Chamber and committees

While the majority of general practice is intended to be delivered through the independent contractor model, the Scottish Government recognises there is an important, continuing role for non-contractor GPs in a wide range of circumstances.

Directly run GP practices attract the same share of funding from general practice's "Global Sum" on the basis of their patient lists as practices run by independent contractors.

The Scottish Government has regular engagement with the energy sector, Oil and Gas UK, the Oil and Gas Authority and UK (BEIS) Ministers and officials on the industry’s challenge in response to COVID-19 and the longer term issues facing the sector and its supply chain as a result of the low oil and gas prices.

I have specifically held a number of strategic engagements with the sector in recent weeks, and continue to hold regular meetings of the Scottish Government’s Oil and Gas Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group to hear directly from stakeholders on the immediate and longer term challenges affecting the sector.

Since April I have chaired seven meetings of the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group. The group has been working to identify support for the sector, including opportunities in workforce retention, skills and training, drawing upon the efforts of OGUK’s Pandemic Steering Group and the OGA’s Supply Chain Taskforce. The Group is made up of representatives from across the sector including companies, the public sector, trade unions, Oil and Gas UK, the Oil and Gas Authority and the UK Government. The group was instrumental in the creation of sector specific guidance, and the creation of the £62 million Energy Transition Fund - focused on supporting key projects located in the North East.

I speak regularly with the UK Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng MP, on a range of issues impacting the energy sector, and indeed, we are working closely at official and Ministerial level to address the pressures on the industry. I attended the most recent meeting of the North Sea Transition Forum (formerly the Maximising Economic Recovery Forum) on 7th December. This was attended by Kwasi Kwarteng MP and chaired by the OGA, at which details of the North Sea Transition Deal were discussed.

I understand that the Scottish Government will receive a consequential budget allocation arising from the UK Government's announcement of the Green Heat Network Fund. This funding will administered by the Scottish Government to support heat networks in Scotland and complement other sources of Scottish Government funding for the development of heat networks, such as through the District Heating Loan Fund and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.

We will provide further detail on how we will deploy and additional funding once we have more information from the UK Government on the quantum of consequential funding to be allocated and the timetable for the roll out of the UK Government’s Green Heat Network Fund.

These figures do not represent actual redundancies. The figures instead represent individuals who have received information from their employers on support available through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE initiative.

From 1 April 2020 until 30 September 2020, information on PACE support was provided to 7,330 individuals in Aberdeen City and to 1,947 individuals in Aberdeenshire, a total of 9,277 individuals which represented 42.5% of the number of individuals in Scotland who received information on PACE support during the same period.

Aberdeen has been affected by the significant impact on the oil and gas sector of the COVID-19 crisis, compounded by the oil price shock and the fall in gas prices. The £62 million Energy Transition Fund will support businesses in the oil, gas and energy sectors over the next five years as they grow and diversify and will help attract private sector investment in the region.

We understand the challenge COVID-19 measures present for businesses – particularly the impact on employment opportunities. That is why we have put in place a package of support worth over £2.3 billion to limit the impact of the pandemic, including 100% rates relief for pubs and restaurants for the year and our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework Business Fund was introduced to help affected businesses and protect jobs.

We also provided £1 million to Aberdeen City Council in August to help provide support to businesses affected by the restrictions in place at the time and have increased the grant funding available to businesses.

The figures quoted represent individuals who have received information from their employers on support available through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE initiative. We have set-up PACE and other business support schemes such as Business Rates Relief because the Scottish Government is acutely aware of the economic challenges brought about by Covid, and how this is exacerbated in the north east by the oil and gas downturn. In response, the Scottish Government has also announced a £62 million Energy Transition Fund, targeted at accelerating the delivery of energy transition by supporting businesses within the energy sector over the next five years as they grow and diversify, providing jobs and attracting private sector investment in the region.

As part of the Scottish Government’s £100m investment this year to support our employment and skills response to COVID-19, a £25 million National Transition Training Fund has been launched which aims to offer support for up to 10,000 people across Scotland who have been made unemployed or whose jobs are under threat as a result of Covid-19.

Our agencies, such as SDS and SE, are also engaging directly with the north east. SDS have leadership representation at the Oil & Gas & Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group where supporting people and skills work streams are emerging in the industry Covid-19 response, and SE are managing multiple funds targeted at vulnerable SMEs, and Creative, Tourism & Hospitality sectors.

The Scottish Government introduced the Spaces for People programme with the key aim to protect public health during the Covid-19 emergency.

Local schemes are the responsibility of individual local authorities. It is therefore for local authorities to determine the length of time Spaces for People measures should remain in place, and when it is appropriate to undertake evaluation.

The Scottish Government has issued Coronavirus (COVID-19):Guidance on Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders and Notices . This document highlights that Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders enable Spaces for People measures to be in place for a maximum period of 18 months.

Following extensive feedback received during engagement with local communities, a supplementary study investigating varying standards of online dualling through Inverurie has been undertaken to determine relative impacts and performance against the scheme objectives. This work also identifies to what extent respective reduction in dualling standards would lessen the impacts and associated challenges of constructing online through Inverurie.

The study concludes that online dualling performs poorly against a number of the scheme objectives and will not be taken forward through the route options assessment process. A copy of the A96 Online Dulling at Inverurie Supplementary Study Report is available from the Transport Scotland's website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/a96-online-dualling-at-inverurie-supplementary-study-october-2020/.

The design and assessment work for the A96 Dualling East of Huntly to Aberdeen scheme is continuing with a view to identify a preferred option which is currently expected to be announced in the coming months.

The Scottish Government introduced the Spaces for People programme with the key aim to protect public health during the Covid-19 emergency.

Local schemes are the responsibility of individual local authorities. Sustrans Scotland, who administer the Spaces for People programme, is providing guidance on monitoring as part of a package of support offered to local authorities and public bodies for individual projects.

A national monitoring and evaluation framework for Spaces for People has been developed by Sustrans Scotland in partnership with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland. This framework sets out the evaluation criteria and will form the basis of a full programme evaluation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32689 on 16 November 2020. 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