Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09978 on 24 August 2022. 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.

Like all Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Scottish Canals are required to seek approval from the Scottish Government for funding proposals above agreed threshholds. This ensures that larger projects are both affordable and in the best interests of wider public funds spend.

Proposals relating to Stockingfield Bridge will be subject to this process and will require Scottish Government approval before any undertaking can be made. I have yet to receive such a proposal from Scottish Canals but will of course give any such proposal full consideration.

The Office for National Statistics confirmed Scottish Canals as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) effective from April 2020. Scottish Canals has a responsibility to ensure that it conducts its core business of maintaining and improving Scotland’s canal network and is resourced by the Scottish Government to do so. Since 2019, the Organisation’s capital Grant in Aid allocation has increased by 87% and this is enabling the Organisation to plan, progress and successfully complete projects of large scale as an NDPB.

Scottish Canals also retains the ability to operate commercially when appropriate and work is currently being undertaken by the Organisation to analyse the success of its investment activities in recent years. This analysis will be shared with the Scottish Government in due course alongside recommendations to Ministers on how the Organisation takes forward its investment activities as an NDPB.

The programme board is chaired by senior Scottish Government officials and comprises representatives from SEPA, Cosla, Solace and Zero Waste Scotland.

The board regularly reports to Scottish Ministers, and is supported by an advisory group which is composed of industry and local authority representatives.

Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with liver disease is able to access the best possible care and support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred.

Although the Scottish Government has not directly undertaken any analysis into the impact of geographical variation in primary care pathways for the early detection of liver disease, we are aware of the work currently being conducted by one of our partners, British Liver Trust, who are gathering evidence on how best to improve the management of chronic liver disease in primary care.

Tree Planting is a critical element of the Scottish Government’s plans to tackle the climate emergency and help achieve a net-zero Scotland.

Although data on land use prior to woodland establishment is not available, tree planting takes place on a range of land types, including agricultural, former agricultural, sporting, conservation, restored land, on golf courses and in association with built and infrastructure development.

Official statistics show that 82,840 hectares of new woodland was created in Scotland in the last decade.

Aberdeenshire is home to over 8000 (one third) of all private water supplies in Scotland, more than double those in Argyll and Bute, and almost triple those in the Highland Council region. Given the prevalence of water scarcity in the North East of Scotland and the numbers of Private Water Supplies in Aberdeenshire and hence the acute challenge, we decided to pilot in this area to inform any future interventions.

In the first year of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults in 2021-22, the Scottish Government provided funding to the following organisations which operate specifically in Aberdeen Donside:

The specific information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-10892 on 20 September 2022 which provides information on funding for extra-curricular activities for young people and activities for young carers. 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

The Scottish Government believes that all children and young people should have the opportunity to participate and engage as fully as possible in all aspects of school life, including trips and extracurricular activity. Scottish Government guidance on the presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting makes clear that children and young people who may face barriers to participation should be appropriately supported to access these opportunities.

The Scottish Government funds an Education Officer at Carers Trust Scotland, who works with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Scottish Qualification Authority help ensure education staff are aware of young carers and are able to support them appropriately.

During the last Parliamentary term, the #YSAttain project supported Young Scot and local authorities to explore new entitlements around transport, leisure infrastructure and access to extra-curricular activities for young people, including young carers, aimed at improving health and wellbeing and reducing poverty. In 2022-23, £101,200 will be provided for this purpose.

The Scottish Government also funds social care support for unpaid carers, including young carers, under the Carers Act. We invested an additional £20.4 million in the 2022-23 local government settlement for Carers Act implementation. Added to similar (baselined) increases in previous years since the Act came into force in April 2018, this brings the total additional investment to £88.4 million per year. Support to young carers can include activities, including group activities.

The Scottish Government funds Young Scot to provide an exclusive platform for young carers with tailored discounts and opportunities, with funding of £234,000 in 2022-23. The package offers high value e-vouchers, subscriptions to streaming services, wellbeing boxes, opportunities to win iPads and Kindles and vouchers for family days out. As of August 2022, 2,529 young carers have signed up.

The Scottish Government also funds Carers Trust Scotland to run an annual Young Carers Festival, with £130,000 in 2022-23. This event is designed to provide an opportunity for young carers to have a break, have fun, meet other young carers from across Scotland, and speak directly to key decision makers.