Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland have published a draft NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy for consultation. It sets out an aim for NHS Scotland to become a net-zero health service by 2040. Since 1990, local Health Boards have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from their buildings by 63.9%.

As set out in the announcement, £62 million for 2021-22 has been allocated for building capacity in care at home community-based services. This is recurring funding intended help to fulfil unmet need, and deal with the current surge in demand and complexity of individual needs, also helping to ease pressures on unpaid carers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04012 on 11 November 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

Due to the importance of the autumn/winter vaccines, some health boards are utilising Community Nursing Teams.

This will particularly be for those patients who are on their current caseloads and are housebound. Community Nurses are also supporting vaccinations in care homes, not only to those on caseload but to help support delivery to this priority group. Community Nurses are also undertaking additional shifts in vaccination clinic settings.

I last met with the Royal College of Nursing on 1 October 2021, where we discussed a range of issues.

The Scottish Government’s position on nursing and midwifery vacancies is set out in my responses to the Member's associated questions: S6W-02826 and S6W-02827 on 21 September 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 Framework represents a range of skills required for major transformation programme support including programme management and governance setup as opposed to social care delivery experience. The Framework was established specifically in recognition of the need for such services on an occasional basis and is available for use by all UK public bodies. It sought to address the understandable lack of such specialist internal resources due to the temporary nature of such a requirement. Calling off from the Framework provides access to a range of skill sets, and levels and areas of specialism drawn from a team of resources as opposed to reliance on single individuals.

Plans to create and provide training courses to support the heat in buildings strategy:

Working with industry, we have developed a set of installer skills requirements to help professionalise services in the sector, and provide clearer career pathways for young people. We consulted on these earlier this year and we are now integrating these requirements into the relevant industry standards.

We anticipate that the heat in buildings transition will require a substantial growth in supply chains, particularly in the availability of skilled heating and energy efficiency installers. However, the specific scale and timing of the required workforce growth will depend on a range of factors including the changing demographics and supply chain demand across the construction sector.

We have partnered with Scottish Renewables and Skills Development Scotland to undertake a ‘Heat in Buildings Workforce Assessment Project’ which will help us define the timing of workforce growth and how best to support people transitioning into key roles. This work will report back in Spring 2022. This will improve our understanding on how best to support workforce investment and ensure that jobs will be available for people to move into as they complete their training.

Ensuring that colleges and schools have sufficient trained professionals to teach the skills required to deliver the strategy:

At the end of 2020 the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland published the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, (CESAP) setting out the actions we need to take to ensure our workforce is able to support the transition to net zero.

The launch of the Green Jobs Workforce Academy also demonstrates our commitment to providing accessible information on training opportunities and skills transferability to job seekers.

Gathering and communicating data on the demand for green jobs will be crucial in developing and delivering the right skills interventions at the right time. As part of the ongoing CESAP Implementation, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council are currently reviewing training provision in the context of our Heat in Buildings Strategy. The results of the workforce assessment project, detailed above, will serve as an evidence base for this review.

Encouraging potential students to undertake relevant heat in buildings training:

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) is the key pathway for young people into the heating and plumbing industry. The Scottish Government provides a contribution towards training for Modern Apprenticeships through Skills Development Scotland. The public funded training contribution is structured by age and level, and prioritised to support outcomes within the Scottish Government’s skills and economic strategies.

In addition to the apprenticeship pathway, our National Transition Training Fund aims to tackle the rise in unemployment caused by Covid-19 by offering short sharp training opportunities for people to learn in-demand skills. Projects this year include funding for Historic Environment Scotland, which will deliver training on retrofitting pre-1919 buildings, while the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) will support the delivery of training on Passivhaus construction and retro-fit.

Cost and support to Local Authorities:

Local Authorities do not have a specific role in the provision of training through the modern apprenticeship framework. However, we are keen for Local Authorities to play a constructive role in supporting the supply chain growth required to deliver our Heat in Buildings Strategy.

We will work with Local Authorities in the development of our Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan, to be published next Summer, and consider any role they might have in supporting training provision as part of this work.

The Scottish Government published its Draft Hydrogen Action Plan for consultation today. This follows the publication of the Hydrogen Policy Statement in December 2020 which outlined the Scottish Government’s policy position on hydrogen and our vision for Scotland to become a Hydrogen Nation.

Draft Hydrogen Action Plan

This Draft Hydrogen Action Plan sets out what the Scottish Government will do and how we will work with others over the next five years to support the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland which will further our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our energy system, industry, homes and transport, while ensuring a just transition to net zero.

We are seeking views on the Draft Hydrogen Action Plan and the accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment and Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. Responses are invited by 19 January 2022 and can be submitted at the Scottish Government's consultation platform, Citizen Space:

Hydrogen Action Plan consultation platform

The Scottish Government will review responses to the consultation to inform development of the final version of the Hydrogen Action Plan.

Specific guidance on Reporting to Parents and Involving / Engaging Parent Councils during COVID–19 was published in November 2020. It states that “alternative methods and approaches to reporting will need to be used” in the current circumstances. Digital and online approaches are suggested as alternatives to in person meetings, and schools will be seeking to ensure engagement takes place such that all parents and carers can participate.

There is no specific guidance on meeting timings. Guidance emphasises that strong communications and collaboration between home and school remain key to ensure parents and carers can support their children and young people. Headteachers and managers will be working to ensure their setting or school continues to involve and engage parents and families .

Guidance states parents or carers may accompany children onto school premises where this is agreed and is considered necessary to support children and young people, including in relation to wellbeing, progress and behaviour.

Working alongside Disabled Peoples Organisations, the STUC, and representatives from the third, public and private sectors, the Scottish Government is currently developing a refresh of ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’.

The refreshed action plan will set out how we will build on the progress we have made in tackling inequalities as we recover from the pandemic. We expect the plan to be published in Spring 2022.