Seòmar agus comataidhean

Currently breakfast club provision in Scotland is delivered through a mixed model of in-school, private and voluntary services which often combine food provision with early morning childcare. Many parents will pay directly for breakfast clubs with costs varying according to how and where the service is delivered. Many local authorities subsidise or provide breakfast clubs for free with funding coming from general revenue funds.

We are committed to funding the expansion of free school meals to all pupils in primary and special schools, as well as introducing free year-round breakfast and lunch provision to support eligible children and young people outside of the school term. In order to effectively deliver an expanded breakfast offer we need to better understand the extent of current breakfast provision across local authorities. Our priority this year is to is to map existing provision and plan what delivery of a future breakfast offer should look like to best meet the needs of children and families in Scotland. Appropriate funding to support breakfast provision across the whole of Scotland will then be allocated once we understand both the gaps in provision and funding.

This year we are providing £21.75M of targeted support for food provision during the school holidays for all eligible primary and secondary children and young people. We have also provided £10M of funding for our summer 2022 childcare, food and activities programme which will test models of providing holiday services for families recognising the need for childcare and food, particularly in the summer holiday period.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Team have reported on a 12 hour Standard for brain imaging since the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme National Report (2020). Prior to this, the standard had been within 24 hours. This change in Stroke Standard was in response to a change in the evidence base, with some new treatment regimes being shown to improve outcome when initiated within 12 hours of stroke onset.

Some cases of stroke are time critical emergencies and should be scanned immediately, for instance those patients requiring hyperacute interventions such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy. These specific cases have their own stroke standards on door-to-needle times which ensure that processes are audited and service improvement packages are put in place.

We are keen for Tighean Innse Gall to continue to help deliver insulation improvements as part of our Area Based Schemes. We’re also keen for them to retain their status as an approved installer of insulation with the British Board of Agreement.

Scottish Government officials and officers from the local council have been working with Tighean Innse Gall to find practical solutions to the specific issues in the Western Isles. The Scottish Government will shortly be writing to confirm the actions that have been agreed with the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

These are issues we have raised with the BSI, including the particular challenges of improving the insulation and ventilation of traditionally constructed homes in the Western Isles. We are pleased that the BSI has agreed with us that a greater input from Scottish stakeholders with local experience and knowledge is key to delivering meaningful standards. This will include technical experts from our remote rural and island communities in future.

The PAS2035 and PAS2030 standards for retrofit and installation of energy efficiency measures are published by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Installers of insulation measures must comply with PAS2030:2019 to retain their approved status as part of recognised industry schemes.

We agree that changes to the PAS2030 and PAS2035 standards are needed if they are to better reflect the housing stock, weather and environmental conditions in Scotland. However these are UK standards and the BSI are sponsored by the UK Government.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads improvement, maintenance and repair with local road authorities.

The vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not stipulate how local authorities should utilise their individual allocations. It is therefore the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

However, the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics (SLGFS) provides an overview of actual spend based on Local Authority’s audited accounts which may be useful.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-local-government-finance-statistics-slgfs-2019-20/ .

Previous annual reports can be located at the following link; Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This data is not collected centrally.

This information is currently not held by Scottish Government.

The average public sector spending on transport in Scotland is estimated to have been £682 per person in 2019-20 compared to £487 in England and £398 in Wales. This is based on HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2021 and ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates for 2020.

In terms of personal spending on transport, average weekly household expenditure in Scotland on transport and vehicles in 2018-20 was £75.30. This compares to £84.00 in England and £78.10 in Wales. This is based on ONS data on household expenditure by country and region.

Everyone living in Scotland is included in the census and we understand that not everyone will be able to, or wish to, complete their census online. That is why paper copies are available upon request by anyone who needs them, either by calling our helpline on 0800 030 8308 or by visiting our website www.census.gov.scot . Assistance in completing the census, either digitally or on paper, is also provided through these channels.

Consistent with other parts of Scottish Government, Scotland’s Census 2022 has been designed to be Digital First as set out in the Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy. We have worked hard to assure that the online census questionnaire is modern, usable and more accessible, while meeting the expectations and standards of a modern government service.

The online questionnaire can be accessed though the most common range of internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, mobile phones and tablets. This digital service has been extensively tested reflecting a range of user needs and has met the Scottish Government Digital First standards.

We recognise that digital exclusion (and other barriers to participation) may prevent people from being able to complete online, or it may be their preference to complete on paper. That is why paper copies are available upon request by anyone who needs them either by: calling our helpline free on 0800 030 8308; or requesting online at www.census.gov.scot/request/paper . Copies of the paper questionnaire can also be ordered via the free helpline automated service, without needing to wait to speak to an agent (option one).

Copies of the paper questionnaire will be sent with a freepost return envelope. It should not cost anyone to complete Scotland’s Census 2022. Help and support is also available from a wide network of organisations. We have worked with a range of stakeholders, partners, communities and third sector interfaces to develop relevant support materials.

The Scotland’s Census 2022 contact centre experienced high volumes of calls in its first few days of operation and we are aware that some callers have experienced longer than average wait times at peak points during the day. National Records of Scotland apologise for any frustration this may have caused.

Callers to the Freephone helpline (0800 030 8308) are advised at the start of the call of current wait times and therefore have the opportunity to phone back at a less busy time. An automated option (option 1) is also provided for those wishing to order a paper form. This involves no wait time.

Additional resources have been placed into the contact centre to deal with periods of peak activity. Contact can also be made with the census team via web chat, e-mail or physical correspondence. Contact details can be found here: Contact us | Scotland's Census 2022 . Help and advice on a range of topics is also provided at www.census.gov.scot .

These changes continue to have had a positive impact, with general reductions in the average wait times in week 2 and beyond. There is ongoing active monitoring and management of the position to ensure that those that need help are able to speak to an agent.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07181 on 24 March 2022. 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 .