- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the timescale for Community Led Local Development funding is challenging, in light of reported concerns that "top-up" funding being awarded in December 2024 leaves only around 12 weeks for projects to be conceived and applied for and for grants to be processed, awarded and claimed.
Answer
The announcement of the second tranche of 2024-25 Community Led Local Development (CLLD) funding totalling £4.25m was provided to all delivery stakeholders on the 27 November 2024 and grant letters with details of their funding awards were issued to all areas on 28th November.
This was later than the Government would have liked, owing to the extremely challenging financial position across the public sector through 2024-25 and the announcement of expenditure controls in August. This required further review of all expenditure. Fortunately the second tranche was able to go ahead.
We recognise that this has compressed the timescales for delivery and have provided an extension to the final deadline for submitting payment claims to Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made on any financial impact of the displacement from pupils in Scotland moving from the independent schools sector to the state sector as a result of the imposition of VAT on fees and associated charges.
Answer
Local authorities have statutory responsibility for education in their area. Officials have met with education leads within local authorities to understand the impact on the Scottish state sector to date. Scottish Government has received assurance from local authorities that they have the capacity to support increased school rolls.
Scottish Government continues to engage with local authorities and the independent school sector, including the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), to understand the impacts of the UK Government policy since its implementation. The independent school sector has conducted its own assessment of financial impact, which is available here: Economic-Impact-of-SCIS-Member-Schools-in-Scotland-2022-23-8Feb24.pdf.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing the timescales of the Community Led Local Development Programme to ensure that deadlines can be met.
Answer
Scottish Government officials wrote to all CLLD delivery stakeholders on 18 December 2024 to extend the deadline to submit final claims to 14 April 2025.
The deadline is aligned with Scottish Government end of year financial procedures. This allows for payment of claims to be attributed to the financial year in which they were budgeted, which is a financial standard required by audit.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on replacing single-year funding settlements for Police Scotland with multi-year settlements.
Answer
We recognise that financial certainty into the medium term would help the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland and other public bodies to develop plans and make better-informed decisions across a longer time-frame, rather than being limited by the single-year budget settlements we have delivered in recent years. However, the majority of our funding is controlled by UK Government decisions, and this continues to impact on the certainty we can provide to public bodies in relation to future year funding.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has initiated planning for the next Scottish Spending Review, which will consider a multi-year funding position for public bodies. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government will update the Finance and Public Administration Committee on this work in due course.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many police stations are currently the subject of review for potential closure in Police Scotland’s Estate Strategy, and whether it will specify each potential location.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
The management of the Police Scotland Estate is an operational matter, and is the responsibility of the Chief Constable under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority.
In line with its Estates Masterplan which will continue to have a community focus, Police Scotland will undertake public consultation on its plans for public facing properties, including for disposal, in advance of any decisions being made.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the deadline for claims to be lodged with the Scottish Government under the Community Led Local Development Programme (CLLD).
Answer
Scottish Government officials wrote to all CLLD delivery stakeholders on 18 December 2024 to extend the deadline to submit final claims to 14th April 2025.
The deadline is aligned with Scottish Government end of year financial procedures. This allows for payment of claims to be attributed to the financial year in which they were budgeted, which is a financial standard required by audit.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many operational police stations there were in each division of Police Scotland in each year from 2014 to date.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
The management of the Police Scotland Estate is an operational matter, and is the responsibility of the Chief Constable under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority.
It is for Police Scotland to determine its estate requirements on a local and divisional basis. This will be a key consideration in relation to the delivery of their Estates Masterplan.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what support services are provided to prisoners released early to prevent reoffending.
Answer
Individuals released under early release programmes are entitled to receive the same voluntary support services that would be available to them if they had been released at their scheduled liberation date, should they wish. These services are funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by third sector organisations and local authorities.
The national third sector prison throughcare services work with individuals released from short sentences, identifying individuals’ needs and linking them to the wider services they require. This can involve supporting individuals to access social security payments, healthcare, housing and other basic needs, while also working with them to develop the employability and vocational skills required to access and sustain employment.
Such support can help to reduce the risk factors linked with reoffending and promotes successful reintegration into communities.
All prison leavers are also entitled to request support from their local authority for up to twelve months from their release. The specific services provided in each area are directed by the local authority, as part of their wider community justice services.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been released early due to (a) overcrowding and (b) public health considerations in each of the last five years.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-34637 on 24 February 2025. 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
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential
cost to the third sector in Scotland of the UK Government’s decision to raise
employer national insurance contributions, and what plans it has to help alleviate any additional
costs, including inflationary costs, arising from this decision that are facing voluntary organisations that are in
receipt of it grants or contracts from it.
Answer
The actual cost to the third sector of the increase in Employer National Insurance contributions is difficult to determine given the diversity in size and employment numbers across the sector. However, in the joint letter from the First Minister and President of COSLA to the Chancellor on 3 January, which was supported by SCVO and a range of third sector organisations, they refer to SCVO’s estimate that the third sector will face additional costs of £75 million per year, plus wider inflation. We will continue to monitor the impact on the sector through the longitudinal survey we support through SCVO.
The Scottish Government has called upon the UKG to take an ‘actual costs’ approach to compensation for increased costs as a result of the increase in employer’s national insurance costs. In the absence of full funding we will be very restricted in the extent to which we can respond.
We recognise this may mean continued challenges for our third sector partners. We are aiming to assist the sector by improving notification of continued funding to third sector organisations and increasing the number of two year grants we can offer as part of our commitment to Fairer Funding.
