Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not directly fund local drug and alcohol services. Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) have responsibilities for tackling problem alcohol and drug use and promoting recovery in their local areas and as part of this they will have undertaken local needs assessment and developed local strategies and plans to respond to that local need.  

North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre were recently awarded a Big Lottery Fund Grant of £437K

The Scottish Government aims to promote good attendance at school. Our focus is to encourage parents and pupils to recognise the value of learning. Absence, whatever the cause, disrupts learning. It is for schools and education authorities to judge what sanctions, if any, they may wish to apply to unauthorised absence due to holidays. Local Authorities can issue attendance orders under section 38 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Further sanctions can be imposed by the Sheriff should a parent not adhere to an attendance order.

The Scottish Government guidance, ‘Included Engaged and Involved Part 1: Attendance in Scottish Schools, is clear that term time holidays are unauthorised absences and schools are responsible for recording this. The Scottish Government will be reviewing and refreshing this guidance document in the coming months.

These results are deeply disappointing. I believe, however that the appointment of the new Chief Inspector of Education and Chief Executive of Education Scotland, Gayle Gorman, last month will come to be seen as the critical step in improving the situation.

She is an experienced teacher, inspector, and, most recently, Education and Children's Services Director of Aberdeen City Council.

She is urgently reviewing the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the key concerns raised in the survey are addressed. A draft improvement plan, taking account of the concerns raised, is under development and has been shared with staff to seek their views. It is expected that the final plan, taking full account of staff views, will be implemented early in the new year.

These results are deeply disappointing. I believe, however that the appointment of the new Chief Inspector of Education and Chief Executive of Education Scotland, Gayle Gorman, last month will come to be seen as the critical step in improving the situation.

She is an experienced teacher, inspector, and, most recently, Education and Children's Services Director of Aberdeen City Council.

She is urgently reviewing the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the key concerns raised in the survey are addressed. A draft improvement plan, taking account of the concerns raised, is under development and has been shared with staff to seek their views. It is expected that the final plan, taking full account of staff views, will be implemented early in this new year.

Devolution has been overwhelmingly positive for Scotland. Over the last decade people are living and remaining healthier for longer, inequality has shrunk, the gender pay gap has fallen, more young people are attending university and crime has fallen to a 42-year low. 

Both Ernst & Young and the Fraser of Allander Institute forecast that GDP growth will accelerate in 2018, and we remain one of the leading destinations in the UK for overseas direct investment – all of which has been achieved against the backdrop of austerity imposed on the Scottish Government by the UK Government and is further threatened by the pursuit of a hard Brexit. 

Our Draft Budget sets out how we plan to build on our strong foundations and continue to improve social and economic outcomes in Scotland. This includes proposals to increase spending on health by over £400 million, provide £120 million – over and above core education funding – direct to head teachers to help ensure all young people can fulfil their potential and use all the levers at our disposal to promote fair work for all in Scotland to deliver truly inclusive growth.

We do not tolerate any attacks on emergency services workers. All workers deserve protection from abuse and violence at work. That is why Scotland's justice system provides for protection for all workers under our common laws of assault, threatening and abusive behaviour and breach of the peace, as well as the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.

We fully support our police, prosecutors and courts in dealing robustly with people who offend against any emergency service workers. Those charged with attacks against our emergency services workers can face up to life imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts to inform the Scottish Budget. The Scottish Government has set out its plans for supporting the economy and enabling inclusive growth in the Draft Budget 2018-19. The income tax policy set out in the Draft Budget 2018-19 delivers additional revenues to support the economy.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission have identified the key threats to Scotland’s economy as being Brexit, inflation and low population growth driven by downward migration.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is taking action to grow Scotland’s economy, positioning it to take advantage of the economic opportunities presented in the coming decades, while ensuring that everyone in Scotland feels the benefits of this growth.

Our Draft Budget will increase spending on economic growth by more than 60% - an increase of £270 million in 2018-19. Even before the Draft Budget was presented, the Scottish Government was investing more in economic development than the rest of the UK - spending on economic development last year was equivalent to £193 per head in Scotland, compared to £88 per head in the UK as a whole.

We are delivering a record £2.4 billion investment in enterprise and skills, a £4 billion commitment to infrastructure, a 70% increase in investment in business Research & Development, investment in the National Manufacturing Institute to make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing and committing £600 million to broadband, ensuring every home or business premise in Scotland has access to superfast broadband.

The Draft Budget also capped the business rates poundage at CPI rather than RPI - the number one ask of businesses is Scotland, and the budget also protects our small business bonus scheme, which lifts 100,000 properties out of business rates altogether. The scheme is part of the most competitive package of rates relief anywhere in the UK, and in the coming year, it will be worth around £720 million—a record high.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to supporting business and growing Scotland’s economy.

In 2018-19 total additional funding for our frontline NHS Boards will amount to £354 million (3.7 per cent) which amounts to a real terms increase of
£208 million (2.2 per cent). This includes additional investment in reform of
£175 million and reflects our commitment to investment in frontline services.

We recognise the need for transformational change in the way that we deliver health and social care in Scotland. The Health and Social Care Delivery Plan published in December 2016 sets out an ambitious programme of change to deliver better health, better care and better value. To help drive forward the changes required, three Regional Implementation Leads are working together with local and national partners to plan and design better services for the populations in their areas. This will help to ensure that local, regional and national planning works together in practice and for the long term.

As set out in our response to S5W-12302 on 16 November 2017, we are also working to develop a medium term financial framework, within the context of the budget settlement that the Scottish Government receives. This will outline the broad direction for the NHS and care services to meet the changing needs of the people of Scotland, including shifting the balance of care towards community health services.

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.