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The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.

People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.

People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.

Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The “Hear for Welfare” project was funded to support Welfare Rights provision based in Glasgow and to employ a Welfare Rights Officer and administrative support. The project covered 12 local authority areas in Scotland and worked with and on behalf of people suffering from hearing loss. The provision delivered benefits and welfare advice in a community setting and in beneficiaries’ homes ensuring they had the right access and opportunity to maximise their income and enhance their financial capablity and inclusion. More specifically the outcomes were listed as:

• 80 deaf or hard of hearing people would engage fully with the service
• meetings would be held locally to discuss personal circumstances with preferred communication support
• 1 Information session would be held in each local authority area per annum
• Income maximisation reports would be produced
• 50% of beneficiaries would report having an increase in disposable income
• Deaf and hard of hearing people would have an increased awareness and management of individual rights, benefits and services available to them, their families and carers

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

(a) Empowering Pathways for Women

The Empowering Pathways for Women project was funded to support delivery of a programme designed to strengthen women’s choices and participation in all aspects of their lives. Women would be supported to shape their life journeys and fulfil their potential; to experience a sense of belonging; raise their aspirations; and to speak up and tackle inequality, prejudice and discrimination; to engage in cultural and civic life.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Women experience a sense of belonging, raise their aspirations and speak up and tackle inequality
• Women have improved their skills to achieve their goals in becoming more successful learners

(b) Young Women Lead project.

The Young Women Lead project was to deliver a new leadership programme for young women aged 30 and under living in Scotland and the Young Women’s Movement would provide a safe space for up to 100 young women to explore gender and equality and develop new and innovative ways to lead change.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Young women feel confident to give evidence on behalf of the Young Women’s Movement in Scottish Parliament Committee sessions
• Young women improve the pipeline to more equal representation in the public and third sector.
• Young women influence and improve Scottish Parliament Committee social media.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The “Developing Management and Leadership Skills” (DMLS) in Public Life, Education and Employment Programme was funded as a positive action measure to reflect the fact that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) men and women were absent in leadership roles at all levels of public life, education and employment.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• BME programme participants demonstrate improved leadership/management ability and improved career and public life aspiration, including education and employment, resulting in better representation of communities in all aspects and levels of public, work and community life
• BME Programme participants feel more able to access all levels of employment, community and public life opportunities resulting in public life, including education and employment, being more representative of our communities and fewer barriers to full participation in society
• BME Programme participants demonstrate satisfaction with the goals of the programme

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

As part of the “Deaf Sector Partnership (DSP)” project, Deafblind Scotland were funded to ensure implimentation and delivery of the National and Local plans in respect to the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015. This would include development and delivery of training, formating of information and developing and providing the expert advice on Tactile BSL.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Increasing awareness, confidence and skills in relation to tactile BSL within the deaf sector, BSL community and public bodies.
• Supporting engagement of tactile BSL users with public bodies national and local
• Support the civic participation of tactile BSL users

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The ESOL for Work Project was funded to help Glasgow English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Forum support 1240 Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) jobseekers and employees to improve their English language skills through high quality ESOL for Employability courses (144 learners achieving SQA qualifications), ESOL classes in the workplace and/or in partnership with community organisations with an employability focus (106 learners) and a support service to signpost learners to other opportunities (990 learners)

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Improved language skills and job readiness for BME jobseekers and ESOL learners through the provision of accessible SQA accredited ESOL for Employability courses
• Increased opportunities for BME employees and jobseekers to access tailored, accessible ESOL provision at workplaces &/or community projects
• Reduce barriers to employment, educational opportunities and participation in public life for BME communities through ESOL provision

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

A delayed discharge occurs when a hospital patient who is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge. Information held nationally on delayed discharges can identify the number of people aged 18 and over who were delayed in their discharge from hospital.

People delayed due to a lack of available social care packages can be identified using Delay Reason code 25D – “Awaiting completion of arrangements - in order to live in their own home – awaiting social care support (non-availability of services)”.

Table 1 shows, for Scotland, how many people were recorded as a delayed discharge with a Delay Reason code 25D, and the total number of people who were a delayed discharge, in the financial year 2024-25.

Table 1: Number of people delayed due to awaiting completion of social care support in order to live in their own home and the total number of people delayed in their discharge, in the financial year 2024-25, Scotland.

Statutory responsibility for commissioning and delivering appropriate social care services at a local level lies with local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships. In doing so, they take account of local population needs which includes the number of people being delayed in hospital unnecessarily. This may mean expanding care home capacity where needed but it will also mean investing in a range of community based support to ensure people receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing delayed discharges and addressing the variation in delays across the country. No one should remain in hospital when they no longer need to be there. That is why the Scottish Government is working with CoSLA, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Health Boards and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, alongside people with lived experience, to reduce variation and support improvements locally.

This sustained focus means that we are identifying and addressing the challenges, and that progress is beginning to show in the monthly figures. I am confident that this improvement can continue, delivering better outcomes for patients so that they are cared for in the right setting and hospital beds are there for those who need them.

Although local systems remain accountable for their own decisions and performance, the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group (CRAG) acts as the national oversight function to aid decision making and address variation in performance; agreeing the actions we can take to address the issues facing the system. It also provides a space for local leaders to engage meaningfully and provide assurances to Ministers and CoSLA on this important work.

Alongside the record investment of £15 billion to local authorities in 2025-26, the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025-26 sets out a clear plan to reduce waiting times and delayed discharges, supported by £200 million targeted investments. We have also published an Operational Improvement Plan, setting out whole system improvement actions to improve access to treatment and shift the balance of care from acute hospital services to the community, and to ensure people receive the right care in the right place.

We are committed to supporting people to stay at home or in a homely setting with maximum independence, for as long as possible. We also aim to attract and retain the right people into social care support and social work. To develop people in their roles and raise the status of the sector as a valued workforce. We believe this is key to improving the quality of care.

The Continuous Professional Learning framework provides a more flexible approach to learning that supports the workforce to develop the right skills at the right time in their career journeys. The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have also recently launched a new National Induction Framework for Social Care, alongside a new Career Options tool. These are important assets, whether someone is new to the sector or is looking to advance their career.

I am confident that with all the new measures we have set out we will continue to see an improving picture on the level of delays across the country and that people will have access to high quality care, in the setting that is right for them.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38258 on 18 June 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

The project is being delivered by Amey through the Network Management Contract as emergency works. As design and construction are progressing concurrently, there are few mechanisms to penalise later than expected completion under the terms of this contract.

Transport Scotland has an experienced Project Board in place to oversee the governance of the project. The Project Board provide financial oversight and evaluate performance. They also monitor project progress and decision making with scrutiny of Amey and the internal project team. Gateway reviews have also been undertaken, in consultation with Scottish Government’s Internal Audit and Assurance team, to ensure successful project delivery.

Transport Scotland also has the Performance Audit Group (PAG) who ensure value for money through auditing, monitoring and reporting on the financial, technical and performance aspects of this project. In addition, further support is provided by Turner and Townsend, who apply expert scrutiny of the programme and project risks.

The cost estimate for the propping works is £126 million to £152 million, as previously announced in May 2024. A cost range was used due to the complexities associated with a project of this scale in a constrained urban environment, with varying ground conditions and site constraints, including the presence of a plethora of public utilities as well as the Glasgow subway underground tunnels.

The original estimate of £33.4 million in April 2021 for the propping works, was calculated without the benefit of any design or investigations having yet been undertaken due to the emergency nature of the works, and was based on the limited information available at the time.