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The work on the payment panel research was paused due to other Covid-related work. The development of a specification for the gathering of vital data and evidence has resumed and we would hope to share this specification with the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association after summer. The co-operation of the profession in building this evidence base will be crucial to this work which will underpin an evidence-based approach to setting payments for legal aid services in the future. The Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid was able to gather vital data with the support of the Law Society of England and Wales which helped inform the recommendations made. We would hope to gather similar data on the position of Scottish solicitors who deliver legal aid as part of the payment panel research.

The Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loan and Cashback scheme offers interest-free loans with cashback grant for renewable heating systems, including heat pumps. Loans of up to £10,000 are available, of which up £7,500 is available as non-repayable cashback grant. Through the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, we have committed to replacing the cashback grant element of the scheme with a standalone grant during 2022-23. This will give households the option of accessing a loan, grant or combination of both.

In addition the Home Energy Scotland advice service includes specialist home renewables and zero emissions heating advice, via a team of specialist advisers and resources such as the Green Homes Network and the Renewables Installer Finder Tool. Over the past five years, over half a million households have used the Home Energy Scotland service to get advice and support on making their homes greener, warmer and cheaper to heat.

Capital and running costs of heat pumps vary depending on building type and characteristics. Over the last year, the Scottish Government has commissioned and published via ClimateXChange two research projects into the costs and performance of heat pumps:

1. Costs of zero emissions heating in new buildings (climatexchange.org.uk) (April 2021)

2. Heat pump use in Scotland: an evidence review (climatexchange.org.uk) (October 2021)

In addition, Scottish Government analysts draw on a range of modelling and real-world data, including analysis produced by the UK Committee on Climate Change, and the National Household Model. This informed the analytical annex to the Fuel Poverty Strategy published in December 2021, available at: fuel-poverty-strategy-analytical-annex.pdf (www.gov.scot)

We are taking a range of actions, within our devolved powers, to help people facing the impacts of higher energy bills and other cost of living pressures. Our recent £290m support package includes an extra £10m to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund, to help households at risk of self-disconnection, or self-rationing energy use. However energy pricing and obligations are reserved, so we must see action by the UK Government to address the energy cost pressures on householders.

The current functions of SQA will continue and staff working in those functions will continue to carry out their work, as they currently do. We recognise and appreciate the valuable skills, experience and knowledge held by all staff across SQA, and a primary consideration in the reform process will be in making the most of these attributes in the future. As decisions are made about the roles that are needed in the successor bodies, a process will be taken forward to enable matching of current staff to roles - this process will be designed with the input of staff and trade unions and the underpinning commitment to protecting terms and conditions, and no compulsory redundancies as a direct result of reform, will be in place.

We will continue to work closely with staff, facilitated through existing arrangements including via recognised trade unions, to develop the transitions framework and timeline for implementation and to consider impact on groups of staff and individual posts, including identifying suitable redeployment opportunities if they are needed. TUPE and/or COSOP will apply, and as the activities currently carried out by existing bodies move to new bodies, the staff carrying out those activities who are deemed to be in scope of transfer will transfer.

Further detail on programme structures will be published in spring.

The Independent Review into the delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services in Scotland, published at the end of February 2021, made 67 recommendations for improvements to the delivery of forensic mental health services, including several on community forensic mental health.

The Scottish Government supports the recommendations of the review, agrees that community provision is a crucial component of the forensic mental health system and that forensic community mental health teams are key to supporting mental wellbeing in the community. Recommendations 18 and 19 of the Review recommend that work be undertaken to define the service remit of community forensic mental health teams and to ensure they are appropriately resourced to meet demand. The Forensic Mental Health Services Managed Care Network is gathering information on current provision to establish a baseline to take this work forward.

Psychological Therapies (PT) delivered in any service setting is already included within the 18-week PT waiting time standard and delivery of PT in forensic services should be counted in the PT standard. This is not consistently happening at the moment and to help ensure that services deliver and measure Psychological Therapies across in a more standardised way across Scotland a new national standard for Psychological Services and Therapies is currently under development with a publication date of Summer 2022.

Additionally, in order to ensure consistency in the quality of service delivery across Scotland, Scottish Government has worked with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to produce the Psychological Therapies 'Matrix' - a stepped guide to planning and delivering evidence-based psychological therapies within NHS Boards in Scotland. Matrix - A guide to delivering evidence-based psychological (scot.nhs.uk)

The Matrix is published by NES, in partnership with the Scottish Government and provides a summary of the information on the current evidence base for various therapeutic approaches, guidance on well-functioning psychological therapies services, and advice on important governance issues.

The Scottish Government takes seriously the responsibility to ensure those going through the criminal justice system with mental health issues are appropriately supported, treated and cared for, while ensuring their rights are being maintained, especially during these challenging times that may have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing.

A new national standard for Psychological Services and Therapies, which will describe what good quality psychological care looks like, is currently under development with a publication date of Summer 2022. This will include describing the provision of care in forensic and prison services. This will help ensure that Psychological Therapy services and therapies are delivered and measured in equitable ways across the prison estate in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has invested £9 million in 2021-22 for Psychological services in Scotland to grow the Applied Psychology, and Psychological Therapies workforce. Further funding will be provided for 2022-23 to support services to provide Psychological care to all clinical areas of care detailed in the Psychological Services and Therapies standard.

Recruitment and retention of voluntary and retained on-call firefighters is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.