Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is continuing to work in partnership with partners and World Athletics following confirmation of the successful bid to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

In total the Scottish Government will provide £1.15 million of support for the event from the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Portfolio, with VisitScotland providing a further £350,000 of support from its core budget. None of this funding is capital. This financial support is profiled across a number financial years, reflecting the long lead in time to prepare for an event of this size. UK Sport and Glasgow City Council are also providing funding.

The bid was carefully considered by all partners and this event has the potential to generate economic and societal benefits for areas of Scotland.

I have asked Janet Egdell, interim Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Migration Statistics Quarterly Summary for Scotland (MSQS) provided Scottish-specific secondary analysis of the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) which used to be published by ONS. The MSQR - and therefore MSQS - have been paused while ONS are progressing a transformation programme of the population and migration statistics system. During this programme, there is limited migration data available at Scotland level, particularly for the headline measures of long-term international migration flows as well as migrant stocks. Once these releases are being updated regularly again, we will explore the options for reinstating the MSQS.

I have asked Janet Egdell, interim Chief Executive of The National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

These statistics are planned for publication in February 2024. The publication date has been delayed in order to incorporate the new census data.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with key skills stakeholders and Historic Environment Scotland on this matter to ensure that Scotland has the required traditional skills to meet the demands of the historic environment sector.

We deliver our support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland which continues to champion traditional skills and is working with stakeholders to address heritage skills gaps to help ensure Scotland’s historic buildings can thrive as part of the country’s sustainable future.

The Scottish Government is also working with Skills Development Scotland to promote careers in construction and heritage skills as part of our Youth Employment Strategy, Developing the Young Workforce.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s historic environment sector to support our workforce in developing the skills required to manage, protect and conserve our built heritage.

We acknowledge that action delivery from the 2019 plan was impacted by both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

The Scottish Government will continue to deliver support for Scotland’s historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, which is leading on developing the current Skills Investment Plan, building on the lessons learned from previous plans and increasing resource to maximise delivery.

Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, asylum applicants are entitled to receive asylum support for a prescribed period after they have been notified of the decision on their asylum application, for positive decisions this remains 28 days. As far as the Scottish Government is aware, the UK Government has not changed the prescribed period and it remains at 28 days.

However, we are aware that there have been issues with communication of decisions from the Home Office to the accommodation provider and local authorities which is impacting provision of information and support for people at the end of their period in asylum accommodation.

The Scottish Government has also raised concerns about the impact of the UK Government’s Streamlined Asylum Process. I wrote to the UK Government on 28 October 2023 to request urgent funding for local authorities and to work constructively with them to ensure that people receiving a positive asylum decision are supported to move-on from asylum accommodation. I am awaiting a response.

People in Scotland who have recently been granted refugee status are entitled to access homelessness support from their local authority. Most funding for homelessness is provided through the local government settlement. In addition to this, the Scottish Government have provided local authorities with £52.5m since 2018 to support the implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans and provide £30.5m annually for their work to prevent homelessness.

The Scottish Government understands the benefits of reusable nappy use in relation to reducing household costs in addition to reducing the impact on the environment.

Following the concerning news regarding the liquidation of TotsBots Ltd, our Baby Box Managing Agent ensured that all outstanding orders for a reusable nappy pack that had been sent to Tots Bots were fulfilled. Our Baby Box Managing Agent subsequently appointed a new reusable nappy supplier on 22 November who are providing the same offer as Tots Bots when parents return a pre-paid voucher or register via a QR code. The reusable nappy pack offer provides one waterproof nappy wrap and five stay dry nappy pads to try for free and offers a 15% discounted rate on future purchases. All families who received a Baby Box whilst the programme was without a nappy supplier have now been contacted and offered the opportunity to claim a reusable nappy via the new supplier.

My officials are continuing work on a detailed review of the policies and operating arrangements that underpin the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF), including detailed analytical work on property thresholds and allowances that has taken more time to develop than originally anticipated. I now expect this work to be concluded by the end of the current financial year.

The scheme continues to be open, and applications remain steady. We are not seeing additional demand for the programme at this time.

HOSF also continues to sit alongside support for advice services and legal aid for homeowners. We continue to support free welfare, debt and income maximisation advice services with funding of over £12.3 million allocated this year. A further £2.3 million is available, through the Scottish Legal Aid Board, to offer direct assistance and legal representation for people at risk of or facing court action connected to debt related eviction or repossession.

This investment provides households across Scotland with a holistic, multi-channel offering, ensuring they are able to access advice and support in a manner which best suits their needs.

In addition, as part of the UK Government’s Mortgage Charter, announced in June this year, the UK’s largest mortgage lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority agreed a set of standards that they will adopt when helping borrowers worried about higher rates.

Anyone who is concerned about the paying their mortgage should contact their lender as soon as possible.

The financial pressures across public services, not just health care, are by far, the most challenging since devolution as a result of rising inflation, and the ongoing impact of Covid and Brexit.

It is therefore necessary to make very challenging decisions, including reprofiling budgets, across Government in order to meet our statutory requirement to deliver a balanced budget.

Our published delivery plan, linked here Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2023-24 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot), reflects our planned deliverables against the current budget which includes the agreed savings of £11.6m.

We have committed to continue consideration of the justification for, and practical operation of, Compulsory Sales Orders in the 2023-24 Programme for Government. Parliament will be informed of the outcome of this work in due course. In the meantime local authorities already have powers to utilise Compulsory Purchase Orders, and we have further committed to reforming and modernising the Compulsory Purchase Order process.