Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-20146

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government, as it relates to public health in Scotland, regarding measures to ensure that pets brought into Scotland under the Pet Travel Scheme do not carry infectious diseases and parasites, including tapeworm and non-native tick species.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the UK Government regarding pet travel rules through a number of forums. The rules require all dogs entering the UK to be treated against Echinococcus multilocularis (tapeworm) unless they are entering from a tapeworm free country. Risk assessments are undertaken for zoonotic diseases, including tick-borne diseases, to ensure pet travel disease prevention measures remain relevant in protecting public and animal health.

Question reference: S6W-19940

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much Pupil Equity Funding each school in the G74 and G75 postcode areas (a) received in 2022-23 and (b) will receive in 2023-24, broken down by school.

Pupil Equity Funding allocations are updated and published annually to take into account new, closed and merged schools of that year. The 2023-24 Pupil Equity Funding allocations are currently being finalised and will be communicated to local authorities shortly with publication in due course thereafter. All previous allocations can be found here: Pupil attainment: closing the gap - Schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scotwww.gov.scot) .

For 2022-23, over £130m of Pupil Equity Funding was to allocated to 97% of schools in Scotland, schools in South Lanarkshire Council received over £8.9m, and of which £1,916,375 was allocated to schools in the G74 and G75 postcodes. The breakdown of 2022-23 allocations for these schools can be found in the following table.

Seed Code	LA Name	School Name	Post Code	2022-23 PEF Allocation
8531323	South Lanarkshire	Kirktonholme Primary School	G74 1DJ	£ 63,700
8520038	South Lanarkshire	St Andrew's and St Bride's High School	G74 1NL	£ 104,125
8532125	South Lanarkshire	St Kenneth's Primary School	G74 1PU	£ 42,120
8532028	South Lanarkshire	St Hilary's Primary School	G74 2AX	£ 26,950
8530521	South Lanarkshire	Blacklaw Primary School	G74 2BP	£ 29,400
8531625	South Lanarkshire	Mount Cameron Primary School	G74 2EX	£ 19,600
8534527	South Lanarkshire	Mount Cameron Primary School Gaelic Unit	G74 2EX	*
8525749	South Lanarkshire	Sanderson High School	G74 2LP	£ 71,050
8530033	South Lanarkshire	Calderglen High School	G74 2LP	£ 161,700
8531528	South Lanarkshire	Maxwellton Primary School	G74 3DP	£ 42,875
8534144	South Lanarkshire	Greenburn School	G74 3DP	£ 72,275
8531420	South Lanarkshire	Long Calderwood Primary	G74 3QT	£ 55,125
8532222	South Lanarkshire	St Leonard's Primary School	G74 3YA	£ 60,025
8531226	South Lanarkshire	Hunter Primary School	G74 3YB	£ 37,975
8531021	South Lanarkshire	Halfmerke Primary School	G74 4BU	£ 66,150
8534543	South Lanarkshire	West Mains School	G74 4BU	£ 73,500
8531927	South Lanarkshire	Our Lady Of Lourdes Primary School	G75 0AG	£ 72,275
8531722	South Lanarkshire	Murray Primary School	G75 0JP	£ 71,050
8532427	South Lanarkshire	St Louise's Primary School	G75 0NF	£ 29,160
8531129	South Lanarkshire	Heathery Knowe Primary School	G75 0NG	£ 69,825
8530629	South Lanarkshire	Canberra Primary School	G75 8HD	£ 42,875
8530823	South Lanarkshire	East Milton Primary School	G75 8LG	£ 61,250
8533229	South Lanarkshire	Mossneuk Primary School	G75 8XQ	£ 39,200
8533431	South Lanarkshire	Duncanrig Secondary School	G75 8ZT	£ 193,550
8534225	South Lanarkshire	Crosshouse Primary School	G75 8ZY	£ 95,550
8532524	South Lanarkshire	St Vincent's Primary School	G75 9DG	£ 80,850
8530726	South Lanarkshire	Castlefield Primary School	G75 9DH	£ 52,920
8530025	South Lanarkshire	Auldhouse Primary School	G75 9DT	£ 9,800
8532621	South Lanarkshire	South Park Primary School	G75 9DU	£ 50,225
8530920	South Lanarkshire	Greenhills Primary School	G75 9JD	£ 121,275
Total				£ 1,916,375

* The allocation for Mount Cameron Primary School Gaelic Unit has been redacted and replaced with a *, as revealing the allocation level may be disclosive to individuals.

Question reference: S6W-19900

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the costs of mitigating any UK Government policy decisions, insofar as those decisions impact on people in Scotland, in (a) each of the last five financial years and (b) the current financial year.

More than £711 million has been spent in the last five financial years to mitigate the effects of UK Government policy. It included investment in Discretionary Housing Payments, the Scottish Welfare Fund, money advice services, and Universal Credit Scottish choices.

The Scottish Government uses Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to fully mitigate the bedroom tax and we have recently provided funding to mitigate the benefit cap as far as is possible within devolved powers. DHPs are also used to support those affected by the ongoing freeze to local housing allowance rates.

In 2023-24 we are making £83.7 million available to local authorities to spend on DHPs. Since 2018 (including 2023-24) we have invested over £452 million in DHPs, and a further £8.7 million to assist local authorities with the administration of the scheme.

The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) is an essential source of occasional support for those most in need. In 2023-24 we are investing £35.5 million in the SWF. Since 2018 (including 2023-24) we have invested over £210 million in the fund and a further £32 million to assist local authorities with the administration of the scheme.

From 2018 to late 2022, the Scottish Government allocated funding from its overall welfare and debt advice budget for advice relating to UK Government welfare reforms. From October 2022, this funding stream was brought together with previously separate funding streams to support the Money Talk Team service delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland. Since 2018, £6.58 million has been invested in money advice services specifically relating to UK Government welfare reforms.

Since 2017, the Scottish Government has been giving people in Scotland the choice to receive their Universal Credit award either monthly or twice monthly and to have the housing costs in their Universal Credit award paid directly to their landlord. Since 2018, the cost to the Scottish Government of providing these choices has been £0.8 million.

A breakdown of spend on Discretionary Housing Payments, the Scottish Welfare Fund, money advice services, and universal credit Scottish choices in the last five financial years and the current financial year is provided in the following table.

Year	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	Total
DHP, Bedroom tax budget	£50.1m	£52.3m	£59.7m	£71.0m	£68.1m	£69.7m	£370.9m
DHP, Benefit cap budget						£6.2m 1	£6.2m
DHP “Other”	£10.9m	£10.9m	£18.9m 2	£10.9m	£16.0m 3	£7.9m	£75.5m
DHP Admin funding	£1.2m	£1.2m	£1.2m	£1.2m	£1.7m 4	£2.2m	£8.7m
Scottish Welfare Fund	£33.0m	£33.0m	£35.5m	£35.5m	£38.0m 5	£35.5m	£210.5m
Scottish Welfare Fund admin funding	£5.0m	£5.0m	£5.5m	£5.5m	£5.5m	£5.5m 6	£32.0m
Money advice services 7	£1.5m	£1.5m	£1.5m	£1.5m	£0.7m	See note 7, below	£6.6m
Universal credit Scottish choices	£0.2m	£0.2m	£0.2m	£0.1m	£0.1m	No forecast available	£0.8m
Total cost of mitigating UK Government welfare reform	£101.8m	£104.0m	£122.5m	£125.7m	£130.1m	£127.0m	£711.1m

1. Prior to 2023-24 benefit cap funding was included in the DHP ”Other” line

2. Figure includes additional £8m of Covid-support funds

3. Figure includes additional £2.6m for benefit cap support and £2.5m cost of living support

4. Figure includes £0.5m additional admin funding paid for benefit cap policy roll-out preparation

5. Figure includes £2.5m to support delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2022-23

6. Forecast

7. From 2018 to late 2022, The Scottish Government allocated funding from their overall welfare and debt advice budget for specific advice relating to UKG Welfare Reforms. From October 2022, this funding stream was brought together with other previously separate funding streams to support the new, streamlined Money Talk Team service delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19939

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how may children and young people in the East Kilbride constituency it estimates are, in the current financial year, (a) eligible for, (b) receiving and (c) forecast to receive payments for the (i) Scottish Child Payment and (ii) Best Start Grant, broken down by each of the Best Start payments.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission publish estimates and forecasts of eligibility and payments for Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant but only for Scotland. There are no estimates or forecasts of eligibility and take-up (the proportion of eligible children that receive payments) by area within Scotland. Their figures cannot be used to inform eligibility or take-up rates for East Kilbride specifically.

Social Security Scotland publish statistics for applications and payments for Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant by local authority areas (including South Lanarkshire) but not at constituency level and statistics for 2023-24 are not yet available.

However, internal Scottish Government analysis suggests around 5500 children in East Kilbride are eligible for Scottish Child Payment in 2023-24 and around 1000 for Best Start Grant. Of those, it is estimated around 4500 children will receive Scottish Child Payment and around 1000 children will receive Best Start Grant.

These figures have been rounded to the nearest five hundred to reflect the fact they are approximate estimates and use national level eligibility and take-up rates. We have not provided specific estimates for each Best Start Grant payment due to the uncertainty associated with such small numbers however the number of children eligible for Best Start Grant are expected to be roughly spread evenly across the three different payment types. Since Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment are paid automatically to eligible clients already receiving Scottish Child Payment but Pregnancy and Baby Payment is not, we would expect slightly fewer children to receive this payment than the other Best Start Grants. See Table 1:

Table 1: Estimated number of children in East Kilbride constituency forecast to be eligible for and receive Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant, 2023-24.

2023-24

Eligible

Receiving

Scottish Child Payment

5500

4500

All Best Start Grant

1000

Source: Internal Scottish Government estimates.

Question reference: S6W-19899

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding social security in Scotland, whether it will provide the (a) total value in the 2022-23 financial year and (b) estimated value in the current financial year of (i) expenditure on payments, (ii) funding provided through the Fiscal Framework and (iii) value of additional Scottish Government funding.

The most recent Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast, published on 25 May 2023, shows Social Security expenditure of £4.2 billion in 2022-23, and forecast to be £5.3 billion in 2023-24. The SFC highlight that the OBR have forecast the Block Grant Adjustment for Social Security to be £4.4 billion in 2023-24, with the Scottish Government investing £756 million above the level of funding received through the Block Grant Adjustment, which includes funding for new payments only available in Scotland.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s May 2023 publication can be found at: https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/download/2023/06/Scotland_s-Economic-and-Fiscal-Forecasts-May-2023-full-report-revised-June-2023.pdf .

Question reference: S6W-18889

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its draft plan on ending the need for food banks.

The Scottish Government has today published Cash-First: Towards Ending the Need for Food Banks in Scotland. This sets out our human rights approach to tackling food insecurity and details nine actions that we will take in collaboration with partners over the next three years to improve the response to financial hardship and reduce the need for emergency food parcels.

Scotland is the first nation in the UK to have such a plan and the actions will help to identify measures that move us closer towards our longer term ambition of a Scotland without the need for food banks.

Question reference: S6O-02305

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Lanarkshire and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6O-02286

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6F-02064

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the anti-poverty summit that took place on Wednesday 3 May.

Question reference: S6O-02153

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to keep The Promise to those who are care experienced.

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