Chamber and committees

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives the lead management role for access to local and National Park Authorities (“access authorities”). Access authorities have a statutory duty to uphold access rights and have various powers with which to do this, such as serving written notices requiring remedial action where a land owner puts in place an obstruction to access. The Scottish Government attends as an observer of the National Access Forum which is a national body that provides advice and develops guidance on access rights and access management as well as facilitating national liaison about access rights.

All access authorities have now adopted core paths plans. The access authority may take appropriate action to maintain a core path and keep it free from obstruction. Access authorities may review and amend their core paths plan.

The 2023-24 Local Government Finance Settlement of nearly £13.5 billion provides a cash increase of over £793 million, which represents a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent. The Scottish Government’s policy is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.

The National Park Authorities’ budget allocation of £20.9 million in 2023-24 will enable them to continue to deliver the statutory aims of both National Parks and undertake their statutory functions and duties, including as access authorities. The allocation represents a 13% increase on the budget for 2022-23.

A series of meetings, both at a political and official level, are underway to engage with local authorities on the Scottish Government’s response to the recommendations of the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group. We are aware that there are some areas of the country where this work is less urgent, such as local authorities where registered social landlords (RSLs) have a low supply of stock or the type of stock is not in demand.

We are working with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Glasgow West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations and other partners to identify ways to target action on the local authorities with the greatest temporary accommodation pressures, including some stock transfer authorities. We will report on outcomes from these discussions in due course.

The answer to S6W-20289 on 16 August 2023 makes clear that we are currently unable to say how many households will be directly lifted out of temporary accommodation.

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 national acquisition programme is expected to be informed by local authority Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans. In preparing their Local Housing Strategies, local authorities should ensure that equality is central to housing and housing service delivery and be underpinned by an Equalities Impact Assessment which should inform the priorities and objectives set out in the Local Housing Strategy, including local housing investment priorities. In preparing their Strategic Housing Investment Plans, local authorities should draw on the finding from their Equalities Impact Assessment when considering the implications flowing from the translation of strategic aims into housing priorities.

Information about the levels of introgression in rivers flowing into Loch Shin is contained in the first assessment of genetic introgression in wild salmon in 2021: A national assessment of the influence of farmed salmon escapes on the genetic integrity of wild Scottish Atlantic salmon populations | Marine Scotland Data Publications – see pages 26/27.

Rivers from the Kyle of Sutherland area were included in the National Introgression Programme for Scotland (NIPS) survey as additional targeted sites within the Shin system. No introgression was detected in rivers in the Kyle out with the Loch Shin system, but introgression was detected in 3 of the 7 sites in the Loch Shin system itself. These three sites were those closest to freshwater smolt rearing facilities. Sampling around Loch Shin was repeated in 2021 and further sampling is being undertaken in 2023 with survey sites within the Loch Shin system now included as an integral part of the NIPS survey.

The source of escaped fish in the Shin system was examined by Marine Scotland in 2018 with the results published in a peer-reviewed scientific paper: Identification of the farm of origin of Atlantic salmon smolt escapees in a freshwater Scottish loch using single-nucleotide polymorphic markers | ICES Journal of Marine Science | Oxford Academic (oup.com) .

At this time the loch contained two fish farms which each used salmon from different strain/hatchery origins. Genetic analysis was able to identify escaped fish from both farms within the system. The non-random nature of fish collection and trapping locations prevented determination of either absolute proportions of escapees in the entire Shin system or escape proportions from each site. However, it was clear that fish from both farms had escaped.

As stated in the answer to S6W-20375 on 16 August 2023, the national acquisition programme will be run as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which aligns with the Scottish Government’s Principles for Programme and Project Management.

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 Marine Directorate’s Science, Evidence, Data and Digital Portfolio published its first assessment of genetic introgression in wild salmon in 2021: A national assessment of the influence of farmed salmon escapes on the genetic integrity of wild Scottish Atlantic salmon populations | Marine Scotland Data Publications .

The research found evidence of introgression at 23% of the sites examined. Further, the patterns of introgression detected were not uniform across the country. Rather, signs of introgression were concentrated in areas of marine aquaculture production and freshwater smolt rearing. Outside these areas, little to no genetic changes were detected. The results highlighted how important it is to prevent farmed fish escapes, to protect the integrity of wild salmon populations in areas of aquaculture production.

This was the first report of the National Introgression Programme for Scotland (NIPS), sampling took place between 2018 and 2019. NIPS is an ongoing nationwide project that is researching the link between fish farm escapes and introgression in wild salmon populations. In 2021 a second NIPS survey was conducted across the country with samples and data from this currently being analysed. A further NIPS survey was also initiated in 2023 and sample collection is now underway. Analysis of the NIPS surveys from multiple sampling years will provide a picture of temporal changes in levels of introgression.

Humza Yousaf MSP, the then Cabinet Secretary, wrote to the profession on 7 February 2023 providing an update on the new Determination 1 and indicated the direction of travel for dental reform: Letter to NHS dental teams from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care | Scottish Dental

On 27 July 2023 I provided a further update to the profession on the Scottish Government’s payment reform, which included the revised item of service fees, and will launch on 1 November 2023: PCA(2023)4 – Fees for Determination I | Scottish Dental

A table showing the number of social and affordable completions by local authority area can be accessed using the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/affordable-housing-supply-programme-completions-updates/

The homes provided through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme comprise homes for social rent, for mid-market rent and for low cost home ownership. These homes take various forms including; new build homes, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes.

The management of pipes and air conditioning systems in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and it is not an area the Scottish Government would ordinarily be involved with.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have not submitted any report to the Scottish Government relating to the pipes within the air conditioning system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.