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Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and, therefore, the Scottish Government has not corresponded with local authorities or COSLA in relation to raising awareness about claiming pension credit or supporting people to do so.

The Scottish Government funds the Citizens Advice Network in Scotland to deliver the Money Talk Team Income Maximisation Service. This is a money advice service that includes advice about all benefits, including pension credit. We have undertaken three national marketing campaigns to make people aware of the service.

There are a number of subsidised training schemes provided by Scottish Government in regards to HGV and Bus Driver training:

• Employability Fund - offers employability and skills training for unemployed individuals across Scotland. HGV driver training is available to eligible individuals through this fund.
• Modern Apprenticeships – learn on the job to gain the experience you need and work towards a recognised qualification. The Freight Logistics framework applies to HGV/LGV. As part of this framework apprentices will be offered the opportunity to study SVQ Driving Goods Vehicles at SCQF Level 6.
• Individual Training Account – to help people develop the skills they need for work. Up to £200 contribution towards a training course, which can include HGV and Bus driver training.

There are a number of subsidised training schemes provided by Scottish Government in regards to HGV and Bus Driver training including: Employability Fund, Modern Apprenticeships, National Transition Training Fund and Individual Training Accounts

A summary table has been provided, showing the number of people supported through the various schemes in relation to HGV and Bus driver training. To ensure consistency, we have provided figures based on financial years 2019-20, 2020-21 and Quarter 1 of 2021-22.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03574 on
‎ 25 October 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
‎

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government. The Department for Work and Pensions publishes an estimate of Pension Credit take-up, annually, at a UK-wide level only. The latest figures published (covering 2018/19) show that 76% of the maximum amount of possible Pension Credit expenditure was claimed.

The National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) is being delivered through various sector-based projects which will have different application procedures. The data below sets out information on course participants in Year One as far as it is currently available.

In Year One of the NTTF, support for the Aviation sector was provided through Scottish Union Learning. Unite the Union developed a programme which continues this year to enable Aviation workers – many of whom were furloughed - to upskill to help support job retention. This provided a variety of training opportunities for ground and air crew.

In addition, Strand One of NTTF, which was managed by Skills Development Scotland, supported driver training, including Driver CPC, LGV with CPC and PCV with CPC.

In terms of NTTF college delivery, The college figures for 2020-21 are yet to be finalised as collection of college data only concluded on 12 October 2021 and still require to be quality assured before publication as Official Statistics in January 2022.

I have previously advised that a final report on NTTF Year One will be made available this year. As the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will not publish data until January 2022, I intend to issue a report immediately after the SFC publication is released. I do however, intend to update Parliament in November on anticipated outturns.

The circumstances which led to the case before the European Court of Human Rights preceded the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015. The 2015 Act introduced new protections for victims of human trafficking and exploitation offences in Scotland.

The 2015 Act requires the Lord Advocate to issue instructions regarding the prosecution of persons who are, or appear to be, the victims of trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced or compulsory labour and who have allegedly committed a criminal offence. These instructions were published in May 2016 and were updated in August 2021, following a review by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in light of the European Court of Human Rights’ decision in VCL and AN v UK. The instructions sets a strong presumption against prosecution of adult victims who have been compelled to commit an offence and the compulsion is directly attributable to trafficking or exploitation and a strong presumption against prosecution of child victims who have committed an offence in the course of, or as a consequence of, being trafficked or exploited.

Decisions in relation to prosecution are for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service which makes its decisions independently.

Both Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service continue to discharge their positive obligations to potential victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

Information on the application of the Lord Advocate’s instructions can be accessed through the Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy progress reports https://www.gov.scot/policies/human-trafficking/ .

The Scottish Government has regular communication with the UK Government on a range of issues relating to human trafficking and exploitation, including the decision by the European Court of Human Rights in VCL and AN v UK.

We continue to work with the UK Government and other organisations to ensure the findings of VCL and AN v UK are appropriately considered.

The Scottish Government’s assessment is that there is no requirement for a Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) in respect of the Nationality and Borders Bill as introduced to the UK Parliament. The Scottish Government is monitoring the Bill as it progresses through the UK Parliament and will consider whether any amendments to the Bill trigger the need for an LCM.

The Scottish Government has undertaken work to assess the impact of provisions in the Nationality and Borders Bill on communities in Scotland. Issues highlighted through this work are set out in my letter of 1 September to the Home Secretary, which is on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/letter-from-the-cabinet-secretary-for-social-justice-housing-and-local-government-to-rt-hon-priti-patel-mp/