Conditions of funding for Redress Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for the following information:

• The full conditions of funding for Redress Scotland
• To be clear please supply me with the total amount of funding being provided per financial year to Redress Scotland for 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the full conditions of funding for Redress Scotland.
• Please supply me with the conditions of funding, which stipulate what criteria is expected by SG for Redress Scotland service for the funding awarded to Redress Scotland to achieve in real terms.
• Please also advise if Redress Scotland are responsible for providing statistics on the financial outlays to Solicitors/law firms for any instruction/assistance on behalf of applicants/survivors or does is that dealt with directly by SG?
• Please also state what professional standards and reporting is required to comply with the conditions of funding, this is to ensure the Scottish Government are provided VfM whilst not cutting back on Quality.

Response

Scottish Government funding for its sponsored bodies is paid in terms of grant-in-aid. Grant-in-aid is paid to enable Redress Scotland to fulfil its statutory functions established by the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021 ("the Act").

Scotland's Redress Scheme opened for applications on 8 December 2021.

The grant-in-aid budget allocated to Redress Scotland for 2021-2022 was £1.6M. The grant-in-aid budget allocated to Redress Scotland for 2022-2023 is £5M, however it is subject to adjustment during the financial year. Budget forecasting and spend to date is reported to and monitored by the Scottish Government through the Redress Scotland Sponsorship Team on a monthly basis.

Redress Scotland's use of financial resources must be in accordance with its Corporate Plan, Framework Document and any relevant guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers, in particular, the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-public-finance-manual/

The administration of prescribed sum legal fee applications to Scotland's Redress Scheme is delivered by the Scottish Government. In accordance with the Act, legal representatives can apply for additional sums, in excess of the prescribed sums for legal fees. Applications for additional sums are referred to Redress Scotland for assessment and may be paid where there are exceptional or unexpected circumstances that can be justified.

The Scottish Government is responsible for the payment of all fees and providing information associated with legal fee payments.

Redress Scotland has recently published a Facts and Figures Report which is the first of a regular series, and can be found on its website at www.redress.scot/reports.

The SPFM is issued by the Scottish Ministers to provide guidance to the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies, which includes Redress Scotland, on the proper handling and reporting of public funds, sets out the relevant statutory, parliamentary and administrative requirements, emphasises the need for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and promotes good practice and high standards of propriety.

With regard to professional standards and reporting, Redress Scotland is required to establish and maintain arrangements for internal audit in accordance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards and the Internal Audit section of the SPFM.

The Auditor General for Scotland (AGS) audits, or appoints auditors to audit, Redress Scotland's annual accounts and passes them to the Scottish Ministers who lay them before the Scottish Parliament. The AGS may also carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which Redress Scotland uses its resources in discharging its functions as well as arrangements made by Redress Scotland to secure Best Value. After laying before the Scottish Parliament, the Redress Scotland Annual Report and Accounts will be publicly available.

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