Official Report 540KB pdf
Social Justice and Housing
The first portfolio this afternoon is social justice and housing. I remind members that questions 3 to 5 have been grouped and that I will take any supplementary questions on them after all three have been answered. If a member wishes to ask a supplementary question, they should press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question.
Housing Policy (Western Isles)
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that housing policy supports population retention and growth in the Western Isles, in light of concerns reportedly raised by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding barriers to housing delivery. (S7O-00309)
The Scottish Government’s national islands plan has population retention and attraction at its heart. It includes a commitment to deliver more affordable homes and complements our rural and islands housing action plan, which recognises housing as fundamental to supporting sustainable communities.
We are backing that ambition with significant investment in rural and islands housing. Through our affordable housing supply programme, we are providing £38 million to the council over four years, alongside demand-led support through the £370 million rural and islands housing fund and the £25 million rural affordable homes for key workers fund, which will help communities to retain and attract the people they need.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has highlighted to the cabinet secretary its frustration that the resource planning assumption that it has been provided with through the affordable housing supply programme is at risk of being unspent in future years due to the restrictions of the current model. Meanwhile, the comhairle has identified a number of opportunities that could deliver much-needed housing in my constituency, including investment in the croft house grant scheme, the potential for support for private self-builds and home improvement, and shared equity development. Will the cabinet secretary commit to further exploring the possibility of providing flexibility with those funding streams, to meeting the comhairle and to taking a more holistic approach to the delivery of housing in rural and island areas?
I welcome Donald MacKinnon’s question. I think that I have already written to the council with an offer to meet it. The material that it sent me included various proposals on how to tackle the issue.
In the meantime, I assure Donald MacKinnon that we are keen to consider how we can use our funds to benefit all parts of Scotland. For example, there is a specific workstream on how our agency will help rural and islands communities, and we are ensuring that our rural and islands grants are delivering what people want, with the criteria matching what people need the funds to do.
I will double check, but I am pretty sure that that meeting should be in my diary or on its way to being in my diary. I look forward to updating Donald MacKinnon on those issues, and perhaps catching up with him in the future, should he wish me to do so.
The Scottish Government’s commitment is to deliver, by 2032, 110,000 affordable homes, 70 per cent of which will be available for social rent and 10 per cent of which will be in rural and islands communities. What progress is being made towards delivering that 10 per cent in our rural and islands communities?
We are committed to that target for 2032, particularly the target for rural and islands communities. Between 23 March 2022 and the end of 2025, we delivered 28,536 affordable homes, of which 5,890 were in such communities. That represents about 20 per cent of the affordable homes that were delivered during that period, so we significantly exceeded the 10 per cent target. As I said to Donald MacKinnon, we are challenging ourselves to ensure that our funding streams work for all parts of Scotland, including our rural and islands communities.
Homelessness (Local Authority Acquisition and Buy-back Schemes)
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, in that I am a councillor in Fife.
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its support for local authority acquisition and buy-back schemes in reducing homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation. (S7O-00310)
The Scottish Government recognises the important role that acquisitions and buy-back schemes can play in increasing affordable housing supply and helping households move from temporary to permanent accommodation. Based on management information, Fife has benefited significantly from the £120 million targeted acquisition programme. In total, there has been more than £6.2 million of investment over two years to help to deliver 99 social rented homes for the people of Fife. Acquisitions continue to be supported through the affordable housing supply programme and are targeted according to local housing needs identified by the council.
Fife lost about 40,000 council houses due to the right-to-buy scheme. Despite Scottish Government funding and support to acquire homes and expand social housing stock, only a fraction of those losses have been replaced. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, although the Scottish Government has provided the means to act, Labour-run Fife Council has failed to grasp the opportunity to expand acquisitions of former council houses?
I thank David Barratt for raising two important issues. One is the recognition, which the Government made a long time ago, of the impact of the right to buy. I am pleased that the Prime Minister is now looking to end the grip of that in the English system.
The member also points to the important area of acquisitions. The reason that Fife Council has taken those steps is, in large part, because we had a dedicated fund for it. I am disappointed that the Labour local administration did not see the benefit of that before that fund came to fruition, despite the Scottish National Party’s grip on the council, which ensured that the point was made. I hope that the council will continue with acquisitions as part of its affordable housing supply programme, because it is an important aspect of how we can deliver more homes and do so quickly.
I remind members that questions and answers should be short.
In Edinburgh, provision of temporary accommodation is still falling far short of what is needed. Last September, the Scottish Government updated the housing emergency action plan, which included a request for local authorities in Scotland proactively to contact all relevant households to discuss the option of flipping their temporary accommodation property to permanent where appropriate. That was to be accompanied by a fund to help replenish temporary housing that had been flipped. What progress has been made in delivering on the commitment to help replenish temporary accommodation lost to flipping, including any funding allocated and any guidance issued to councils?
Flipping tenancies is another important aspect of this issue, as well as acquisitions. Some councils do that tremendously well and others do not. I recognise that the council in Edinburgh now has a strategy and a route map to tackle the temporary accommodation issue, and flipping is one of the areas in that strategy. The member will be aware that it is for City of Edinburgh Council to work with its registered social landlord partners on how that can be taken forward.
