Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government takes an inclusive approach for people seeking asylum, enabling access to support and services on the same basis as other Scottish residents where there is not a specific prohibition on access through immigration legislation or rules.

We recognise that asylum seekers may have difficulties in accessing free bus travel and recommend that they apply in person, rather than through the online application route.

The Improvement Service issued guidance on applications for asylum seekers and refugees to Local Authorities, who administer in person applications, in September 2021. This guidance advised that proofs specific to asylum seekers and refugees, the Application Registration Card (ARC) issued by the Home Office, can be used to apply for a NEC in person, in conjunction with other information or evidence available to a council, a school or a dedicated staff member within a Local Authority.

The ARC is not accepted for online applications as under the UK Proof of Age Scheme (PASS) it cannot be used to establish evidence of identification online and there is no online equivalent to the help provided offline to support applications.

The Improvement Service guidance has been passed to charities working with asylum seekers and refugees to help with the process. Officials will continue to engage with these groups to discuss how best to help asylum seekers get free bus travel.

East Linton Station is expected to open in 2023.

Transport Scotland officials continue to work closely with the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry to agree the timetable for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) when it is due to be recast in 2023. This includes finding the ideal service structure for all stations on the Edinburgh to Newcastle corridor, including East Linton.

We engage regularly with the UK Government, COSLA, local authorities and other partners to ensure that people are provided with the safety and security they need to rebuild their lives.

All 32 local authorities have confirmed their participation in Afghanistan Relocation and Resettlement Schemes and as of 4 March, 101 families (415 individuals) have been relocated to 20 Scottish Local Authorities.

Local authorities continue to experience lengthy delays in the matching process, resulting in significant costs due to properties set aside to support Afghans lying empty. We urge the UK Government to address these delays as quickly as possible.

The New Supply Shared Equity Scheme is only available for the purchase of new build homes being sold by a local authority or registered social Landlord . This is an affordable housing scheme and counts towards the target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

The Scottish Government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in June 2017. As such, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been expected to adhere to the definition since June 2017.

The adoption of the definition demonstrates our determination to tackle antisemitism, and sends a strong message that it is entirely unacceptable in Scotland. While the IHRA definition is not legally-binding, we find it to be helpful in bringing clarity to what is often a complex issue.

Firefighter pay is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the employer and representatives of their staff. The Scottish Government is not party to negotiations on firefighter pay.

The UK Building Safety Bill introduces fundamental changes to the Building and Fire Safety regime for high rise buildings in England. Part five of the Bill includes provision for a New Homes Ombudsman scheme, the aim of which is to drive up standards in housebuilding and to independently resolve disputes between developers and purchasers where there is an issue concerning the quality of a new-build home.

The provisions would confer a regulation making power on Scottish Ministers to be able to add an additional descriptor of developers who would be required to join the scheme. Other aspects of the scheme are to be established by the Secretary of State either administratively or by regulations. The provisions require that Scottish Ministers are consulted on the main aspects of the scheme before they are taken forward, in order to ensure it is tailored to suit Scottish needs, culture and practice.

Whilst housing is a devolved matter, reservations apply to consumer protection and there may be matters which cannot be entirely addressed in a Scottish system. The Scottish Government wants to ensure that protections offered to buyers of new-build homes in Scotland can also take account of relevant consumer protection requirements.

The extension of the New Homes Ombudsman scheme to Scotland is subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government has increased the funding for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) by £9.5 million for 2022-23. The Grant In Aid provided to SFRS is not allocated for specific purposes, it is an operational matter for SFRS to decide how the resources should best be used to keep communities safe.

Over the last two years SFRS has received £3.4 million in Grants from Transport Scotland and the Energy Savings Trust, to invest in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to assist in the transfer to a low carbon light fleet. SFRS also received additional Capital Budget of £0.5 million from Transport Scotland in 2021-22, to invest in a low carbon fire appliance proto-type.

The Scottish Government allocates capital funding to SFRS and decisions on how this budget is spent is a matter for SFRS. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS over its capital and resource budget needs.

Recruitment of firefighters, whether whole-time, retained or control is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service therefore figures on recruitment are not held centrally.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) came into being as a national service on 1 April 2013. In its first year of operation (2013/14) employment statistics were collated by the Scottish Government and at 31 March 2014 SFRS had, by headcount, 4,001 whole-time, 2,940 Retained, 223 control, and 961 support employees and 359 volunteers. For reporting year 2014/15 and onwards, SFRS has been responsible for producing these statistics and employment figures are published annually on the SFRS website www.firescotland.gov.uk as part of its Organisational Statistics.

Prior to 2013-14 fire and rescue services were provided by the 8 regional fire and rescue services which formed part of local government. Statistics on the number of employees in these services are not held centrally.