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The third sector plays a critical role in supporting the people of Scotland.

In 2021-2022 the Scottish Government spent over £123 million on funding third-sector organisations that help children and vulnerable groups. Over £109 million was provided via specific grants or funding streams, with an additional £13.8 million in core funding being provided to third-sector organisations via the Children Young People Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities third sector fund.

In addition, I refer the Member to S6W-10137. In 2021-2022, the Scottish Government invested over £12 million to support free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services. This overall figure includes some funding to third sector organisations to provide debt advice to vulnerable people and funding for Scotland’s National Advice and Information Line.

The Never Use Alone phone line is a number that an individual can call when they are about to use drugs alone. The staff will ask for some basic information before the person uses, including: what you want to be called; the number you are calling from, so the operator can call back if cut-off; an exact location and how emergency service could gain access; and what substance the individual is about to take. If that individual stops responding after they have taken the substance, the operator will notify emergency services of the location and possible overdose, so a medical professional can get to them as quickly as possible.

Additional information provided through the service includes: details about local drug services, including injecting equipment provision and information about accessing same-day prescribing; information about postal naloxone (provided through Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol); and other support services such as mental health and housing. All callers are treated with respect and in a non-judgmental way.

The dedicated WAWY service co-ordinator has also conducted awareness raising, information and harm reduction sessions with a range of Alcohol and Drug Partnership services, prevention and overdose response teams, residential treatment services, homelessness services, needle exchanges and recovery cafes. These have taken place all across Glasgow, Paisley and the Ayrshires.

From November 2021 to 1 July 2022, and from the 3 areas used in the initial pilot (Glasgow and North and South Ayrshire), there have been:

•102 calls to the line in total - 38 were outside opening hours, 24 chose to hang up before speaking with an advisor.

•40 calls were answered

•23 of these calls resulted in a supervised consumption, (70% injected or smoked heroin, 20% injected or smoked cocaine).

•None of the calls required the intervention of emergency services

Everyone who accessed the service was offered a link to drug treatment services. All of those who used the supervised consumption element of the phone line were already engaged with drug treatment services.

Everyone who called the service was offered postal naloxone and injecting equipment provision (IEP). Postal naloxone was requested by 8% of people who called the phone line and this was provided in every case.

Referrals were also made to: mental health support (3%); homelessness/housing support (3%); other support (13%). Foodbank information was also supplied to 10% of callers .

Circulars to enact the 4.5% pay uplift for NHS Medical and Dental staff were published on 5 August 2022.

This pay uplift will be backdated to 1 April 2022.

The information requested on how many dental nursing vacancies currently exist across Scotland, broken down by NHS board is not held centrally by The Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government did not receive any business cases for funding to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest from Glasgow City Council, the City of Edinburgh Council or Aberdeen City Council prior to the announcement of the final shortlist. As no business cases were received, the Scottish Government provided no funding for this to any of the three councils.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days

We understand that Glasgow City Council, together with Glasgow Life and the SEC, are working closely to develop a bid to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. While no funding has been provided or committed by Scottish Ministers, we will consider the business case for support for any bid once received.

While it is for local authorities across the UK to make their bids to the BBC to host Eurovision, Scottish Government officials have been in regular contact with UK Government counterparts regarding the selection of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest host city. We understand that Glasgow City Council, together with Glasgow Life and the SEC, are working closely to develop a bid to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

It has been recommended that the spacing of cavity barriers (which stop the spread of fire through wall cavities behind the cladding) on the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences be reduced from 20 metre intervals to 10 metre intervals. NHS Lothian has been assured that the overall level of fire safety remains high and has not been significantly reduced by the spacing of the cavity barriers. Risk assessments have also been carried out to identify and mitigate any fire risks to patients, staff and visitors.

Discussions with IHSL, the consortium that built and owns the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, about altering the cavity barriers are ongoing. IHSL has been asked to produce detailed proposals for work on the cavity barriers. Those proposals will be reviewed by the health board and its advisers, so as to ensure they meet technical specifications and minimise disruption to the hospital and department.