Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government did not dismiss any employees during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 in (a) Scotland and (b) the Grampian region.

Information on NHS staff dismissals is not held centrally. The recruitment and employment of NHS staff is the responsibility of NHS Boards.

The Scottish Government expects Boards to apply workforce policies in adherence to NHS Scotland’s values of: care and compassion; dignity and respect; openness, honesty and responsibility; quality and teamwork.

A file with the number of passengers, cars, and commercial vehicles and buses on selected Caledonian MacBrayne routes has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 62608).

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of motorhomes transported by Caledonian MacBrayne.

The NHS Scotland COVID Status app is being developed for release to the public by the end of September with vaccination information initially. We are developing our app to meet the EU requirements so we expect this to be compatible with the IATA Travel Pass. We are engaging with international stakeholders and UK Government to ensure the app is compatible with the other countries requirements of entry.

We are making PDF downloads of vaccination status and 2D barcodes (known as QR codes) available for international travel from early September to facilitate international travel.

The Scottish Government publishes information on the initial (3 months after leaving school) and follow-up (9 months after leaving school) destinations of school leavers from publicly funded schools.

Initial destination: School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Follow-up destination: School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Note that this does not directly identify the proportion who have gone to university but does identify those who have went in to Higher Education. Within these statistics Higher Education is defined based on the qualification being studied rather than the place of study. It covers those following a course of study at a level higher than the standard of the National Qualifications, i.e. above SCQF level 7. This includes degree courses, courses for the education and training of teachers, higher level courses for professional qualification and Higher National Certificate / Diploma or equivalent. This will include those studying such courses at University but also in other settings such as a Higher Education Institutions or Colleges.

The latest follow-up destinations data on the proportion of publicly funded school leavers who were in Higher Education is provided below. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the percentage of independent school leavers who have gone to university or Higher Education.

Proportion of school leavers from publicly funded schools with Higher Education follow-up destination

From the Period March 2020 – July 2021 the following companies have supplied personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of a Scottish Government Contract:

The Scottish economy faces unprecedented challenges as it recovers from the pandemic and transitions to becoming a net zero economy. To guide the economy through this period, the Scottish Government has committed to delivering a new 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

The Advisory Council for Economic Transformation was established to help shape and drive the strategy. The Advisory Council’s work will be complemented by an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement, including environmental stakeholders, and the views put forward by the public through the consultation. This is a national endeavour and so the Scottish Government wants to hear directly from business, workers and stakeholders right across the country on how to transform the economy and help us reach net zero.

Since 9 August, Scotland has moved beyond Level 0 restrictions and therefore beyond the Protection Levels system. This means that all venues are now allowed to open and most legal restrictions have been removed.

The Scottish Government has published summary guidance to support the reopening of cultural performances events, setting out in one place the remaining legal requirements and good practice precautionary measures most relevant to the sector, as well as a statement about long-term recovery.

The guidance is available here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): reopening of cultural performances and events guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic hardship for many householders throughout Scotland and is why the Scottish Government reacted quickly to provide vital support to help people, communities and businesses during this unprecedented period. The Scottish economy faces major challenges as it recovers from the pandemic and transitions towards becoming a net zero economy. To support the economy during this period, the Scottish Government has committed to delivering a new 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation. The strategy will, through the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation and the views received through the programme of stakeholder engagement and the public consultation, fully take into account the impact of the pandemic as it sets out the key actions to transform the economy over the next 10 years.

Not all of the information being requested is held at present by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Funding Council has however provided HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data showing what percentage of all students studying medicine at Scottish medical schools, across all years of studies, were Scottish domiciled. This data is limited up to and including academic year 2019-20.