Chamber and committees

The main changes between MHDGN 2022/02 and MHDGN 2023/01 are listed in the ‘Introduction’ section of MHDGN 2023/01. Both guidance notes continue to be available on the Scottish Government website for reference purposes.

Affordable housing investment benchmarks will not apply to the purchase of ‘second hand’ residential dwellings through the national acquisition programme and no grant limits will be attached to any purchase.

In 2023-24, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s baseline budget was over £2.6 billion, in addition to that, they also receive a capital allocation of £39 million, therefore it would be for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to fund any costs associated with cleaning air conditioning systems.

The management of piping in hospitals is managed by the local NHS Board and any risk assessment would not routinely be submitted to the Scottish Government.

Homelessness in Scotland is a statistical bulletin published by the Scottish Government twice a year. This data provides quantitative evidence across a number of issues for homeless households, including applications, assessments, temporary accommodation and outcomes. We will use the annual and interim Homelessness in Scotland statistics as the key measure of the success of initiatives to reduce the number of households and length of time spent in temporary accommodation.

We will also work with the sector on the potential to develop an additional monitoring framework to provide more up to date data in between these statistical publications, balancing the need for information with the pressures on landlords.

I have overall responsibility within my portfolio for support for business, industry and manufacturing.

The Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, under circular economy, is the lead on the Circular Textiles Fund.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20381 on 17 August 2023 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Legal Aid Fund is an open-ended, demand led budget. Last year total expenditure on legal aid was £138.3m. Civil legal aid is available in a wide scope of actions with generous eligibility thresholds and the application is subject to statutory tests which cover the merits of the case and the means available to the applicant. This can include contested divorces and applications for non-harassment orders if the tests are met. Means testing is an important lever for retaining this wide scope.

We are implementing ‘Equally Safe’, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls. This is backed by £19m of annual funding to support 121 projects from 112 organisations that focus on early intervention, prevention as well as support services.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, and ensuring that victims receive the support they need. We have invested significant levels of funding into front line services, as well as working closely with statutory agencies to improve their response to victims and survivors. It is vital that those who suffer domestic abuse have the practical and emotional assistance they need, which is why we are providing £18.5m, through our Victim Centred Approach Fund, for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence.

We support the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) which is at the forefront of improving access to justice offering free legal information and advice to women in Scotland who have or are experiencing gender-based violence. Funding has been provided to the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre through the Scottish Legal Aid Board since 2015 and the Scottish Government continues to provide funding in 2023-24 up to a limit of £230,000. The SWRC provide a range of services, including a national helpline, legal surgeries, advocacy services and online legal guides.

Under the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is excluded from considering complaints about the curriculum offering or teaching. They can consider complaints about complaints handling.

While the Curriculum for Excellence provides the overarching framework and sets out the eight curriculum areas, the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education sits with local authorities and schools under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges faced by our rural and island communities and works closely with stakeholders and partners to ensure that those challenges are addressed.

All relevant authorities listed in the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 , must have regard to island communities in carrying out their functions. They must prepare an Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) in relation to a policy, strategy or service, which is likely to have an effect on an island community, which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). The islands team supports colleagues from across the Scottish Government as well as relevant authorities in completing ICIAs. This includes offering island specific knowledge, published ICIA guidance , and providing links to key stakeholders.

As committed to in the Policy Prospectus, we are developing a Rural Delivery Plan, which will provide a platform to prioritise and progress existing work to seize opportunities and address the challenges faced by rural Scotland, as well as drive greater rural mainstreaming and reprioritise action to support our rural communities.

Where Scottish Government has the powers to do so, we have provided funding that responds to rural and island communities’ specific needs through, for example, the Islands Programme and our Community Led Local Development (CLLD) programme.

Over the period 2021-2026, the £25.8 million Islands Programme is providing targeted capital funding to support delivery of the National Islands Plan across a range of areas, including tourism, infrastructure, innovation, energy transition and skills. We have invested over £14.6m of CLLD funding in our rural communities following the end of the LEADER programme in December 2021.

There are many other, independent organisations which provide funding that may benefit rural and island communities. The terms and conditions applied to each open fund are clearly stipulated when a fund is announced. Scottish Government has no locus in setting these terms unless it is a fund which is being distributed on our behalf.