Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-04378

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary school music teachers have left their posts in each year since 2019-20.

In September 2019 there were 1,073 teachers in Secondary schools whose main subject was music.

Of these 1,073 teachers, 1,007 had posts in September 2020 (irrespective of subject taught or setting) and 66 did not have a post in publicly funded Scottish school.

The 1,007 with posts in the 2020 teacher census includes those recorded as not teaching at the time because they were either on leave or seconded from their post (e.g. on maternity leave).

Data from the September 2021 teacher census will be published on the 14th of December.

Question reference: S6W-02491

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide immediate additional funding to support health and social care partnerships in meeting the needs of their service users, including with the (a) hiring of additional temporary staff and (b) commissioning of additional third, independent and community sector care providers.

On the 5 October, the Health Secretary announced our £300 million NHS and care winter package.

We announced funding of:

£40m for ‘step-down’ care, so that hospital patients can temporarily go into care homes, or can receive additional care at home support;
£62m to maximise the capacity of care at home services;
Up to £48m to increase the hourly rate of frontline adult social care staff to at least £10.02;
£20m to enhance Multi-Disciplinary Teams, so that more social work assessments can be carried out, and to support joint working between health and social care.

This new funding will support increases in social care capacity in the community and in primary care.

As set out in the announcement, £62 million for 2021-22 has been allocated for building capacity in care at home community-based services. This is recurring funding intended help to fulfil unmet need, and deal with the current surge in demand and complexity of individual needs, also helping to ease pressures on unpaid carers.

Health Boards have already commenced recruitment activity to meet the commitment to recruit an additional 1,000 Health and Care Support staff at AfC Bands 2, 3 & 4 to provide additional capacity across a variety of services both in the community and in hospital settings. Funding of up to £15 million is being provided in-year to fully fund all costs associate with recruitment to these posts. We are directly supporting boards to fill these posts as quickly as possible within that time frame, through securing an accelerated pre-employment process and supporting the delivery of employability initiatives such as the ‘Skills Boost for Health Care’ training for staff new to health and care.

On the 8 November we launched a further national marketing campaign to attract more people to the sector. We are doing things differently to previous campaigns, focusing on social media, a younger target audience, and we are working with schools and colleges, and linking to the medium term work we’re doing with the SSSC and NES on career pathways and learning and development.

We have approved funding to extend the MyJobScotland recruitment website to all third and independent sector organisations until March 2022, which will mean that all social care vacancies can be advertised on one platform at no additional cost to providers.

Question reference: S6W-02492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in advance of the development of a national care service, whether it will provide additional funding for health and social care partnerships' recruitment campaigns, including to fund initiatives in attracting new staff that have been deemed successful in other sectors.

On the 5 October, the Health Secretary announced our £300 million NHS and care winter package.

We announced funding of:

£40m for ‘step-down’ care, so that hospital patients can temporarily go into care homes, or can receive additional care at home support;
£62m to maximise the capacity of care at home services;
Up to £48m to increase the hourly rate of frontline adult social care staff to at least £10.02;
£20m to enhance Multi-Disciplinary Teams, so that more social work assessments can be carried out, and to support joint working between health and social care.

This new funding will support increases in social care capacity in the community and in primary care.

As set out in the announcement, £62 million for 2021-22 has been allocated for building capacity in care at home community-based services. This is recurring funding intended help to fulfil unmet need, and deal with the current surge in demand and complexity of individual needs, also helping to ease pressures on unpaid carers.

On the 8 November we launched a further national marketing campaign to attract more people to the sector. We are doing things differently to previous campaigns, focusing on social media, a younger target audience, and we are working with schools and colleges, and linking to the medium term work we’re doing with the SSSC and NES on career pathways and learning and development.

We have approved funding to extend the MyJobScotland recruitment website to all third and independent sector organisations until March 2022, which will mean that all social care vacancies can be advertised on one platform at no additional cost to providers.

We are also working at pace with SSSC and NES to develop a national induction programme to support new entrants into Adult Social Care.

Question reference: S6O-00454

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what advances it has made in relation to its British Sign Language National Plan 2017-2023.

The Scottish Government published the British Sign Language (BSL) Progress Report on 27th October 2021, which outlines progress being made towards implementing the BSL National Plan. It outlines progress on a range of fronts, including education, BSL/English interpreting, and public life. The report outlines how Scottish Government has funded BSL Partnership organisations to engage and support public bodies with their BSL plans, and notes important developments such as the decision that Scotland’s next census, in 2022, will ask 'can you use BSL?' for the first time.

Significant progress has been made towards making our country more inclusive and supportive of BSL users. The language enjoys a higher profile than ever before in public life, and is ever more visible in media and communications. For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, BSL/English interpreters were present at the daily Scottish Government Coronavirus briefings. This work was recognised by the British Deaf Association and the European Union of the Deaf.

Question reference: S6O-00471

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Tay Cities Region Deal is having on Dundee.

Question reference: S6O-00468

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish, in full, details of its engagement with GFG Alliance in relation to operations at the Lochaber smelter site.

Question reference: S6O-00461

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public inquiry examining the events surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh.

Question reference: S6O-00462

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what targeted support it is providing to communities to help deal with antisocial behaviour.

Question reference: S6O-00456

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving women's access to justice.

Question reference: S6O-00458

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the amount of heroin seized by Police Scotland has increased by more than 400% since 2016-17.

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