Chamber and committees

Changes to Local Connection in 2022 did not impact the ability of a Scottish Local Authority to refer a homeless household back to a local authority in England or in Wales in which they have a local connection (residence, employment, family or special circumstances). The 2022 changes related only to referrals between Scottish Local Authorities. Statistical analysis and extensive stakeholder engagement informed the decision to suspend referrals between Scottish local authorities for homeless households based on their local connection status. In the three years since, the number of homeless households presenting as homeless to a local authority in Scotland where they have no local connection remains low. The most recent publication (16 September 2025) shows that rates of households that were eligible for referral before November 2022 is 4%, which is consistent with previous years’ rates (the average of which is 3%) and similar to pre-legislative figures.

The comment about difficulties in establishing communication referred directly to inter-ministerial discussion on the contents of the UK Budget. The meeting between the UK Minister for Energy Consumers and I was reconvened and I was pleased to meet with Minister McCluskey on 3 December to discuss the Warm Home Discount and the UK Government’s proposed Warm Homes Plan.

The Scottish Government continues to consider clean heat deployment, and costs thereof, as part of the development of our updated Heat in Buildings Strategy and Delivery Plan to be published by the end of 2026.

We remain focused on a heat transition that is feasible, affordable and delivers tangible benefits for people. Levels of fuel poverty in Scotland remain unacceptably high with the reserved issue of energy bills being the great factor. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling this, but the main levers for addressing this, such as energy prices and market reform, sit with UK Government.

We are supporting those in or at risk of being in fuel poverty by continuing to fund energy efficiency measures and clean heating systems. However, the UK Government must provide urgent clarity on reforms to the electricity market, including rebalancing, and a social tariff in the form of an automatic and targeted unit rate discount to support the most vulnerable consumers.

We continue to consider relevant evidence and analysis as part of the development of a Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill but will not ask the Scottish Parliament to legislate for vitally important laws which affect our population without a full understanding of awaited UK Government action.

A clear framework for the transition to clean heating will give industry and homeowners the certainty they need to invest, boost heat network development and set a long-term direction of travel that is deliverable and affordable. However, repeated delays to the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan have left key questions unanswered. It is vital that we have a fully informed debate on the Bill when it is brought forward, with proper scrutiny that includes UK plans and affordability impacts.

Meanwhile, we are taking the steps that we can and preparing the ground for a robust, future-proofed approach that serves Scotland’s long-term interests. We have published the draft Bill and explanatory notes, and we are engaging with stakeholders.

We remain committed to decarbonising heat in buildings and achieving net zero by 2045. For the majority of homes, heat pumps or heat networks are likely to be the best clean heat solution. However, we do not have, and have never had, heat pump installation requirements.

We had intended to introduce the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill (previously known as Heat in Buildings Bill) in this parliamentary session. We wanted Parliament to scrutinise the draft Bill using the latest information, including the UK Government's Warm Homes Plan. However, that plan has been delayed and, with little time left in this parliamentary session, we have therefore concluded that the Bill should be paused until the UK Government clarify their position.

Our Housing Emergency Action Plan, published in September, is the Scottish Government’s ambitious route-map to ensuring that everyone in Scotland gets the support they need when facing homelessness. This financial year, the Scottish Government will invest £808 million in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, including an £80 million targeted acquisitions fund to support local authorities with the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures. Our Housing Emergency Action Plan also committed £4.9 billion in a major affordable housing delivery programme to provide future funding certainty, positioning Scotland’s housing market as strong and open for investment. We will ensure action is taken to make the best use of existing housing, bring empty homes back into use, and support those who wish to – and are able to – buy their own home.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation to anyone assessed as unintentionally homeless, with assessments based on housing need. I understand the pressures on housing and homelessness services local authorities are experiencing, and that in some areas, particularly Glasgow, this has been exacerbated by the Home Office’s streamlined asylum decision making process. I have written to the Secretary of State for the Home Office to ask for appropriate coordination to be put in place in response to the impact asylum policy decisions made at UK level are having on local authorities in Scotland, and for adequate funding to be provided to local authorities to ensure they are able to meet the housing needs of all.

The Scottish Government is committed to doing all we can, with our limited economic powers, to mitigate the impact of ExxonMobil’s decision to close the Fife Ethylene Plant. The Minister for Public Finance attended a meeting with Fife Council, UK Government, local employers, and trade union representatives on 24 November. I also convened a summit on 25 November which included Fife Council, key industry stakeholders, union representatives, colleges and MSPs to establish what targeted action can be taken to secure a prosperous future for the site and its workforce.

Going forward, the Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders with the aim of securing a long-term and sustainable future for Mossmorran. Fife Council have confirmed that they will lead the proposed taskforce; and the Scottish Government has committed to fully participating in this.

The Scottish Government has been clear: the UK Government must take further action to mitigate the impact of ExxonMobil’s regrettable decision to close the Fife Ethylene Plant. The First Minister has written to the Prime Minister expressing his dissatisfaction with the complete lack of action from the UK Government, and reiterated the need to act now when they met on 5 December.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

"The near real-time overflow map was launched on the Scottish water website on 16 December 2024 to fulfil commitments in the ‘Improving Urban Waters Route map’ to improve data available to the public about overflows and overflow events. The map updates automatically every 60 minutes, providing near real-time information about overflows with Event Duration Monitors (EDMs) and can be searched using a postcode, water body or local authority area. There are more than 1,400 overflows represented on the map. The map does not currently show unmonitored overflows, but development is currently underway to include these at a later date.

In terms of assessments, Scottish Water tracks usage on Google Analytics, which is showing that, in its first year, the Overflow Map has been visited more than 40,600 times and has almost 32,000 active users over this period, with usage consistent throughout the year. Since the launch of the map, Scottish Water has also engaged further with stakeholders and identified features for enhancement. As a result, a public Application Programme Interface (API) was made available for the 2025 Bathing Water season that allows stakeholders, organisations and the public to access the data for their own applications and several groups already use this data to populate their own services. Additional features have also recently been introduced, including:

• Adding rainfall data over a 48-hour period which helps show if an overflow is working as it should and shows a direct correlation between rainfall levels and overflow activity
• Showing Bathing Water locations to allow users to search for official SEPA designated Bathing Waters
• Improved icons to better explain when and why an overflow status may say ‘no data available’
• Enhanced FAQs to explain key facts about storm overflows and the information available in the near real-time map

Scottish Water also includes a feedback form on the Overflow Map page on its website, which allows users to give input on their user experience and make suggestions for future improvements.

Scottish Water believes this new service provides greater transparency on overflow event performance and it is widely believed that the current overflow map service is industry leading."

Asylum is the process by which someone applies to the UK Government to have their refugee status recognised. Asylum is reserved to the UK Government, this includes the provision of asylum accommodation and support to those who would otherwise be destitute while waiting for a decision on their asylum application.

The Scottish Government supports widening of asylum dispersal in principle and expects the UK Government to effectively engage with local authorities and COSLA on operational planning.

The Home Office must work constructively with local authorities in Scotland to ensure any asylum dispersal plans developed do not adversely impact services and enable people seeking asylum to be supported within communities.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly raised the impact of reserved decisions on local authorities and services, particularly increased asylum decision making without provision of resources or adequate planning and urge the UK Government to avoid placing a greater strain on councils, especially in Glasgow where the situation is already unsustainable.