Chamber and committees

With regard to retentions and the answer to S5W-14750, we expect to be provided with the outcome of the UK Government review of retention payments in the construction industry shortly. We will draw our own conclusions from the UK Government analysis and implement any measures we deem necessary.

The Scottish Government believes that employers should take a progressive approach to relations with trade unions. It is for each council to decide how to deal with such matters in respect of their staff. Councils are autonomous bodies, responsible for managing their own day to day business and answerable to their electorates and not to the Scottish Government.

The First Minister was not aware of West Dunbartonshire Council’s decision before her meeting with the STUC on 5 March as the decision was only made at the council’s budget setting meeting on that day.

When purchasing Glasgow Prestwick Airport, the Scottish Government sought external legal advice to ensure compliance with European Union State Aid rules.

The Scottish Government has not approached the European Commission for advice on this matter.

It is a normal and necessary market reaction for prices to rise in answer to system tightness, driving a receptive and flexible supply response. The expectation is that this short-term increase in wholesale prices would not feed through to household bills at this time – energy suppliers typically buy their energy over several months to help smooth out price fluctuations, thereby insulating consumers from price fluctuations.

The Scottish Government works closely with National Grid – as well as with the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Ofgem and Scotland’s gas and electricity network operators – to ensure that the supplies of energy to Scottish consumers remain resilient, and that Scottish circumstances and priorities are taken fully into account.

The stations in question, at Cockenzie and Longannet, were decommissioned in 2013 and 2017 respectively. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the source or quantities of coal used to generate electricity at these stations.

In April 2012 the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) introduced the Patient Needs Assessment (PNA), a tool which ensures they provide the most appropriate assistance and advice to callers requesting access to Patient Transport Services (PTS).

In December 2017 SAS made improvements to the PNA for both patients and Health Boards. This was to provide a better understanding of the patient’s needs, ensuring they get the most appropriate response.

These improvements followed a review which included feedback from both patients and staff about what changes they would like to see to improve patient experience and in appropriately identifying patient needs. Between March and October 2017 a number of change ideas were tested, involving 300 patients.

The changes to the PNA itself focussed primarily on amendments to the order of the questions asked, whilst also reducing the frequency in which SAS take a patient through a PNA from 24 hours to 6 weeks. The eligibility criteria for patients requesting PTS did not change following the review.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. You may wish to contact the Scottish Ambulance Service directly to request this data.

The Scottish Government has committed to seek to reduce by at least half the employment gap between those with disabilities and those without. Helping more people with learning disabilities into work will be key to achieving this ambition.

Since the publication of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People in December 2016, we have taken action to support more people with learning disabilities into work. This includes:

• improved MA funding for disabled people;
• a successful media campaign aimed at SMEs promoting the employment of disabled people, including promoting case studies (including people with learning disabilities), and sign posting information, support and advice for employers, which ran during the summer of 2017;
• implementing the transitional devolved employment service Work First Scotland and, from April this year, Fair Start Scotland – disabled people are priority group for access to these services, and
• delivering a disability internship programme together with Inclusion Scotland.

We have also committed to developing a Learning Disability Employment Programme. Skills, training and employability will be key themes in the next phase of The keys to Life strategy.

We recognise that we need to build on this work and since last Autumn we have engaged with key stakeholders, including disabled people to hear their views on further action Government can take. On 30 April, the Scottish Government will hold a major congress on disability, employment and the workplace where we will set out our findings and future plans.

The Scottish Commission for Learning Disability is a key partner in this work. Scottish Government officials are working with them as part of a short life task group on employment and they are supporting the development of the programme for congress.