Chamber and committees

In 2023-24, 99,050 of 259,865 Crisis Grant applications decided upon were declined.

In 2024-25, 91,845 of 245,315 Crisis Grant applications decided upon were declined.

In 2025-26, 89,980 of 257,980 Crisis Grant applications decided upon were declined.

Applications received and decisions made in a year do not always align, as some applications may be decided in a different financial year from that in which they were received.

The Government’s Proposal for Reform of Local Governance is a starting point for discussion. It is intended to facilitate debate and discussion with the objective of establishing a measure of shared agreement about the scale and the broad shape that reform could take.

The role of authorities in the planning system will be part of this dialogue. Our proposals should mean decisions are taken closer to people where that could improve local outcomes, on the services and functions most appropriate. The existing framework for local development plans remains in place at present and we are supporting their timely delivery.

The proposed list of items that may be covered by any future draft legislation has not yet been determined and will be informed by responses to the consultation and wider stakeholder engagement.

The consultation does, however, specifically seek views on whether foods that meet specific nutritional needs, such as infant formula, should be included within any future price control scheme. I would encourage anyone with views or lived experience of this issue to submit a response to the consultation, including their views on whether such an approach would be effective and whether any additional measures may be required to improve affordability.

In 2023-24, 27.8% (27,545) of declined Crisis Grant applications were recorded as Excluded as a result of previous application history. In 2024-25, the equivalent figure was 25.0% (22,950), and in 2025-26 it was 26.7% (23,980).

The category, Excluded as a result of previous application history, covers a range of circumstances related to an applicant's previous application history and is not limited to cases where a previous award was the reason for refusal. It is also possible that applications where previous support was a relevant factor may have been recorded under another category.

The Scottish Government monitors tourism sector performance through a range of data sources and stakeholder intelligence. The tourism sector is performing strongly in many areas, including short-term let accommodation - with the number of Scottish short-term let listings in March 2026 10% higher than in March 2025 and 8% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Guest nights booked in short-term lets also increased by 11% in 2025 compared with 2024, and were 4% higher in June 2026. This compares favourably with the UK as a whole, where demand declined slightly (down 1%). Short-term let occupancy rates in June 2026 (57%) remained stable compared with the previous year and continued to exceed the UK average (47%).

Business and regulatory considerations were one of the impact assessments undertaken during development of the licensing scheme. Since short-term let licensing commenced in 2022, we have already provided written and verbal updates to Parliament in 2023 and 2025, as well as a report published in 2024. In addition, licensing authorities will conduct their own impact assessments as they periodically review, consult and update their policy statements.

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires Scottish Ministers to review and report on the operation of the Act, as soon as reasonably practicable 3 years after the first levy scheme comes into effect. The report must set out an assessment of the impact of visitor levy schemes on businesses and communities.

The Government’s Proposal for Reform of Local Governance is a starting point for discussion. It is intended to facilitate debate and discussion with the objective of establishing a measure of shared agreement about the scale and the broad shape that reform could take.

The possible functions of regional authorities, community authorities and the national parks will be a key part of discussions going forward.

I welcome the engagement from trade unions in public service reform discussions so far. Mr McKee and I met with union representatives during summer recess, and the STUC participated in our Public Service Reform Summit at the end of September. The recently published proposals are intended to be a starting point for dialogue and a programme of wider engagement with stakeholders is now underway, with a roundtable discussion with trade union representatives due to take place later this week.

The planning system has limited scope to control what specific goods are sold within shops. In addition, creating a discrete use class for the sale of vapes, lithium-ion batteries and/or highly combustible materials, would not automatically mean that planning permission was required in all cases where such goods are sold.

The Scottish Government’s latest published homelessness statistics show that the number of veterans assessed as homeless has decreased by 8 per cent. However, we know that some veterans still face challenges accessing and sustaining housing.

The Scottish Government accepted in principle all 24 recommendations in the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Pathway, which are aimed at preventing homelessness among veterans. Of these, three have been completed, 17 are in progress and four have yet to commence.

Responsibility for the delivery of the pathway recommendations is shared across several organisations. While the Scottish Government has responsibility for 10 of the recommendations, successful implementation requires continued collaboration from all partners, including Veterans Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), housing providers, the Ministry of Defence and a range of partner organisations.

Scottish Government officials have worked with the Veterans Scotland Housing Group to identify the five top priorities from the pathway recommendations, one of which is to establish a working group. We will continue to work with partners, including Veterans Scotland, to ensure progress is made against these.

We will ensure that appropriate governance and oversight arrangements are in place before the end of the year to support implementation of the pathway recommendations.

The Government’s Proposal for Reform of Local Governance is a starting point for discussion. It is intended to facilitate debate and discussion with the objective of establishing a measure of shared agreement about the scale and the broad shape that reform could take.

Planning stakeholders will be part of wider engagement on proposals. Our proposals should mean decisions are taken closer to people where that could improve local outcomes, on the services and functions most appropriate.