Chamber and committees

Public Health Scotland's latest monthly statistics publication Delayed discharges in NHSScotland monthly - Figures for September 2024 - Delayed discharges in NHSScotland monthly - Publications - Public Health Scotland, published on 5 November, shows the number of delayed discharges by Health Board and by month, up to and including September 2024.

The relevant information can be found in Summary tables to September 2024 2024-11-05_delayed_discharges_summary_tables_to_september_2024.xlsx (live.com) on sheet Tab 1 Summary, by selecting the relevant health board and date range using the drop down options.

The Scottish Government has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to collect registration fees for schedule 4 birds in Scotland.

The statutory mechanism that enables this is the Scotland Act (Agency Agreements) (Specification) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/745) which specifically allows the Scottish Ministers to enter into agency arrangements such as the function in section 7(2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Act for determining a charge, and charging, for registration.

The Scottish Government has fully committed to ensuring that treatment services are available for all forms of substance use. The MAT standards are an essential part of the National Mission on Drugs, to save and improve lives.

The National Mission focuses on actions and initiatives to address the harms associated with drugs, but these can and do support people affected by all substances including alcohol. For example, through an increase in residential rehabilitation places; initiatives to tackle the stigma directed by people affected by substance use; and an increased understanding of the co-occurring nature of problem substance use and mental health issues.

A National Specification for treatment and recovery services is also currently in development, which aims to provide clarity on the range of substance use support services that should be available in local areas. The Specification will help local services set out future strategic plans to deliver on their commitment to reduce alcohol and drug harms and deaths, improving the lives of those impacted by alcohol and drugs.

In addition, the Scottish Government is supporting the UK Government on reviewing and updating the UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment: consultation document - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to introduce new approaches to treatment that will apply to a broad range of settings including primary care, hospital and justice settings.

Scottish Government officials continue to engage and contribute to the Microchipping Devolved Administration Working Group and on 11 October I wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE, MP expressing the Scottish Government’s support for the work being done by the Working Group towards a single point of search portal for all animals microchipped.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with UK Government, agreed to deliver two Green Freeports in Scotland, and we are focussed on supporting the two selected Green Freeports to deliver maximum impact as soon as possible. There are no current plans to create additional Green Freeports in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has provided the following funding to the Net Zero Technology Centre from its foundation to the end of the second quarter of financial year 2024-25:

• £148,696,581 through the Aberdeen City Region Deal and paid through Aberdeenshire Council as the Deal's Accountable Body (including funding provided on behalf of the UK Government whereby both governments have committed up to £90 million each over 10 years to financial year 2026-27)
• £4,521,000 through the Decommissioning Challenge Fund, payments concluding in financial year 2018-19
• £15,151,601 through the Energy Transition Fund
• £709,126 through the Just Transition Fund.

The Legal Aid Fund is demand-led and directly linked to application numbers and all eligible costs are met. The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Annual Accounts and Report 2023-24 show that the total cost of legal aid has increased 12% on the previous year to £151 million, 16% higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20 and just under £10 million above the Scottish Legal Aid Boards’s budget of £141.3 million. Indications for this financial year show that expenditure levels are predicted to rise to around £171 million which will be the highest ever recorded.

Fees were uprated in 2019 by 3% and in 2021 by 5% and a further 5% came into effect in April 2022. Fees were increased most recently in April 2023 implementing an £11 million package of legal aid reforms and an uplift worth 10.25%. The compound effect of these increases is just over 25% and is a year-on-year increase in expenditure and investment in legal aid.

The most recent increase came into force on 29 April 2023, taking the total additional funding in legal aid to £31 million since April 2021.

In addition to fee increases, other forms of investment have been delivered by the Scottish Government. In 2021 a further £9 million in funding was also made available to assist legal aid providers through the pandemic.

The Scottish Government also provided funding to establish 40 traineeships in legal aid firms during 2021. The total additional funding package for legal aid providers between 2021-22 was worth £20 million.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Annual Accounts and Report 2023-24 can be found here: Annual Report and Accounts - Scottish Legal Aid Board (slab.org.uk).

The Scottish Government continues to discuss with the other devolved administrations as part the Microchipping Devolved Administration Working Group ways to improve traceability of breeders.

With regards to current requirements to record breeder information, as part of The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 this Government made it compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped and for the following details be recorded

• 7 (d) where applicable, the fact that the keeper of the dog is also a breeder
• 7 (e) where applicable, the fact that the keeper of the dog is a person who holds a breeding licence granted under section 1(2) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973(7) and, if so —

(i) the name of the local authority which issued the breeder’s licence; and

(ii) the breeder’s licence number or code (if any);

Scotland Food & Drink Partnership has been awarded £10 million to support its national strategy. It sets out short- to long-term objectives developed in partnership with food and drink producers throughout Scotland, including those in the Highlands and Islands.

Spend is not disaggregated on a regional basis.

The Scottish Government remains committed to tackling the child-poverty related attainment gap and is already ensuring eligible pupils in Secondary 1 to Secondary 6 can receive free school meals.

Local authorities issue specific complementary guidance about how Pupil Equity Funding operates locally. This varies across Local Authorities and is designed to provide targeted support for children and young people affected by poverty to achieve their full potential. Headteachers have the flexibility to use this funding to help support children in their schools to close the poverty related attainment gap.

In light of the challenging financial context, we have been clear that our initial focus will be on expanding Free School Meals to Primary 6 and 7 pupils who are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, which will be delivered in this Parliament.