Chamber and committees

The second meeting in 2023 of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group was scheduled for 30 March. Following the announcement of the SNP leadership contest, this meeting was postponed and rescheduled for 20 April 2023.

In relation to licensing, the 2022 Act contains permanent provisions which allow notice of some licensing applications under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to be given by publication on a website. It also made provision so that some licensing hearings and alcohol licensing hearings can be held through remote facilities, as well as in person, or through a mixture of both. There are no plans to extend the scope of these provisions of the 2022 Act.

On registration services, the 2022 Act put on a permanent footing the option of remote death registration and introduced permanently the option of remote birth registration. National Records Scotland are developing proposals so that the registers of life events which they operate are held electronically. There are no plans to allow couples to marry or enter a civil partnership remotely. The 2022 Act make permanent provisions for registration in property registers to proceed on a copy of a deed submitted to the Keeper of the Registers by electronic means. There are no plans to extend this further.

The Scottish Government plans to present the draft guidance on the guiding principles on the environment, under the provisions of section 17 of the Continuity Act, before the summer recess.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Scottish Parliament, with support from members of all parties. The use of section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to stop the legislation proceeding to Royal Assent is an unprecedented challenge to the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate on clearly devolved matters.

The Order was made without any specific prior engagement or notification by the Secretary of State during the Bill process. It was made without any specific request for amendments to the Bill from any UK Minister. Since the Order was laid, and despite requests, the Secretary of State and the UK Government have refused to provide any further clarification or engagement with the Scottish Government or Scottish Parliament. We have offered to discuss specific changes to the Bill with the Secretary of State, but given that this offer has not been taken up, it is impossible to know what changes would satisfy the reasons the UK Government has given, particularly as he has highlighted that the existence of two different schemes within the UK is in itself problematic.

To uphold the democratic decision of the Parliament, and ensure proper protection of devolution, Scottish Ministers will now lodge a petition for judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision. The Scottish Government does not consider the reasons set out by him provide sufficient justification for his decision to make an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act. The Scottish Government also believes that the UK Government has not used the power in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Devolved Governments (agreed in 1999 and updated in 2013), or as envisaged when the Scotland Act was passed.

While the Scotland Act conferred the power in Section 35 on the Secretary of State, its use is unprecedented, so it is important to have clarity on the interpretation and scope of the power, and its impact on devolution. Those matters and the use of the power on this occasion should be legally tested in the courts.

The deadline for lodging a petition necessitates doing so during recess but I will make a statement to Parliament after the Easter recess, subject to agreement of the parliamentary bureau.

As is usual in these circumstances, the Scottish Government will not be able to comment on live legal proceedings.

The concept of a Suckler Beef Climate Scheme (SBCS) was one output of the Farmer Led Group initiative, which was followed by the establishment of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).

The ARIOB is supporting the Scottish Government to develop new proposals for sustainable farm support by considering the Climate Change Plan Update and the Farmer-led Groups recommendations, including the recommendations from the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme: Final Report.

In February we published the route map for agriculture reform. The route map provides more detail on how we will deliver the transition process and the steps we will take to get there. Alongside our route map we published a potential list of measures, intended to show farmers and crofters what conditions are being considered for implantation in future support. In this draft list of measures we have identified cattle nutrition, cattle health and genetics as areas of interest for future support conditions, these measures build on the recommendations made in the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme: Final Report which recognised health, nutrition and improved breeding as areas with significant emissions reduction potential.

Decisions on the future support framework and any specific measures will be determined as part of the wider agricultural reform process. Work is ongoing and we remain committed to a co-design approach. This includes continued work with the (ARIOB) and engagement with wider industry.

Between September 2022 and February 2023, 112 electric vehicle charge points were commissioned on to the ChargePlace Scotland network. The Scottish Government does not routinely collate data on electric vehicle charge points added to other public charging networks.

Zap-Map publishes monthly statistics including the total number of public charging devices across the UK and has historically underrepresented CPS data. The Scottish Government understands that Zap-Map resolved this issue in January 2023 and subsequent Zap-Map data sets included the correct number of CPS public charge points.

The high cost of energy prices combined with inflation is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable consumers, including those living with disabilities.

We were disappointed that the UK Government did not answer our calls to extend the Energy Bills Support Scheme as part of its Spring Budget Statement. The removal of the support scheme means a typical household’s annual bill will increase by around 19%. That is why the First Minister recently announced that our Fuel Insecurity Fund will be increased to up to £30 million in the next financial year to support the most vulnerable households in Scotland. In addition, our winter heating payment has been launched, providing a stable and reliable annual £50 payment to around 400,000 low-income individuals. This benefit is an investment of over £20m each year which is more than double the £8.3m provided on average by the UK Government in each of the last 7 years.

Following the progress made at the Scottish Government energy summits held last year, we continue to work with energy suppliers to explore ways to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs on those who are struggling to pay their bills and heat their homes.

The Scottish Government meets with Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow on a regular basis in regards to the delivery of vessels 801 and 802 and the business itself. Scottish Government Ministers have also visited the yard. These engagements are published on the Scottish Government website.

The Scottish Government has no outstanding liabilities in respect of Liberty Steel Dalzell and has engaged with Audit Scotland in relation to this matter.

The following table shows the number of contributory factors in injury road accidents where road surface was poor or defective in Highlands and Islands police division, broken down by council area. In addition to the Highlands and Islands, the North command area also covers Grampian and Tayside. These areas have therefore not been included.