterans Scotland Housing Group to develop specific strategies to prevent homelessness for veterans. Their report was published in January 2022. We have accepted the 24 recommendations in principle and are engaging with partners on next steps.

Additionally, we continue to support the charity Housing Options Scotland to provide its Military Matters project, helping veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces to find the right home in the right place. The Scottish Government website also hosts a guide containing housing in Scotland information and contacts of organisations who may be able to help veterans obtain housing suitable for their needs.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Prison Service and last year attended the Veterans in Custody Support Officer (VICSO) gathering at HMP Castle Huntly to discuss how we can better support their work, including future attendance at a Breakfast Club event. Officials will again attend a VICSO gathering in February. Furthermore, the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey now includes a question on former Service in the Armed Forces. We are considering analysis proposals from this survey and findings will be available at varying points during mid-to late-2023. Having a veterans question in this national survey will improve our understanding of the profile, circumstances and needs of veterans in Scotland which in turn will help inform policy and services.

We also support Police Scotland’s pledges under the Armed Forces Covenant to support the Armed Forces and veterans community, including pledges to review and refresh the Veterans Champion role across local policing divisions and to introduce Veterans Champions within its custody and criminal justice environment.

Veterans’ specific welfare support is a matter centrally supported by UK Government policy and delivered by Veterans UK and the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) , part of Ministry of Defence (MOD). The UK-wide service works with local authorities, voluntary organisations, service charities and the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees .

The Scottish Government’s Benefit Take-up Stakeholder Reference Group works with a range of specific seldom-heard groups, including veterans’ groups, to better understand and address non-take-up among particular populations and to maximise incomes. In the current year (2022-23) we have allocated over £12.5 million to support the provision of free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice.

The Scottish Government has designed the application guidance for Scottish Government benefits to provide comprehensive information on entitlement. Similarly, signposting is included to refer clients to the relevant agencies for reserved benefits where appropriate. Adult Disability Payment launched in August last year. The application form asks clients about their possible entitlement to Armed Forces Independence Payment, War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement and War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance. Where appropriate, clients are then directed to Veterans UK for further advice. We have also worked with Veterans UK to develop an information sharing process between the organisation and Social Security Scotland. This is intended to ensure that veterans can efficiently access the support to which they are entitled.

The comment quoted relates to the scale of Scotland’s electricity generation ambition, and uses the comparison to current energy demand to illustrate that scale.

As set out in the draft ESJTP, in 2030, Scottish energy demand that is not met from domestic renewable electricity generation could be met by other sources including by energy storage, fossil fuels, or hydrogen. This will represent a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and an increase in renewables from 2020 levels, when 26.7% of total Scottish energy consumption came from renewable sources.

The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

We use a range of measures to monitor the wellbeing of the workforce taking into account the diverse nature of the workforce operating in a range of roles and geographies, the broad spectrum of wellbeing needs at both a professional and personal level and different reporting arrangements across sectors. Our approach reflects a combination of the following measures; the annual iMatter survey, feedback from local and national staffside and other stakeholder channels, academic research, data collected by regulators and partners and evaluation of nationally-led initiatives. In addition, the Wellbeing Champions Network is now well-established to provide feedback on areas of priority need, and to share best practice across health, social care and social work organisations.

We are continuing to work with leaders across health, social care and social work, as well as hearing directly from staff, to understand where the current pressures are, and what further actions can be taken to mitigate their impact on staff. We are working on a range of local initiatives designed to meet the basic and practical needs of staff, and their teams. This includes access to quiet spaces to support health and wellbeing, and the installation of lockers.

To complement the local support available for the mental health and wellbeing of the health and social care workforce, the Scottish Government are continuing to provide a range of resources including the National Wellbeing Hub, a 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service, Coaching for Wellbeing and funding for additional local psychological support. We are also working closely with NHS Boards to support a range of local initiatives designed to meet the basic and practical needs of Doctors in Training, and their teams. This includes access to quiet spaces to support health and wellbeing, and the installation of lockers.

Our ongoing response will be informed by the Improving Wellbeing and Workforce Cultures Strategy which will be launched in 2023. The strategy is a commitment from the Scottish Government to drive a supportive and enabling culture for people working in health, social care and social work across wellbeing, leadership and equalities.

This is a matter for the Scottish Social Services Council. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for the Scottish Social Services Council. The information requested is not held centrally.