Seòmar agus comataidhean

A total of 13 applications were received for the post of Chair to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. The appointment process for that post remains on-going. At the same time, the SCCRC advertised a vacancy for a Legal Member, which also attracted 13 applications.

The Scottish Government posted the adverts on the Scottish Government hosted public appointments webpages.

The adverts were circulated to over 1500 individuals and groups who have registered on the public appointments notes of interest contact list. This information is circulated to bodies such as Citizens Advice Scotland, the Equality Network, Women on Boards, and Changing the Chemistry.

Scottish Government officials also reached out to a number of other relevant organisations to draw their attention to the vacancies. These were:

• The Faculty of Advocates;
• Scottish Legal Aid Board;
• The Society of Solicitor Advocates;
• Scottish Legal Complaints;
• The Equalities and Human Rights Commission;
• The Scottish Human Rights Commission;
• The Legal Services Agency;
• Law Centres Network;
• Fair Justice System for Scotland Group;
• Govan Law Centre; and
• The Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association.

The vacancies were also posted on the Scottish Legal News website, the Scottish Legal News X page, and advertised via Scottish Legal News’ daily newsletter.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. 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.

A full ScotRail fleet strategy is being developed and refined, taking into account the fiscal constraints as well as other relevant government policies.

Austerity measures are those which take forward a definite policy of reducing public spending on programmes and activity irrespective of the impact on the outcomes of those programmes and activity.

For example, the Labour UK Government’s severe restriction on the Winter Fuel Payment, and its consequent impact of reducing the budget for these programmes in Scotland by up to £160m, is a clear implementation of Westminster austerity.

This has followed Scotland long being subject to the austerity policies of the Conservative UK Government. In the face of this, the Scottish Government has stepped in to support people and services where it has been needed most – on social security, health, public sector pay, and public services – and has used all levers at its disposal to do so and mitigate the impact of Westminster austerity in Scotland. This includes an around £1.5 billion in 2024-25 from Scotland’s progressive Income Tax policy.

The new Labour UK Government’s commitment to the same debt rule as the previous government was always going to entail a similar fiscal constraint, and the UK Government is now pursuing policies that appear to be a continuation of Conservative austerity. Further spending cuts and austerity by the new UK Government will impact on the funding available for the budget here in Scotland.

Transport Scotland is still engaged in positive dialogue with the housing developer to agree a way forward for access through Ferrymuir Gait. We are now at a position whereby the agreements are being signed by both parties, therefore it is hoped that this will be concluded as soon as reasonably practicable.

Alongside finalising the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), the Scottish Government continues to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders. The final ESJTP will also build from the substantial independent evidence base on domestic energy transition in the context of the global Paris Agreement goals that was developed and published in support of the draft version.

A three year package of financial support of almost £1 million has been co-funded by the Scottish Government and Nationwide Foundation, to Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing, to enable them to support organisations with applications to the fund.

Officials in More Homes Division are also working closely with applicants to assist as many fully developed, consented projects to gain a formal approval for delivery of affordable rural and island homes through the fund.

Scottish Government guidance makes clear the expectation that projects supported by the local authority brought forward under the fund should be included in future Strategic Housing Investment Plans.

The Scottish Government’s Rural Delivery Plan, which is set to be published by the end of this parliamentary term, will set out how all parts of the Scottish Government will deliver for Scotland’s rural and island communities. It will cover a range of priority areas, including housing, transport and economic development.

Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.

As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

No external consultants were engaged to identify the spending reductions outlined in the fiscal statement of 3 September 2024. External consultants were engaged in the evaluation of the rail peak fares removal pilot. Their expertise supported the public survey component of the evaluation, informing understanding of the effects of the pilot which informed decision-making over the future of the pilot. This was an important part of the evaluation and would have occurred irrespective of the fiscal statement.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

A tool for collection of empirical data relating to stroke rehabilitation provision - including time to rehabilitation assessment, creation of rehabilitation plans, commencement of rehabilitation, input from various Allied Health Professional specialities and time to commencing community rehabilitation - has been developed. This tool is currently being trialled in two NHS Boards, with the aim of using this across Scotland and including this in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit once data collection has been assessed.