Contents
- General Question Time
- First Minister’s Question Time
- Point of Order
- Portfolio Question Time
- Scottish Land Commission (Appointment of Chair and Commissioners)
- Decision Time
- Marie Curie (75th Anniversary)
General Question Time
Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.
Short-term Let Licensing Scheme (Self-catering Properties)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the small business minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding an assessment of the total number of self-catering properties in Scotland since the introduction of its short-term let licensing scheme. (S6O-02918)
The introduction of short-term let licensing in Scotland means that data is now being collected on the numbers of short-term lets, including how many are self-catering. The Scottish Government is publishing quarterly statistics about that data, providing the number and status of licence applications, the number of licences in operation and additional information such as location. The latest publication was back on 20 November, and covered the quarter ending on 30 June 2023.
As small business minister, I have liaised closely with my ministerial colleagues across other portfolio areas, including tourism, about short-term let licensing. An update will be provided to Parliament on its implementation in early 2024.
Scotland’s self-catering businesses play an integral role in its tourism sector, generating in the region of £1 billion, and they are undeniably a vital part of the economy in rural areas such as mine. However, the introduction of numerous new regulations has dented confidence and done little to support that vital industry. Does the minister agree that the Scottish Government should not seek to reduce short-term holiday lets as a means of solving current rural housing challenges, but should focus instead on understanding rural housing needs and building more affordable homes—a budget that was slashed in the budget this week?
Finlay Carson has raised so many different issues that I am trying to work out where to start.
I will start with a point of agreement, which is that the self-catering sector absolutely plays an integral role in Scotland’s tourism offering and our local economies. As for where technology such as Airbnb and so on and so forth has taken us in relation to tourism, Finlay Carson will be aware that many countries and cities across the world have been reviewing their regulation on self-catering and short-term lets. I hope that he agrees that it is necessary to do that.
We are paying very close attention to the trends in Scotland. As I have said to Finlay Carson, the Government has pledged to bring forward an update on implementation in early 2024. We will, of course, look at any issues that have arisen at that point. The latest statistics will also be published in due course, which will give us a better picture of where things are.
The minister will not be surprised to hear that the introduction of short-term lets legislation has presented particular challenges in island communities such as the one that I represent. In some of the smaller isles in particular, it could see the removal of any accommodation, which is integral not only to the tourism sector but also to public sector workers and tradespeople who are out visiting and undertaking work. As the minister takes forward the review that he talked about in relation to the statistics, will he keep an open mind on the possibility of introducing a degree of extra flexibility in the way in which the legislation operates in our island communities?
I thank Liam McArthur for raising that point. Of course, I am looking at the issue from a small business and tourism perspective. My colleague Paul McLennan, the Minister for Housing, will bring forward the update on implementation in early 2024, as has been pledged.
A variety of issues arising from Liam McArthur’s question affects the island communities in his Orkney constituency, such as the need to make more affordable housing available. A number of measures have been taken by the Government in relation to second homes and so on and so forth, to try and address some of the pressures that are affecting our island and rural communities. That, too, has had a knock-on impact for key workers.
Just last week, Paul McLennan and I held a summit in Pitlochry with a number of businesses and organisations from across the Highlands and Islands—and, indeed, the south of Scotland—to discuss the pressure on key worker housing and affordable housing in rural areas and the impact on local economies. I assure Liam McArthur that those issues are at the top of our agenda.
Question 2 was not lodged.
Loss and Damage (Marginalised Communities)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it is taking to tackle loss and damage in marginalised communities. (S6O-02920)
The loss and damage being experienced in communities throughout the world are perhaps the single greatest injustice at the heart of the climate crisis. The Scottish Government has now pledged a total of £10 million to address loss and damage in climate-vulnerable communities. Our initial pledges have been mobilised in programmes directly in the Pacific, in Bangladesh and in Malawi, and we have begun work on operationalising the funding that was announced by the First Minister in September in relation to Kenya, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Zambia. All our programmes take a participatory approach, which means that we consult directly with communities and look to support the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable communities.
