Chamber and committees

We are aware that, following our successful public awareness campaign, there is significant public interest in carrying out work to comply with the new standard for fire alarms in all Scottish homes. It is, therefore, possible, that some retailers will have short term supply issues. However, we have been assured by manufacturers that there is a sufficient supply of alarms available to meet the expected demand by 1 February 2022, when the new standard comes into force.

We have no plans to review the Antisocial Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) (Scotland) Order 2011 at this time. However, we are always open to listening to the police, local authorities, the court services and communities to see how we can improve the approach being taken to tackle antisocial behaviour for the benefit of all communities.

We will start work this year on designing an open scheme for National Towns of Culture, which will be launched over the course of this Parliament.

Officials will provide the me with delivery options and recommendations by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

This builds on our strong track record of taking place-based approaches to our cultural programmes, such as our innovative Culture Collective scheme, launched earlier this year, which is working to increasing cultural engagement in some of our most deprived communities.

Home owners are responsible for the costs of on-going work needed to protect and preserve their own property, which includes the costs for the fire alarms to meet the new standard.

The Scottish Government has undertaken a comprehensive awareness raising campaign across a range of channels including TV, Radio and digital as well as leaflets in public libraries to ensure people are aware of the new legislation and to encourage compliance.

We have provided £0.5 million additional funding for Care and Repair Scotland to provide help installing alarms for older and disabled homeowners on low incomes. We have also provided £1 million to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to provide alarms for owners who are considered most vulnerable to the risk of fire. Local authorities also have broad discretionary powers to provide advice and support to owners.

Culture is more important than ever to Scotland’s collective wellbeing and prosperity. A central aim of our Culture Strategy is that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in, develop and enjoy culture, and we know this helps individuals and communities to thrive. The National Towns of Culture scheme intends to build on this, by making culture relevant to people’s lives and building meaningful connections between people and the place that they come from.

Specific aims and objectives of the National Towns of Culture scheme remain subject to robust scoping work. As referenced in the answer to S6W-03093 on
‎ 29 September 2021, officials will provide me with delivery options and recommendations by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

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

Face coverings are required in indoor spaces. As stadiums are a mixture of both inside and outside, face coverings are required in internal areas such as entering and exiting as well as accessing kiosks or toilet facilities. Local Authorities engage with the Football Clubs through the event capacity limit exemption and Sports Advisory Group process to ensure Covid baseline measures are in in place in football stadiums.

We expect football clubs to use stewards and messaging to fans to encourage supporters to wear facemasks while inside at grounds. While police officers may be present at matches, their primary role is public safety, and while they have the powers to enforce the wearing of face coverings, as in any other setting, Officers would engage, explain and encourage before enforcing.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number and percentage of domestic and non-domestic buildings taller than 11m. The High Rise Inventory: Summary Report provides relevant information on external wall systems of domestic high rise buildings over 18m. Since 1 April 2021, local authorities have been requested to notify the Scottish Government when a BS 8414 fire test has been used to prove compliance with building regulations. To date, there have been no BS 8414 fire test reports notified to the government.

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a valuable tool for identifying geographic areas where deprivation is most concentrated, and was used in identifying the Challenge Authorities as councils with high levels of deprivation to be targeted in the first phase of the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

It is recognised that this method may not always account for poverty experienced in rural and remote geographic areas, or settlements where low-income families reside alongside other families who are not deprived.

As we work to refresh the Scottish Attainment Challenge from 2022-23, we are analysing the alternative data sets available to us for use in the distribution of funding. The aim is to achieve a distribution of resource that equally recognises the challenges faced by low-income children across the country. Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their potential remains central to this Government’s work. Our ambition is a long-term one and we know that the challenges presented by the pandemic mean our efforts to deliver equity in education are more vital than ever.

In the Programme for Government 2021-22, we committed to “engage with our Scottish Connections international community and expand on our work with Scottish diaspora networks across the world.”

Across the Scottish Government, we already have a wide range of activity to engage with our diaspora groups and those with a connection with or affinity to Scotland.

Our external network of international offices work directly with our diaspora communities in key locations around the world, and two new overseas offices in Copenhagen and Warsaw will expand this network further. GlobalScot, Scotland’s network for international business, reached its 20th anniversary and its 1000th network member this year. Our engagement with the Higher Education sector, including our substantial global alumni network and programmes such as the Saltire Scholarships, plays a key role in building Scotland’s connections internationally.

We are currently undertaking research to advise on our future approach to diaspora engagement to expand our international impact. The report from the first phase of this project will be published in due course. We are also planning a programme of international activity for Scotland’s Winter Festivals, with St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night in particular providing key opportunities to support and connect with our existing diaspora networks around the world.

As referenced in the answers to S6W-03093 and S6W-03094 on‎ 29 September 2021, officials will provide me with delivery options and recommendations – including on funding – by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

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