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Scottish Water is subject to a statutory charge-setting environment for each regulatory period under which the industry’s independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) determines the overarching financial limits for Scottish Water based on the lowest overall reasonable cost of achieving Minister’s Objectives for the industry in the relevant regulatory period (2021-27), including the amount of lending required. Decisions on priorities for investment, including in relation to sewer flooding, are taken with reference to the Ministerial Objectives and the process set out in Scottish Water’s Investment Planning and Prioritisation Framework. While the majority of capital available for investment derives from customer charges, the Principles of Charging set by the Scottish Ministers for the period confirm that Scottish Government will also lend Scottish Water up to a maximum of £1.03 billion to support investment decisions.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the serious impacts that sewer flooding can have on homes and businesses and the need for action to tackle the issue. In this regard I would highlight the launch of Scottish Water’s Improving Urban Waters Routemap in December 2021. This plan, backed with significant investment of close to half a billion pounds, aims to deliver a range of improvements across the sewer network including to reduce incidences of sewer flooding and help Scottish Water to respond more quickly when incidents do occur. The Routemap is available on Scottish Water’s website and the first annual report on progress is expected to be published by 21 December 2022.

Decisions on investment in the current water industry regulatory period (2021-27) are made with reference to the process set out in the Investment Planning and Prioritisation Framework (IPPF). Co-created with industry stakeholders, the Framework represents a balanced programme that makes progress towards the objectives set by Scottish Ministers in the short term, whilst also seeking confidence that the industry is on the best trajectory towards Scottish Water’s Strategic Plan and the co-created Water Sector Vision. Further detail on the IPPF and its operation is available on the Scottish Government’s website.

The Scottish Government recognises the difficult decisions that some pet owners are now facing due to the cost of living crisis. Although the Scottish Government is unable to provide direct support, we will continue work with animal welfare charities and organisations and monitor the situation.

The Scottish Government is actively considering its response to the Empire, Slavery and Scotland's Museums steering group recommendations. Discussions to help inform our response are continuing with, amongst others, representatives from Museums Galleries Scotland, and members of the steering group themselves, to make sure the complexities and challenges involved are fully understood. After these discussions have concluded, a formal response will be issued in due course.

There is no freeze on Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) this year. We are on track to meet contracted demand for MAs across the childcare related frameworks.

The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and I meet regularly with Creative Scotland to discuss our shared priorities, including funding for cultural organisations during the cost of living crisis which was discussed at the most recent meetings in June and October.

The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with the sector, and will continue to work with it to identify barriers to immediate and long-term recovery, and to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.

The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and I hosted a virtual roundtable with public bodies and representative groups on 10 November. The Scottish Government will be hosting further roundtable discussions with the sector this winter.

The Scottish Government has not set a prescriptive list of “reasonable costs” for welcome arrangements.

Local Authorities are best placed to determine how best to provide support to the Ukrainian people in their areas arriving under the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme and the Scottish Government is committed to reimbursing them as delivery partners for any reasonable costs incurred in providing that appropriate support.

While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality healthcare, we fully expect NHS Board's to utilise funding, facilities and staff while taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs.

We expect NHS Boards to plan their facilities and workforce to deliver these services, ensuring the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, delivered by the right professional at the right time.

Spend on agency is around 2% of the total NHS expenditure. The majority of temporary staffing in NHS Scotland comes from staff banks; these are NHS staff, working on NHS terms and conditions.

The pandemic has had an impact on bank, agency and locum spend. The rising spend is not unanticipated.

Although bank and agency staff play a crucial role, it is important that we continue our long term investments to attract and retain permanent staff.

The Scottish Government supports our healthcare support workers (HCSWs) to train to become registered nurses while remaining in the workforce in their local NHS Board area. The Open University offer this pathway and Scottish Government provides £10,000 backfill funding to NHS Boards per student for each of the three years of study. For the 2022-23 academic year, the Scottish Government has increased the target number of Open University places by 12% to 123 places.

The Scottish Government also provides support to enable HCSWs to undertake a HNC Healthcare Practice programme by providing £8,000 in backfill funding to NHS Boards per student per year. Completion of the HNC programme can lead students to progress to nursing or allied health pre-registration degree programmes, on which there may also be the opportunity for advance entry to year 2.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, and as part of their review of career pathways, NHS Education for Scotland have produced a Development and Education Framework for Bands 2-4 nursing, midwifery and allied health professional HCSWs. The framework is available at the following link:

This ongoing work has focused on a national framework as a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach which outlines the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to enable HCSWs to deliver safe, effective and person centred care. The framework also provides information on how to progress into a registered practitioner role, including as a nurse.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11247. On 27 October 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .