- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has carried out on its review of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answer
Homes for Ukraine is the UK Government scheme and the Scottish Super Sponsor scheme works within it to offer an alternative route for displaced people from Ukraine to come to the UK.
The review convened a number of experts from across national and local government, academia and the third sector. It also took account of the perspectives and experiences of Ukrainians who participated in focus groups.
Findings from the review are being taking into consideration when developing the next steps to enhance our ability to provide appropriate and sustainable longer-term support to those who are here, as well as those who are still to travel. I will provide a statement to Parliament soon to update on the findings of the review.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established the short life working group tasked with making recommendations on how clinically-appropriate use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) equipment in the provision of NHS community eyecare services can be more effectively supported, and, if so, what the membership of the group is, and when the group last met.
Answer
The SLWG has yet to be established pending the review of all 2022-23 budget plans. Scottish Ministers remain committed to the policy intent, however as highlighted by the Deputy First Minister, the impact of the cost crisis and significant rises in inflation have placed unprecedented pressure on existing Health & Social Care budgets.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its Budget allocation for the Young Patients Family Fund was reportedly reduced from £5 million in 2021-22 to £4 million in 2022-23.
Answer
25 October 2022
The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) was launched on 26 July 2021 and the 2021-22 budget was based on estimated maximum spend based on analysis of the number of families likely to claim support.
The 2022-23 budget has been based on prior year outturn, noting that this was the fund’s first year of operation. The fund is demand led and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring sufficient funding to Boards to support all valid YPFF claims.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much money it expects to spend on the use of private companies in undertaking contracts for work relating to the establishment of a National Care Service in the financial year of (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25, broken down by the purpose of any such spending.
Answer
Please see the following table of contracts which have been awarded so far by year, as part of the National Care Service Programme.
Currently, there is no additional budget specifically allocated for procuring external advice from private companies, although the National Care Service Programme will retain flexibility to procure external expertise as necessary to deliver the National Care Service.
Contract | Supplier Awarded Contract | Contract Duration | Contract Dates | Total Contract Value | Contract Purpose |
Financial Controls Review | AAB | 4 months with the option for a 4 month extension which can be used purely for time to complete, not to add monetary value | 25-04-22 – 25-08-22 | £45,504 exc. VAT | To provide advice to the NCS finance team on recommendations for improvement where necessary on the financial controls in place, the capacity and capability of the finance team, and the methodology used to provide estimates set-up and running costs for the NCS. |
VAT Advice | AAB | 12 months | Spring 22-23 – Spring 23-24 | £46,749 exc. VAT | To provide advice on necessary VAT preparations for the establishment of a NCS. To provide advice on the VAT impact of different NCS scenarios and recommend any options and/or solutions that could potentially achieve a VAT neutral outcome. |
Operating Model and Business Case production | KPMG | 18 months | 13-12-21 – 13-06-23 | £546,000 | To produce a Current Operating Model for the current social care sector, a Target Operating Model for the National Care Service and a Programme Business Case. |
Provision of Consultation response analysis | PwC | 3 months | Dec 21 – Feb 22 | £68,360 | Contract to undertake analysis and the production of a report for the public consultation on A National Care Service for Scotland. Contract now complete. |
National Care Service Operating model design | PwC | 2 months | 03-09-21 – 03-11-21 | £107,020.80 | Contract for advice and the production of a report on programme governance arrangements and a Design Authority within the National Care Service Programme. Contract now complete. |
Landscape review | Socitim (Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation) | 12 months | 14-02-22 – 14-02-23 | £412,624 exc. VAT | A review of the technology and digital architectural landscape across the public, private and third sector organisations who are involved in the delivery of social care services in Scotland to understand what will and will not work in the system |
User research | Storm ID | 2 months | 21-02-22 – 27-04-22 | £47,300 exc. VAT | User research to explore how people experience interacting with services in Scotland, and is particularly focussed on what data is important to them. Contract now complete. |
International research | Capgemini Invents | 2 months | 24-02-22 – 15-04-22 | £49,000 exc. VAT | Research to understand what digital approaches, services and products have enabled similar services outside of Scotland and what lessons can be learned from both successful and unsuccessful digital projects and programmes. This will focus on the technical and practical elements of work rather than the policy drivers. Contract now complete. |
Technical architecture partner | Capgemini Invents | 12 months | 15-08-22 – 15-08-23 | £338,730 exc. VAT | Research to understand in detail how data is currently flowing in the social care and health system and a technical architecture review of existing national digital assets to make a technical assessment to inform design decisions and inform the re-use of assets where appropriate. |
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to recoup from asking Integration Joint Boards to return any unspent COVID-19 funding.
Answer
The majority of Integrated Joint Board reserves are earmarked for specific purposes, in particular the ongoing response to COVID-19 and cannot be used to fund new spending commitments.
Further Covid funding has not been available from the UK Government for Covid related pressures in 2022-23.
Further work will be carried out to assess the amounts to be re-couped from IJBs in line with Covid requirements
More than £1.6 billion has been provided for social care and integration in 2022-23in addition to support for Covid, and we are committed to increasing spend in social care by at least 25% by the end of this Parliament, an increase of over £840 million.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has been undertaken to calculate the updated level of unmet need in adult social care since the publication of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care.
Answer
Scottish Government analysts are considering options for increasing our understanding of the nature and level of unmet need in adult social care, and will continue to engage with external partners to develop appropriate approaches and deliver new insights over the coming months.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement restrictions on (a) advertising, (b) sponsorship and (c) promotion of alcohol products (i) in public spaces and (ii) at sporting and cultural events.
Answer
As set out in the Programme for Government 2022-23, later this year we will consult on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion to protect vulnerable groups, including children and young people and those in recovery. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, we will introduce legislation within the lifetime of this parliament.
The consultation is still under development and we are considering all methods of alcohol advertising and promotion. We will fully engage with all relevant stakeholders to understand their views and any potential impacts of proposals.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to management at LIBERTY Steel Dalzell in Motherwell, following the reported resignation of its parent company's auditors.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not made representations to the management at Liberty Steel Dalzell in Motherwell following the resignation of its parent company's auditors.
The appointment of auditors is an operational matter for the GFG parent company and the issue was raised in a recent Ministerial meeting at that level.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government on what date the decision was taken for the Youth Music Initiative’s funding to be secure as part of the cost of living emergency budget review.
Answer
This decision was taken on 14 September.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the figures for (a) Government subsidy and (b) farebox revenue in the Norwegian ferry sector are redacted in the benchmarking section of Project Neptune’s Strategic Framework for Options for the CHFS Network, and whether it will arrange for those figures to be published.
Answer
The redacted figures are considered to represent sensitive information as it originated from interviews with the Norwegian Government. As such, this information is not for Scottish Government to publish.
