Chamber and committees

This is a matter for headteachers and local authorities to consider, if appropriate. Decisions on how to use Pupil Equity Funding are taken by headteachers in an empowered education system. We trust schools and headteachers to know their pupils best, and to take decisions that are in the best interests of children and young people, including undertaking appropriate risk and impact assessments.

The Rural Communities Ideas into Action (RCIA) fund was part of a Community Led Local Development (CLLD) test of change pilot developed and delivered in 2021-22 by Scottish Government. The fund made available a total of £3.3 million of CLLD funding to rural and island communities across Scotland.

The learning from this pilot and, previous CLLD funding through the former LEADER fund, has informed development of a new Scottish Government CLLD fund which will deliver £11.6 million in two tranches over 2022-23.

I can confirm that the tranche one phase is progressing and will see £7.6 million allocated to Local Action Groups (LAG) representing rural and island communities who will be responsible for project funding decisions.

Details of tranche two for the delivery of the remaining £4 million within the current financial year are being finalised.

We are aware that a number of local authorities in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK are considering setting up warm banks this coming winter, to ensure people who cannot afford to heat their own home have a place they can access to stay warm. This is a relatively new concept, which we will continue to monitor, working together with our local government partners, alongside other measures that we may be able to deploy to provide support to those most affected by the rising cost of energy prices.

Our foremost concern is to support people worried about heating their homes to access the information and support they need to reduce their energy bills, and we have expanded the capacity of our Home Energy Scotland advice service this year to help an extra 12,000 households a year receive free, impartial advice.

Within our limited budget, we have allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year to help families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes support for energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments not available anywhere else in the UK. We will continue to monitor the best ways we, along with our local government partners, can provide support.

In further response to the cost of living crisis and our winter preparedness, the Scottish Government has already committed £10 million towards our Fuel Insecurity Fund across 2022/23, which provides direct support to people who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely. From winter 2022-23, we will also introduce our Low Income Winter Heating Assistance, which will guarantee a £50 annual payment to around 400,000 low-income households each winter.

Work is ongoing on the Islands Connectivity Plan, with priority being given to a long-term plan and investment programme for vessels and ports, with the aim of publishing a draft consultation by the end of 2022.

Work on the other elements of the Islands Connectivity Plan will follow, with a view to further publications in 2023.

Crown Estate Scotland contributed £150K funding towards the data collection component of the National Electrofishing Programme (NEPS) for Scotland 2021.

The total cost of data collection for NEPS 2021 was ca. £416,337 and was issued as a Grant to Fisheries Management Scotland. Marine Scotland covered the remaining costs of data collection and will cover the costs of analysis and publication.

The Crown Estate Scotland grant covered some modest project management time from Fisheries Management Scotland (£5,100) and the costs incurred by local fisheries managers (e.g. staff time, travel) in sampling fish populations at 810 sites across Scotland in 2021.

Payment was made on a “per-site” basis at £460 for electrofishing and a further £43.33 for genetic sampling, which underpins the National Introgression Programme for Scotland (NIPS).

The Crown Estates Scotland funding was not ring-fenced for specific regions or components of the data collection and, therefore, should be considered a contribution to the overall project.

Asylum and immigration are matters reserved to the UK Parliament. This includes the operation of the UK asylum system and immigration detention.

An effective system to monitor the impact of the asylum system or immigration detention on people’s wellbeing would require access to personal data and information about people seeking asylum or in immigration detention. This data is held by the Home Office, and the Scottish Government does not have access to it.

Many third sector organisations have direct knowledge of the negative impact the asylum system can have on people’s welfare, through their work supporting people within communities. The complexity of the asylum system, the low level of support provided by the Home Office and the continuing uncertainty of waiting for a decision are often combined with previous trauma and vulnerabilities. Evidence from the third sector, and people with lived experience, indicates that the asylum process itself can be re-traumatising.

The Scottish Government, Scottish Forestry and NatureScot have worked with a range of partners to support and develop the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, including Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland, and The Southern Uplands Partnership and Scottish Power Renewables.

The Scottish Government has provided grant funding of £146,367.49 to the Project under the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme and £36,988 towards the satellite tracking of the golden eagles. NatureScot has also provided £43,300 funding and is actively involved in supporting all elements of the project work. The project has funding in place until Autumn 2023.

Other sources of public funding include:

Scottish Forestry (FCS)   £32,000

South of Scotland Enterprise £31,300

Scottish Borders Council £1,000

Community ownership is an important aim of the Scottish Government, where there are numerous examples of communities thriving after being given the opportunity to own and manage their own assets. This leads to better local outcomes, which focus on local needs.

The proposed community buyout of a portion of Langholm Moor, by The Langholm Initiative is an ambitious project. The group intend to use the land to regenerate the landscape and revitalise the local community through the creation of a nature reserve which will boost local tourism, providing new employment, training and housing opportunities for the local community.

The project is an example of what communities are capable of, given the right support, which is why the Scottish Government, through the Scottish Land Fund, has already awarded the community group a grant of £1m.

NHS Boards regularly assess continence patients' needs, with the assessments undertaken by dedicated Bladder and Bowel Teams or community nursing staff. This ensures that patients' needs are met, either through treatment or through provision of appropriate containment products. Referrals can also be made by patients' GPs where necessary, and also by a range of other healthcare professionals including pharmacists, consultants and care home staff.

Where a patient has been assessed as requiring continence products, they are provided by their local NHS Board's continence service on prescription.

Scottish Government is aware that NHS Dumfries & Galloway has experienced challenges with the delivery of GP services in Dumfries & Galloway including Lockerbie and Moffat.

NHS Dumfries & Galloway is working with the new contractors in Lockerbie and Moffat to stabilise and improve GP services there.