Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10433 on 20 September 2022. 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

Information is available from the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2020-21 statistical publication.

Table 4(b) in the main tables provides information on the number of convictions for 'Driving under influence'; and the additional dataset titled 'Drink and Careless driving' provides further information on the number of convictions for causing death by careless driving when under influence of drink/drugs.

These can be found under the 'Supporting documents' at this link - Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2019-20 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

According to the latest quarterly edition of the Scottish Child Payment statistical publication, between 9 November 2020 and 30 June 2022, the number of applications received for the Scottish Child Payment benefit from people living in the Dundee City Local Authority area is 5,990. In total, 5,500 applications had been processed as of 30 June 2022.

Scottish Government published an estimate on uptake in October 2021 as part of their benefit take-up strategy. The estimate of national take-up for the Scottish Child Payment benefit was 77%. This publication did not include geographical breakdowns.

As of 30 June 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were in receipt of Scottish Child Payment. Whilst this 104,000 figure is included in the latest Scottish Child Payment statistical publication, we do not currently produce equivalent information by Local Authority areas.

Between 15 February 2021 when the benefit officially launched and 30 June 2022, Social Security Scotland had issued £2.9 million of Scottish Child Payments to clients living in Dundee City Local Authority area.

Apprenticeships are a key way for all employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs both now and in the future. Official Modern Apprenticeship (MA) statistics are published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) quarterly, including the number of starts, and are cumulative throughout the year.

The following table shows the number of MA starts from 2017 to 2021

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS).

Following on from the previous question, figures are provided for the last 10 years, for properties over 3000 ha.

Transfers are divided between sales/leases for the full monetary market value of the property, versus transfers for discounted or non-monetary consideration (e.g. succession).

A total of 35 homes have been completed through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since November 2021. The following table provides a breakdown by local authority area.

Project Neptune was published on 8 September 2022 and can be accessed:

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/strategic-framework-of-options-for-the-chfs-network-project-neptune/

Following the introduction of Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs) in Scotland, we have seen a positive increase in the number of individuals taking up the opportunity to study for degree-level courses while in employment since the first two years of the programme.

The table below shows the number of Graduate Apprenticeship opportunities available from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Theatrical performances and cultural activities are embedded within each local establishment regime. However, the level of engagement is shaped by location, staffing resource, third sector participation and prisoner profile within each locus.

The steps taken to incorporate them are similar across the estate, where the operational needs, logistics and outcomes associated with each activity are considered within an event-planning forum and in partnership with the organisation delivering the activity.

With formal governance in place through Annual Learning Plans (ALP’s) in all establishments, the quantitative and qualitative outcomes associated with each performance or cultural activity can be considered alongside each establishments own delivery plans.

The Scottish Government provides funding to Advice Direct Scotland to deliver telephone and digital advice services including debt and consumer advice. Spend on external consultants is an operational matter and I direct the member to Advice Direct Scotland’s website or to their Chief Executive Officer for this information.