Chamber and committees

The Cross-Sector Working Group on RAAC remains our main forum for engagement with public sector partners and key stakeholders in the private sector. Meetings provide updates on sector progress, recent UK information and topics of interest such as RAAC identification and assessment process and a presentation and Q&A with IStructE. The minutes of the meetings of that group are published on The Scottish Government Website.

Outwith those meetings, officials will also continue to engage with sector organisations on a one-to-one basis.

We have had no specific discussions of bankruptcy with local authorities and no local authorities have indicated concerns of potential bankruptcy.

We recognise the challenging environment local authorities face and that is why we are committed to a New Deal with Local Government in order to ensure the sustainability of local services.

Officials will next meet with representatives from Disability Equality Scotland on 1 November 2023.

We meet regularly with Disability Equality Scotland as part of the development of the Immediate Priorities Plan and will continue to engage with representatives as the longer-term Disability Equality Strategy is developed and implemented.

I have committed to updating the Scottish Parliament on Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme by the end of October.

The dates of the announcement and establishment of the working groups that are currently active in the Education and Skills portfolio are as follows:

The Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, has been pioneering the transition to net zero in schools through the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). The LEIP targets the reduction in operational energy - e.g. heat, light, power, catering and ventilation - in new and refurbished projects.

LEIP funding is predicated on the achievement of outcomes, including measuring the amount of energy consumed in comparison with a set target level. To better understand this issue, a comparison was carried out between schools constructed or refurbished to Building Regulation standards and the enhanced specification required to meet the LEIP level. This included, for example, improved insulation, higher levels of airtightness and controlled ventilation with heat recovery. While the cost of these measures varies depending on the individual project, an assessment indicated that costs were likely to be approximately 5-8% higher. While the target energy level is only mandatory with LEIP projects, local authorities have been adopting this approach in other projects across their estates, as well as looking at other measures that could be adopted such as the use of solar photovoltaics, heat pumps or wind turbines.

As the LEIP continues, further measures are planned to support the transition to net zero. These include using zero direct emissions heating systems, encouraging the use of electric vehicles by providing charging infrastructure and introducing a new target for embodied carbon. The cost of achieving these outcomes will vary with individual projects, however, an assessment has indicated a range of 6-7% extra might be required. Many of these initiatives are already being included in projects within the current phases of the LEIP and in local authority investment in their learning estate.

The information requested relates to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data and is not held by the Scottish Government.

SQA has advised that the information requested is available from their website at: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/105160.12093.html .

Due to retention periods, this information is only available from 2018 onwards. The assessment arrangements data is broken down by arrangement type and not centre type.

I met with the Music Venue Trust on 20 September to discuss the current situation and challenges of grassroots music venues in Scotland. Actions included raising the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the sector with my UK Government counterpart to understand what can be done on reserved matters; discussing how the impact of rent increases is being handled across sectors with relevant Scottish ministers; and, providing a recommendation on the options for taking forward a roundtable discussion on a ticket levy in Scotland.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind developments*, with a capacity of less than 50 megawatts, which have been upheld (appeal dismissed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division is set out in the following table.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind development which have been overturned (appeal allowed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division are provided as a point of comparison.

As outlined in our draft route map to 20% car km reduction, the scale of the challenge means that we need to take forward a broad combination of interventions, including infrastructure, incentives and regulatory actions. However, we are committed to a Just Transition, and therefore agree with the Commission that our approach must take into account the needs of those who may be less able to reduce their car use, such as carers and those living with a disability, or in rural locations.

We are taking an evidence-based approach to what might work to achieve change, including learning from what others are doing across the UK and in other countries. We have commissioned research on equitable options for car demand management. Using the findings of this and other research, we will work with local authorities and regional partners to support equitable measures that will encourage active travel and use of public transport, for a fairer and greener transport system.

However, we do not have all the levers we need, and are limited by UK Government inaction. The most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car – fuel duty and vehicle excise duty – are reserved to the UK Government, and reforms to transport taxes will be crucial in meeting net zero targets. We will continue to call on the UK Government to urgently set out options to replace existing motoring taxes, with meaningful consultation and agreement with the devolved nations.