Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17602 on 12 May 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at the questions and answers page on the Scottish Parliament website .

The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) and our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan include actions to support to trade unions and the promotion of collective bargaining. In line with commitments in the Bute House Agreement, we are now strengthening our approach to conditionality. From 1 July 2023, all public sector grants will include a requirement to pay at least the Real Living Wage to all employees, and provide appropriate channels for effective voice. We published updated Fair Work First guidance on 24 March to support the adoption of this new requirement.

It is our belief that a progressive approach to industrial relations and to trade unionism is at the very heart of a fairer, more successful society. There is clear evidence that unionised workplaces have more engaged staff, have a higher level of staff training and a progressive approach to staff wellbeing.

Accordingly, we will continue to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, across the economy to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. Work is progressing in the social care sector to increase bargaining coverage and efforts are also ongoing in other traditionally low paid or precarious sectors to advance fair work and effective voice for workers.

As introduced, Section 3 of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill requires Ministers to put and keep in place arrangements for the purpose of monitoring and improving the quality of the services that the NCS provides. Ministers intend to put in place arrangements for reporting on social care data nationally and locally.

In addition, Section 36 of the Bill as introduced, enables Scottish Ministers to set up a statutory scheme through regulations to permit data sharing for the efficient and effective provision of services by, or on behalf of, the NCS and the NHS. Section 37 of the Bill as introduced enables Scottish Ministers to produce information standards setting out how information is to be processed.

Section 3.5 of the Ministerial code sets out that when Parliament is meeting, Ministers should ensure that important announcements of Government policy are made, in the first instance, to the Parliament.

As Circularity Scotland is a private company, support arrangements they have with their members is a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements between private companies. We are grateful to all businesses for the investment they have made in preparing for the launch of the deposit return scheme and this investment will be important for the success of the scheme when it launches on 1 March.

The Scottish Government has clear standards for the quality of care across our health and social care services and the safety, protection and wellbeing of residents and staff in our care home sector is a priority. We have for each of the last three years provided NHS Highland with funding of £864,800 per year to support their enhanced oversight and support of local care homes to encourage quality improvement and sustainability, and we recently confirmed further funding for 2023-24.

Ultimately the commissioning and provisioning of care home services for local communities to meet needs rests with NHS Highland and the Highland Council. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with NHS Highland, the Highland Council, and providers of social care to understand the challenges they are facing which include the impact of care home closures across the system.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults is distributed through by Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) across all regions of Scotland, who deliver the Fund locally to grassroots community organisations, in partnership with others including Health and Social Care Partnerships, local councils and people with lived experience. This ensures that the Fund, is able to respond to local needs and circumstances, whilst adhering to national guidance. This will continue to be the case in 2023-24.

The share of the fund that each TSI receives is calculated by using the National Resource Allocation Formula (NRAC) to ensure a fair distribution of the fund.

Timing of local fund processes including award decisions will vary across regions, with each TSI led partnership agreeing their own process and timetable. Information on how to apply for this year’s funding will be accessible in due course on the TSI Scotland website . All TSIs will have distributed funding no later than 31 March 2024.

Overall, the Scottish Government thinks that this is a well-designed and helpful document which clearly outlines the approach which Scottish Cycling plans to take.

We welcome the focus on improving diversity in cycling participation as well as a pathway for all, regardless of ability.

We are pleased to see references to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, highlighting the significant opportunity to increase cycling participation this provides, including through initiatives such as the Cycling Facilities Fund.

The Scottish Government does not hold centralised records for the number of mobile phones purchased in the last 5 years as they are purchased by individual business areas and agencies to meet their requirements. In terms of mobile spend, the spend via the Scottish Government’s mobile voice and data contract is as follows:

January 2022 to December 2022 - £717,288.05

January 2021 to December 2021 - £903,220.11

January 2020 to December 2020 - £1,538,112.41

January 2019 to December 2019 - £1,163,311.25

January 2018 to December 2018 - £1,218,978.37

All costs are ex VAT.

Please note:

1. The above figures include all mobile contract spend; it is not possible to separate this out into just mobile phones.

2. The above figures include other Scottish central government bodies to whom Scottish Government provides IT shared services. These costs will have been recharged to that organisation at the time.

Funding is already available through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme to support local authorities, housing co-operatives and housing associations to buy existing housing stock where this meets a clear strategic purpose and can be clearly seen to support the achievement of the priorities and objectives set out in the relevant local authority’s Local Housing Strategy. This can include the purchase of housing stock that was previously owned by private landlords.