Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14431 on 9 February 2023. 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

While the powers to take meaningful action sit with the UK Government, the Scottish Government is doing all it can to support non-domestic energy consumers with high energy bills.

Our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) has added a Community Buildings Fund which supports communities and other eligible organisations to improve the heating systems in their buildings and reduce energy bills. This includes funding up to a maximum of £80,000 and includes energy efficiency measures, zero emissions heat and also small-scale generation where there is a clear benefit to the community organisation.

Additionally, the First Minister chaired two energy summits last year attended by energy suppliers, advice agencies and third sector representatives, and which discussed collaborative actions to support non-domestic consumers with energy costs.

We will continue to work with partners to identify what more we can do within the powers available to us to mitigate the impact of high energy costs upon non-domestic consumers including community organisations.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Most SG owned artwork is on display in Government buildings, with access limited to SG staff and contractors and accompanied visitors. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14450 on 9 February 2023. 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

There are no plans to purchase artwork in 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14430 on 9 February 2023. 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

Information on entrants to Scottish universities and colleges from deprived areas is published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in the annual ‘Report on Widening Access’ statistics publication.

It provides the proportion of undergraduate entrants to Higher Education at either college or university. 2021-22 data will be published in Spring 2023.

This Government firmly believes that every child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending university and participating in higher education.

To date we have made progress on work to support fair access to higher education. The number of full-time first degree students entering university from the most deprived areas in Scotland is at a record high; latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) statistics show that 5,595 Scots entered university in the academic year 2021-22 (an increase of 80 students on the previous year). This is a 41% increase since the establishment of the Commission on Widening Access by this Government.

We have exceeded the Commission on Widening Access target to have 16% of full-time first degree entrants from the most deprived areas at university by 2021, with 16.5% of the 2021-22 cohort coming from the most deprived areas in Scotland. In his final report published on 31 May 2022, the previous Commissioner for Fair Access stated that Scotland continues to “set the pace in terms of fair access to higher education among the UK nations” and that it has been “an unambiguous success.”

We know we have more to do, however, and that is why we have recently appointed a new Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John McKendrick. Professor McKendrick brings to the role a wealth of experience related to tackling poverty and inequality in Scotland, including work supporting children and young people in education. This appointment will help drive forward progress towards the 2030 target, and towards ensuring students from deprived areas receive opportunities to achieve their potential by having fair access to higher education.

As part of the Scottish Diabetes Group, we have multiple sub-groups focusing on projects related to unscheduled and emergency care. Many of the commitments within the Diabetes Improvement Plan will have secondary outcome measures aiming to reduce attendances at A&E and out of hours care. Measures are continuously being developed as we utilise data within the diabetes dashboard. The Scottish Diabetes Group continues to review these projects to ensure we are always targeting the most appropriate stages of the pathway.