Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04033

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its policies and collaboration with local authorities to ensure that support is provided to pupils who cannot attend school for medical reasons.

Question reference: S6O-03861

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-30244

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its policy that adult social care workers must earn at least the real Living Wage, what estimate it has made of the potential Barnett consequential funding that might receive if the UK Government were to replicate this approach in England.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding to ensure that adult social care workers, delivering direct care in the third and private sectors, are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW).

As employment powers are reserved, this uplift is funded by the Scottish Government but processed, delivered and assured by Local Authorities through the annual contract variation process. This year, the Scottish Government transferred £230 million to Local Government to deliver the uplift to at least £12 per hour.

As we do not have access to the relevant contractual information in England, we are unable to estimate how much it would cost to replicate this approach in England or the subsequent Barnett consequentials.

In the absence of Barnett consequentials, the Scottish Government’s commitment to prioritise funding a minimum RLW rate clearly demonstrates the value we place on the Scottish social care workforce.

Question reference: S6O-03761

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of private finance initiative repayments in the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-29549

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local authority at 31 March 2024 and (b) the percentage increase in reserves for each local authority since 31 March 2014.

Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.

As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2024 for 31 March 2024 which is provisional outturn data provided in early 2024.

	Cash Terms		Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)		Percentage Increase
Local Authority	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	Real Terms
	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn
Aberdeen City	57.1	85.9	75.2	85.9	14%
Aberdeenshire	57.5	65.4	75.7	65.4	-14%
Angus	19.8	71.2	26.1	71.2	173%
Argyll & Bute	44.0	86.4	58.0	86.4	49%
City of Edinburgh	123.3	265.9	162.3	265.9	64%
Clackmannanshire	12.0	21.0	15.8	21.0	32%
Dumfries & Galloway	58.4	86.4	76.9	86.4	12%
Dundee City	8.1	56.6	10.6	56.6	433%
East Ayrshire	28.0	49.1	36.9	49.1	33%
East Dunbartonshire	11.3	47.7	14.9	47.7	220%
East Lothian	9.2	26.4	12.1	26.4	118%
East Renfrewshire	14.9	52.1	19.6	52.1	165%
Falkirk	25.8	49.7	33.9	49.7	47%
Fife	85.0	216.1	111.9	216.1	93%
Glasgow City	32.8	277.4	43.2	277.4	543%
Highland	40.3	131.8	53.1	131.8	148%
Inverclyde	42.9	27.4	56.5	27.4	-51%
Midlothian	20.5	35.0	27.0	35.0	29%
Moray	21.4	45.7	28.1	45.7	62%
Na h-Eileanan Siar	18.3	30.0	24.1	30.0	24%
North Ayrshire	25.2	110.1	33.1	110.1	233%
North Lanarkshire	75.0	249.9	98.8	249.9	153%
Orkney Islands	23.8	28.5	31.3	28.5	-9%
Perth & Kinross	48.2	69.7	63.5	69.7	10%
Renfrewshire	52.9	127.4	69.7	127.4	83%
Scottish Borders	17.1	49.6	22.6	49.6	120%
Shetland Islands	13.9	72.0	18.2	72.0	295%
South Ayrshire	22.9	47.7	30.2	47.7	58%
South Lanarkshire	13.4	150.3	17.6	150.3	753%
Stirling	13.3	29.9	17.5	29.9	71%
West Dunbartonshire	10.1	29.1	13.3	29.1	118%
West Lothian	22.6	57.1	29.7	57.1	92%
Ayrshire VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Central VJB	0.8	0.4	1.0	0.4
Dunbartonshire& Argyll & Bute VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Grampian VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Highland & Western Isles VJB	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2
Lanarkshire VJB	-	1.7	-	1.7
Lothian VJB	-	1.3	-	1.3
Orkney & Shetland VJB	-	0.0	-	0.0
Renfrewshire VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Tayside VJB	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Tay Road Bridge	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.2
HITRANS	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.1
NESTRANS	0.0	3.6	0.0	3.6
SESTRAN	-	0.2	-	0.2
SPT	12.5	109.7	16.5	109.7	565%
SWESTRANS	-	0.0	-	0.0
TACTRAN	-	0.1	-	0.1
ZetTrans	-	0.0	-	0.0
Scotland	1,085.4	2870.0	1,428.8	2,870.0	101%