I would be happy to provide the member with further details of that in writing.
Homelessness
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest annual homelessness statistics. (S7O-00311)
Homelessness figures remain far too high, which is why we are shifting our approach from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing. Through our £50 million homelessness prevention fund, the £115 million investment in discretionary housing payments, the £2 million fund to leave scheme and the delivery of 1,500 housing first tenancies, we are supporting people before they reach crisis point. Our investment of up to £4.9 billion will also support the delivery of 36,000 affordable homes.
With pressures rising across the United Kingdom, I urge the UK Government to scrap the local housing allowance freeze and its plans to defund councils to address home office policy failures.
Homelessness charities such as Crisis have warned that Scotland’s homelessness statistics will remain stubbornly high without considerable focus and investment in homelessness prevention. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that is necessary? Can she advise what the Scottish Government is doing to implement meaningful change in delivering homelessness prevention?
In my original answer I mentioned some of the work that we are doing. The reason that we are investing in homelessness prevention is to support people before they experience crisis. We do that through £30.5 million of prevention activity through the local government settlement, and we have made a record £115 million-worth of discretionary housing payments this year.
Paul McLennan will be well aware of the policies and provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 relating to the ask-and-act duty, which Crisis was absolutely pivotal in developing and ensuring were included in the legislation. I look forward to working with Crisis to ensure that the policy and legislation that we have passed on the ask-and-act duty come to fruition, are implemented, and have the impact that we all want them to have.
Homelessness (Households in Temporary Accommodation)
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest homelessness statistics showing that 19,004 households are in temporary accommodation, the highest recorded figure, whether it considers that it has met its 2023 commitment to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 2026. (S7O-00312)
The latest statistics show the scale of the challenge that we face in tackling homelessness. Although the pressures are not unique to Scotland, we are taking decisive action to prevent homelessness and reduce the need for temporary accommodation.
As I mentioned in response to Paul McLennan, we have shifted our approach from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing. Our £50 million homelessness prevention fund and the delivery of 1,500 housing first tenancies will support people before they reach crisis.
It is appalling that homelessness is at record levels, but the fact that there are now almost 4,000 more households in temporary accommodation than when the Government published its paper on “Reducing the use of temporary accommodation” puts the failure right at the door of this Scottish National Party Government. How much responsibility does the Government take for the ambition that was set out in that paper having failed? Given this Government’s apparent inability to arrest the increase, does the evidence point towards further rises by March 2027?
We are absolutely determined to do everything that we can, as I have mentioned, both in the preventative space and through the supply of affordable homes, to help people out of temporary accommodation. That is exactly why we have committed £4.9 billion to building more homes and to our continued work on homelessness prevention.
I would have more time for the anxiety that the member is expressing today if, at any point during our budget processes, he had argued that we should spend more on housing and homelessness issues. He shakes his head, but coming here to say that more should be done, while never challenging the Government to provide more funding in that area, makes for a slightly less useful discussion between the member and me. If he wishes to have that discussion in the run-up to this budget, he would be more than welcome to do so; my door is open.
Homelessness
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to its annual homelessness statistics, which show that homelessness is at its highest recorded level in many parts of the country. (S7O-00313)
We are taking action to tackle homelessness and accelerate housing supply, including by investing up to £4.9 billion over four years to support delivery of 36,000 affordable homes. The best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening, and we are investing heavily in preventative measures, including our homelessness prevention fund.
We will continue to do everything that we can, and we will ensure that we work with the United Kingdom Government, if it is willing to work with us, to address its failures on the local housing allowance and Home Office policy.
I agree that preventing homelessness from happening in the first place is the most effective way to end it for good.
As it stands, 15 pilot schemes are being run to test new homelessness prevention duties that were introduced as part of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025. Those end in December, with evaluation of the pilots not due until the following summer. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it would be a waste if those successful pilots were forced to pause until the evaluation has been carried out? Will funding be made available for the pilots to continue and operate into next year?
Evaluation of the pilot schemes continues. It is already clear from the pilots that some of the work can lead to permanent changes in service provision and ways of working. Rather than having to be extended and additional funding for them having to be provided, the schemes are demonstrating that changes to our ways of working and our systems approach can be embedded in current services. I appreciate that that might not be the case in every area, but that is exactly why I am keen, as I mentioned to Paul McLennan, to work with Crisis and others to take forward the learning from those pilot schemes and see what lessons we can learn for the future.
The homelessness crisis has been exacerbated by the failure to build more homes. In the year to 2026, the number of completions was down 11 per cent when it was supposed to be going in the other direction. Does the cabinet secretary accept that we have a problem with ensuring access to land that we can actually build houses on?
We have the houses on paper, but in terms of them being viable for construction, we have a serious problem. Can the cabinet secretary set out what steps she is taking to ensure that more land is available to build houses on?
