Chamber and committees

The JTF is primarily a capital fund, and to date we have run capital funding rounds in 2022 and 2025. We do have a smaller resource budget, and we have made much of this available to the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting fund, as detailed in the following table . In year two of this scheme, an additional capacity building fund of £100k revenue was split between the three areas. In addition, we have also provided £324,192 resource funding for capacity support to North East Scotland Climate Action Network (NESCAN) Hub between 2022 – 2025 to fund staff resource costs to support delivery of the Just Transition Communities Project. We have also provided up to £40,000 to Moray Council to develop a Strategic Outline Case for the proposed Moray Engineering and Energy Innovation Centre in 2025-26.

The JTF has funded projects based on competitive bidding rounds, focused on delivering jobs and growth for the whole region. The Scottish Government has not made a specific commitment to allocate the JTF on a population-share basis between the council areas in the North East.

The full criteria for the competitive rounds of the Just Transition Fund have been published on the Scottish Government website. They are available to view at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/just-transition-fund/pages/overview/

Responsibility for raising public awareness of Common Good assets, their registers and decision-making processes lies with local authorities.

Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils have statutory duties to establish, and maintain a Common Good Register and ensure members of the public can access the Register free of charge. Any decisions relating to proposed disposals or changes of use of common good land must be published by the council and representations should be sought from specified bodies.

Councils must have regard to Scottish Government guidance designed to improve transparency and community involvement. This includes the 2018 Community Empowerment and Common Good Property Guidance for Local Authorities.

The Scottish Government supports the work of the Scottish Land Commission in promoting good practice and transparency. The Commission’s work includes the development and maintenance of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Protocol on Common Good land, developed to support local authorities in managing Common Good assets consistently and engaging communities in decision-making.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities to ensure the proper management and governance of Common Good assets within the framework of their statutory responsibilities.

Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils must have regard to any guidance issued by Scottish Ministers in relation to the management and use of property that forms part of the common good. This includes the 2018 Community Empowerment and Common Good Property Guidance for Local Authorities. The Scottish Land Commission’s protocol also provides good practice principles for local authorities to consider.

Decisions on applying guidance and protocols rest with individual councils, and any concerns about a council’s handling of Common Good matters should be raised through its established complaints process.

Our current focus remains on supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties, including under Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the associated statutory guidance.

There is an opportunity for Scotland to become a leader in green data centres given our capacity to generate energy from renewable sources.

The Scottish Government recognises the longstanding importance of Common Good assets and the need for a clear and effective framework for their governance. We note the Scottish Land Commission’s publications on Common Good which explore options for reform of the legislative framework.

With the exception of the Scottish Government’s statutory consenting function, issues relating to the design and operation of the electricity networks, including the process to obtain a grid connection, are reserved matters.

The budget invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills and reinforces our steadfast commitment to free education. It includes a significant real terms increase in our investment in Scotland’s College and University sectors so that people of all ages have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, while also ensuring that priority workforce needs are met.

The Scottish Government is working to identify a shortlist of sectors for focused skills planning. Beginning in February, my officials will engage employers, colleges, universities, and regional partners to help refine this work. We will also share further details with the Education, Children and Young People Committee, including our emerging findings. Our intention is to formally publish this work in the Spring.

Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 provisions are already in force which allows a local authority to take forward byelaws for the standard of accommodation for seasonal workers within its area should it decide it is the most appropriate route for its local area.