Fair Work, Skills and Training
The next item of business is portfolio questions. As time is tight across the whole afternoon, brevity would be much appreciated.
Living Wage
To ask the Scottish Government how many employers in Scotland pay the living wage. (S4O-05174)
Information is not available on the overall number of employers who are paying the living wage—although we know that many do—which is why we encourage them to become accredited.
During last month’s living wage week, both the First Minister and I, along with other ministerial colleagues, took part in a range of activities to promote the benefits of the living wage.
I am pleased, of course, that the Scottish Government is one of over 425 Scotland-based living wage accredited employers, with workers from a number of different sectors and areas of Scotland benefiting from the substantial progress that we are making. That figure continues to grow as we fast approach the target of 500 that the First Minister set for achievement by March.
As the cabinet secretary knows, the United Kingdom’s national living wage is not a living wage and does not support young people under 25. Can she tell us how many employees across Scotland earn the living wage or more and how that compares across the UK?
We know from the latest figures that more than 80 per cent of employees in Scotland are being paid the living wage or more. That represents a higher proportion than anywhere else in the United Kingdom with the single exception of the south-east of England, so it is a higher proportion even than in London. That is good news for Scots workers.
Unemployment (Glasgow Provan)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle unemployment in Glasgow Provan. (S4O-05175)
The Scottish Government is committed to increasing employment levels and helping unemployed people across Scotland to achieve their full potential. Employment in Scotland is now above its pre-recession peak in 2008 and the employment rate in Scotland is higher than the United Kingdom average. Employment levels in Glasgow have also increased over the past year, while unemployment has fallen.
The Government continues to invest in a wide range of employment initiatives in Glasgow, and I am happy to discuss them further with the member.
The minister may recall a statement that was made in March 2014 in connection with the European youth guarantee, with £1.1 billion over two years to be spent in the south and the west of Scotland. A condition of the additional European funding was that it would be committed in the financial year 2015-16. Can the minister advise us what progress has been made in that respect?
That falls within the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown. I will ensure that the member’s question is passed on to the cabinet secretary, if that is acceptable, because his officials are dealing with the European social fund moneys.
Apprenticeship Levy (Discussions)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the United Kingdom Government regarding the apprenticeship levy. (S4O-05176)
I last spoke to UK Government ministers on 26 November, when I confirmed our agreement to establish a working group of senior officials from across all four nations to manage the transition from the current arrangements. In addition, the Treasury has established a four-nations senior officials group to discuss the allocation of the levy to the devolved Administrations.
In our discussions with the Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the objective is to achieve the best outcome for Scotland. We now know what the rate and scope of the apprenticeship levy will be when it is introduced in April 2017, but we are still to be provided with clarity on how Scotland’s share of the money that is raised will be calculated and transferred to the Scottish Government.
I welcome the establishment of the four-nations working group and the fact that all nations’ voices will be heard. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the UK Government must, as a matter of urgency, provide clarity to business, which has approached me, and to the Scottish Government on how it intends the apprenticeship levy to operate?
That clarity is incredibly important. We know that the levy rate will be 0.5 per cent of pay bills above £3 million, so we think that companies with more than 120 employees will be caught. It is unfortunate that we still do not have clarity on how Scotland’s share of the levy will be calculated, because many of the companies that are caught will be cross border, and some employees will be based in Scotland while others will be based elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Once we have clarity, I will work directly with employers and other stakeholders to explore how the funding from the levy will benefit employers and young people and support the growth and enhancement of our successful apprenticeship programme. As I said, I am working with my counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland, who have similar issues with the UK Government on the lack of clarity on the levy.
What discussions has the Scottish Government had with industry bodies based here in Scotland and in the rest of the UK, and with others who provide apprenticeship training, on the levy’s impact on their current apprenticeship schemes?
A number of us have had conversations, both formal and informal. For example, I have spoken to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scottish Retail Consortium, which both have members who are very concerned. When we had those discussions, we did not even know the levy’s rate or scope, which introduced an enormous amount of uncertainty into the process. We still have no certainty on the Treasury’s decision-making process on how the levy will be divided up. We continue to press the UK Government on that to enable us to have meaningful conversations with business about how we will progress once we have that certainty on the levy.
Energy Efficiency (National Infrastructure Prioritisation)
I apologise for being a few moments late for the start.
