Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that the retail sector in Scotland is transforming in response to, among other things, changes to shopping habits and through new technology. The proportion of retail businesses in the UK (with 10 or more employees) making e-commerce sales has increased from 25.8% in 2009 to 39.8% in 2015. This shift to on-line shopping, coupled with UK Government austerity measures, which served to curtail consumer confidence, and which, indirectly and directly has reduced the spending power of many consumers and, thereby, has had an impact on the sector.

We regularly engage with the Scottish Retail Consortium and other key stakeholders in the retail sector to discuss policy priorities and to better understand the challenges and opportunities that transformational change in the sector will present.

We will continue to use all levers at our disposal to ensure Scotland remains an attractive place for retailers to do business. We are maintaining a competitive business rates package in Scotland including cutting the rates poundage, limiting the extent of the large business supplement and expanding the Small Business Bonus so that it lifts 100,000 properties out of rates. We will also respond swiftly to the external review of rates led by Ken Barclay which is due to report this summer.

The Scottish Government assesses the labour market in Scotland based on a range of indicators from a range of official sources including, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). These are published regularly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Scottish Government.

The LFS and APS are classed as having National Statistics status by the UK Statistics Authority and are produced consistent with International Labour Organisation definitions (ILO) for the main economic activity groups – the economically active, comprising the employed and unemployed, and the economically inactive .

The level of unemployment of 132,600, for those aged 16-64, October 2015 to September 2016, is based on the APS and comprises all persons who during the survey reference period are without work, who have been actively seeking work in the past 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next 2 weeks. It also included those who are out of work but have found a job and are waiting to start in the next 2 weeks (as set out in ILO definitions). This is the definition of unemployment used by the Scottish Government in line with ONS.

The estimate provided by SPICe includes those classed as unemployed in line with the ILO definition, but also includes an additional 190,000 individuals, aged 16-64, who are classed as economically inactive. These individuals were not in employment, available for work or actively seeking work in the reference period but indicated that they ‘wanted a job'. The reasons for not seeking work or being unavailable to start work include; being long-term sick or disabled, looking after family, home or being retired.

As this definition is inconsistent with ILO definitions of unemployment, through including individuals who reported that they were not available for or actively seeking work, the figure of 132,600 for October 2015 to September 2016 remains an accurate figure when measuring unemployment.

NHS boards have responsibility for publicising screening within their local area and for working closely with their communities to increase screening uptake. GPs also play a pivotal role in highlighting bowel screening to their patients. Scottish Government officials meet bowel screening coordinators from all NHS boards on a quarterly basis to discuss a range of issues relating to the national screening programme, including promoting bowel screening services and initiatives to improve uptake. 

We are also responding with up to £5million of funding from the Cancer Strategy being invested in our national cancer screening programmes including bowel screening to reduce inequalities and improve uptake, particularly amongst those less likely to participate in screening.

Through our on-going £41 million Detect Cancer Early programme, we aim to increase the proportion of cancers detected at an early stage through raising awareness of cancers, the importance of knowing about screening programmes and the benefits of earlier treatment. 

Furthermore, the Scottish Government is committed to introducing the new Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) into the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme by the end of 2017. The new test is considered more user friendly than the current test and is expected to help increase participation in the programme.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are currently undertaking formal public consultation on their proposals concerning rehabilitation services for the elderly in North East Glasgow, including Lightburn Hospital. The Government would encourage all local stakeholders to register their views with the board before the end of the public consultation, scheduled for 8 May 2017.

In due course the board will formally consider the proposals, as informed by the responses to the public consultation. Should the board then proceed with the proposals they will be subject to Ministerial approval, in line with the well-established national guidance on major service change in the NHS.

The Satrak report, to which you refer, is not representative of normal conditions on the M8. It presents findings from a small sample size, for a time period over which a 50mph speed limit was implemented on substantial sections of the M8 and M73 to allow essential investment in safely upgrading that part of the network.

This £500million investment in a key part of the strategic trunk road network will lead to an improvement in journey times of up to 18 minutes at peak times for vehicles using the busiest sections of the M8 each day and reduce journeys through the Raith junction on the M74 by 15 minutes. The M8 is already open to traffic and as other sections of the project become available, they too will open in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government welcomes the increase (to 16.1% 2015-16) in the proportion of entrants to higher education from the 20% most deprived areas. However, the variation in performance on access between colleges and universities, and across universities, is an issue we are determined to address. Even within the 8% figure we know that there is considerable variation, with other published sources consistently placing Glasgow well above the other three institutions mentioned.

Ensuring that a child born in any Scottish community can consider accessing a university education was the reason why we established the Commission on Widening Access, and we have committed to implementing its recommendations in full. This includes the target to ensure that by 2030, students from the 20% most deprived areas should represent 20% of full-time first degree entrants to university; as well as the target that by 2021, students from the 20% most deprived areas should represent at least 10% of full-time first degree entrants to every individual university.

The Scottish Government has invested £133 million since 2013-14 in additional widening access and articulation places to act as a catalyst for accelerated progress. All additional places funded since 2013-14 are being embedded in the core funding for universities. This means that more than £51 million is invested each year to support approximately 7,000 places.

The Scottish Government recognises that universities are autonomous institutions, each with its own responsibility for student recruitment and admissions policy. Beyond investment in places, it is the duty of the whole education system and policymakers to take forward the actions that will ensure the Commission’s principal target is met. We accept universities cannot do this alone, and we expect the Commissioner for Fair Access to challenge everyone to play a full part.

On 27 February, the SPA Chair and Chief Constable launched their ten year “Policing 2026” Strategy for consultation. It sets out how the SPA and Police Scotland intend to address new and emerging demands on policing by transforming the service’s approach across a number of areas including corporate support, public contact and engagement, partnership working, use of digital technology and response to developing challenges such as cyber-crime.

Identifying staff with the expertise to deliver the transformational change envisaged in the Strategy is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland.

In recent years 140 extra carriages have been introduced to the ScotRail fleet with an extra 200 to follow in the next 30 months. This will deliver more than 50% extra carriages since 2007. The ScotRail franchisee will deliver major enhancements to train facilities and increase seating capacity by 23% by 2019 to support growth in our railways.

The Scottish Government provides help to support the private building industry in a number of ways, including direct support through Infrastructure funding, the ongoing Planning review, as well as support for demand through the Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build schemes and our LIFT shared equity schemes for low-income and first time buyers.

I was also pleased to provide further support on Friday 31 March 2017 by announcing the retention of a higher £200,000 price ceiling for the Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build schemes for 2018-19.

In addition, we meet regularly with industry at official and Ministerial level to consider structural and emerging challenges.

We continue to support NHS boards to ensure patients have access to the care they need via, for example, the work of the Ministerial Steering Group and the planned National Advisory Committee on Chronic Pain. National Advisory remit will include guiding the improvement of chronic pain management at all levels of health and social care and will inform effective policy development.