Chamber and committees

The 2018 GP contract committed Health Boards to set up Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services to transfer workload from GP practices to NHS Board-employed staff allowing GP practices to focus on what only they can do. Territorial Health Boards and Integration Authorities are responsible for designing and delivering these services in their areas, working with local partners and teams. The Scottish Government publishes annual progress reports on GP contract implementation based on data provided by Integration Authorities. The most recent report uses data from March 2024 - Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Discussions regarding retail crime have taken place between the Scottish Government and retail stakeholders through the Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG), Co-Chaired by the Minister for Employment and Investment. Additionally, there has been early engagement between Scottish Government officials and Police Scotland around potentially developing a similar system in Scotland alongside partner organisations. No research has currently been undertaken by Scottish Government officials on this matter but the early findings from Project Pegasus will be of interest in taking forward action in Scotland.

The Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 requires that for a marriage to take place, a completed Marriage Schedule must be available and both parties to the marriage must be present along with the registrar or celebrant and two witnesses aged 16 or over.

For couples cohabiting prior to 4 May 2006 it remains possible to seek a declarator from a court that they are married by cohabitation with habit and repute.

Some consideration was given to the possibility of remote marriage ceremonies in the progress of the Coronavirus (No 2) (Scotland) Bill in Parliament but no changes were made. There would be a risk of abuse, such as forced marriage, if the requirement for the parties the celebrant and the witnesses to be physically present were removed.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review or change the current arrangements.

Accessibility obligations for taxi and private hire car drivers and Local Licencing Authorities are reserved to the UK Government under the Equality Act 2010.

The taxi licensing system is devolved under the Civic Government Act 1982 and is implemented by (local authority) licensing authorities. They are responsible for enforcing the duties placed on drivers to carry a disabled person’s assistance dog at no additional charge, unless the driver has a medical exemption certificate.

Transport Scotland will shortly survey licensing authorities to better understand the provision of accessible taxis and disability equality training requirements in each licencing area.

Social Security Scotland make awards on an on-going basis. This means that awards do not have a set end date after which the client must re-apply. Instead, we conduct light-touch reviews to ensure that the existing award continues to be right for the individual.

In most cases, a review date is set as part of a determination decision to ensure continuous evaluation of a client’s eligibility. Review dates are often set based on when a person’s circumstances are likely to change in the future.

Clients have a duty to notify Social Security Scotland when there is a change in circumstances, including a change in medical condition, which could impact their entitlement. This leads to a review of their existing award and a new decision on their entitlement. In house Health and Social Care practitioners are available to provide advice during the case review process.

For some people, even long review periods are inappropriate, and indefinite awards have been introduced for people who receive Adult Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment whose needs are highly unlikely to change.

Eradicating child poverty is a national mission and the top priority of this Government. We remain firmly focused on supporting the six priority family types identified as being at a higher risk of poverty within our first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, which includes families with a child under one.

The first 12 months of a child’s life are an absolutely crucial time and we have taken action to ensure there is wide-ranging support for parents of babies and young children. Our Universal Health Visiting Pathway directs Health Visitors to enquire about family finances and signpost families to appropriate support services. The Family Nurse Partnership also offers intensive support for young, first time mothers in up to 4,000 families a year. In addition, we are increasing perinatal and infant health services in Scotland leading to new or expanded Community Perinatal Mental Health Services, Infant Mental Health Services and Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention Services.

We are also providing financial support to families on low incomes through our five family payments, which include our three Best Start Grant payments, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment. For eligible families with a child under one, support includes the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, which provides £754.65 for a first child and £377.35 for all subsequent children, support through Best Start Foods which is worth £42.40 every four weeks for each child from birth until they’re one year old, as well as the ‘game-changing’ Scottish Child Payment of £26.70 per eligible child per week. To ensure investment in our benefits is protected, we will amend the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 to ensure all benefits are increased each year to reflect inflation, giving financial certainty to households.

We are absolutely committed to meeting the 2030 child poverty targets, and will continue to do everything within the scope of our powers and budget to deliver the change needed including for families with a baby.