Willie Rennie is quite right to challenge me on the issue of overall build numbers, but we have clearly seen a quite substantial uptick in the number of approvals and starts through the affordable housing supply programme, for example. Only today, I met Homes for Scotland to talk about that and other issues, including access to land. I attended that meeting with Hannah Mary Goodlad, in recognition of the interplay between housing and planning.
We have already worked on issues—I have repeated my ask to work jointly with Homes for Scotland—involving sites where planning permission has been given but development is not taking place. I have invited it to work with us in an open-book fashion to test the viability of some of those projects and to see why they are not happening. Is it an issue to do with planning? Is it an issue to do with something in the public sector? Is it an issue to do with financial viability? What funds are available?
In the light of this morning’s meeting, I reassure Willie Rennie of the work that we are doing, which I will keep him updated on, as I am sure that stakeholders will.
I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s candid responses, but we have to be honest about the scale of the challenge that the country faces. A record 10,715 children now live in temporary accommodation. What urgent action will the Government take to address that crisis, and will the cabinet secretary commit to providing additional support in areas such as Glasgow and Edinburgh where the crisis is large?
Although I absolutely recognise the challenges highlighted by the statistics that were published on homelessness, I point to the fact that, in 2025-26, the number of children who were associated with homelessness applications had decreased by 10 per cent when compared to the figure for 2024-25. I hope that that is the start of our preventative measures having an impact and preventing homelessness from happening in the first place. I hope that Iris Duane agrees that that is the right thing to do.
The number of children in temporary accommodation is far too high and the length of time that they spend in it is far too long. That is exactly why we are looking at what more can be done to assist families with children, particularly larger families or those who find it difficult to move out of temporary accommodation because of the type of accommodation that they need, and to help local authorities with the most challenging cases. I am giving very serious consideration to how we address that, and I would welcome Iris Duane’s thoughts on it as we look to next year’s budget.
Home Adaptations for Disabled People
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate steps it will take to reduce waiting times for home adaptations to ensure that disabled people are allocated properties that meet their individual needs. (S7O-00314)
The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that timely housing adaptations play in enabling disabled people to live independently in homes that meet their needs.
The overall responsibility for the planning and delivery of adaptations lies with integration joint boards. The Scottish Government is taking action to support improvements by reviewing the adaptations system to identify opportunities to streamline processes and better target resources; improving the accessibility of new homes through our updated housing for varying needs guidance and the development of a new Scottish accessible home standard; and protecting the £20.9 million budget for adaptations in registered social landlord properties.
Local authorities and RSLs are responsible for their allocations policies and should take account of individual housing needs.
There is emerging evidence that disabled people are being offered homes that they cannot use, with some wheelchair users left trapped in multistorey blocks by unreliable lifts. The cabinet secretary will know that the complexity of the adaptations funding system varies by tenure and is widely seen as a barrier that keeps disabled people out of the private rented sector and limits their choice and control. Will she commit to simplifying that system, publish waiting times data by local authority and ensure that the forthcoming research from Citizens Advice Scotland, the Glasgow Disability Alliance and Shelter Scotland is acted on rather than simply noted?
I am pretty sure that I have a meeting in my diary with those organisations to discuss that publication in due course. The member has asked for something that I am already doing. I said in my original answer that we are reviewing the adaptations system to identify opportunities to streamline the process and better target resources. I hope that I can reassure the member that, as I said in my original answer, that review is being undertaken.
It would be helpful if questions and answers could be shorter to enable more backbench questioners to be brought in.
Homelessness (Veterans)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to meet the housing needs of veterans who are either at risk of becoming or have already become homeless. (S7O-00315)
Scotland has the strongest housing and homelessness rights of anywhere in the United Kingdom. Anyone who is at risk of or experiencing homelessness, including veterans, is entitled to help to secure a permanent home or temporary accommodation if they need it in the short term. This year, we are providing councils across Scotland with £15.7 billion to fund local services, including homelessness services. Recent homelessness statistics showed an 8 per cent decrease in the number of veterans being assessed as homeless in Scotland. Although the numbers are still too high, that decrease is a sign that our actions are having a positive impact for veterans.
The region of Fife is not just my home but home to one of the highest populations of veterans in Scotland. I have had the opportunity to speak with veterans, both last week at Holyrood and in visits across my region, many of whom have reflected the opinions that were expressed by the Scottish Veterans Commissioner in her report this month. She was disappointed by the Scottish Government’s “limited progress” in supporting our veterans, not just on housing but on their economic security and health and mental wellbeing. The Scots who fought for our country deserve better. Does the Scottish Government agree?
It is worth highlighting that, of the 24 recommendations in the veterans homelessness prevention pathway, three are completed and 17 are in progress for completion. My officials have worked with the Veterans Scotland housing group to identify the five top key priorities for the pathway recommendations, and we will continue to work with partners, including Veterans Scotland and the commissioner, to ensure that progress is made against those recommendations, both to prevent homelessness and to improve housing outcomes for veterans.
In my constituency of Renfrewshire North and Cardonald, Erskine Veterans Charity provides an invaluable range of services, including a modernised model that delivers diverse housing options and support that is tailored to veterans’ needs. What further actions is the Scottish Government taking in collaboration with veterans charities such as Erskine to meet the evolving needs of veterans across Scotland?
