Chamber and committees

We do not require our Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) delivery partners to collect data regarding the physical condition of dwellings, unless this is considered relevant to an individual’s application. This is because, as in previous years, the overarching goal that we set for FIF delivery partners is to provide support to households who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely.

FIF payments are provided on the basis of an holistic assessment of individual circumstances to ascertain their need for emergency support towards the cost of their energy. In some cases issues with damp or mould may be raised as part of this assessment, but they are unlikely to be core factors in determining whether a household should receive assistance.

The annual Scottish House Condition Survey includes information on issues affecting the physical condition of people’s homes, such as damp and mould. The results of the 2021 survey are due to be published on 30 May.

High hedge appeals are delegated to appointed reporters to make decisions on Scottish Ministers behalf.

DPEA received 8 high hedge appeals from January to March 2023, of which 2 were dismissed as "no remit" and 6 were decided upon by independent reporters.

Within these decisions, 2 referred to the 2019 guidance and its requirement to consider spacing, maintenance and intention in arriving at a decision that trees and shrubs in a row did not form a hedge and 2 excluded deciduous trees from high hedge notices issued by local authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17176 on 9 May 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

As the Bank is a non-departmental public body, ministers meet with the Chair and senior officials on a regular basis. These meetings address the Bank’s progress against its strategic aims and how its investment activity across its three missions can support government priorities.

The First Minister met Chair Willie Watt and new CEO Al Denholm on 2 May This was an introductory meeting.

A full list of all ministerial engagements and when they have met the Bank can be found here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Collaboration and engagement is a cornerstone of all transport activity and there is community engagement at all levels of transport decision making. My predecessors and I, and Transport Scotland officials have engaged and will continue to engage with communities in developing and implementing strategies and on specific projects, such as the Islands Connectivity Plan and Project Neptune, and will continue to do so in the future.

For example, Transport Scotland recently chaired an Uig Resilience meeting on my behalf on 27 March 2023.

Whilst local transport issues are the responsibility of local authorities, Transport Scotland, my predecessors and I, have engaged and will continue to engage constructively with local authorities where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and/or provided by Scottish Ministers.

The role of the Scottish Government is to monitor each of the three deposit schemes for compliance with the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This includes being satisfied that the tenancy deposit schemes have clear and substantial processes in place that meet the requirements laid out in the regulations.

The three approved tenancy deposit schemes are private businesses and the Scottish Government is not involved in their business operations. We do not hold information on how many full-time equivalent staff currently work at SafeDeposits Scotland.

The Scottish Government alongside the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service fully supports Firefighters Memorial Day and the opportunity it gives us all to reflect and remember firefighters across the world who have lost their lives in keeping communities. Bill Kidd MSP also raised a members debate on 4 May in the Scottish Parliament at which many members made moving contributions to recognise Firefighters Memorial Day. Scotland’s communities are lucky to have such dedicated and professional firefighters, who stand ready to put their personal safety at risk to save others.

Circularity Scotland advise that only the very largest producers (those making more than 10 million units per year) are required to underwrite costs. As Circularity Scotland is a private company, contractual arrangements they have with their members, including any payments as part of their producer agreement, is a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements between private companies.

As Circularity Scotland is a private company, support arrangements they have with their members is a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements between private companies. Only the very largest producers (those making more than 10 million units per year) are required to underwrite costs. We are grateful to all businesses for the investment they have made in preparing for the launch of the deposit return scheme and this investment will be important for the success of the scheme when it launches on 1 March.

The following table provides how many deposits have been held with SafeDeposits Scotland in each year for which data is available.