Chamber and committees

In common with most regulations no specific financial support is offered for compliance. However, the level of improvement set out by these regulations is relatively modest, with investment paid back within a few years. The resulting improved buildings should be more marketable, in that occupiers will benefit from the efficiency gains generated, reinforcing our message that “energy efficiency makes sound business sense”.

Wider funding for the installation of energy efficiency measures is currently available through our Resource Efficient Scotland SME loan scheme, which provides interest free loans to Scottish businesses to assist with the costs of purchasing and installing measures with the aim of reducing their energy costs and increasing their competitiveness.

The total spend to date on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is £202 million. This includes, land purchase; compensation to landowners; utilities; site investigation and environmental surveys, and the costs of technical / legal / financial support.

Information on the number of patients on the first outpatient waiting list and the inpatient and day case waiting list at Woodend Hospital on 30 June 2016 by specialty is provide in the following tables.

Waiting list for a first outpatient appointment at Woodend Hospital on 30 June 2016 by specialty.

Waiting lists for inpatient and day case treatment at Woodend Hospital on 30 June 2016 by specialty.

The Scottish Government has already committed to invest £200 million to create five new elective centres including one in Aberdeen. These new centres will carry out procedures like hip and knee surgery and will allow people to be seen more quickly for planned surgery. This will also help the NHS to meet increasing demand from a growing elderly population, taking pressure off unplanned and emergency treatment.

The statutory requirement for public authorities to produce Gaelic language plans aims to support and enhance the use of Gaelic across the whole of Scotland, ensuring that users of the language have access to services through the language of their choice. All plans are produced by public authorities in co-operation with Bord na Gaidhlig. This process provides the public authority with sufficient flexibility to meet its local obligations in a proportionate manner to the area in which it operates. The Scottish Government, therefore, has no plans to review the legislation.

The main responsibility for dealing with unauthorised encampments lies with the local authority where the unauthorised encampment is situated. The local authority or the landowner may apply to a court for an eviction notice to remove any unauthorised encampment. Police Scotland will liaise with local authorities when they are made aware of unauthorised encampments. Police Scotland can also offer advice to private landowners regarding what steps they are required to take if they wish to remove unauthorised encampments.

In exceptional circumstances a senior police officer could consider utilising powers derived from sections 61 and 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, but only where specific circumstances are present. These circumstances include where property has been damaged, threatening or abusive behaviour has been used towards the occupier of the land or six or more vehicles have been taken onto that land, provided the occupier of the land has first taken all reasonable steps to ask the members of the encampment to leave.

Private land owners are responsible for the removal of waste from their land. Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 enables a local planning authority to require the owner and occupier of land to take specific steps to remedy the land’s condition, if they consider that it adversely affects the local area. Section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 gives local authorities and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) powers to require occupiers of land to remove unlawfully deposited waste.

Guidance produced by the Scottish Flytipping Forum ('Flytipping in Scotland: A Guide to Prevention and Enforcement') for local authority and SEPA waste enforcement officers recognises that the owners of flytipped land are the victims of crime. It encourages local authorities and/or SEPA to investigate flytipping on public and private land and to offer assistance. This may be in the form of advice to prevent the problem in the future or help to uplift or dispose of waste if local circumstances allow.

Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty on local authorities to keep their land clear of litter. As independent organisations how they go about fulfilling their duties and what resources they use is entirely up to them, providing they meet the standards in the Code of Practice on Litter and refuse.

I understand that Inverness College is working with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to identify how this position occurred, and to establish what action may be necessary to address any identified problems.

There are a range of civil and criminal powers in relation to unauthorised Gypsy/Traveller sites, some of which fall under legislation relating to trespass and roads. Landowners, whether private or a local authority, are also able to take legal action in relation to removing people from their property. We encourage local authorities to develop strategies for managing unauthorised sites in their area, together with the police. It would be for the police to investigate any reported offences, and for the Crown Office to decide whether to take forward a prosecution. More information about the legal framework around unauthorised sites can be found online at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2004/12/20417/48831.

The Scottish Government issued guidelines on managing unauthorised sites in 2004 to assist local authorities and the police to develop policies on responding to unauthorised sites. The guidelines are based on two key principles: that unauthorised sites should be managed to minimise disruption; and the same standards of behaviour are expected from all, whether that is Gypsy/Travellers living on an unauthorised site, or the settled population living around such a site. We are currently reviewing the guidelines and have sought views from the Police, local authorities, Gypsy/Travellers, and others. We plan to publish revised guidelines later this year.

As set out in our response to question S5O-00074, we are not yet at the stage of making a decision on the location of the new social security agency. We are undertaking a detailed business case to explore how the agency and wider social security system will work in Scotland. This will consider how each benefit might be delivered and how people will access the service, including staffing and accommodation requirements. This work will also be informed by the results of the social security consultation published on 29 July 2016.