Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that the global climate emergency will pose particular challenges for island communities. Our response is guided by the best available scientific evidence, including the latest independent expert assessment of the impacts of climate change in Scotland published by the UK Climate Change Committee on 16 June 2021. This assessment identifies 61 key areas of impact, including:

• Risks to transport infrastructure from flooding, extreme weather, erosion and subsidence. The assessment notes that some of these risks affect the islands disproportionately, for example in situations where disruption to passenger and freight transport can leave whole communities and economies isolated.
• Risks to housing from flooding, sea level rise and damage from driving rain. The assessment notes that sea level rise poses particularly significant risks for the viability of coastal communities in low lying islands.
• Risks, across all parts of Scotland, to agricultural productivity from pests, pathogens and invasive species, as well as risks to agricultural soils and land from changing climatic conditions and sea level rise. The assessment also notes that there could be some opportunities in terms of new crop species becoming viable, but these cannot be expected to outweigh the negative impacts.

The Scottish Government is building resilience to the impacts of climate change through the implementation of our second statutory adaptation programme. The programme covers the period 2019 to 2024 and includes over 170 policies across Scotland. Examples of particular measures that will help protect our island communities include:

• We are investing in climate resilience as part of a green recovery from COVID-19, including a further £12 million for coastal change adaptation as well as an extra £150 million over this Parliament to manage the risks from flooding.
• Our National Transport Strategy includes an outcome to ‘adapt to the effects of climate change’ and the first Delivery Plan sets out policies that will ensure the transport system adapts to the projected climate change impacts.
• Transport Scotland is currently working with CMAL and CalMac to develop investment programmes for vessels and harbours with the aim of increased standardisation and improved resilience, which will improve connectivity for our island communities.
• The results from the second phase of Dynamic Coast, Scotland’s National Coastal Change Assessment, will be published in August 2021. Dynamic Coast 2 assesses the impact that global sea level rise will have on erosion rates, improving our understanding of the measures needed to protect our coastal and island communities.
• Our Housing to 2040 strategy sets out the intention to develop a new Housing Standard for Scotland, set in law. The aim of the new standard is to ensure that there will be no margins of tolerance, no exemptions and no “acceptable levels” of sub-standard homes in urban, rural or island communities, deprived communities or in tenements.
• The Farming for a Better Climate programme continues to promote practical and cost effective measures for both climate change mitigation and adaptation to farmers and land managers. Alongside this, the farmer-led soil regenerative agriculture network focus on positive actions that can be taken on Scottish farms to support, enhance and protect their soils.

Building resilience to the impacts of climate change on Scotland’s islands also lies at the heart of the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan. This commits to putting in place adaptation plans on islands that are at greater risk and working closely with local stakeholders to ensure that the voices of islanders are fully heard in the just transition to a net-zero society. A part of this transition also includes our manifesto commitment to supporting Carbon Neutral Islands which would include pilots for some islands to run on 100% renewable energy, to create circular economies tackling and processing waste and exploring more sustainable transport options.

In light of the Climate Change Committee’s recently updated risk assessment, the Scottish Government is clear that more will need to be done to build resilience to the impacts of climate change as part of Scotland’s just transition. In the run up to COP26, we will host a National Climate Resilience Summit to connect leaders from across the public and private sectors to build momentum for such action . We will respond in full to the Committee’s updated risk assessment through the development of the next statutory adaptation programme, which is due for publication in 2024.

The number of Home Energy Scotland Loan applications and offers handled during the pandemic, compared to the three previous years is:

We have removed the requirement for self-isolation for under 18s who are normally resident in the UK or are a dependent of those exempt having been fully vaccinated. Children aged 12-17 travelling from Amber list countries will only take day 2 test and younger children are already not required to take tests. Other children are still required to follow self-isolation and testing rules.

The data currently held on heat networks comes from data collected by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) under the Heat Metering and Billing Regulations. Heat network operators are required to notify every 4 years. The latest data held is for 2018. Figures for 2019 and 2020 are not yet available.

The latest statistics from OPSS indicate that at the end of 2018:

• Almost 30,000 homes were connected to district or communal heating networks in Scotland
• An estimated 1.18 TWh of heat and cooling demand was supplied via heat networks.

Four nations discussions on policy for fully vaccinated travellers has benefited from analysis and research from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and other sources.

The success of the vaccination programme means we have now started to change restrictions that apply to fully vaccinated travellers from Amber list countries. Initially this applied to UK residents who have been vaccinated by the NHS.

From 2 August, fully-vaccinated passengers arriving from amber list countries in EU member states*, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, microstates of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City, and the USA do not have to quarantine or take a day 8 test upon arrival in Scotland.

They have to carry with them a form of certification to provide details of their vaccine status. For US arrivals, this proof is a CDC card showing you are fully vaccinated, along with proof of residence in the US. All arrivals from Europe must show a record of vaccination through the European Digital COVID Certificate.

Amber arrivals who have been fully vaccinated must take a pre-departure test before arrival into Scotland, alongside a PCR test on or before day 2 after arrival.