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for skills and training of its proposed national infrastructure priority on energy efficiency. (S4O-05177)
As the member knows, the cornerstone of the national infrastructure priority will be Scotland’s energy efficiency programme, which will bring an integrated approach to energy efficiency provision of heat to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions for domestic and non-domestic properties throughout Scotland. Work to develop that programme is under way. There has been significant development of new skills to support our current energy efficiency and low-carbon programmes, and we will consider what skills and training are required to develop the necessary capacity in the sector as the new programme is piloted and developed.
As the cabinet secretary makes clear, we are yet to see the detail of how the national infrastructure priority will pan out, what the practical implications will be or, indeed, what scale of work will be required. However, we have been told that it will impact on every building in Scotland. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that implies a dramatic increase in the availability and breadth of skills that we will have to provide in energy assessment, installation and, hopefully, the design and manufacture of some of the materials and equipment that are to be installed, so that the highest-quality jobs that the programme supports are based in Scotland?
I would definitely agree with that. We have a tremendous employment and skills opportunity here. We are doing a lot of work in this area. We are engaging with Skills Development Scotland and partners to supports skills uptake in low-carbon technologies through vehicles such as the low-carbon skills funds, modern apprenticeships, flexible training opportunities and individual learning accounts. The low-carbon skills fund has supported more than 3,000 training opportunities in low-carbon technologies since 2010-11. Other work is going on through the Energy Savings Trust and resource efficient Scotland, including other work to develop the capacity of the workforce.
Of course, as the programme rolls out, niche opportunities will become apparent. It is a little difficult to foresee exactly what those will be, but we are ready and willing to ensure that the labour market in Scotland gets the best possible results.
South Lanarkshire College won the homes for Scotland award for work on sustainable construction. It has a low-energy and low-carbon teaching block and a house where those in training can practise with airtight thermally efficient design. What support do the Scottish Government and partners envisage for the transformation in building techniques that is needed? How will they be able to develop practical models such as the one at South Lanarkshire College across south Scotland and beyond?
Some of the things that I mentioned in response to Patrick Harvie’s question will involve a wide range of events, workshops and other support right across Scotland, including with colleges.
I commend South Lanarkshire College for the work that it is doing. The college sector is vital for all the skills development that goes on. We refreshed the skills investment plan for the energy sector last year. That was developed in partnership with a variety of bodies, and colleges would have had some input. The sector must develop continually, so we must be able to operate as quickly as possible when we see opportunities develop. Colleges are key to that.
Gender Pay Gap
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that the gender pay gap in Scotland is 7.3 per cent, compared with 9.4 per cent in the United Kingdom. (S4O-05178)
Colin Beattie is correct to say that the figures that were published by the Office for National Statistics last month show that the gender pay gap has been persistently lower in Scotland than in the UK. The recent falls in the gender pay gap in Scotland relative to the UK have been driven by the growth of female earnings in Scotland. Other factors that contribute to the narrower pay gap in Scotland include increases in the number of older female workers and the fact that the gap is smaller in Scotland for the highest 10 per cent of earners.
I am sure that the member would agree that the fact that we are still talking about the issue in 21st century Scotland, 45 years after the Equal Pay Act 1970 came into force at Westminster, is beyond comprehension. That is why the Scottish Government has made it a priority in our programme for government to seek to address the factors that give rise to the gender pay gap, to the extent that we have the power to do so.
I am sure that the minister will agree with me that, despite that good news, any gender pay gap is too high. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to continue to reduce the gap?
As I said in my first response, the Scottish Government sees continuing to reduce the gender pay gap as an absolute priority, and we will seek to do whatever we can within the powers that we have. Some of the action that we are taking informs the broad approach that we must take to the issue. For example, we are tackling underrepresentation of women in senior management roles and in the board room through our partnership for change campaign, and we are strengthening our commitment to pay transparency by reducing from 150 employees to 20 employees the threshold at which public authorities must report on their pay gap. In addition, of course, we continue to promote fair work practices and to extend childcare provision.
There is no single answer to the problem. We will do everything that we can to ensure that, in 21st century Scotland, we can finally stop talking about a gender pay gap.
Question 6, in the name of Jenny Marra, has not been lodged and no explanation has been provided. I am afraid that this is the second week running that that has happened with no explanation. It is not acceptable, so I trust that an explanation will be forthcoming.
Question 7, in the name of Cara Hilton, cannot be called because Cara Hilton is unable to be in the chamber. An explanation has been provided for that.