It is encouraging to see that the Scottish Government is committed to making the loss and damage fund a success and that Scotland has played an important part in the work that is being done. Can the cabinet secretary say any more about what steps the Scottish Government can take to encourage other countries to commit the finance that is needed to address the challenge that is faced?
Scotland’s membership of international and regional fora such as the under2 coalition, of which we are the European co-chair, allows us to demonstrate the action that we have taken and to encourage our colleagues to take action on loss and damage. In addition to that, through the practical action that we are taking, we have helped leverage funding from philanthropic organisations, such as the match funding that we received from the Open Society Foundations for our non-economic loss and damage programme.
Ultimately, Scotland’s action at the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—to stand beside the global south, which has been campaigning on the issue for three decades, and to help break the impasse on loss and damage, has since seen pledges to the tune of $700 million unlocked for that specific issue. That is to be welcomed, but when we consider the need and the number of recipients throughout the world, we can see that that number has to increase, and quickly.
Winter Mountain Safety
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with Scottish Mountain Rescue teams regarding mountain safety this winter. (S6O-02921)
Winter in Scotland’s hills and mountains offers incredible experiences that allow people to enjoy the outdoors and reap the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of doing so. The Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with the chair of Scottish Mountain Rescue and the spokesman for the three independent teams at Glencoe, Lochaber and Cairngorm on a range of issues affecting mountain rescue teams across Scotland.
We are supportive of this year’s #thinkwinter campaign, which was recently launched. The campaign encourages people to plan ahead and to think about winter conditions before heading out into the hills, and provides an online resource with links to all the information needed for exceptional mountain adventures.
I also welcome that campaign.
Improving accessibility and the use of technology have considerably increased the number of people visiting Scotland’s mountains, which is a good thing, but, unsurprisingly, it has led to an increasing number of emergency call-outs for injured and lost walkers. There were 698 in 2021 and 709 in 2022, which, alarmingly, represent an increase on pre-pandemic levels of about 30 per cent. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure the sustainability of the service and to support its members, most of whom are volunteers, so that they can continue to provide their life-saving service?
First, I agree with Liz Smith: this is a life-saving service that is provided largely by volunteers with a passion for the mountains. I am grateful for that. It also helps us with critical incidents, and was crucial in the response to the recent storms in the east of our country. It is a really incredible service.
In order to support the service, we provide an annual grant of £312,000 to Scottish Mountain Rescue. Further, sportscotland invests more than £2 million in the safety of mountain users, including approximately £1,635,000 for Glenmore Lodge and some £379,000 for the sportscotland avalanche information service. We also help co-ordinate all the interested stakeholders beyond the mountain rescue teams.
As Liz Smith has said, there has been a rise in the number of people enjoying our mountains in various ways, from mountain biking to skiing. We are keen to support that to happen safely.
Question 5 has been withdrawn and question 6 was not lodged.
Budget (East Kilbride)
To ask the Scottish Government how its budget will affect East Kilbride. (S6O-02924)
The Scottish budget has been set in difficult circumstances, in which we are having to deal with a 1.2 per cent real-terms decrease in our block grant since 2022-23. That has forced us to make difficult decisions and prioritise what really matters.
East Kilbride communities will benefit from the increased investment in the national health service, the additional £1 billion that we are investing in social security benefits, the increased funding for our police and fire services, and record funding to local government—a 6 per cent increase from last year’s budget—including additional investment to fund a council tax freeze. Those are the choices that we have made to support people and public services across Scotland.
Thirteen years of Tory austerity have eroded funding for public services. On top of that, Scotland is still paying off Labour’s dodgy private finance initiative deals, including that for Hairmyres hospital in East Kilbride, which cost £68 million to build over 20 years ago. The PFI debt is £28.7 million this year and will be £29 million next year, with total repayment exceeding £700 million. [Interruption.]
Let us hear Ms Stevenson.
