Chamber and committees

Short-term lets can offer people a flexible and cheaper travel option, and have contributed positively to Scotland’s tourism industry and local economies across the country. However, we know that in certain areas, particularly tourist hot spots, high numbers of lets can cause problems for neighbours and make it harder for people to find homes to live in. The Scottish Government considers regulation of short term lets to be vital in balancing the needs and concerns of residents and communities, alongside wider economic and tourism interests.

Guidance for local authorities on overprovision is set out in chapter 3 of the Licensing guidance part 2: supplementary guidance for licensing authorities, letting agencies and platforms .

In considering whether there is or would be overprovision in any locality, licensing authorities must have regard to:

1. the number and capacity of licensed short-term lets in the locality,

2. the need for housing accommodation in the locality and the extent to which short-term let accommodation is impacting the availability of housing, and

3. such other matters as they consider relevant.

We have set out in guidance for local authorities that the data which licensing authorities use to evidence overprovision should be drawn from reliable sources, for example using data from their licence schemes.

CalMac Ferries Ltd conducted a vessel inspection prior to the time charter of the MV Arrow to operate the Ullapool – Stornoway freight service. These checks were conducted using Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE), an exemplar of vessel inspection, from which no faults were identified.

The technical issue encountered by the MV Arrow was unforeseeable and was due to fishing equipment being caught wrapping around the propeller.

Emissions associated with vessel activities while in Scottish ports, as well as those associated with travelling between domestic ports and any subsequent outbound journeys from those ports are included in the Scottish greenhouse gas inventory. This treatment applies to all vessels, irrespective of type or nationality.

We have committed to taking action to realise the right to adequate housing in Scotland. To establish the best way to make the right to adequate housing a reality, we have said that we will undertake a comprehensive audit of our current housing and homelessness legislation.

The aim of the audit is to identify where there are gaps in current domestic legislation and where remedies for violations of housing rights can be strengthened. It will assess how well current legislation protects marginalised groups and meets the needs of people with protected characteristics. The audit findings will help us understand how the introduction of a right to adequate housing in Scotland will impact on people's lives.

This work will begin later in 2021.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to the decarbonisation of its vehicle fleet, including vehicles used in the Government Car Service.

The 2019/20 Programme for Government outlined our commitment to phase out the need for all petrol or diesel cars in the public sector fleet by 2025 and for all other new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. Investment in ultra-low emitting and electric vehicles is necessary to meet that commitment.

Prior to procuring any replacement vehicles, evaluations and trials are conducted to identify potential future options for fleet replacement. This approach identifies vehicles that are fit for purpose, meet current and expected future business requirements and ensure that the Scottish Government continues to honour its commitment to decarbonisation.

At the time they were purchased, Tesla Model 3s had been identified as the most suitable fully electric vehicle capable of meeting operational needs. The Scottish Government will continue to investigate available options before purchasing any further vehicles for its vehicle fleet.

The Scottish Government allocated £25 million to the Rural Housing Fund and £5 million to the Islands Housing Fund when they were launched in 2016-17. The following table provides a breakdown of funding allocated in each full year of the Rural Housing Fund and Islands Housing Fund since 2016-17 to main fund projects proceeding.

The Scottish Government is pleased that three Scottish areas are involved in the expression of interest phase of the UK City of Culture 2025 competition. Scottish Government officials have attended the dedicated information session for potential Scottish bidders and are working closely with DCMS and Creative Scotland to support the overarching application process. Officials will continue to work with all of the bid teams and will continue to discuss the Borderlands bid with South of Scotland Enterprise and all relevant partners.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production. The £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) is supporting industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base. The £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production.

• a £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) will support industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, and be tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base
• a £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

The terms and conditions of any employees accompanying a time chartered vessel are the responsibility of the vessel’s owner/operator. When necessary the Scottish Government has ensured that crews working on vessels time chartered by CalMac Ferries Ltd receive the National Living Wage.

Local authorities are responsible for the administration and enforcement of landlord registration, and are the data controllers of the information on the landlord registration IT system for landlords in their area. The Scottish Government receives monthly aggregate information extracted from the system, the number of new and renewal applications both received and pending registration, along with the total number of active registrations, and the number of properties these relate to.

The Scottish Government uses this information to monitor the number of registered landlords operating and properties in Scotland and to appropriately distribute the applications fees to the relevant local authorities. The information is also used more broadly to help with gaining insights and understanding of the Private Rented Sector and its regulation in Scotland, alongside other official statistics on the sector such as results from the Scottish Household Survey. The Scottish Government does not publish this information because the Landlord Registration System is an administrative system used primarily to manage the registration of landlords and rental properties. It has not been designed to produce robust Official Statistics on the sector.

Registers of Scotland, as provider of the Register, publish the total number of applications received within their annual reports. https://www.ros.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/168431/Registers-of-Scotland-annual-report-2019-to-2020.pdf (page 10)