Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19127 on 9 November 2018. This summarises the information that is available for the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) at local authority level.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The detailed information requested is currently being collated. The information has to be drawn from a number of different sources from various schemes over the ten-year period, including from data held by the Scottish Government’s contracted scheme administrator. Current and historical databases are being analysed and combined, and this includes a process of removing duplication followed by careful checking for accuracy.

I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 60132).

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

Information on the incomes of households purchasing homes through the Help to Buy (Scotland) Scheme is based on sales ‘log form’ information returned by participating households. Data on the median and mean household incomes is published in the latest Help to Buy (Scotland) Monitoring: characteristics of households report 2016-17 by quarter since the scheme began. The report can be found at https://beta.gov.scot/publications/help-to-buy-scotland-monitoring-characteristics-of-households-report-2016-2017/ .

The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan , published in March 2018, commits the Scottish Government to work towards introducing a new income supplement by 2022 to provide additional financial support to low income families.

In developing the income supplement we will examine all delivery options, this will include the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s advice in relation to topping up Universal Credit (UC) and the feasibility of what Social Security Scotland could deliver.

The current devolution settlement means that if we choose Child Benefit or Universal Credit as a mechanism to top-up incomes, we will be reliant upon HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) scheduling Scottish requirements into their work programme. This has the potential to introduce constraints, complexity and, importantly, costs into the process over which Scottish Ministers have no control.

Decisions on a delivery model will be based on the most effective way to target families in poverty and the most effective use of resources.

As the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan states, the Scottish Government will consider a range of options to ensure that the income supplement lifts the maximum number of children out of poverty.

In developing the income supplement we will take forward an appraisal of all potential options. As part of that we will give consideration to the advice we receive from the Poverty and Inequality Commission, who advised that costings should be taken into account alongside issues such as complexity of delivery, potential take up rates, income security and potential disincentives to move into work or increase earnings, as well as the likely impact and the extent to which it helps meet our ambitious, statutory child poverty targets.

An update on this work will be included as part of the first update report on the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan which will be provide to Parliament by June 2019.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The majority of Scotland's GP practices (94%) are run by independent contractors. As such it is for practices to agree terms and conditions with the locums who they engage. However, the Scottish Government is committed to greater transparency on how investment works in general practice and that is why under the 2018 GP Contract all GP practices are now required to provide data on their practice workforce and related expenses. This will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.

The majority of Scotland's GP practices (94%) are run by independent contractors. As such it is for practices to agree terms and conditions with the locums whom they engage, and so information on average GP locum rates is not held by the Scottish Government.

However, under the 2018 GP Contract GP Practices will provide more data on their practice workforce and related expenses, which will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.

The Scottish Government does not set a maximum time for which a GP locum can be engaged. Locums can be engaged to provide cover for a variety of reasons, such as maternity or paternity leave, long-term study leave and sickness cover. It is for locums to agree their terms and conditions with the GP Practice or Health Board which engages them.

The National Primary Care Workforce Survey does not collect annual data on the average time for a locum providing GP cover, however under the 2018 GP Contract GP Practices will provide data on their practice workforce, which will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.