Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the huge pressures the cost of living crisis is placing on households, particularly on those who rent their home. That is why we have committed to protecting tenants by freezing rents and imposing a moratorium on evictions – at least until 31 March. Our intention is also to take action to prevent immediate rent increases.

We are working at pace to agree expedited processes to deliver any legislation necessary to achieve this with the Scottish Parliament and the UK Government, to ensure these crucial changes are brought about as soon as possible. We will engage with stakeholders and others, as we develop the emergency Bill.

We are taking urgent action to protect tenants in Scotland, well ahead of rest of UK. Our PfG announcements for emergency legislation, is part of our ambitious reform programme for the New Deal for Tenants.

The amendment put forward by Labour back in June was not workable and would have been at much higher risk of legal challenge. We have taken the time needed to ensure that the legislation we bring forward to freeze rents and introduce a moratorium on eviction is legally robust and will ensure tenants are protected.

Our emergency legislation must, by definition, be temporary. But given the huge uncertainty as to what the next 6 months holds, we intend to review very carefully whether and how any measures might be extended; and how what we do now paves the way for longer term reform – which we have already committed to.

A Housing Bill in the year ahead will give new and strengthened rights to tenants, improve affordability, and deliver key policies relating to short term lets and the prevention of homelessness.

Meanwhile, in Wales, the one part of the UK where Labour could actually act as the Scottish Government is acting, we see very little sign of the ambition we have outlined this week or indeed of the ambition to reform renting as we have in Scotland over the last 10 years.

All women in Scotland should be able to access timely abortion care without judgment or intimidation. Last year, a Ministerial-led working group was formed to explore possible ways to solve the problem of women being harassed outside abortion clinics as quickly as possible. The working group is made up with partners including CoSLA, Police Scotland and affected councils and Health Boards to look at how to address the protests and vigils that take place outside of abortion clinics. A number of pieces of work have been commissioned by the group to explore views in this area, including this work and research to develop a detailed picture of women’s experiences as a result of the protests.

Those leading this work met separately with various parties to hear their views. This work has now concluded.

This is one of a number of actions being taken. Subject to the detail of a forthcoming Supreme Court judgment, the Scottish Government will also support Gillian Mackay MSP with the development and drafting of her proposed Members Bill to protect safe access for women to healthcare facilities that provide abortion services.

The Scottish Government is committed to protecting and restoring it’s rainforest. We are currently delivering this via the Forestry Grant Scheme which focuses on the eradication of Rhododendron ponticum , and the recently established Nature Restoration Fund. Officials have had a number of helpful discussions with a range of organisations and public sector bodies to determine how we could scale up support in the longer term, including on the scope to further attract responsible private investment.

The First Minister announced the Programme for Government 2022 to 2023 on 6 September 2022, which set out the action to ‘Establish a dedicated Food Security Unit within the Scottish Government with a view to monitoring ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities and linking with future food security work’. The Food Security unit is in the process of being established.

Work is also being taken forward on other recommendations from the Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce Report and Supply Taskforce Report, some of which have already been completed such as the launch of a digital gateway, specifically designed for the food and drink sector to access additional business support.

The Scottish Government remains committed to funding the expansion of free school lunches to all children in primary and special schools during the course of this parliament. We will also establish a pilot of the provision of free school lunches to secondary school pupils.

As the First Minister stated, during her statement to Parliament on our Programme for Government on 6 September, having delivered free school meals for all pupils in primary 1 to 5, we can now announce that we will start work with local authorities to extend universal provision to all pupils in primary 6 and 7. This work will be supported by £30 million of capital funding during this academic year to support the expansion of catering and dining facilities to accommodate increased uptake.

Where families do not meet the regular eligibility criteria for receiving free school meals, local authorities have the flexibility to make discretionary offers of free school meals where families are experiencing financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances. We would encourage any families experiencing difficulty with meeting the cost of school meals to contact their local council to enquire about what assistance may be available.

The Scottish Government committed in the Programme for Government, to explore how to ensure the interests of future generations are taken into account in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with a wide range of organisations who have an interest in embedding sustainable development, wellbeing and the interests of future generations in policy. I have held a series of meetings with key stakeholders in this area.

The Scottish Government is also considering the case for a Future Generations Commission alongside other ways of embedding the interests of future generations in policy, such as placing duties on public authorities to take account of the impact of their decisions on wellbeing and sustainable development and future generations.

The Scottish Government will take this into account as part of the development of a proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill.

We intend to set out more detailed proposals later this year.

As the First Minister noted in her statement to the Scottish Parliament on the Programme for Government on 6 September 2022, the Scottish Government’s commitment to the full-parliament plans set out in last year’s Programme for Government - and in the Bute House Agreement - stands.

Under the Bute House Agreement, Ministers and Scottish Green Group portfolio holders hold regular liaison meetings as well as regular stocktake meetings with me, in my capacity as Deputy First Minister, and the wider Green Group of MSPs.

In line with the commitment in the Cooperation Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group, Patrick Harvie MSP and Lorna Slater MSP both attended Cabinet meetings on 26 April 2022 and 16 August 2022 where the Bute House Agreement was discussed.

The specific information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-10892 on 20 September 2022 which provides information on funding for extra-curricular activities for young people and activities for young carers. 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 Scottish Government believes that all children and young people should have the opportunity to participate and engage as fully as possible in all aspects of school life, including trips and extracurricular activity. Scottish Government guidance on the presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting makes clear that children and young people who may face barriers to participation should be appropriately supported to access these opportunities.

The Scottish Government funds an Education Officer at Carers Trust Scotland, who works with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Scottish Qualification Authority help ensure education staff are aware of young carers and are able to support them appropriately.

During the last Parliamentary term, the #YSAttain project supported Young Scot and local authorities to explore new entitlements around transport, leisure infrastructure and access to extra-curricular activities for young people, including young carers, aimed at improving health and wellbeing and reducing poverty. In 2022-23, £101,200 will be provided for this purpose.

The Scottish Government also funds social care support for unpaid carers, including young carers, under the Carers Act. We invested an additional £20.4 million in the 2022-23 local government settlement for Carers Act implementation. Added to similar (baselined) increases in previous years since the Act came into force in April 2018, this brings the total additional investment to £88.4 million per year. Support to young carers can include activities, including group activities.

The Scottish Government funds Young Scot to provide an exclusive platform for young carers with tailored discounts and opportunities, with funding of £234,000 in 2022-23. The package offers high value e-vouchers, subscriptions to streaming services, wellbeing boxes, opportunities to win iPads and Kindles and vouchers for family days out. As of August 2022, 2,529 young carers have signed up.

The Scottish Government also funds Carers Trust Scotland to run an annual Young Carers Festival, with £130,000 in 2022-23. This event is designed to provide an opportunity for young carers to have a break, have fun, meet other young carers from across Scotland, and speak directly to key decision makers.