I join Michelle Campbell in recognising the invaluable contribution that Erskine and other veterans organisations make across Scotland. She points to the important work that they do. Another example of the work that the Government is doing in the area is that we fund Housing Options Scotland, which provides specialist housing information and advice, including for veterans. That partnership approach helps to ensure that services evolve to meet the changing needs of veterans and their families. It is important that we provide that funding but also work alongside charities such as Erskine.
Poverty (No Wrong Door Approach)
To ask the Scottish Government how its proposed approach to addressing poverty, no wrong door, will ensure that families experiencing financial hardship receive joined-up support at the earliest opportunity. (S7O-00316)
We are committed to families receiving support when and where they need it and for as long as they need it, and our commitment to whole-family support is underlined by approaches such as no wrong door, which supports partners to take preventative action and ensure that families who are experiencing financial hardship receive joined-up and tailored wraparound support at the earliest opportunity.
Our tackling child poverty delivery plan sets out a range of actions to deliver that support, including the introduction of a £20 million fund for third sector organisations, for this and future years on a multiyear basis, to enable local-led delivery.
Families who experience financial hardship often need to navigate multiple agencies and services and retell their situation multiple times. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to community-based key workers, who can support people to access all the support that they are entitled to as quickly as possible, which avoids exacerbating an already stressful situation. Will the cabinet secretary outline how that provision will be expanded, including in East Kilbride? Will she also set out how the impact of the no wrong door approach will be monitored and how it will tackle the scourge of child poverty?
Collette Stevenson raises an important point, because that issue is public service reform in action. She is right to point out that, over time, the public sector has become complicated and therefore complex for people to find their way around. The whole family wellbeing funding that is being provided to South Lanarkshire, which is estimated to be just over £10 million, supports a shift towards prevention and early intervention, changing the way that we provide services to people. I am delighted that family support hubs now operate in four localities, including in East Kilbride, and I hope that the member is reassured that the Government is fully committed to that type of work, which I am sure will have a positive impact on her constituents.
I hear from families in Uddingston and Bellshill who are facing a range of pressures, on issues such as housing, household costs, employment, childcare and access to addiction services, all at the same time. How will the no wrong door approach ensure that families who present with one problem are not simply signposted elsewhere but get help to identify and address the wider issues that they are facing?
Steven Bonnar is right to point out that, to date, public services—with the best of intent—have often provided signposting. That is welcome, but it is not enough, nor is it anywhere near holistic whole family support. That is why it is important that we seek to change the way that we deliver public services, and that is the right thing to do for the people who we are here to serve.
We need to move past signposting or referrals in order to deliver whole family support in a holistic setting that recognises that—as Steven Bonnar said—although an individual may present with one issue or challenge, there could potentially be many issues behind that. Providing such holistic support will help that individual or family from getting into a crisis. It is right for families and it is the best and most effective way of delivering public services.
First Homes Fund
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the uptake of the first homes fund since its introduction. (S7O-00317)
To date, a total of 493 applications have been submitted to the demand-led first homes fund, and it continues to support more first-time buyers into home ownership. The Scottish Government continues to closely monitor uptake of the fund and assess its effectiveness in supporting first-time buyers into home ownership. As part of our ongoing evaluation of the scheme and as we approach phase 2 of its delivery, we are identifying lessons that have been learned and working with partners to further improve accessibility and ensure that the fund reaches those whom it is intended to support.
The first homes fund remains part of our wider package of support for first time buyers, which also includes the open market shared equity scheme. That is also open for applications.
In its manifesto, the Scottish National Party pledged to help 2,000 people with the first homes fund in the first 100 days after the election. The cabinet secretary has just confirmed that there have been 493 applications, which is less than a quarter of that target. Crucially, the scheme is not actually doing anything to encourage house building or increase supply, which is so critical for the housing emergency.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced an equivalent scheme that will enable people to purchase new-build properties with a 2.5 per cent deposit, supported by a 20 per cent Government equity loan. The United Kingdom Government scheme will be only for new builds, so it will encourage house building and increase the supply of homes, which is needed across the UK. Will the cabinet secretary look at the scheme that Andy Burnham has announced and consider what lessons can be learned to properly address Scotland’s housing emergency?
I do not know whether Andy Burnham looked north, saw that the Scottish Government has taken action to support first-time buyers and realised that he should perhaps do so himself. I am a bit puzzled by the suggestion that we should restrict the scheme, if that is the proposition that Jenny Young thinks that we should take forward. As I said to Willie Rennie, I have just met Homes for Scotland, which welcomed the delivery of the first homes fund. I have visited developments that have literally been in the middle of being developed and been told by developers that they are looking forward to the impact that the fund could have on the new-build and improving markets.
I will take seriously what the member has said, but I will also take seriously what I have been told by developers who think that the fund will make a difference. As I said, phase 2 is coming up, and we are considering possible improvements. I am listening to developers—including today—on how we can work on the scheme for phase 2.
