Chamber and committees

All applicants to Scottish Forestry for woodland creation grants are expected to undertake pre-application due diligence to identify significant issues from the proposal.

Depending upon the agricultural land classification as defined by the James Hutton Institute, the applicant may be required to consult with Scottish Government Rural Payment and Inspectorate Division (SGRPID) to obtain feedback upon the likelihood of the proposal having a negative impact upon the agricultural sector and jobs in particular and then act on any issues identified with appropriate mitigation.

In addition, to support the development of increase woodland cover on existing farmland, Scottish Forestry has developed a Forestry Grant Scheme option called “Sheep and Trees”. This option was developed in partnership with the National Sheep Association Scotland, National Farmers Union Scotland and SGRPID, to better integrate forestry and farming practices, and provide new opportunities for farm enterprises; it is available to new tenant farmers with landlord or leasehold approval.

Scottish Government is also working on the “integrating trees on your land – farming for a better climate” 2 initiative. This initiative involves showcasing opportunities, through case studies, for farmers to integrate trees planting in the wider farm enterprise with a view to helping new entrant farmers to adopt a more holistic and diverse approach to their enterprise.

At 31 March 2021 there were 7816 directly employed staff within the core Scottish Government, however all staff continued to work from home where possible during this time.

The average salary for staff normally based in each Local Authority is in the following table.

As concluded in the South West Scotland Transport Study, a new station at Thornhill was one of the interventions recommended for the next stage of appraisal. This option is one of 58 potential new stations across Scotland that are being appraised as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against the transport outcomes we are seeking, the Transport Planning Objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and impacts based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria, to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to Infrastructure Investment Plan. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on potential new stations such as Thornhill.

At 31 March 2021 there were 7816 directly employed staff within the core Scottish Government, however all staff continued to work from home where possible during this time.

The headcount of staff normally based in each Local Authority is in the table below.

The OECD had responsibility for stakeholder engagement.

The OECD’s Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was conducted using their Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework.

Details of how the OECD conducted their independent review can be accessed at Independent+Review+of+Curriculum+for+Excellence+-+Remit.pdf (www.gov.scot)

You may also wish to note that the name of stakeholders who participated in engagement interviews are credited in the OECD’s final report.

I refer Mr Mundell to the answer to S6W-01932 on 25 August 2021.

The OECD’s Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was conducted using their Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework.

The OECD had responsibility for its programme of virtual school visits and the arrangement of focus groups, and was supported by both Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Practitioner Forum.

Details of how the OECD conducted their independent review can be accessed at Independent+Review+of+Curriculum+for+Excellence+-+Remit.pdf (www.gov.scot)

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I met with the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland on 10 June 2021.

At this introductory meeting we discussed matters of mutual interest, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and children and young people’s participation in decision-making.

The Scottish Government utilised a variety of data sources to derive Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme Local Serving Rates (LSR) using a formula agreed with COSLA Leaders in line with standard practice for allocation of funds by the Scottish Government to local government. The basis of our analysis suggests the LSR is sufficient to allow settings to purchase milk and healthy snacks in Year 1 of the Scheme sustainably and at a fair price.

While the new Scheme permits local authorities to determine payments, the local authorities have through COSLA agreed to pay settings at the Local Serving Rates for Year 1 and these LSR are now set out in the Regulations governing the Scheme. The Scottish Government recognises that this is a transitional year. We will gather the evidence from Year 1, including via an implementation group consisting of key partners, to ensure that LSR are sufficient for Year 2 and beyond. This may still be subject to timescales to be agreed with COSLA however, using learning from Year 1, we will continue to work with local government and key stakeholders to ensure that more children will have access to milk and healthy snacks as a consequence of this policy.

When developing the LSR, we included data from Scotland Excel (Scotland’s local authority procurement body) on the local variations in milk supply contracts currently in place across all 32 local authorities and assessed claims to the UK Nursery Milk Scheme, which provided historical data on the value of claims from different types of childcare setting and providers. The data collected on milk costs, combined with data on the size of the eligible population and number of children registered in childcare settings, enabled the Scottish Government to calculate the anticipated maximum quantum required for the Scheme.

In addition to making use of the best available data, an uplift was applied to the funding quantum to take account of uncertainties relating to the change in operation of the scheme, e.g. potential price increases, additional costs that might be incurred by the inclusion of non-dairy alternatives to milk, and potential changes in population.

Our ambition is that as many children as possible attending eligible childcare settings can access the milk and healthy snack offer via the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme, embedding the habit of regular consumption of high-quality dairy produce and fruit and vegetables from an early age.

The new Scheme draws on a considerable period of inquiry and development, beginning with the Welfare Foods Consultation of 2018. Under the previous UK Nursery Milk Scheme claims were made in arrears, however the Scottish Scheme moves to an upfront payment system that covers the cost of milk and healthy snack, which was the preference of the majority of respondents to the consultation, and an approach aimed at reducing administrative burden on settings.

The Scottish Government has sought to ensure that the approach we have set out will allow for milk or a specified alternative to be sourced sustainably and at a fair rate, based on local government procurement data and historic claims to the previous UK scheme. Upfront funding via local authorities is available to eligible childcare settings who can choose how to best procure milk, milk alternatives, fruit and vegetables in accordance with local circumstances.

The Scottish Government will use Year 1 to gather and review evidence, including via an implementation group consisting of key partners, to ensure the Scheme is meeting policy objectives. In the light of this work and other evidence we will consider whether action is required as we look ahead to Year 2 and beyond.