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The precise number of problematic spaces will be dependent on a range of factors over time, such as weather and occupancy levels, and many of the problematic spaces will already have been addressed. The Scottish Government has agreed formal reporting requirements regarding the number of remaining problematic spaces with local authorities. This information will be used to update the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee in due course, subject to receipt of local authority returns.

Local authority feedback indicates that all learning, teaching and play spaces in Scottish schools and ELC settings have received CO2 assessments and, at a point in time (in the most part before the October holidays 2021), around 2-4% (around 2,000) of those spaces had been problematic. Problematic spaces are defined as those having consistently high CO2 readings (above 1500ppm) despite basic mitigation measures being implemented.

Following the assessment, local authorities will have then taken remedial action and therefore we would expect the issues in those problematic spaces to have been addressed.

However, ventilation is a complex issue requiring, among other things, ongoing monitoring and management. For example, changes in room use or weather conditions can result in assessments of air quality changing over time, requiring fresh remedial action.

Our guidance makes clear that all learning, teaching and play spaces should be assessed at least once per week. The Scottish Government has agreed formal reporting requirements regarding the number of remaining problematic spaces with local authorities. We will provide an update to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in due course, subject to receipt of local authority returns.

Feedback from local authorities last term confirmed that there were around 27,000 CO2 monitors deployed across Scottish schools.

We and our local authority partners recognise the importance of continuing monitoring in schools and ELC settings. Guidance has been updated to advise that every learning, teaching and play space should be monitored at least one full day every week.

We expect to be able to provide the Education, Children and Young People Committee with updated figures for the number of CO2 monitors purchased and deployed by local authorities in due course.

The precise details about CO2 monitors being used are not held by the Scottish Government, as it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate.

Local authorities have discretion over whether they provide the £150 cost of living payment as a credit to the council tax accounts of eligible households or as a cash payment, with the overriding objective being that payments are made by the end of April 2022. Eligibility is not determined by the age of those present in the household but is based on whether the home is in council tax valuation bands A, B, C or D, or, in any council tax band and the household is in receipt of a council tax reduction. Additionally, certain types of household exempt from council tax are eligible to receive this payment, including where properties are unoccupied because the resident has gone to someone else's home to provide care or the resident receives care elsewhere .

People who are experiencing financial hardship may be receiving, or be eligible for, a range of financial support services (both direct and in-kind), and the nature and amount of support will depend on individual circumstances. Therefore it is not possible to make a meaningful estimate of what would be required in terms of additional support to bring all those below the poverty threshold above that threshold.

Scottish Government recognise the positive contribution older people make to their communities and are committed to ensuring that people are financially secure and supported as they age. Fairness and human rights remain at the heart of the Scottish Government’s approach as we work to keep older people safe, cared for and connected, with access to the essentials they need, with funding of over £1.3 million to organisations who are directly supporting the needs of older people during the Covid pandemic, including funding for helplines, food distribution and keeping people connected.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many older people who are in relative or absolute poverty have raised concerns about not being able to afford both heating and food this winter. The sources of information below provides indicators of levels of poverty; and engagement with stakeholder organisations.

Poverty and food insecurity

One indicator of levels of poverty and food insecurity is the latest Family Resources Survey (FRS). The most recent information available for 2019/20 showed that food insecurity rates for Scotland reflected those of the UK as a whole, and that the rate of food insecurity was lower for people over 65. Both the FRS and the 2020 Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) indicated rates of between 1% and 3% for over 65s, compared to 8% overall.

According to the FRS, around a quarter of people in both relative and absolute poverty were experiencing low, or very low food security. The relative poverty rate after housing costs for pensioners was 14% in 2017-20, or 150,000 pensioners each year - consistently below that for working-age adults (19%).

Fuel poverty

Data from the Scottish Government’s national Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) scheme provides an indicator for those at risk of fuel poverty. The scheme is designed to help those living in or at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures into individual properties. Eligibility for the scheme is based on “proxies”, including certain benefits such as Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which are an indication of the likelihood of the household living in or being at risk of fuel poverty.

Referrals to WHS during the period 1 November 2021 and 28 February 2022 are as follows.

The Scottish Government does not hold separate data on the percentage rise in the cost of living for older people who are in relative or absolute poverty. The information below provides an indication.

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index rose by 5.5% in the 12 months to January 2022. This has been the highest yearly increase since the 1990s.

Figures from the ONS suggest that retired and non-retired households have experienced similar levels of inflation rates since April 2021, and so have high- and low-income households. However, rises in costs are being driven by different things - including different exposure to transport costs (affecting non-retired people more heavily) and housing and household services (affecting retired people more). Separate figure are not available for Scotland

With regard to water charges, the water and sewerage charges for households will rise by 4.2% on 1 April 2022 – this means the average household charge in Scotland will be £391 in 2022-23. Water charges are linked to council tax bands and discounts which apply to council tax also apply to water charges (such as student exemption or the single occupant discount). From 1 April 2021 the water charges reduction scheme discount – available to customers in receipt of full Council Tax Reduction – has increased to 35%, up from 25%. Over the next year (2022-23), households in receipt of the full council tax reduction discount will actually pay less than they did in 2020-21.

A key driver of price increases is energy prices, which have increased significantly over the year and continue to increase due to the crisis in Ukraine. Low-income households are particularly exposed to increases in the price of energy as they spend a larger proportion of the household income on fuel and housing costs. The Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest that by April lowest-income households will be facing inflation rates of almost 7%, higher than the average rate of 6%. The Resolution Foundation estimate that later this year the poorest third of households will be spending at least 10% of their household income on energy bills alone, compared to around 7% now.

The information requested can be found in the publication Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2017-20 . This is available online at Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2017-20 (data.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government welcomed engagement with the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland during the revision of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland. The Commissioner’s Office provided permission to publish their response to the formal Scottish Government public consultation on Citizen Space .

The Commissioner asked for a comprehensive re-draft of the guidance to ensure that children’s human and statutory rights are threaded throughout; a consistent application of a rights-based approach across health, justice and local authority Children’s Services and Planning Partnerships with greater clarity that children’s rights to protection apply to all those with a duty of care; extending a trauma-informed approach to children in conflict with the law; and a request that Children’s Hearings should be extended to all children under the age of 18.

The Scottish Government met with the Commissioner’s Office to discuss their response and incorporated suggestions into the final published guidance to further strengthen the focus on rights, relationships, collaboration and support for families, building on strengths. It was noted at this meeting that forthcoming Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) support materials will support improved consistency across Scotland in appropriately balancing rights to privacy and family life with rights to be supported and protected. The Commissioner’s Office subsequently reviewed and contributed to the Guidance Supporting Narrative which sets out how our approach to child protection in Scotland aligns with and supports strategic developments including UNCRC implementation.

Some suggestions made in connection with legislation and practice relating to 16 and 17 year olds are beyond the scope of the guidance which reflects the current legislative, policy and practice context. The Scottish Government has committed to review the guidance on an annual basis to ensure that it remains consistent with wider changes.

As part of the funding arrangements and ongoing work with local authorities on schools/ELC ventilation, the Scottish Government has agreed updated reporting arrangements with local authorities to ensure an appropriate understanding of how and to what extent funding is being used.

We will provide an update to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in due course.