Youth Employment
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how youth employment in Scotland compares with the rest of the European Union. (S4O-05181)
The latest data from Eurostat show that Scotland, with a rate of 54.6 per cent, had the third-highest youth employment rate across the European Union countries for quarter 2 of 2015. Only the Netherlands, with a rate of 61.3 per cent, and Denmark, with a rate of 55.9 per cent, were ahead of Scotland.
That is very welcome news, although overtaking the Netherlands and Denmark should remain an objective.
What investment is being made to improve opportunities for young people across Scotland so that we can get to number 1?
I share Stewart Stevenson’s ambition to get to number 1. The Scottish Government has been taking a number of initiatives and making a number of investments to ensure that we do everything that we can so that young people can fulfil their potential in life. For example, we invested £12 million last year and we have invested £16.6 million this year in embedding our developing the young workforce principles and policies. We have also provided more than 25,000 modern apprenticeship starts year on year, and some 101,000 modern apprenticeship opportunities have been delivered in the current parliamentary session. We have ambitions to go further and secure 30,000 modern apprenticeships starts by 2020.
Of course, we also work with Skills Development Scotland on employability activity, we invest in community jobs Scotland, which is operated through the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, and we have extended eligibility for the educational maintenance allowance. There are a number of other initiatives, and I should add that we work with Inspiring Scotland to help young people in the 14 to 19-year-old age bracket. We are therefore conducting a number of activities across a range of areas to ensure that we are doing everything we can.
In that regard, I am pleased to note that the labour market statistics that were published this very morning show that youth employment has increased by 20,000 over the past year. We are going in the right direction, but we recognise that we have more to do.
Is the minister satisfied that, in line with the Wood commission recommendations, all pupils who want to attend further education for vocational work experience and qualifications are being given the opportunity to do so?
I hope that that is the case. Our youth employment strategy sets out a series of detailed targets over a seven-year period; in fact, in the past week or so, we published the first annual report on developing the young workforce, which is our refreshed youth employment strategy. If Mary Scanlon wishes to raise any particular concern with me—or with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance—I will be very happy to pursue the matter.
“A study of the perceptions and experience of Police Officers and Staff during pregnancy and maternity” (Response)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish women’s development forum report, “A study of the perceptions and experience of Police Officers and Staff during pregnancy and maternity”. (S4O-05182)
The Scottish Government is clear that we want to see no barriers to what women can achieve in the workplace. We provide funding to the Scottish women’s development forum, and we welcome the Police Negotiating Board agreement to increase occupational maternity leave for Scottish police officers from 1 April 2016. A key priority for Police Scotland is recruitment and retention of women officers and staff, and it recognises that the report highlights important areas of improvement within the service that will help it to embed equality and diversity throughout its policies and procedures. I was pleased to note that the Scottish women’s development forum report was welcomed by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority’s human resources committee, with all the recommendations being accepted.
The report shows that, even when the law is clear and the right HR policies are in place, those policies are not always followed and are open to misinterpretation by line managers. That happens across employers; indeed, Maternity Action has said that
“all the available evidence suggests that ... pregnancy and maternity discrimination is now more common than ever before”,
and estimates that
“as many as 60,000 women”
in the United Kingdom
“are pushed out of work each year.”
Does the minister agree that action to tackle that discrimination is overdue, and will she take this opportunity to send a strong message to employers in Scotland that it is time for change, and do what she can to ensure that the public sector leads the way? Finally, will the Scottish Government consider commissioning research on the prevalence of pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace?
I will try to deal with each point in turn. First, I understand that Police Scotland will shortly be publishing a new pregnancy and maternity guidance pack and an updated standard operating procedure, and additional material will be available on its intranet and the internet. I therefore think that Police Scotland will be taking practical steps that I am sure Alison McInnes will commend.
On the wider issue, I agree that any pregnancy and maternity discrimination is unacceptable. Work is being carried out at United Kingdom level on the matter; I understand that that work has been delayed, but when we get the response that it has been preparing, we will work with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to see what the Scottish Government can do. At all times, we will ensure that we send out the very clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable in the 21st century.
I will call question 10, but brevity will be appreciated.
Digital Skills Shortage
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortage of 11,000 professionals with digital skills, particularly in relation to computer coding training. (S4O-05183)
We are working in partnership with public sector partners and industry representatives to address skills issues in Scotland’s digital sector, with a programme of work built around the recommendations in 2014’s information and communications technology and digital technologies skills investment plan. A prime example of that collaborative work is the recent opening of CodeClan, which is an industry-led digital skills academy based in the heart of Edinburgh.