I remind members that questions and answers must be short.
Affordable Homes
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce barriers and to support housing providers to accelerate the delivery of affordable homes across Scotland. (S7O-00318)
The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to reduce barriers and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes across Scotland. That includes the introduction of a targeted voids and acquisitions fund, working with the sector to clarify guidance on the flipping of temporary accommodation to permanent housing, and confirming the largest ever multiyear budget for housing of up to £4.9 billion.
Looking ahead, we are reforming the planning system to speed up development, as well as establishing, from April 2027, more homes Scotland, which will be focused on speed, simplicity and scale.
I recently met Angus Housing Association and Caledonia Housing Association, as well as Scotia Homes in Brechin, which is delivering affordable homes locally with Scottish Government support, and they all told me that differing planning requirements across different local authority areas are causing delays, increasing costs and making it harder to get much-needed homes built.
What action can the cabinet secretary and her ministers take to ensure that planning departments do not get in the way of achieving the Government’s housing targets?
In Scotland, we have a plan-led system that takes an evidence-based approach to development that is led through the national planning framework and the local development plans. Our system also has essential flexibility built into it to ensure that planning authorities can react to changing circumstances.
Over the past year, ministers and the chief planner have written to planning authorities to reiterate the need for an emergency-led approach to plan preparation and decision making. I reassure the member that, in addition, over the summer, the Minister for Public Finance engaged with a number of stakeholders, and that, as we committed to do in our programme for government, we will shortly consult on targeted reforms that will tackle concerns about efficiency and complexity. I am sure that some of the issues that Dawn Black raises will be considered as part of that process.
That brings to an end the questions on the social justice and housing portfolio. I remind members that it would be helpful if questions and answers could be shorter to enable me to bring in more back benchers; I was unable to bring in quite a number of members on the previous portfolio.
Economy, Tourism and Transport
The next portfolio is economy, tourism and transport. I remind members that questions 3 and 8 are grouped together and that I will take any supplementaries on those questions after both have been answered.
If a member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question. I again remind members that questions and answers should be brief.
Public Transport (Central Scotland and Lothians West)
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the limited evening and Sunday bus provision in some parts of Central Scotland and Lothians West, whether it will commit to working with local authorities and bus operators to ensure that communities currently without adequate services have access to reliable and affordable public transport throughout the week, including evenings and weekends. (S7O-00319)
I think that all members would sympathise with the desire of those in the member’s area to have better services in place. Ultimately, such matters are primarily a consideration for commercial operators and, indeed, for the local authority. I must express my surprise at having been asked by a Reform MSP for direct state intervention in that regard, because that runs somewhat contrary to the narrative from her party leadership.
Thank you for that response. [Laughter.]
What proportion of the funding provided through the Government’s £55 million bus infrastructure fund for 2026-27 will benefit communities in Central Scotland and Lothians West?
This is a fantastic opportunity for me to outline the investment that we are making in our public services, which is incredibly important to us. Of course, we have put a considerable amount of money into ensuring that we have a £2 bus fare cap in 60 per cent of Scotland, and we provide national concessionary cards to our young people, our older people and our disabled people. However, it is also important to have buses that run in a timely fashion, which is why we are providing £55 million to improve bus infrastructure across Scotland, and we continue to work very closely with local authorities in that regard.
Again, though, that investment in our public infrastructure appears to run contrary to the aims and objectives of Reform UK as a party, and the member could perhaps reflect on that in future contributions.
Eden Project (Dundee)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is planning to support the proposed Eden Project development in Dundee through to delivery. (S7O-00320)
The Eden Project represents a significant opportunity to build on Dundee’s status as a world-class visitor destination. The Scottish Government recognises the potential that a project of this kind can have in contributing to our ambitions for local and regional economic growth, and we are committed to working with the project partners to explore how we can best contribute to the project’s development.
Last year, Dundee City Council found that more tourists visited Dundee in 2024 than in any other year in the previous decade, generating £333 million-worth of economic benefit for the economy in Dundee and supporting 3,500 jobs in the city. Our goal is for Dundee to be recognised as Europe’s best emerging city break destination by 2030.
The minister has recognised the key role that the Eden Project will play in achieving our ambitions for tourism. Will he be willing to visit Dundee to hear more about the project’s plans and, specifically, how it can help to extend overnight stays?
I thank Heather Anderson for her question, and I agree with her outline of the significant strength of the visitor economy in Dundee and, of course, the opportunity for it to grow. I would be more than delighted to come to Dundee and engage with the member and other stakeholders. In fact, I have already had a meeting with the leader of Dundee City Council, at which we discussed a range of issues with regard to economic development opportunities, including the Eden Project. Senior officials will have further dialogue with the local authority in the coming weeks and months, and I am certainly happy to ensure that the member is fully engaged with that, too.
I should also state that the Deputy First Minister has also agreed to meet the Eden Project partners, which again demonstrates the Government’s commitment to engaging and supporting the project.
On a visit to the project site in April, the First Minister said that the Eden Project offered
“an important opportunity to engage people in our transition to a net-zero future.”
