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Any unnecessary delay in hospital is unacceptable and below the standard we would expect. The Scottish Government recognises the relationship between crowding in A&E and increased risk of harm which is why we remain committed to delivering improved A&E performance.

The Scottish Government has an existing improvement Programme informed by evidence-based best practice. Through this approach we are working with Health Boards and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to implement actions that will improve patient flow through our acute sites, in turn reducing A&E waiting times.

We are working with boards to focus on the greatest areas of productive opportunity, many of which, are in line with the recommendations set out in the RCEM guidance, such as strengthening Same Day Emergency Care services, improving access to clinical decision makers from other services and enhancing the escalation process.

We regularly meet with RCEM to discuss this approach and to collectively improve experience for staff and patients.

In August 2020, the Scottish Government launched an interactive website, fairdeliveries.scot, which provided users with information allowing them to measure the fairness of delivery pricing, improve transparency, and drive positive behavioural change from parcel delivery companies.

In January 2023, fairdeliveries.scot was decommissioned as the low levels of traffic did not represent best value for money. As an alternative, Highland Council Trading Standards runs the Delivery Law UK website which provides comprehensive information for consumers and businesses on their rights and obligations in relation to parcel delivery.

Postal services is a reserved policy which places a limit on any actions that the Scottish Government can take. We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners in Consumer Scotland and Trading Standards to advocate for a fair approach to parcel delivery for both households and business.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the safety regulator, considers there to be a robust regulatory regime covering the fire risks associated with battery energy storage systems (BESS). A range of UK Government legislation is applicable to health and safety at BESS sites including the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002; the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

When the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service receive information on BESS proposals they will consider and provide a response where appropriate.

Fairer Deliveries For All: An Action Plan was launched in November 2018, with a focus on tackling unfair parcel delivery practices, and understanding the root causes of over-charging for these services.

The plan identified eight action points to be taken forward by the Scottish Government and its partners:

1. We will develop an interactive data hub to allow users to measure the fairness of delivery pricing to improve transparency and drive behaviour change.

2. We will develop the Scottish Parcel Delivery Map to understand consumer experiences and target interventions.

3. We will celebrate best practice by retailers and parcel delivery companies.

4. We will work with industry to explore how to increase the impact and reach of the Statement of Principles.

5. We will make it easier for consumers to know and exercise their rights.

6. We will improve the accuracy of postcode classification tools.

7. We will establish the Improving Consumer Outcomes Fund to explore new approaches to tackling long-standing consumer issues, including misleading and unfair delivery charges in rural and remote areas of Scotland.

8. We will shape UK Government action to further strengthen consumer protection.

In August 2020, the Scottish Government published a progress update on the eight action points, which can be found here: Fairer deliveries action plan: progress statement - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

At the time of the publication, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the creation of a new public body to tackle the causes of consumer harm in Scotland. As a result, Consumer Scotland came into existence in April 2022, impacting on the role and remit of the Scottish Government in relation to consumer issues.

Work on the Action Plan concluded in 2022 in response to the establishment of Consumer Scotland and its role considering consumer detriment in Scotland. Post and delivery services are key priorities for the organisation as set out in its work programme, which can be found here: Work Programme 2024-2025 (HTML) | Consumer Scotland . As part of this, Consumer Scotland works with UK Regulators, governments and partner organisations to ensure that the parcel delivery market is meeting the needs of current and future consumers living in Scotland.

Postal services is a reserved policy which places a limit upon actions that the Scottish Government and Consumer Scotland can take.

This information is not collected or held by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have the resources in place to provide the appropriate response to every incident which occurs in Scotland, including fires in abandoned or derelict buildings.

The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland in 2022-23 is 75%. Social Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics on the number of carers receiving a payment for Young Career Grant. Whilst these statistics include information by local authority area, we do not currently include information by Scottish Parliament constituency.

The latest statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 875 Young Carer Grant payments with a total value of £285,143 had been issued to clients living in the Fife local authority since its launch in October 2019. Of these, 280 payments with a total value of £99,217 were made in the 2023-24 financial year.

The latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 and estimated take-up rates are available at: Analysis of Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Since launching in October 2019, 12,305 Young Carer Grant payments worth £4.0 million have been made to young carers in Scotland.

Social Security Scotland promotes Young Carer Grant in a targeted way, including by working in partnership with local carers centres in each local authority, encouraging young carers to apply. Social Security Scotland have also delivered multiple marketing campaigns across digital channels that young people engage with most - including a joint campaign with Young Scot.

When designing marketing campaigns, Social Security Scotland carry out primary research with eligible people. A series of focus groups and interviews with young carers has ensured the campaigns resonate with and reach those eligible for the payment.

Social Security Scotland also attends the Scottish Young Carers Festival, organised by the Carers Trust, to promote Young Carer Grant, talk to young carers about their experiences and encourage them to apply. To mark this year’s Young Carer Action Day, Social Security Scotland re-ran their digital Young Carer Grant campaign, including sharing a stakeholder toolkit with carer organisations, and worked with STV and a young carer on a broadcast feature.

This latest campaign activity helped drive the highest number of applications in a month since the payment launched - with 790 applications received from young carers in March alone this year. In the last financial year, over 3,700 young people received Young Carer Grant payments worth £1.4 million, almost 60% more than the year before.

Social Security Scotland publishes official statistics for the number of payments for Young Carer Grant by Local Authority but not at constituency level. In the financial year 2023-24, Social Security Scotland made 280 payments totalling £99,217 to clients in the Fife Local Authority.

The Scottish Government published estimates of take-up rates for a number of devolved benefits in November 2023. Take-up rates are estimates of the number of people who are eligible for a benefit that receive it. The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland for 2022-23 is 75%. This figure is for Scotland nationally.

The latest take-up rate estimates and further detail on the methodology can be found at: Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The latest statistics published for Young Carer Grant can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 .

The Scottish Government is committed to progressing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector to improve the transparency and consistency of our funding relationships.

Improving grant-making practices across the Scottish Government is a significant undertaking and we are at the beginning stages of this process. The measures that we have prioritised to date – early notification of funding, increased multi-year agreements, improved relationship practices and grant conditions – do align with the SCVO’s principles. However, we have been clear that the implementation of Fairer Funding within the current financial context is challenging and that our ability to deliver on every aspect of SCVO’s ask is constrained.

I set out progress towards our priorities, the challenges that we have met and our next steps, in a letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee of 20 May and have committed to keep them updated as our work continues.