Chamber and committees

Since the Small Grants Programme launched in 2013, 104 Scottish based organisations have applied for funding. The average amount applied for was £40,977.02 and the countries targeted were Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda. The table below provides a breakdown for each of the last five years of the Programme, however it should be noted that the ‘average amounts applied for’ figure is an average across three funding strands under the Programme, with different maximum funding amounts (project funding - £60,000, feasibility studies - £10,000 and capacity building - £10,000).

The Small Grants Programme only awarded grants for the Scottish Government’s International Development partner countries until 2017 when, following discussions with the international development sector, the eligibility criteria for awards from 2018 onwards were changed. In line with our International Development Strategy, published in December 2016, project grants under the Small Grants Programme may only be applied for in relation to our three SubSaharan partner countries, Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda; however, at the same time, eligibility for feasibility grants and capacity strengthening grants under the Programme were widened out, to now include any country whose Human Development scores were medium or low on the current United Nations Human Development Index.

The Scottish Government launched its Small Grants programme in 2013, with the first tranche of projects beginning in 2014. A full list of the organisations awarded funding to date, the amount awarded to each organisation and the countries targeted in each of the five years between 2014 and 2018 can be found on the Scottish Government's website: https://beta.gov.scot/publications/international-development-small-grants-programme-funding/

Work and workplace related health and safety is a reserved issue. The Scottish Government does not ordinarily collect the data requested.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulatory authority for Great Britain and, along with local authorities, is responsible for regulation and enforcement, including collection of data. The Scottish Government has no statutory involvement in workplace health and safety.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on enforcement actions taken by the relevant regulatory bodies.

COPFS Health and Safety Division lead the investigation and prosecution of all potential cases under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Its staff provide advice, support and (in the case of Police Scotland) direction to investigators from Police Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and other regulatory agencies in relation to such cases.

Every fatality at a place of work in Scotland is investigated as a potential corporate homicide. The Work Related Death Protocol for Scotland, signed by COPFS, ACPOS, British Transport Police and the HSE, ensures that when a work-related death occurs, a co-ordinated multi-agency investigation takes place, which allows for all possible offences to be considered.

Once reported to the Crown, each case is carefully considered by lawyers within the COPFS Health and Safety Division, on the basis of the relevant law and the available evidence.

Data are not available broken down as requested. COPFS have advised that since 2009, 14 cases, involving 18 companies or partnerships, have been reported to the Crown in respect of potential corporate homicide as well as other charges.

Of these cases, three remain under consideration by the Crown. One case, reported in 2011, was marked for no proceedings. The remaining cases have all resulted in a conviction in solemn proceedings, albeit that there have been no prosecutions or convictions under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. In each of those cases, the accused was convicted, in proceedings under section 76 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 of breaches of section 2 or section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Work 1974. The court has the same sentencing powers in relation to these offences as it has in relation to corporate homicide.

COPFS Health and Safety Division lead the investigation and prosecution of all potential cases under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Its staff provide advice, support and (in the case of Police Scotland) direction to investigators from Police Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and other regulatory agencies in relation to such cases.

Every fatality at a place of work in Scotland is investigated as a potential corporate homicide. The Work Related Death Protocol for Scotland, signed by COPFS, ACPOS, British Transport Police and the HSE, ensures that when a work-related death occurs, a co-ordinated multi-agency investigation takes place, which allows for all possible offences to be considered.

Once reported to the Crown, each case is carefully considered by lawyers within the COPFS Health and Safety Division, on the basis of the relevant law and the available evidence. Since 2009, 14 cases, involving 18 companies or partnerships, have been reported to the Crown in respect of potential corporate homicide as well as other charges.

Of these cases, three remain under consideration by the Crown. One case, reported in 2011, was marked for no proceedings. The remaining cases have all resulted in a conviction in solemn proceedings, albeit that there have been no prosecutions or convictions under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. In each of those cases, the accused was convicted, in proceedings under section 76 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 of breaches of section 2 or section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Work 1974. The court has the same sentencing powers in relation to these offences as it has in relation to corporate homicide.

This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The groundbreaking new GP contract for Scotland – jointly designed and agreed with the British Medical Association – will help ensure that GPs are able to spend more time with patients and less time on bureaucracy. It will help reduce doctors’ overall workload and make general practice an even more attractive career prospect by allowing GPs to focus on the patients who need them most.

This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The groundbreaking new GP contract for Scotland – jointly designed and agreed with the British Medical Association – will help ensure that GPs are able to spend more time with patients and less time on bureaucracy. It will help reduce doctors’ overall workload and make general practice an even more attractive career prospect by allowing GPs to focus on the patients who need them most.

We have recently announced the commitment to increasing the number of GPs by at least 800 over ten years to ensure a sustainable service that meets increasing demand on our services. Our strategy to recruit and retain our existing GPs will be set out in part 3 of the national health and social care workforce plan to be published this month.

This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

We know that GP recruitment and retention is an issue for some areas of Scotland including NHS Fife. That’s why the groundbreaking new GP contract for Scotland – jointly designed and agreed with the British Medical Association – will help ensure that GPs are able to spend more time with patients and less time on bureaucracy. It will help reduce doctors’ overall workload and make general practice an even more attractive career prospect by allowing GPs to focus on the patients who need them most.

We have recently announced the commitment to increasing the number of GPs by at least 800 over ten years to ensure a sustainable service that meets increasing demand on our services. Our strategy to recruit and retain our existing GPs is set out in part 3 of the national health and social care workforce plan which was published this month.