What role does the Scottish Government see for the Eden Project in Dundee in building public support for and understanding of net zero, and in delivering a greener economy for our future?
The member has raised a really important point, and obviously, the Eden Project can play a vital role in that respect. I should share with the member that, just this morning, I visited Edinburgh zoo to discuss these very matters, recognising the importance of the action that we are taking this week to redouble our efforts on climate and, indeed, to address the risks to biodiversity posed by a changing climate. Education plays such an important part in ensuring that we not only maintain but build consent and social licence, and I think that the Eden Project can clearly play an important part in contributing to that agenda.
Bus and Haulage Sector (Decarbonisation)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the bus and haulage sector to decarbonise. (S7O-00321)
I am more than happy to answer that. Through the Scottish zero emission bus challenge fund—ScotZEB—and its predecessor scheme, we have invested almost £200 million to support over 1,100 low and zero-emission buses. We also run the heavy goods vehicle market readiness fund. However, I am sure that the irony of a Reform UK member talking about decarbonisation will not be lost on the chamber.
Well, we could do without the snotty responses.
Hydrogen could be an important part of our future energy mix, but progress in using it as a zero-emission fuel has stalled. The United Kingdom Government-backed HyHAUL project has closed, and Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems has gone into administration. Given the public investment in developing hydrogen and zero-emission heavy vehicle capability in Scotland, what assessment has the Scottish Government made of the outcomes and lessons from that investment to date? What role does it now see for hydrogen for HGVs in Scotland? Finally, can it provide an update on the current status of the low-carbon transport applications centre? Serious questions demand serious answers.
And there were quite a number of questions there, Mr Simpson. Questions, and answers, must be kept short.
The truth hurts, Mr Simpson.
I assume that Mr Simpson is referring to potential green hydrogen opportunities. Green hydrogen requires significant amounts of electricity from renewable projects. I hope that that is an indication from Mr Simpson that he and his party now believe that offshore wind is not a choice but a necessity as we seek to decarbonise transport in Scotland and, indeed, across the rest of Europe.
Bus Sector (Decarbonisation)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to boost the decarbonisation of bus networks while supporting domestic bus manufacturing. (S7O-00326)
I know that Mr Bouse is a passionate advocate in this area. He knows that, through phase 3 of the Scottish zero emission bus challenge fund, we have awarded £45 million to support the deployment of zero-emission buses and charging and refuelling infrastructure across Scotland. In particular, since 2020, Alexander Dennis has secured around 484 vehicle orders through ScotZEB and its predecessor schemes. I know that that is important to him. We have much more work to do, and we will continue in that regard.
Since 2020, the Scottish Government has supported the purchasing of many hundreds of electric buses through the Scottish ultra-low-emission bus and ScotZEB subsidy schemes. However, the constraints of section 17.1 of the United Kingdom’s Subsidy Control Act 2022 have meant that some operators have sourced vehicles for municipal bus and private coach fleets from overseas. What further support will the Scottish Government provide domestic manufacturers such as ADL, which would enable Scotland’s transport network to benefit from the generations of local engineering experience, reduce embedded carbon emissions and safeguard highly skilled jobs?
Mr Bouse has struck on an important point about the fact that we need to operate within the terms of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, which prevents us from requiring operators to purchase buses from a specific manufacturer. However, as Mr Bouse has rightly highlighted, we have been able to invest in hundreds of buses across Scotland. We intend to do much more going forward. That is on top of the £30 million in research and development support that we were able to provide to Alexander Dennis—[Interruption.]
Apparently, Reform UK members find it funny that we invest in zero-emission buses in Scotland. It is important to reiterate that the Subsidy Control Act 2022 is the responsibility of the UK Government. We will continue to engage constructively with the Government in that regard.
Rail freight produces around 76 per cent less carbon per tonne than road haulage. Given the existing rail capacity at the Grangemouth port, what can the Scottish Government do to establish regular freight services and reduce heavy goods vehicle traffic through surrounding residential communities?
I call Willie Rennie; my apologies—it should be Stephen Flynn.
I thought for a second that the convener of the Transport Committee had received a promotion. He is welcome to take the hot seat any time that he likes, Deputy Presiding Officer. [Laughter.]
This is a serious point. We all want more freight to travel by rail. Over the summer, I was able to visit West Fraser, where £3 million-worth of investment has had a transformative impact and is getting HGVs off the road into rail. That has had a positive impact on surrounding areas and the transport network heading south. If we can do more of that across Scotland, that would be a good thing, and I am happy to work towards those aims with Mr Day.
I call Mr Rennie to ask a question.
The cabinet secretary will have to tread carefully with his answer because of live legal proceedings on ScotZEB 3. What confidence can he give the successful bidders who are committing £118 million on top of the £45 million from the Government that the Government’s funding will be forthcoming, no matter what happens, so that they can go ahead and build the buses?
Mr Rennie is right to say that I must tread carefully due to ongoing legal matters. I give him and other members the assurance that the Scottish Government's commitment to the decarbonisation of our bus fleet is real. We have delivered significant investment over many years. It is my hope and expectation that we will be able to continue with that good work.
