Monthly statistics on the number of Council Tax Reduction recipients since the scheme’s commencement in April 2013 are available at Council Tax Reduction: local authority tables and charts - April 2013 to February 2023 - (www.gov.scot) . March 2023 data will be published on 16 May 2023.

Prior to April 2013, the UK Government was responsible for Council Tax Benefit with associated data available at Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit statistics - (www.gov.uk) .

The Mental Welfare Commission produces annual reports on admissions of young people under the age of 18 to non-specialist wards in Scotland. The latest report was published on 1 December 2022, and can be found here: ChildrenYoungPeople_MonitoringReport_2021-22.pdf (mwcscot.org.uk) . Table 1 provides a breakdown of numbers of young people admitted to non-specialist facilities by year from 2012/13 (177 admissions relating to 148 young people) to 2021/22 (90 admissions relating to 80 young people).

Information on young people placed in adult mental health services has more recently also become available through the Mental Health Quality Indicator Profile publication. Under the “Equitable” theme of indicators, indicator EQ4 provides data on the percentage of under 18 year old psychiatric admissions admitted out with NHS specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) wards. Please note this information is only published at a national level. The Mental Health Quality Indicators were produced in September 2018 and data on these was first published on 17 March 2020. Indicator EQ4 was first published on 23 March 2021.

The most recent Mental Health Quality Indicator Profile publication can be found here: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/mental-health-quality-indicator-profile/mental-health-quality-indicator-profile-25-april-2023/.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review policies in relation to placing young people in adult mental health wards.

NHS Boards use the Admission to Adult Mental Health Wards for under 18's Guidelines which were published in 2020, alongside discussions with the young person and their family, to make the most appropriate decision regarding the treatment and support that a young person requires.

The guidelines make clear that we expect children and young people who require inpatient care to be looked after in age-appropriate facilities. There may be occasions when it isn’t possible for a young person to be admitted to a specialist child and adolescent bed – for example, a crisis admission out of hours where there are concerns for the young person’s safety, or the young person and their family have a preference for an admission to a local adult ward. On occasions where young people are placed within an adult ward this will be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that the young person is receiving the most appropriate treatment and care.

This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government does not plan to reopen or develop new Help to Buy schemes for first-time buyers.

Key findings from the evaluation of the Scottish Government’s shared equity schemes showed that 80% of Help to Buy buyers would have been able to purchase a property which met their needs without financial assistance.

We continue to support home ownership through various interventions to help first time buyers. This includes our Low Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme which helps people on low to moderate incomes to buy their first home either through the open market (Open Market Shared Equity) or new build (New Supply Shared Equity). Support is also available through the Self Build Loan Fund.

Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector.

In 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, we provided funding of £665,000 to SLIC as recognition of the importance of our public libraries, and as an expression of our support for the excellent services they provide. This is on top of the Scottish Government’s general revenue funding to local authorities and includes the Public Library Improvement Fund that supports creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.

Attainment in literacy in Scotland’s schools remains strong. The 2021/22 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels (ACEL) data demonstrates that approaches to COVID recovery in education are working.

Data on ACEL showed a record increase for 2021-22 in the proportion of primary school pupils achieving the expected levels of literacy. Comparing 2021/22 levels with 2020/21, primary literacy attainment was up 4 percentage points to 71%. In terms of the poverty related attainment gap, 2021-22 ACEL data also showed a record decrease in the gap between primary literacy levels, which are now more similar to pre-pandemic levels. 2022 exam results show a Higher English pass rate of 81.3% which represents an increase of 7.9 percentage points compared to 2019 when exams were last held. English is the most common subject at National 5 and Higher. In addition, the Policy Prospectus launched in April by the First Minister, includes a commitment to re-joining the Trends in International Mathematics and Science and Progress in International Reading Literacy studies. Participation in international surveys enables countries to share important information about their educational policies and practices and how these foster educational progress.

There are no plans to review the definition of long-term vacant with regard to the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP).

Each application received will be assessed by the Independent Investment Panel. Projects concerning sites that have been vacant and derelict for fewer than 15 years are not ineligible.

15 years registered does provide a marker for a significant length of time that indicates market forces alone will not be likely to bring the site back into use. However where a site has potential to become long term vacant and derelict, a project proposal may be able to justify bringing forward investment to unblock its reuse.

This information is not available centrally as expenditure is not classified by the Scottish Government in the manner requested and financial support for third sector and charitable organisations is provided by various sources.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. Individual social landlords are responsible for their own maintenance costs.

Social landlords are required, under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to keep houses they let fit for human habitation and ensure that any repairs are carried out when they are needed.

We work closely with social landlords in our shared ambition to provide quality, affordable social homes and continue to have constructive engagement with them on a range of matters.