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Whilst I have been assured by Lord MacLean, Chairman of the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry that good progress is being made, Lord MacLean advises that he requires additional time for the warning letter process and to fully consider all evidence to ensure a robust report.

The timing of the report is entirely a matter for Lord MacLean.

The Annual Population Survey (APS) provides estimates of employment across Scotland; however the only data available for those specific conditions requested covers those who have any learning difficulties or disabilities. The latest APS data covers the period from July to June 2013.

Number of people aged 16+ with learning difficulties or disabilities in full-time and part-time employment, Scotland

Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics.

Notes:

1. Level rounded to nearest thousand.

2. The sub-group of interest here is relatively small therefore this estimate is not as reliable as those for the total population aged 16+.

3. Figures exclude those who did not state whether they were in full-time or part-time employment.

4. Learning difficulties and disabilities includes conditions such as dyslexia or dyscalculia; mental impairments or mental handicap.

5.*denotes disclosive value.

The Scottish Government notes the report and will consider the relevance of its conclusions for disabled people in Scotland.

Our draft Budget includes a commitment to roll forward the Scottish Government’s contribution of £23 million in 2014-15 to continue to mitigate the estimated £40 million gap in funding from the UK Government for Council Tax Benefit successor arrangements. COSLA leaders agreed on 27 September 2013 that local government will again contribute £17 million. This joint commitment will enable us to maintain our support for the most vulnerable households in Scotland.

The entitlement criteria for the council tax reduction (CTR) scheme replicate, as far as possible, entitlement to the previous council tax benefit and will depend upon the demography, the employment rate, levels of council tax, wage levels and hours worked. Currently the only available estimates of potential entitlement to CTR are the Department of Work and Pensions’ forecasts for Council Tax Benefit, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/222849/ctb_country_statgroup_autumn12.xls, which indicate that 556,000 will be eligible in 2013-14 and 544,000 in 2014-15.

However, the Scottish Government, with local authorities, have implemented monitoring arrangements for the new CTR scheme which will be used to inform future policy development and evaluation of the scheme, including forecasting caseload and expenditure.

Transport Scotland established and chairs quarterly meetings of the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum which provides an opportunity for representatives from disability organisations as well as the rail industry and Passenger Focus to discuss pertinent issues. As part of their franchise commitment ScotRail engages extensively at a national and local level with rail passengers including with numerous disability groups.

ScotRail and other train companies operating in Scotland are required to publish a Disabled Persons Protection Policy as one element of their operating licence, which is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. The policy provides a comprehensive guide to passenger rights and the range of services available to assist disabled passengers and can be viewed online or in booklet format available at all staffed stations across the country.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to commission a specific review of rail travel for disabled people. There was an opportunity for all rail passengers to comment on plans for the new franchise during the Rail 2014 public consultation.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with the rail industry in Scotland, regularly engages with disability organisations. Transport Scotland chairs the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum and attends meetings held by the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance. This engagement ensures that a wide range of disabled people participate and contribute to the development of improved access to rail services.

The Munby judgment is an English case relating to a particular local authority’s policy on the payment of foster carers and the interpretation of English legislation and so therefore it does not have any direct impact in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not pay for care placements directly but supports local authorities through block grant funding.

Table 28 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum sets out what the Scottish Government estimates that local authorities will spend on formal care following the introduction of the proposed kinship care order.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/62233.aspx.

The estimated cost of specific new support to informal kinship carers in possession of a Kinship Care Order from 2015-16 is set out in table 32 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum.

Information on what the average cost has been of keeping a child in (a) residential, (b) foster and (c) kinship care in each of the last three years is not centrally held and no research has been carried out on cost differentials.

The data that we collect from local authorities on looked after children is about demographic information and not the cost of keeping a child in care.