Proposed Food Price Cap
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns from groups representing retail, farming and food manufacturing bodies calling for its proposed statutory food price cap policy to be withdrawn. (S7O-00322)
I welcome engagement with the Government’s proposal to improve the affordability of essential food items during a severe cost of living crisis. We are currently holding a public consultation that will inform our next steps.
We cannot ignore the fact that food prices have risen significantly in recent years and they continue to place pressure on household budgets, particularly for those on lower incomes. We believe that the Government has a responsibility to act where there is a clear public interest in doing so. As I said, we are gathering evidence and engaging with stakeholders across the food system to ensure that all views are carefully considered.
I wonder whether the minister has noted that former Scottish National Party minister Fergus Ewing has added his voice to the growing consensus that the scheme needs to be scrapped, calling the food price cap a “dud”, “madcap” and “possibly illegal”, and adding that the Scottish Government seems to have learned no lessons from past policy disasters such as the deposit return scheme. Will the Scottish Government now recognise those criticisms and cancel the scheme before real harm is done to consumers, retailers, manufacturers and farmers?
There is no scheme in place. We are consulting.
In six years in this Parliament, I have seen some humdingers of SNP policies, but this one hums and dings more than any before. Is it not clear that the policy would have huge unintended consequences, including more pressure on producers and more farmers going to the wall, a big increase in the cost of non-essential items as the profit margin shifted from one product to another, and less Scottish produce and more cheap foreign imports on our shelves? Is it not time that the Government simply ditched this madcap triple whammy of damage that could be unleashed on Scotland’s retailers and consumers?
I welcome the member’s engagement on the issue. He obviously has strong views on the matter, and I am sure that he will take the opportunity to respond to the consultation and to engage in that process. I assure him that all responses will be considered.
I will continue, as I did this morning, to engage with a range of stakeholders the length and breadth of the food system in Scotland. At the conclusion of the process of consultation and engagement, the Government and ministers will be in a position to determine what next steps, if any, should be taken. I thank the member for his sustained interest in the matter and I look forward to his continued thoughtful engagement on it.
A96 (Dualling)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its plans, including preparation of the business case and a timetable, to dual the A96. (S7O-00323)
Both I and Mr Eagle are very familiar with the A96. He will know only too well about the commitment in our manifesto, and in the programme for government, to take forward the full dualling of the A96. Work is already under way in respect of the connection to Nairn and the Nairn bypass. If there are further updates to be provided to the Parliament, I will be more than happy to do that.
It is exciting, because we are just three years away from the original Scottish National Party promise to dual the A96 by 2030, yet, oddly, nothing has happened. The residents of Nairn, Keith and Elgin are, unsurprisingly, still waiting for a bypass. The 2029 construction start date for Nairn is not even guaranteed, yet 2,000 new houses and significant road works are about to cause further chaos.
I understand that the cabinet secretary is talking about budgets post the spending review. Can he confirm that he has secured the funding and that construction will start in Nairn—with no ifs and no buts—by 2029?
I assure the member that I will always fight to ensure that the commitments that we have made to the people of Scotland will be delivered in line with the timeframes that we have set out.
The cabinet secretary will know that the costs of current road upgrade programmes range from a low £20 million per mile to more than £30 million per mile for the most recently announced sections. That makes the roads some of the most expensive highways in Europe. Given that reforms to Transport Scotland have been announced, what specific measures will be taken so that we have cost-effective road upgrades? Will those measures be delivered in time for the A96 programme?
I know that Mr Johnson has a keen interest in the matter, and we have had engagement in that respect. I assure him that Transport Scotland’s officials and the Government are fully focused on ensuring that we deliver our projects in the quickest and most financially sustainable fashion. I am happy to continue to engage with Mr Johnson in that regard.
Large Commercial Retailers
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to support large commercial retailers, such as Silverburn shopping centre in the Cathcart and Pollok constituency, which contribute £414 million in economic activity annually and support 8,713 jobs. (S7O-00324)
The Scottish Government recognises the important role that retail, hospitality and leisure destinations such as Silverburn shopping centre play in Scotland’s economy. They support thousands of jobs and bring significant investment to communities. We are supporting those businesses to invest and grow through a range of measures including non-domestic rates relief, which will save Scottish ratepayers more than £870 million in 2026-27. We are also reviewing the non-domestic rates system and consulting on planning reforms to support investment. Together, those actions will strengthen Scotland’s retail, hospitality and leisure sectors and sustain the jobs and economic benefits that they provide.
Silverburn shopping centre not only provides jobs but also significantly contributes to the local economy. It recruits most of its workers from the local Pollok community. It operates as a real living wage employer and has actively reduced its carbon emissions by more than 44 per cent since 2019. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to promote those responsible business patterns in other large commercial retailers?
I recognise the points that the member raises about the responsibility that Silverburn is showing in its commitments around the real living wage and its approach to employing local residents. That is very welcome and it is something that we want to see more of. Silverburn is a major contributor to the economy in the area. I appreciate that this might be before the member’s time, but people of my generation will remember it as the Pollok centre and have fond childhood memories of the rather impressive mechanical clock that was there.
