Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Alternative Certification Model (ACM) for national qualifications in 2020-21 has been designed to give schools the flexibility to assess learners at times and in ways that are appropriate to their specific needs. This has been enhanced by a programme of support provided by the wider education sector.

As a result, the additional workload will vary and be subject to decisions at a local school level, in terms of their approach to delivering the Alternative Certification Model.

The Alternative Certification Model required teachers to ensure learners receive their national qualifications, based on their professional judgement of demonstrated attainment. We have recognised this unprecedented responsibility through the payment of up to £400 for each teacher involved in supporting the delivery of the ACM, and providing two days set aside during the school year for teachers to work on the assessments.

We have been working to address supply chain issues in the construction industry since the launch of our Construction Recovery Plan in October last year, working with industry and the UK Government to fully understand the current supply chain issues, which we recognise are due to a number of factors including the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of EU Exit.

I have also established a working group to consider immediate supply issues in more detail and I meet with the group on a weekly basis in order to work with Scottish manufacturers to increase output to meet the shortage challenges. I am meeting suppliers to discuss the opportunities available for increasing production, and sourcing more supplies from Scottish manufacturers.

The Scottish Government will continue to work hard to address the problems and blockages faced by companies, where it is in our power to do so.

Free school meals are a vital support to thousands of children and young people across the country - ensuring that children have access to a free, healthy and nutritious meal on every day they are in school and are ready to engage in learning.

The Scottish Government and our local authority partners have reached agreement to introduce universal free school lunches, during school term-time, for children in primaries 4 and 5 during the course of the current financial year. Universal provision for all children in primary 4 will begin in August 2021, whilst universal provision for all children in primary 5 will begin in January 2022.

We are providing local authorities with £28 million in this financial year to deliver this commitment, which will see around 90,000 additional children become newly entitled to receive free school lunches during the course of the forthcoming school year.

We will continue to work with our partners in local authorities over the coming months to ensure that our commitment to expanding the universal provision of free school lunches to include all primary school children, during term-time, is delivered by August 2022.

The Island Connectivity Plan was last discussed with the Trades Unions, including Prospect, during the Scottish Trade Union Congress meeting with the former Ferries Minister, Mr Wheelhouse, on 18 August 2020.

We have a commitment to engage with all stakeholders as we develop the plan and the Unions will form part of these discussions going forward.

The Scottish Government appreciates that grandparents can often play an important and valuable role in a child’s life. Grandparents can currently apply to the court for contact rights. A decision will be made taking account of the child’s views and according to the best interests of the child.

The Scottish Government consulted in 2018 on the review of Part 1 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act). The consultation sought views on whether there should be a presumption in law that grandchildren benefit from contact with their grandparents. Page 56 of the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy which was published on 3 September 2019 sets out why the Scottish Government did not proceed to introduce a presumption that grandchildren benefit from contact with their grandparents. This is available at:

Family Justice Modernisation Strategy (www.gov.scot)

As a result of the consultation the Scottish Government included in the Bill for the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 an amendment to the 1995 Act inserting section 11ZA(3)(f) which will require the court to have regard to the effect that the order they are deciding whether or not to make might have on the child’s important relationships with other people. This could include grandparents.

Section 11ZA of the 1995 Act is not yet in force as implementation is reliant upon the register of child welfare reporters being established. The Scottish Government has consulted on the register of child welfare reporters and plans to lay regulations in spring 2022 on the register. Once the regulations are in force there would need to be a lead in time for the register to be fully operational. Our indicative timetable for this is April 2023.

The Scottish Government is satisfied that no further change is required to the legislation in relation to the rights for grandparents to access their grandchildren. The Scottish Government appreciates that grandparents can often play an important and valuable role in a child’s life. Grandparents can currently apply to the court for contact rights. A decision will be made taking account of the child’s views and according to the best interests of the child.

Section 11ZA(3)(f) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) as inserted by the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 will require the court to have regard to the effect that the order they are deciding whether or not to make might have on the child’s important relationships with other people. This could include grandparents.

Section 11ZA of the 1995 Act is not yet in force as implementation is reliant upon the register of child welfare reporters being established. The Scottish Government has consulted on the register of child welfare reporters and plans to lay regulations in spring 2022 on the register. Once the regulations are in force there would need to be a lead in time for the register to be fully operational. Our indicative timetable for this is April 2023.

The New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) scheme aims to assist first time buyers and priority access groups to purchase a new build home from a local authority or housing association. There are no set criteria for determining a “significant change of circumstances”. Decisions on when to apply flexibility to the primary eligibility criteria are considered on a case by case basis, based on the evidence available and demand from the primary target groups.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures guidance provides further information - Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures MHDGN 2020/02 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We held a number of meetings with a range of stakeholders during the parliamentary passage of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act), which gained Royal Assent on 1 October 2020. This included Grandparents Apart UK and Shared Parenting Scotland who provide support to those seeking contact with their grandchildren.

Section 11ZA(3)(f) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act), as inserted by section 16 of the 2020 Act, introduces additional factors for the court to consider before making an order under section 11 of the 1995 Act. The 1995 Act is the key legislation on parental responsibilities and rights, contact and residence. This includes that the court must consider the effect that an order might have on the child’s important relationships with other people, which could include grandparents.

We have also engaged with Shared Parenting Scotland and Grandparents Apart UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Charter for Grandchildren was originally published in April 2006. We republished the Charter of Grandchildren in April 2018 as part of our Your Parenting Plan resource. The Scottish Government has no plans to revise the Charter at this time.

The Charter for Grandchildren is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/parenting-plan-charter-grandchildren/

The Scottish Government has committed in the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy to further promote the Charter for Grandchildren.

The Family Justice Modernisation Strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/family-justice-modernisation-strategy/pages/1/

The First Minister announced on 22 June that on 9 August, subject to confirmation nearer the time, all physical distancing requirements will be removed.

Ferry operators have been planning for the removal of physical distancing in order to increase passenger capacity wherever possible.

Any additional passenger capacity released will be made available on a first come, first served basis, as per the terms of the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services contracts.