VJB = Valuation Joint Board
GDP Deflator	75.97	100.00

Question reference: S6O-03667

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the finance secretary has had with the UK Government regarding public spending, in light of the Prime Minister’s remarks that the Labour administration’s first Budget is “going to be painful”.

Question reference: S6O-03859

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2028

To ask the Scottish Government test the BB.

Question reference: S6W-28113

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people it estimates, in the current financial year, are (a) eligible and (b) receiving payments for the (i) Scottish Child Payment and (ii) Best Start Grants, broken down by constituency.

In their published December 2023 Economic and Fiscal Forecasts, the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast 368,000 children will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment in Scotland in 2024-2025 and that 329,000 children will receive payments.

They also forecast Best Start Foods will be paid for 51,000 children and pregnant women in Scotland in 2024-2025 and 58,000 Best Start Grant payments will be made, 16,000 for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, 20,000 for Early Learning Payment and 22,000 for School Age Payment.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission do not publish forecasts of the number of children eligible for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods, or the number of children receiving Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods by constituency.

Social Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, and Scottish Child Payment. The latest statistics, covering the period to the end of March 2024, do not currently include information by Scottish Parliament constituency. These also do not include information on the number of children benefitted from Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

The latest statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 329,055 children and young people aged 0-15 years were actively benefitting from Scottish Child Payment. This information along with further breakdowns including local authority area, and individual child age can be found at Social Security Scotland - Scottish Child Payment: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 .

The latest statistics show that, in the 2023-2024 financial year covering April 2023 to March 2024, 56,455 individual parents or carers were paid for Best Start Grant. For comparison, 204,460 parents or carers received at least one Scottish Child Payment.

The latest publication for each benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Statistics .

Question reference: S6W-28114

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in (a) the East Kilbride constituency and (b) each local authority area it estimates are (i) receiving Carer’s Allowance and (ii) eligible for the new Carer Support Payment.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s December 2023 publication forecast that a total of 98,000 people in Scotland will receive payments for Carer’s Allowance/Carer’s Support Payment in the financial year 2024-25.

Statistics on the number of people receiving Carer’s Allowance in each local authority and constituency area in Scotland can be found on the DWP’s statxplore tool: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml .

Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland and is only currently available for new applications in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and Na h-Eileanan Siar. Carer Support Payment will be open to new applicants in South Lanarkshire from 24 June 2024. Everyone in Scotland already receiving Carer’s Allowance will automatically have their awards moved safely and securely to Carer Support Payment. We are writing to carers to let them know when their award has been selected for transfer and what to expect.

Carer Support Payment statistics are published on a quarterly basis. The latest published statistics are available at https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics .The next publication of Official Statistics is due to be released on 13 August 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28111

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in the East Kilbride constituency it estimates have received support from the Carer’s Allowance Supplement since its introduction, and what the average amount received by recipients is for these payments.

The latest published statistics show that since Carer’s Allowance Supplement was first introduced in April 2018, payments have been made to 10,845 carers in South Lanarkshire local authority area who were eligible on at least one eligibility date from April 2018 to October 2023.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year. For April 2023 and October 2023 eligibility dates, the payment value was £270.50. For the April 2024 eligibility date, the payment value increased to £288.60.

The latest statistics were published on 13 February 2024 and covered carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance Supplement to the October 2023 eligibility date. This information is available at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/summary-statistics-for-carers-allowance-supplement-to-october-eligibility-date-2023 . The next publication of Official Statistics is due to be released on 13 August 2024 and will include information to the April 2024 eligibility date.

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