The Scottish Government will publish the third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan by the end of March 2026, covering the period 2026-31, which will set out the actions we will take as a Government to meet the ambitious child poverty targets set for 2030.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving attendance in Scottish schools. Last year, we requested that Education Scotland undertake a 'deep dive' to support greater understanding of the issue and the reasons for it.

Within the resulting report 'Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues', five recommendations were identified including 'Education Scotland, working with stakeholders and partners, should bespoke support for areas where improving levels of attendance remains a challenge'. The research article from the University of Manchester, ‘All Present and Correct’ is based on only one local authority in the North West of England. Key findings of the article align to the Education Scotland report which was based on a more comprehensive evidence base.

Education Scotland is working closely with local authorities and with schools. This includes the establishment of an Improving Attendance National Network aimed at senior officers within local authorities. Regular engagement with various levels of the system including the ADES Performance and Improvement Network is in place, informing support required and ongoing challenges as well as any successes.

Education Scotland is working intensively with six local authorities to support identified establishments to use Quality Improvement approaches to improve attendance. This programme is running until March 2025 and provides regular opportunities for collaboration. A second cohort will begin early next year.

A steering group of senior school leaders is in place, informing planning for headteacher events starting in February 2025. In addition, all local authorities are invited to an event on 6 February 2025, focussed on strategic approaches to improving attendance. A second package of support, focussed on implantation strategies and effective practice, is currently being developed and will be published in March 2025.

Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils. This includes any support required following a period of absence. Education authorities are also responsible for determining the most appropriate provision for children and young people with additional support needs, taking account of their legislative responsibilities and the individual circumstances and wishes of children, young people and their families.

Education authorities are supported in implementing their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning.

HMRC undertakes an on-going programme of activities to ensure Scottish taxpayers are accurately identified. Scottish Government scrutinise this work through a joint quarterly income tax board.

This work includes, comparing PAYE submissions with HMRC’s own records to identify cases where employers are not correctly applying Scottish tax codes and checking address data against third party sources. Individuals who complete a tax return come under greater scrutiny and are required to confirm address details annually.

HMRC view the risks associated with Scottish-specific non-compliance as being small, whilst we are reassured with this assessment - we are not complacent and continue to focus on scrutinising HMRC performance in identifying the Scottish tax base.

Petroineos first approached the Scottish Government in early 2024 to seek support for Project Willow. The Scottish Government has supported this with £799,000 of funding and has successfully leveraged the UK Government to do the same.

The Project Willow cross site study is examining the enablers and blockers to deploying low carbon technologies at Grangemouth that will support our commitment to secure a long term and sustainable future for the industrial cluster. Petroineos has contracted Ernst & Young Parthenon (Ernst & Young) to undertake this study which commenced in August and is due to report early in the New Year.

The Scottish Government, UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, Petroineos and INEOS have a joint governance function for the study and Unite the Union engage via regular standing committee meetings.

The programme of work has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement including businesses, sector specialists, the local community, and the public sector.

Consideration was given to over 80 technologies at different levels of readiness before developing a shorter list of viable alternatives - including sustainable aviation fuel, e-fuels, and low carbon hydrogen - which are now being scrutinised through the following lenses: technical; economic; commercial; regulatory; climate/environmental; community; and skills. Feedstock availability and scalability are two of several key criteria being considered by Ernst & Young.

The Scottish Government will provide an update to Parliament on the findings of Project Willow upon its conclusion.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering clean heat and improved energy efficiency whilst ensuring foremost that tenants are not negatively impacted by the costs of this clean heat transition.

Regulation of consumer protection remains a reserved matter, and Ofgem will be the future regulator of consumer protection for heat networks. In November, the UK Government and Ofgem jointly published a consultation on consumer protection proposals that would require heat networks to meet new consumer standards similar to those that already apply to gas and electricity customers. We welcome these standards as the major step needed to protect consumers, and are working with UK Government to help inform them.

Consumer Scotland will carry out consumer advocacy and advice services for Scottish Heat Network consumers from April 2025 ahead of the implementation of the regulatory framework, anticipated in January 2026.

Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) may also be able to procure fuel for their heat networks, such as natural gas, through public sector utility frameworks, which could result in lower fuel costs for tenants.