We are absolutely committed to working and engaging with the retail sector to promote and support it. It is often the sector that provides people’s first jobs and, as such, it represents an important ladder in progressing through employment. Several actions are being taken through our retail strategy and the work of the industry leadership group. I stress to the member that I recognise Silverburn’s importance to the local economy and the wider retail sector, and I would be happy to engage with him further on those matters.
CMAL (Procurement Processes)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd will no longer publish the names or locations of shipyards bidding for the MV Lord of the Isles replacement contract or any future vessel tenders. (S7O-00325)
Decisions about what information is published are a matter for CMAL as the procuring authority. In making those decisions, CMAL must balance openness and transparency with the need to protect commercially sensitive information and support a fair procurement process that ensures value for money for the Scottish taxpayer.
The balance seems out of kilter to me. The new United Kingdom procurement policy note 025 explicitly instructs contracting authorities to treat shipbuilding as a national security priority and it empowers them to restrict procurements to domestic suppliers. However, just months after CMAL handed a major ferry contract for the northern isles to China, it is now hiding behind commercial confidentiality and has concealed the shortlist for that procurement after, in effect, excluding all UK shipyards from bidding.
Why is the Government allowing CMAL to use that sleekit legal loophole to keep the identities of state-subsidised foreign shipyards secret instead of using the new powers to protect Scottish industry? Will the cabinet secretary order CMAL to publish that shortlist today?
I am not sure whether Mr Sweeney listened to my initial answer, so I will repeat it for him. We expect CMAL to balance openness and transparency with the need to protect commercially sensitive information and support a fair procurement process that ensures value for money for the Scottish taxpayer. That is what CMAL is doing, and that is what I expect it to continue to do.
Can the cabinet secretary confirm that CMAL’s approach to publishing information on bidders is intended to protect fair competition and secure the best possible value for island communities?
Yes, I can. That question is a welcome antidote to Mr Sweeney’s hyperbole.
Question 9, from Q Manivannan, was not lodged.
Borders Railway (Extension to Hawick and Carlisle)
To ask the Scottish Government what commitment it will give to extending the Borders railway beyond Tweedbank to Hawick and Carlisle. (S7O-00328)
We are supporting the agreed Borderlands inclusive growth deal work to assess the case for extending the Borders railway to Carlisle. Through the deal, the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments have each committed up to £5 million to explore the opportunities and challenges of the proposal. Scottish Borders Council is leading the work on behalf of the Borderlands partnership, and the findings will inform future decisions on how the scheme should be progressed.
Bill McLaren famously said that a day out of Hawick is a day wasted. He would surely have championed extending the Borders railway to Hawick and beyond that to Carlisle, opening up the region to visitors, businesses and investment.
Back in the 2010s, it was the Liberal Democrats who delivered the reintroduction of the railway to the Borders. Although I welcome the feasibility study that is under way, campaigners have been kept waiting on the platform for too long and they are frustrated by the timescales for the three phases of the process. Can the cabinet secretary give a commitment to provide clear timeframes to get the project off the drawing board and on to the rails?
This is not a Scottish Government project. It is being led by the local authority. I am pleased that the council has now appointed specialist transport consultants to take forward the strategic outline business case, and my understanding is that the work is expected to be completed within the next 18 months. I assure Mr Dunlop that my officials will be paying close attention to that work, as will I.
The feasibility study is already under way. I ask the cabinet secretary to come down to Hawick to meet the Campaign for Borders Rail. Aligning bus and rail transport is an important aspect of enabling people to get to work, but that responsibility is often shouldered by local authorities with very limited budgets. Can the cabinet secretary tell me how he will improve and integrate public transport in order to get more people off the roads and on to rail?
That requires significant co-operation and partnership between commercial operators, but we are happy to take on any suggestions that Ms Hamilton has in that regard.
Ms Hamilton has invited me down to the Borders, and my office has been trying really hard to ensure that that visit happens. I am desperate to get to the Borders to have a meeting with Ms Hamilton and the campaigners. My understanding is that the latest proposal is for early December, and I hope that we can get that agreed.
[Inaudible.]
Unfortunately, your microphone does not seem to be working, Mr Hoy. Will you try again?
It is working now. I thank the cabinet secretary for his positive response to my colleague Rachael Hamilton. He will be aware that I have invited him to visit Beattock to meet rail campaigners there. If he wants to do a double whammy that day, he could join us in Langholm, which is also in the feasibility study, so that we can discuss how it could benefit from an extension to the Borders railway. While he is visiting Dumfriesshire, perhaps I could also take him on a bus to show him why we need more buses.
I thank Mr Hoy for his multiple, very kind invitations to come down to the Borders. I am more than happy to assess whether it is possible to include him in my diary in that regard. Otherwise, I am sure that he is more than welcome to join me and his colleague Ms Hamilton.
That brings us to the end of portfolio questions. I apologise to those members from whom I was unable to take questions.