The cabinet secretary will know that earlier this year the Education and Culture Committee received evidence that we have lost more than 200 computer science teachers in schools in recent years, and that teacher training places remain unfilled. As a result, some 12 per cent of Scotland’s secondary schools do not teach computer science at all. What action is the Scottish Government taking to address that crisis in computer science education?
A number of things are being pursued at every level of education, including in colleges and universities. As Iain Gray knows perfectly well, he ought to raise the situation in high schools directly with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance. I will alert her to his concern about that particular issue.
Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights
I would appreciate brief questions and answers in this section too, please.
Older People’s Welfare
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to look after the welfare of older people. (S4O-05184)
We have a long-standing commitment to improving the welfare of older people throughout Scotland, and we have taken decisive action in a number of areas, including investing in services and initiatives that are designed to empower and improve the lives of older people. Those include free personal and nursing care; a record £119 million this year for fuel poverty and energy efficiency; the concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people; support for a number of social prescription pilot projects in Glasgow; and the introduction of free prescriptions. We are also committed to working with older people and older people’s organisations to ensure that the quality of life for older people in Scotland continues to improve.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that very welcome answer. Does he agree that the concessionary bus travel scheme delivers for older people in our communities across Scotland and, indeed, tackles isolation issues? What action is being taken in this festive period to ensure that we are aware of the isolation of older people in our communities, which is particularly important at this time of year?
I totally agree with the member on the benefits of the concessionary bus travel scheme, which makes a major contribution to stopping isolation and depression among older people. There is no doubt about that.
On provision during the festive season, obviously every service is making its own arrangements, but I draw attention to Silver Line Scotland, which is Age Scotland’s free helpline for older people. It offers information, advice and a befriending service for older people throughout the year, including at this time of year, and it is, of course, supported by the Scottish Government.
Question 2 has not been lodged. An explanation has been provided.
Benefit Sanctions (Single Parents)
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many single parents in Scotland have been subject to benefit sanctions in the last year. (S4O-05186)
In the year ending June 2015, a total of 1,854 jobseekers allowance sanctions were applied to 1,207 lone parents in Scotland. We have no information on lone parents in receipt of other benefits who have been sanctioned.
It is very worrying that a vulnerable group such as single parents and their children is subject to sanctions, particularly as a study last week by the Crisis charity found that one in five people who were questioned became homeless as a result of sanctions. The Crisis survey also found that sanctions had risen sharply among homeless people and particularly among those with a mental health problem. Does the minister agree that pushing already vulnerable people into homelessness is completely unacceptable in a civilised society and that, for that reason, the Scotland Bill was totally wrong to leave responsibility for sanctions in the hands of Westminster?
I totally agree with every sentiment that the member has expressed. Not only was the Crisis report depressing on the impact of sanctions on some of the most vulnerable people in our society; the response of the Department for Work and Pensions was utterly unacceptable in trying to deny that sanctions are having such a detrimental impact.
I am sure that any MSP who has regular surgeries will come across victims of sanctions. Given the obstinacy of the United Kingdom Government on sanctions policy, by far the best way to deal with the situation is to devolve sanctions policy to the Scottish Parliament so that we can adopt a humane approach and give the recipients of social security benefits dignity and respect, rather than treating them in the terrible way in which the UK Government currently treats people, particularly through the sanctions regime.
I associate myself with the remarks of the cabinet secretary and Ms McAlpine on the Crisis report about the effect of benefit sanctions on homelessness. The sanctions might have contributed to the unfortunate stall that we have experienced in Scotland in progress on reducing the amount of homelessness here, which currently affects around 54,000 households. How will the cabinet secretary respond to that situation and what action can he take to address homelessness in Scotland, particularly at this time of year when we have rough sleepers out on our streets?
In how we approach the situation, I make a distinction, as previous Administrations have done, between the issue of rough sleepers, which presents particular challenges, and the more widespread issue of homelessness, which very often is the result of family breakdown because of issues such as domestic abuse. We have had success in a range of areas across various parts of the country in dealing with homelessness, but the best way to deal with it is to increase the supply of housing. That is precisely why we have committed to an increase of nearly 70 per cent in the building programme for affordable homes over the next five years, which I hope Labour members will welcome.