The CYPFEI & ALEC Fund aims to support activities which build opportunities and improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

The key components of the CYPFEI Fund are:

• Promote the GIRFEC wellbeing indicators and the implementation of the UNCRC.
• Delivery of prevention and early intervention activities.
• Improving parenting capacity and family support.

As part of the initial assessment process, applicants to the fund were asked to list up to 4 key national performance indicators that their organisation would contribute to improving. As part of the ongoing monitoring and evaluation process, all recipients of the CYPFEI and ALEC Fund are also asked to submit a 6-monthly monitoring report, outlining progress made against each of their identified outcomes.

The 5 outcomes which Scottish Youth Parliament have reported progress against are:

• Young people in Scotland influence, inform and contribute to policy making and practice.
• Young people who face inequality or barriers to participation are actively engaged in Scottish Youth Parliament.
• MSYPs have the skills, confidence, support and opportunities to carry out their role effectively.
• Young people in Scotland are aware of their rights are encouraged to participate and are seen as valuable contributors to a democratic society.
• Scottish Youth Parliament is an efficient and effective youth-led organisation, responsive to its MSYPs, young people other key stakeholders, and is robustly resourced in a sustainable way.

The Scottish Government recognises children and young people with care experience, including adoptees, have poorer outcomes and can often need additional support. The Scottish Government has provided Local Authorities with £11.5 million for academic year 2021/22 through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund to support the educational development of children and young people with care experience d from birth to the age of 26.

The introduction, in 2017, of a full care experience bursary reinforces the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve outcomes for young people with care experience by ensuring that they are supported to access further and higher education.

The Young People’s Guarantee aims to ensure that every person between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering. Supporting greater equity and opportunity is central to the Young Person’s Guarantee and additional support is available for those that need it most, with care experienced young people specifically referenced. Through the Young Person’s Guarantee, over £1.7 million has been committed to delivering the Discovering Your Potential employability programme which provides flexible and intensive support for young care leavers.

Scottish Ministers have committed to “Keeping the Promise”. The Promise was published in February 2020 and highlighted the need for robust “scaffolding” or support network to support those with care experience. On 31 st March 2021, The Promise Scotland published ‘The Plan 21-24’ the first of 3 plans which outlines what actions must be taken to deliver The Promise. In June this year The Change Programme was published by The Promise Scotland which shows what work is underway and what work is required to ensure each of the actions in The Plan 21-14 can be delivered.

In the 2021 SNP Manifesto, we committed to the introduction of a new grant of £200 a year for care experienced young people between the ages of 16 and 26 – as part of the Scottish Government’s Promise to those with experience of care. This will provide additional support and security as young people transition from the care system to more independent living.

Under the Environment Act 1995 and associated regulations all Scottish local authorities are required to regularly assess air quality in their areas against objectives for several pollutants of concern for human health, including PM2.5 particulate matter. If any objective is found to be exceeded, or at risk of being exceeded, the authority concerned is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area and produce an action plan setting out how it will address the issues identified. These action plans are agreed by both the Scottish Government and SEPA.

To date no local authority has identified an exceedance of the PM2.5 objective relating to the Scotch whisky industry. However this is kept under regular review, with all authorities required to submit an annual air quality progress report to the Scottish Government. Should the situation change in any local authority area, we would expect the necessary action to be taken.

The OECD did not take formal written submissions for their independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence. This was the OECD’s position from the outset of the review and conforms with their ‘Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework’. This was outlined in the Scottish Government’s answers to S5W-35079 on 18 February 2021 and S5W-35292 on 25 February 2021 and made clear in the remit for the OECD’s review which was published on 26 February 2020.

The OECD uses this framework to provide tailored support to individual countries and education systems to analyse and support the development and implementation of education policies. This methodology has been used by the OECD in previous reviews, and set a very clear framework for their work in Scotland.

The OECD were clear that it was not feasible for them to consider more information than they specifically requested, nor was the purpose of the Review to generate new written submissions or replace what would otherwise be a national consultation. They advised that should any additional information be required at a later date, they would request this.

In terms of the OECD’s approach to evidence gathering on this Review, the OECD established a team of core OECD staff and international experts with experience in curriculum and assessment implementation. The process included:

• A comprehensive desk-based analysis of policy documents, evidence and research on CfE implementation, which included, amongst other documents, the initial evidence base provided by the Scottish Government in July 2020, papers published as part of the Education & Skills Committee’s Inquiry on Subject Choice and published academic articles and research.
• Compilation of information from key stakeholders’ websites and think tank publications.
• A series of interviews and virtual school visits plus focus groups to gather primary data. These included discussions with the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Scottish Government officials, national agencies, local government representatives, college and university bodies, employer groups, academics, teachers and head teachers, parents, young people, Gaelic and subject specific interest groups, and members of Scotland’s education governance groups.

This represented a significant and comprehensive amount of documentation, with many different perspectives informing the review.

The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the number of teachers with specialised training in supporting pupils with additional needs. Table 1 shows the full time equivalent of teachers which have listed an ASN related subject as their main subject in the 2020 staff census.