Chamber and committees

The Improvement Service published its latest Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report. The report is available on the Improvement Service website and linked on the Scottish Government ELC Joint Delivery Board web page.

This report provides an update on progress by local authorities towards the delivery of 1140 hours of funded ELC at the end of April 2021 as reported by local authorities, comparing this to their reported position throughout this academic year. As members of Parliament will be aware, the duty on local authorities to provide 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare to all eligible children will come into effect in August 2021.

As the report sets out, local authorities continue to make good progress towards delivery, with an additional 10,510 children accessing 1140 hours since February 2021. The report also shows that the local authority ELC workforce in Scotland is reported to have increased by 7,178 FTE since academic year 2016/17, including an increase of 230 FTE since February 2021.

Following a revision to the Improvement Service data collection framework in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, data gathering is planned for the beginning of each academic term through to April 2022.

The timeline for publishing the Island Connectivity Plan remains the beginning of 2023 when the current Ferries Plan (2013-2022) ends.

The Scottish Government has fully considered all of the suggestions made by stakeholders alongside all current data, scientific evidence and clinical advice available to us. Based on this assessment, subject to the relevant guidance being in place, our recommendation is that cruise restart when all of Scotland reaches Level 1.

While we would have been keen to provide a date, we need to work with the data available and any date would have been subject to review. This decision has been informed by the combination of risks that exist with both cruises and within the wider travel context, such as: the current trajectory of Covid infections and the unknowns around the new Delta variant, the close-proximity form of leisure that cruises offer that has high risk of uncontained rapid transmission, and, the opportunities to spread Covid through multiple stops in different levels around Scotland. These are only some of the risks, and although some of them could be mitigated through good protocols, it is the compound effect of all the risks involved which has led to this decision.

We are committed to reviewing restrictions every 3 weeks as part of the phased national easing through the Levels. The next review point is scheduled ahead of the planned easing of restrictions from 28 June. Our aim is to enable a restart to cruise as quickly and safely as possible and we are keen to continue to work with the sector on any required guidance ahead of this date.

Arrangements are being put in place to establish the new Council for Economic Transformation, which will shape and drive our 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation. We have already publicly committed to do this within the our first 100 days and we will update with regard to progress, including how it interacts with other advisory groups such as the Council for Economic Advisers, shortly.

A copy of all local authority returns and an analysis of the returns was published in May 2021. The material was published as part of a Freedom of Information release and the local authority returns and analysis can be found in parts 1 and 2 of the released documentation at: Correspondence relating to counsellors within schools: FOI Release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Network Rails Contractor, SPL, is undertaking on-site activities between Muirhouse South Junction and Busby Junction as part of the East Kilbride / Barrhead Enhancements project. This includes piling and the construction of steelwork foundations to support future electrification.

This demonstrates that positive progress is being made with early construction activities whilst the necessary development work for the complete project is progressed.

Future updates can be sourced via the dedicated project pages in the Scotland’s Railway website:-

https://scotlandsrailway.com/projects/east-kilbride-enhancements

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00514 on 16 June 2021. 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

As of 28 May, £3,028,000 has been paid through Exclusive Use and Large Self Catering Grants to 1,434 businesses. Please see the most recent business support management information: Coronavirus (COVID-19): business support management information - 11 June 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . While this figure does not currently allow breakdown of the exclusive use and large self-catering grants, the most recent figures from 30 April, when £2.89 million had been paid though Exclusive Use and Large Self Catering Grants showed that the majority of this sum had been allocated to large self-catering properties £2.69 million, while the remainder went to exclusive use properties £0.2 million). Please see - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework: Business Support Funding Statistics (Tranche 6) and other local authority support schemes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We understand that household meeting restrictions to mitigate transmission risks continue to pose challenges for many businesses across Scotland. The Scottish Government sought to help businesses build greater resilience by making available Restart Grants. On 22 March recipients of support under the Strategic Framework Business Fund received a final 4 week payment, followed by a combined final payment of a further 2 weeks closure support and a one off restart grant. Hospitality and leisure businesses in receipt of the Fund were eligible for grants up to £19,500 based on their rateable value. The restart grant was also awarded to small accommodation providers paying the council tax fund, already registered for support payments under SPA-CTF.

In addition, the Scottish Government will provide 100% rates relief for retail, hospitality, leisure and aviation businesses for entirety of this financial year.

We understand that a proportion of self-catering businesses, which are larger (7+) and rely on multiple households sharing continue to face challenges in trading due to household restrictions. We worked closely with the sector in order to produce tailored grant support for large self-catering businesses and exclusive use properties as well as targeted support for businesses who pay council tax via the small accommodation providers council tax fund. We have engaged regularly with the sector throughout the pandemic to understand operating conditions and to develop support to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions. We have regular dialogue with the STA, the ASSC and STERG and will continue to review areas that may need further support on an ongoing basis as we progress through the levels framework, in particular to those sectors which are subject to greater constraint.

Network Rail is on track to meet our innovative growth target for rail freight. Despite the health pandemic, rail freight demand has held up well and 216 new freight trains ran on the network in Scotland in the past 12 months. Supported by Scottish Government and third party investment more new freight services in Scotland are planned in the next 18 months, in addition to new cross border express logistics services. Modal shift to rail will play a key part in decarbonising the overall transport network to meet our ambitious climate change targets.