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (Delayed Publication)
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the publication of the Scottish index of multiple deprivation has been delayed. (S4O-05187)
The Scottish index of multiple deprivation was delayed because an extension to an earlier consultation, which improved the geographical building blocks or data zones of the index, meant that it was not possible to complete the SIMD in 2015. The SIMD is designated as a national statistic by the United Kingdom Statistics Authority; as such, the decision to delay the SIMD can be taken only by the chief statistician. His decision was announced in October 2014 through the SIMD section of the Scottish Government’s website and communicated in an SIMD newsletter. There was no ministerial involvement in that decision.
The decision to delay publication is obviously regrettable. However, in the spirit of Christmas, can I ask the minister what targeted and redistributive policies of the Scottish Government she is most confident will have delivered a meaningful improvement to the position of her constituents and mine living in some of the most deprived parts of the country?
The Government has taken a number of measures in that regard. For example, we have increased childcare provision to assist people in getting back into work and back to being part of the economy, improving their standards of living. We have taken a number of social measures that are helping people, such as free school meals, education maintenance allowance, the council tax freeze, the council tax reduction scheme and the Scottish welfare fund. All those are helping people in deprived areas and improving their life chances. We will continue to do what we can to help people in low-income and deprived areas, despite the austerity that has been forced on us by the United Kingdom Government.
Energy Efficiency (Existing Homes)
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. (S4O-05188)
Energy efficiency is a priority for the Scottish Government and has been designated as a national infrastructure priority in recognition of its importance. The cornerstone of that will be Scotland’s energy efficiency programme, which will provide an offer of support to buildings across Scotland to improve their energy efficiency over a 15 to 20-year period. During the first, development phase of the programme, we will continue to deliver our existing home energy efficiency programmes for Scotland, which provide support to households across the country. That includes local authority-led area-based schemes; our national fuel poverty scheme, warmer homes Scotland; and low-cost loans, which will help households spread the up-front cost of investing in energy efficiency.
Can the minister tell me a bit more about how the new energy efficiency programme for Scotland will build on the home energy efficiency programmes for Scotland in terms of delivery in rural areas?
We have established the rural fuel poverty task force to consider the issues that our remote, rural and island communities face in tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency. The task force is due to report later next year, and we will incorporate its recommendations into the development of the new programme, as appropriate.
Over the lifetime of the home energy efficiency programmes for Scotland, we have allocated more than £7.4 million to Highland Council to support area-based schemes and we have increased the grants that are available for houses in remote and rural areas by almost 40 per cent to £9,000. We will build on the success of our existing area-based schemes and, once the powers over supplier obligations have been devolved, we will have the scope to tailor Scotland’s energy efficiency programmes so that they best meet Scotland’s needs. That will very much include our rural and island communities.
Scottish Housing Quality Standard (Lothians Dwellings)
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of dwellings in the Lothian region meet the Scottish housing quality standard. (S4O-05189)
The latest available local authority results from the Scottish house conditions survey were published in January 2015 and relate to the aggregated three-year period from 2011 to 2013. Those figures show that 50 per cent of all dwellings and 50 per cent of social housing in the Lothian region met the Scottish housing quality standard.
I stress, however, that that does not necessarily reflect the current level of compliance. Every social landlord in Scotland also has to provide an annual return of their compliance, which is published on the website of the independent Scottish Housing Regulator. The regulator has advised that, according to the returns made by landlords, there are 79,382 self-contained social rented properties in Lothian as at 31 March 2015. Of those properties, 70,620—which equates to 88.96 per cent of social rented houses excluding exemptions—meet the Scottish housing quality standard.
The scale of the challenge is clearly massive. Over half of Scotland’s homes are in need of repairs to critical elements, and thousands of people are not warm enough in the winter. Reducing VAT on repairs would help. We also need to see warm homes over winter as a critical part of preventative spend to keep people healthy. How does the Government intend to include housing issues in health and social care considerations?
We are already doing that through our home energy efficiency programmes for Scotland—HEEPS—and our energy efficiency programme. Keeping people warm in their homes and providing energy efficiency measures sit side by side with what we are doing in health and social care, and we have a health professional from Healthcare Improvement Scotland on our fuel poverty group. We are looking closely at the issue.
I have already talked about our energy efficiency programme, and we will continue with our warm works programme and our energy advice. We are also looking at the building of new homes to ensure that they are energy efficient in addition to improving the current housing stock.
Does the Scottish Government agree that the best way to improve housing standards in the private rented sector is to incentivise landlords to invest in full-quality improvements?
