Chamber and committees

On 26 April free lateral flow device (LFD) test kits were made available to everyone in Scotland, for twice-weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 testing via the universally accessible testing offer. In addition to this, free LFD test kits are available through the Scottish Government’s targeted asymptomatic testing programme which includes routine testing for:

• health care workers
• educational staff, senior phase pupils and HE/FE students
• prioritised workforces in the public sector and in critical national infrastructure
• high risk private sector settings such as food processing businesses

Free access to LFD test kits has been extended through the summer period until September, when a formal review will be undertaken by the Scottish Government. Workforce testing is currently being expanded and as now is open to all private sector organizations with more than ten employees.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to charge for LFD tests.

The Homelessness in Scotland statistics series reports data from the HL1 (homelessness applications), HL2 (snapshot temporary accommodation) and HL3 (placement level temporary accommodation) data collections.

Information on the number of children within the household applying for homelessness support and in temporary accommodation is currently collected and reported on through the HL1 and HL2 collections respectively.

Data is published in the Homelessness in Scotland statistics series. Data is published on a 6-monthly basis, with the most recent publication relating to the annual data for 2020-21. Table 15 of the latest publication reports the number of children in homelessness applications and Table 27 reports the number of children in temporary accommodation as at the end of a quarter. A link to the latest publication can be found here:

Homelessness in Scotland: 2020 to 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

An additional question was added to the HL3 data collection in 2019 to gather information on the number of children living in temporary accommodation placements. However, not all local authorities have so far been able to provide this information as there is a lead in time required to update local authority management information systems and data extraction processes. Scottish Government are continuing to work closely with local authorities to assist with the provision of this data and understand timescales for when this can be made available.

Data sharing between the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Social Security Scotland is an important element of the current devolution settlement. It allows the Scottish Government to top up reserved benefits in line with the provisions of the Scotland Act 2016. It also ensures that both governments can correctly pay people the “passported” benefits to which they are entitled because they are receiving other reserved and devolved benefits. As we will be required to share data for as long as the current devolution settlement exists, a shared protocol is desirable given the multiple complex interactions between devolved Scottish and reserved UK benefits and entitlements.

We have begun work with the DWP on a joint data strategy to inform our approach to data sharing in future.

The Scottish Government subsidised a total of 3,595 mid-market rent properties which were completed by Registered Social Landlords between 2016-17 and 2021-22. The following table shows the number which had a starting rent level exceeding the relevant Local Housing Allowance broken down by local authority area and More Homes Division Area team.

Sports sponsorship entails a range of alcohol advertising and promotional activity, which we know is seen by children and young people across Scotland. This influences positive attitudes towards drinking alcohol and can encourage them to start drinking alcohol or to drink more alcohol.

Whilst recognising the impact Covid-19 has had on the sporting sector as well as the importance of sponsorship income, we would encourage sports teams and organisations to diversify sponsorship away from alcohol brands. We applaud Scottish Women’s Football for the stance they have taken not to accept sponsorship from the alcohol or gambling industries.

We have committed to publicly consulting on a range of potential alcohol marketing restrictions to protect children and young people in Scotland. We are considering all methods of alcohol advertising and promotion in developing proposals for the public consultation.

Equality impact assessments have been carried out where appropriate in relation to the levels approach in Coronavirus (Covid-19): Scotland’s Strategic Framework, including following its updates in February and June 2021.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01446 on 26 July 2021. 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 do on occasion receive correspondence expressing dissatisfaction in relation to local authorities failing to take regard of the home education guidance. There have been 6 items of such correspondence in the period July 2018 – July 2021, some of which the Scottish Government were copied into for information, and were not the body responsible for addressing the complaint.

A complaint relating to the Scottish Government’s home education guidance would be made to the education authority in the first instance. Where an individual believes that a local authority has failed to carry out a duty in relation to education, the option of a complaint under Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 is available to them. As set out in our publication Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) 1980 Act: guidance on making a complaint , “Scottish Ministers strongly believe that any issues which arise between parents, carers or young people and schools and education authorities should be resolved at as local a level as possible.” There have been no section 70 complaints received in the period July 2018 – July 2021 in respect of home education.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, the Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of people sleeping rough in each local authority area.

The Scottish Government does collect data from local authorities on the number of homeless applications where at least one member of the household reported sleeping rough the night before making an application, and within the three months preceding an application. These statistics are published annually and the information can be found in Tables 2a & b and Tables 3a & b of the Main Tables (June 2021) spreadsheet on the Scottish Government’s Homelessness in Scotland: 2020 to 2021 statistics publication page: Homelessness in Scotland: 2020 to 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government aims to develop a national case management system to enable relevant information to be made available to organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness. We aim to begin a pilot of this system in 2021.

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-01413 on
‎ 26 July 2021. 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