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Decisions on non-domestic rates reliefs are taken as part of the budget process, using Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts of the total revenues raised net of relief costs. At the 2022-23 Scottish Budget in December 2021, the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast that the reliefs package would save businesses £802 million. A breakdown of this figure is available in Figure S4.10, at https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/publications/scotlands-economic-and-fiscal-forecasts-december-2021/ .

It is for local authorities to administer non-domestic rates reliefs in accordance with the relevant legislation. Data on non-domestic rates income, including the values of reliefs, is released periodically at https://www.gov.scot/publications/non-domestic-rates-income-statistics/ .
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The Autism and Learning Disability Team engages regularly with HSCP leads across Scotland on their strategic approaches and why it is so important for them to increase capacity for autism diagnostic services and to redesign services which are sustainable. We do this on an individual basis and also through the networks of Social Work Scotland.

HSCPs are aware of the actions identified in the current “Towards Transformation” plan for autism and learning disabilities. This includes action on post diagnostic support for adults and the piloting in 4 HSCP areas of a single adult neurodevelopmental pathway. We continue working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) who help build capacity and expertise, acting as a bridge between national strategy and its implementation at local level by providing a hub of professional autism support and information. The Scottish Government provide funding to a number of charities to provide post diagnostic support locally, linking with HSCP service leads.

HSCP leads are linked into our leadership and engagement framework in partnership with people with lived experience focusing on the topic of mental health. In addition, we will be working with HSCPs as we scope out the work towards a Bill to introduce a commissioner for Autism, learning disabilities and people with neurodivergence.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with representatives of the GFG Alliance at official and Ministerial level.

Officials hold quarterly meetings to monitor performance in respect of the Scottish Government guarantee and maintain regular engagement at local and group level on business operations. 

Four Ministerial meetings have been held with the GFG Alliance in 2022.  These meetings involving the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism & Enterprise took place on 24 January, 18 February, 29 March and 1 April. 

The Scottish Government will continue to publish details of all Ministerial engagements via its website (https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/).

Since 2020-21, the Scottish Government has provided funding for all Saltire Scholarship programme students; this consisted of 100% non-EU students in 2020-21 and for 2021-22 the breakdown was 88% EU students and 12% non-EU students.

The Scottish Government committed £750,000 to developing the Scotland on Tour Fund in response to the impacts felt by the sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In total, the fund received 270 applications from individual artists, musicians, bands, organisations and independent promoters. These were assessed by a panel of representatives from the music industry, as well as Creative Scotland. Of those, 217 applicants were successful. Work is ongoing throughout the year to convert these successful applications into concerts.

Currently Scotland on Tour is on track to deliver 360 performances and concerts in over 100 venues across Scotland during 2022 and into early 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that there is a thriving music industry in Scotland and so provided £750,000 across 2021-22 and 2022-23 to enable Scotland on Tour to take place.

Scotland on Tour has facilitated new concerts in venues across Scotland at a time when the postponement of concerts, due to the pandemic, had left little room for new concerts to take place in 2022.

While there are no plans to reopen the fund, we will work with the culture sector to ensure our diverse and world class cultural scene continues to thrive.

Since 2020-21, the Scottish Government has allocated funding levels of £2,650,000 for all Saltire Scholarship programme students; this consisted of £200,000 in 2020-21 and £2,450,000 in 2021-22.

Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides that any interested party can make a complaint to the Scottish Ministers that a responsible body has failed to discharge a statutory duty relating to education.

Following investigation of the complaint, Scottish Ministers may make an order declaring the responsible body to be in default of the duty and requiring them to discharge the duty by a specified date.

Information about the number and outcome of section 70 complaints since 2011 can be found at: Section 70 Complaints and Outcomes: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The values of non-domestic rates reliefs, broken down by local authority and relief, are available in Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics, at https://www.gov.scot/collections/local-government-finance-statistics/#scottishlocalgovernmentfinancialstatistics . The figures can be found in the respective annual publications, in Table 1.16a for 2017-18, and table 2.17a for 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21. Transitional relief was introduced in the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and was therefore not available in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The Public Library COVID Relief Fund was announced as part of the 2021 Programme for Government. The Fund was delivered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). 31 local authority library services in total submitted applications to the Fund, across two rounds of funding.

The first round of funding closed to applications in October 2021. 21 services received a total of £1,045,681 (in the first table).

In January 2022, the Fund reopened for a second round to unsuccessful services and those that did not apply during the first round. 7 services received a total of £215,870 (in the second table).

Across the two rounds, the following library services have been awarded funding: