Chamber and committees

In each year since 2016-17, Scottish spending per person on enterprise and economic development has been higher than that in England and Wales. The following table the latest figures, taken from HM Treasury's Country and Regional Analysis publication.

Spend per person on enterprise and economic development (£)

The Scottish Government has today published its Draft Heat in Buildings Strategy for consultation. The consultation will run until 30 April and can be accessed at https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/heat-in-buildings-strategy/

This draft Heat in Buildings Strategy updates the 2018 Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map and the 2015 Heat Policy Statement. It expands on the policies and proposals set out in the Buildings chapter of our Climate Change Plan Update, published in December 2020, and sets out the action needed to reduce emissions from our homes and buildings to zero by 2045 and to eliminate poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.

Alongside the draft Heat in Buildings Strategy we are consulting on a New Build Heat Standard, Scottish skills requirements for heat and energy efficiency, and the future development of the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.

Kevin Stewart and I have also written to the Conveners of the Local Government and Communities and the Economy, Energy and Fair Work committees. The Government looks forward to engaging with all interested parties on this important issue.

The Scottish Government have committed an additional £791.9 million in COVID related funding to support local authority services, including the estimated consequentials of £90 million for a lost income scheme. The following table includes £607.1 million of that funding with local authorities receiving their fair share of a further £184.8 million which is currently undistributed but will be allocated following parliamentary approval.

Fair Start Scotland (FSS) is Scotland’s flagship devolved employability support service, which helps those further removed from the labour market to find and stay in work.

Today we have published the second Fair Start Scotland Annual Report. It gives an overview of progress throughout 2019-20, highlighting how the service has matured in the last year, including improvements in building effective local partnerships to deliver support successfully to a broader range of participants. It is available from SPICe at SG/2020/245.

We are also publishing Fair Start Scotland Evaluation Report 3: Overview of year 2. This is the third FSS evaluation report, and details the research that supports the second year of service delivery up to 31 March 2020. The report includes findings from a telephone survey of over 1000 participants; local area case studies; feedback from the Scottish Government Social Security Experience Panel and analysis of management information on participants’ outcomes. The report will be available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800042322

The Annual Report and evaluation findings demonstrate how Fair Start Scotland continues to make a difference to participants, employers and communities, whilst also highlighting the challenges we face in the coming year from the economic impacts of Covid-19 and forthcoming EU Exit.

These challenges are likely to have a profound and lasting impact on FSS delivery and our ambitions. As I reported in September, it is unlikely that we will to meet our ambition to support 38,000 people by 31 March 2021. However, we will continue to work with FSS Service Providers and partners to promote the service, ensuring that those who are eligible and would benefit from Fair Start Scotland support, are able to do so.

Through our “test and learn” approach we will continue to make improvements to the service, working closely with our partners and participants to ensure they continue to receive a quality, tailored service with dignity and respect at the centre of their support.

I announced in July that we will extend Fair Start Scotland for a further two years until 31 March 2023, as part of our COVID-19 economic recovery plans. By continuing to invest in this service, we will allow more people to participate and ensure support is in place for those who need it most.

We will continue to focus on working in partnership with local government and the third sector, to deliver our ambition that no one is left behind. This will help us to realise our vision for locally integrated and flexible employability support, that both delivers for individuals and provides value for money.

Fair Start Scotland (FSS), Scotland’s devolved employment support service, helps those who are further removed from the labour market to find and stay in work. The service was launched in April 2018 with an ambition of supporting 38,000 people by 31 March 2021. Statistics published on 26 August 2020 show that by the end of June 2020, 24,300 people had started on the service, 64% of the overall ambition. Of those who started on the service, 65% had a long term health condition and 47% reported having a disability. The statistics also show the significant early impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on engagement with FSS services, as both referrals and starts decreased (by 39% and 25% respectively) compared to the same period (April-June) in 2019.

Referrals to FSS since its launch have mainly come from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). During the period March to June this year, DWP suspended referrals to refocus their workforce on processing the unprecedented volume of Universal Credit claims made during lockdown (DWP statistics show 3.2 million claims were made between 16 March and 23 June 2020). All FSS referrals during this period were generated by FSS Providers via digital platforms and social media. Providers have also been mindful of the particular needs of their more vulnerable participants during lockdown, when many were shielding or had significant concerns about engaging with services due to their health conditions, disabilities or personal circumstances. The ‘pause’ on DWP referrals, along with lockdown restrictions on face to face interactions, have therefore had an impact on FSS service delivery.

In response to the pandemic, the Scottish Government have introduced flexibilities in service delivery along with financial measures to sustain Providers and safeguard support for participants. Providers continue to engage and support participants regularly by telephone and online. In line with our ‘test and learn’ approach, we are working with Providers to continuously improve FSS service delivery, to support the most vulnerable and respond quickly and effectively to any further COVID-19 and economic impacts. As part of our COVID-19 economic recovery package, I announced on 16 July 2020 that the service has been extended for a further two years until 31 March 2023, allowing more people to participate and ensuring support is in place for those who need it most.

Despite the service performing well so far, ongoing economic and labour market uncertainty along with the threat of further local lockdowns are likely to have a profound and long lasting impact on FSS performance. It is therefore likely that we will not meet our ambition to support 38,000 people by 31 March 2021. However, we will continue to work with FSS Providers and partners to promote and improve the service to ensure that those who are eligible and would benefit from Fair Start Scotland support, are able to do so.

Following careful consideration of all the options open to us, and taking into account the undoubted additional benefits that anonymous contract tracing technology can offer Scotland’s tried and trusted Test & Protect service, I can confirm that a contact tracing app to support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system is now in development.

The app will focus solely on proximity tracing using Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert users if they have been in close contact with another user who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The software is voluntary and will not ask users for any personal information at any time.

The Scottish contact tracing app will be developed by NearForm using the same software as the Republic of Ireland contact tracing app, which has already been adapted for use in Northern Ireland and Gibraltar and will work with those apps to support movement across the common travel area.

This will complement existing person to person contact tracing which will remain the main component of NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system.

The Covid-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for our education system. Our overriding priorities are ensuring the health and wellbeing of children, young people and staff and maintaining a continuity of learning wherever possible whilst schools are closed, as well as planning and preparing for a recovery phase.

We remain committed to the Review of Curriculum for Excellence and are progressing this by providing the OECD with a comprehensive written evidence pack which we are co-developing with partners. However, it is critical that we do not make any additional demands on the system at this time. Therefore, following discussions with national partners and the OECD, we have agreed to postpone engagement with policy stakeholders until September and engagement with practitioners and learners until October 2020. This approach would see publication of the final report in June 2021.

This is the current position but our approach will be kept under review, responding appropriately to changing developments.