Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that disabled persons’ parking places play a vital role in enabling disabled people to carry out day-to-day activities that non-disabled people can take for granted. Local authorities have a duty under the Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009 to promote the proper use of disabled persons’ parking places, and aims to make all disabled bays enforceable. To do this, local authorities can use their Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) making powers to allow them to make adequate provisions for disabled parking around schools to aid parents or guardians.

In relation to the placing of a disabled persons’ parking place on a local road, it will be for the local authority to ensure it has complied with any relevant legislation and to take account of the safety of all road users. Local authorities are responsible for deciding how best to meet this duty on local roads in their areas.

In our Heat in Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers (in off-gas grid areas from 2025, and in on-gas areas from 2030) subject to technological developments and decisions by the UK Government on reserved matters.

We will consult in further detail on this issue during 2022. Should any legislation be required subsequently, it will be subject to a range of impact assessments to allow the Scottish Parliament the opportunity to fully scrutinise the impacts.

In our effort to remove emissions from heating buildings, the Scottish Government has separately a zero emissions first approach in our delivery programmes and will phase out funding for fossil fuel heating systems by 2024 (where it is not detrimental to our fuel poverty objectives).

We have already phased out oil and LPG boilers from Warmer Homes Scotland, Area Based Schemes and Home Energy Scotland Loans.

No households have had their replacement oil or LPG boilers or heating systems cancelled as a result and all Warmer Homes Scotland and Home Energy Scotland Loan applications with committed offers signed prior to 6 September 2021, for either replacement oil/LPG boilers or heating systems, will have these honoured and receive their installations/loans. No local council has reported plans to install an oil/LPG boiler or heating measure as part of their Area Based Scheme.

From now on, households eligible for assistance under Warmer Homes Scotland will be offered low-carbon alternatives, where these are technically appropriate for the property. These include High Heat Retention Heating Systems, Air Source Heat Pumps, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Micro-hydro, Micro-wind and Micro-CHP systems. Some of these measures may be of particular benefit to households living in rural and island areas that are not served by the gas grid. Warmer Homes Scotland operates a national pricing mechanism, meaning that rural and island homes are not disproportionately affected.

Since April 2021 our Area Based Schemes have included additional funding to provide low carbon and micro-generation measures as part of a whole house approach. Local councils are encouraged to offer these measures to households living in or at risk of fuel poverty, where this is technically feasible and will result in lower energy bills. Our Area Based Schemes also provide additional funding and support for remote rural and island communities to reflect the delivery challenges in these locations, including higher installation costs.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the legislation in this area.

In relation to flatted properties, section 17 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 gives homeowners reasonable access for maintenance and other purposes through the property of other owners. Section 17 may be viewed at:-

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/11/contents

There is no equivalent legislation for non-flatted properties. In some cases, title deeds, servitude rights over neighbouring land or the common law may provide the necessary access rights. Access to neighbouring land might also be permitted by way of a private arrangement between individuals. Where parties are in dispute, mediation can sometimes provide assistance.

If however, the member has evidence that a change in the law would be helpful, I would be happy to consider the issue further.

There is a clear gender gap in business participation and the Scottish Government is committed to closing that gap, unlocking the full economic potential of women in enterprise, and to supporting women into work and business. We have brought a range of measure to encourage and support employers to take action such as our Women Returners Programme which will see up to 1,500 women return to the workforce. We are also committed to developing an ambitious plan for the Women’s Business Centre, backed by an investment of up to £50m to ensure that women are fully supported to realise their business ambitions.

The primary objective of the Autumn and Winter vaccination programme is to maintain protection against severe COVID-19 and seasonal flu, specifically reducing the risk of hospitalisation and deaths, by protecting the most vulnerable.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided final advice on COVID-19 vaccination boosters on the 14 th of September with the first doses being administered from the following week. Which are being delivered alongside primary vaccinations for
‎ 12 to 15 year olds and many others.

The Member will be aware that delivery of booster vaccinations will run alongside our seasonal flu vaccination programme, which is the largest seasonal flu programme ever delivered in Scotland. Based on JCVI advice, we are working from the highest risk to lower risk groups and we are aiming, wherever possible, to offer both booster and flu jabs in a single appointment. This may mean that some lower risk groups (for example someone aged 64) may hear about their flu appointment from late October and be called to an appointment in November, which is a little later than would have been the case for a traditional flu only appointment. This is still ahead of the risk period and means that, wherever possible, people need only to come to one appointment for both vaccines.

While we have made a good start to the flu and booster vaccinations with over 686,248 flu delivered up to October 17th , 539,832 boosters and 8.2 million primary doses delivered as at October 26 th . But we continue to explore all avenues to accelerate our vaccinations activity as a matter of urgency.

For Covid-19 boosters - We are currently offering vaccination to those in older adult care homes; those who have the highest health risks (clinically extremely vulnerable); those age 70 years and over; frontline health and social are staff.

NHS Borders are utilising the National Vaccine Scheduling Service (NVSS) to schedule appointments for vaccination. NHS Borders like other health boards commenced from the week of the 20th of September, their Covid-19 boosters. From this week we are starting to send out invites for those in the next groups, which are those age 60-69 year and those 16+ years with underlying health conditions. before opening up a public portal in mid-November for everyone else who is eligible.

A progressive approach to industrial relations and trade unionism is at the heart of a fairer, more successful society. The Minister for Fair Work meets regularly with our trade union partners and values this regular, open and constructive dialogue. Indeed, he chairs a regular roundtable with the STUC and affiliate unions where issues relating to industrial action have been raised and of course subsequently discussed Ministerial colleagues, who in turn have their own direct engagements.

With regards to planned industrial action, we remain firmly committed to supporting all parties to agree an appropriate resolution to current disputes, before such action is taken.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02466 on 28 September 2021 which explained that t he First Minister’s former Chief of Staff resigned on the suspension of parliament for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election in line with the Special Advisers Code of Conduct and model contract. I n line with GDPR requirements, the Scottish Government does not provide personal data such as the levels of payments made to individual staff.

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 implementation of the parking elements of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 has been affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic and preparations for European Union exit. This particularly impacted the development of guidance and regulations and the related consultation processes however my officials are continuing to consult with local authorities to develop both the secondary legislation required to allow them to enforce the national pavement prohibition as well as the Parking Standards Guidance which will underpin the Act.

Additionally, we need to consult with the public on some areas contained within the secondary legislation. Local authorities will be required to undertake an assessment to identify and progress any exemptions to the pavement parking prohibition they consider necessary. We are actively working with Local Authorities to undertake this work and Scottish Ministers have provided the requested £2.4 million of funding to enable this to be progressed in a timeous manner.

The majority of the secondary legislation is likely to be in place by 2022. Some aspects however, such as the appeals process for those who wish to appeal a ticket issued for pavement parking, may not be in place until summer 2023.

We have met with a range of private rented sector representatives, including those representing tenants and landlords, and will continue to do so as we progress work on implementing an effective national system of rent controls, including those representing the North Ayrshire and Inverclyde areas. Our aim is to ensure quality, affordability and fairness for everyone who rents a home, whilst carefully examining potential unintended consequences.

This policy is still being developed and will also be consulted on publicly within the new draft Rented Sector Strategy due to be published at the end of this year, providing further opportunities for all stakeholders to share their views. Upon consideration of the consultation responses, a final Rented Sector Strategy will be published later in 2022 and deliver a key commitment, set out in Housing to 2040 , Scotland’s long term vision for housing.