In the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, we improved the standards that landlords have to meet, because it is still a problem that the housing in the private rented sector is of the poorest quality. We have taken actions to address that and will continue to do so in regulating letting agents, enforcing landlord powers and giving tenants more rights through our Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill.
Poverty (Government Action)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle poverty. (S4O-05190)
Our commitment to tackling the long-term drivers of poverty through early intervention and prevention is articulated in the document “Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland—Our Approach 2014-2017”. The strategy focuses on maximising household resources, improving children’s wellbeing and life chances, and providing well-designed, sustainable places. It includes a full measurement framework against which the progress on the key outcomes will be measured. We have also appointed an independent adviser on poverty and inequality, and we will publish a social justice action plan early in the new year.
The Scottish Government is committed to building a fairer Scotland and reducing inequalities, but we are aware that the United Kingdom Government’s welfare cuts and austerity agenda will have a significant and detrimental impact in Scotland and will do nothing to tackle the scourge of child poverty.
Does the minister agree that it is unacceptable for the Westminster Government to spend billions of pounds renewing Trident at the same time as spending hundreds of thousands of pounds every time it drops a bomb on Syria? Is it right that it is doing all that while there is unprecedented use of food banks in Scotland?
I certainly agree that that is not right. The Scottish Government is firmly opposed to the UK Government’s plans to retain and renew its Trident nuclear weapons. It is indefensible that the UK Government proposes wasting £167 billion on renewing Trident nuclear weapons, and it is doubly galling that it is doing so while people are being hit so hard by the Treasury’s damaging austerity cuts that are forcing people into food banks.
The decision of the UK Parliament to expand air strikes against Daesh is potentially counterproductive unless supported by a comprehensive strategy to bring a peaceful end to the wider conflict and build a fair, just and stable future for the people of Syria. We urge the United Kingdom Government and international community to work towards that end as a matter of utmost urgency.
Planning Review Panel
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the planning review panel to complete its work. (S4O-05191)
The review panel is expected to submit its recommendations to the Scottish ministers in May 2016.
The cabinet secretary is well aware of the controversial Marischal Square development in Aberdeen. Will he consider any proposal from the review panel or others to require developers of major projects to provide 3D video visualisations of their schemes at the pre-application stage to better inform the public about their proposals?
I agree that 3D visualisations can be useful. We have no plans at present to require them for all major projects, but we encourage authorities and developers to make use of them as a matter of good practice. It could be particularly helpful when there is significant community interest in a major development.
Fuel Poverty
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that it will end fuel poverty by November 2016. (S4O-05192)
The Scottish Government is committed to eradicating fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by November 2016. The Scottish Government is doing everything it can to tackle the issue, and the latest statistics show that fuel poverty levels have been contained despite fuel prices rising.
I question the minister’s response while thanking her for it. Is it not the case that the method by which the Government counts the fuel-poor in Scotland has changed? It is a simple manipulation of the figures that has accounted for the fall, not any action on the part of the Scottish Government. Is it not therefore the truth that the SNP will not end fuel poverty by November 2016?
We are not manipulating the figures. The methodology that is used in the Scottish house condition survey to estimate fuel poverty was recently changed to reflect the current industry standard for assessing home energy performance.
The methodology also changed last year, as the member is well aware, and we did not get the same criticisms when the level of fuel poverty rose because of that change. For the first time, the survey also includes the contribution of the warm home discount scheme and a more accurate reflection of the prices that households are paying for fuel in Scotland.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights has given to implementing the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. (S4O-05193)
Action that gives effect to rights identified in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is central to the work of the Scottish Government. Equality and social justice are at the heart of our programme for government, and we are committed to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
We have taken specific actions to reflect a human rights approach, including promoting gender equality, fair work and the living wage, championing access to higher education, delivering high-quality health and social care services, building affordable homes, working to empower communities and legislating for land reform.
Those actions contribute directly to the shared vision in Scotland’s national action plan for human rights of a Scotland where everyone can live a life of human dignity through the realisation of internationally recognised human rights.
Can the minister offer any other examples of obligations under the United Nations charter, with regard to how they influence policy drafting in planning and in housing law?
The international obligations are mirrored in Scotland’s approach to homelessness legislation, which ensures that all those who are assessed as being homeless through no fault of their own are legally entitled to settled accommodation, and the work that we are doing to provide a ready supply of affordable housing, with 50,000 units being built in the next session of Parliament.
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