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The creation of the Counter Fraud Service (CFS) and the introduction of the Counter Fraud Toolkit is a significant step forward in the Scottish Government’s (SG) management of the risks to public resources posed by fraud and corruption. Both the CFS and toolkit exist within a broader range of policies, processes, guidance and support within SG that are concerned with the identification and mitigation of fraud and corruption risks. The CFS routinely collaborates with colleagues across SG and wider public bodies in this, including Internal Audit, Risk Control & Assurance Division, Security Division and Procurement on fraud and corruption risk management, and the response to incidents of alleged fraud that occur.

This approach aligns with current best practice in public sector counter fraud, and the CFS is engaged with external partners and colleagues from the UK Government Public Sector Fraud Authority, the International Public Sector Fraud Forum, Audit Scotland and the Scottish Public Sector Counter Fraud Network. This facilitates the sharing of expertise and current counter fraud practice, as well as horizon scanning on future risks of fraud and corruption, providing assurance on the management of fraud and corruption risk and the protection of public resources.

Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS.

It is the responsibility of these bodies to monitor and ensure that residential rehabilitation services are providing safe, quality support to people in recovery across the country.

The Scottish Government entrusts these bodies to carry out this responsibility diligently, and in line with the qualified levels of clinical expertise that they provide.

The Scottish Government commissioned Scotland Excel to develop a National Commissioning Framework to support the procurement of residential rehabilitation placements. The Framework launched in April 2024 and includes a service specification as part of the contractual arrangement. This service specification was developed in conjunction with the regulators to ensure a minimum level of care provided by each provider on the framework.

We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland to track the number of residential rehab placements that have been funded using public money.

PHS and SG have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehab. The first batch of returns for the dataset have now been received from most providers. It is expected that the first extracts from the dataset, including the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements will be published in December 2024.

A greater level of insight and data will be available for publication, including average treatment length and associated outcomes, as the dataset continues to develop and become more mature.

The Scottish Government survey of residential rehab providers, published in November 2021, found that the duration of treatment programmes varied substantially across providers, with an average core treatment duration of 23 weeks. Some providers suggested that this was flexible based on individual need. Typically, private providers reported shorter (5–12 weeks) programmes, while third-sector providers reported longer (14–156 weeks) programmes. Further breakdown of treatment duration by facility is available in the published report.

This report was referenced in Public Health Scotland’s interim evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation Programme, published 13 February 2024.

The 2023-24 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels statistics will be published in December 2024. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics an exact date will be announced on the Scottish Government website at least four weeks before publication.

The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing the twin public health emergencies on alcohol and drugs and recognises the key role treatment and recovery services play.

We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by commissioning Public Health Scotland to carry out an independent evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme as part of the wider evaluation of the National Mission.

By collecting and publishing robust data, we will be able to increase the evidence base that will help us to best direct financial resource. This improved understanding means that more people will be able to access the treatment type that is right for them at the right time.

We remain committed to reducing class contact time, and we continue to explore with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), how best to deliver this commitment.

Any changes to terms and conditions for teachers require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.

Based on registrations for November 2023 Computing Science week, there were no schools registered for Education Scotland's organised live webinars from Argyll and Bute, Orkney Islands or West Dunbartonshire. It is difficult to be definitive on how many schools engaged as schools may also have participated by watching the recordings of sessions or by creating their own activities.

The Scottish Government has not held any discussions with the General Teaching Council for Scotland regarding the establishment of a national standardised system for disciplinary or investigative procedures regarding teachers.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), as the Independent Professional and Regulatory Body for teachers in Scotland, has a published Fitness to Teach process at https://www.gtcs.org.uk/fitness-to-teach which sets out how the GTCS will investigate serious concerns about teachers.