In the face of those budget constraints caused by the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, can the Deputy First Minister set out the benefits of the Scottish National Party Government’s progressive income tax policies, including for spending on vital public services, such as our NHS?
In stark contrast to the Opposition—[Interruption.]
Members! Let us hear one another.
They do not like to hear it, Presiding Officer.
In stark contrast to the Opposition parties, the Government is fully committed to the principle of progressive taxation and to continuing to support our social contract with the people of Scotland. The Scottish Fiscal Commission has estimated that our income tax policy choices since devolution will raise roughly an additional £1.5 billion in 2024-25 compared with what would have been raised, had we matched United Kingdom Government policy. As a result of our progressive approach, we can continue to provide a wide range of services and social security payments that are not provided elsewhere in the UK, such as our flagship Scottish child payment, free prescriptions and free higher education, to benefit our society and people across the country.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport works across the region, including in East Kilbride, but the Deputy First Minister has just slashed its general capital support grant to nothing. That money funds engineering works, bus station works, bus stops and shelters, bus infrastructure and the decarbonisation of the fleet, and it supports councils in delivering active travel. Does the Deputy First Minister agree with the SPT’s chair and SNP councillor Stephen Dornan, who has said that this is completely unacceptable?
Graham Simpson comes here with crocodile tears. His Government has cut capital funding by 10 per cent over the next five years. If he cares about our infrastructure, he would be making representations to his own Tory Government about such cuts.
We have had to take difficult decisions. In doing so, we have taken into account the reserves that are held by organisations such as SPT. We will continue to work with organisations, but if they have reserves, they are, of course, taken into account in our budget decisions.
Given the cabinet secretary’s reference to the general impacts of the budget and taking into account the proposed increase in the capital budget for health, can the cabinet secretary confirm that a new medical centre for Lochgelly was promised by the Scottish Government way back in 2011? Surely, therefore, the cabinet secretary must agree with my constituents that it should be Lochgelly’s turn now.
Our investment in health infrastructure and front-line health services is, of course, of key importance. I said in response to questions on the budget statement on Tuesday that I would come back in the spring to set out our investment pipeline, based on those priorities but also taking into account the capital cuts from the UK Government, which will have an impact on infrastructure. However, I am happy to continue to engage with Annabelle Ewing and will ensure that I update her in due course on the particular facility that she has referred to.
Scotgold Resources Ltd
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scotgold Resources Ltd regarding any support that can be provided to employees who may lose their jobs at its Cononish gold mine near Tyndrum, in light of the reported announcement that the company has gone into administration. (S6O-02925)
Following a petition to wind up, as it is referred to, the Scottish Government’s partnership action for continuing employment team, known as PACE, contacted Scotgold Resources Ltd to offer PACE support to any employees who might be facing redundancy.
Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the amount of time that individuals affected by redundancy are out of work. The owners have appointed administrators Pitcher Partners in Australia, which our PACE team has also contacted, and PACE stands ready to support workers in that situation and in other redundancy situations. The service can be accessed through Skills Development Scotland’s online services offer, and at SDS centres, for anyone who is looking for redundancy-related advice.
I have been contacted by an employee of Scotgold Resources who, despite being told that they are entitled to resign and claim redundancy, has not been paid. What actions can those 80 employees take to ensure that they receive the remuneration to which they are entitled?
I think that we would want to agree at the outset that the Scottish Government wants everyone who is made redundant to receive all moneys that are owed to them, and I hope that the situation is resolved as soon as possible. It is, however, a matter for the administrator.
Responsibility for dealing with employee claims in insolvency is reserved to the United Kingdom Government and is dealt with by the redundancy payments service. If the employer is no longer trading but has not registered as insolvent, individuals might be able either to make a claim to an employment tribunal or, if their employer registers as insolvent later in the process, to contact the redundancy payment service. Individuals can also access free advice on their options through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service helpline.
That concludes general questions.
11:57 Meeting suspended.12:00 On resuming—