Chamber and committees

Following our declaration of a national housing emergency in May last year, we set out a response plan to focus in the short term on housing supply. This includes delivering more high quality, permanent homes - growing the economy and supporting affordable housing as a vital public service through increased private and public sector investment across all housing tenures.

The 2025-26 budget allocation of £768m represents an increase of over £200m when compared to the original 2024-25 published budget of £556m. This investment will help tackle the housing emergency while contributing towards our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

Alongside our Housing Emergency response work, the Housing Investment Taskforce will identify actions that will unlock both existing and new commitments to investment in housing – across all tenures – by bringing together key interests of investors and investees.

There are strong legislative protections that protect tenants living in the private rented sector, including the right to seek an independent adjudication of a rent increase.

It is critical that tenants are aware of their rights. We have therefore launched another wave of our Renters Rights Campaign to support private tenants understand their housing rights and exercise them.

The Government is currently working on commencement of the Act. The ability to provide democratic engagement funding is intended to support involvement in elections and improve democratic participation. The Government made clear during the passage of the Bill that it would be necessary as a first step to secure funding.

We are monitoring the automatic registration pilots in Wales so we can factor the results into our planning. All innovations will be:

• proposed in consultation with the electoral community,
• piloted on a temporary basis and
• fully evaluated before being put to Parliament for a decision on whether to make the reforms apply generally and to be made permanent.

I will keep Parliament updated on our plans.

The first year of muirburn licencing will be a transitional year, which will require only online knowledge-based training. This prevents any delays as a result of access to training.

Requiring the knowledge-based online training will help enforce current standards, clarify where it is appropriate burn and how to do so safely. A grace period would mean that muirburn could be carried out in the 2025 season by people with no training whatsoever. The transitional approach we are proposing means that all practitioners must have completed the knowledge-based element and a large proportion will have completed the practical element also. By the 2026 season all practitioners will have to have completed both elements of the training.

Scotland already has the strongest protections for tenants in the UK. The rent adjudication process is in place to protect tenants from above market rent increases and it is one of a number if protections tenants have in place. An appeal can be made to the First Tier Tribunal if a landlord or tenant is not happy with a rent adjudication decision.

Raising awareness of the strong existing rights tenants have is critical. That is why we have launched a further Renters’ Rights Campaign. This will support tenants understand their rights, how to use them and where to seek further advice and support.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study on infant formula and follow-on formula. Parents need to be able to make fully informed infant feeding choices. Where a family chooses to formula feed, the cost of essential food for babies should not be out of reach.

Scottish Government will work with UK partners to consider the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations, including how they relate to Scotland.

The Scottish Government agrees that training should include knowledge of the Muirburn Code.

I can advise Parliament, that today, I’m launching the roll out of a new National Planning Skills Commitment Plan. This involves a co-ordinated skills and recruitment drive for the planning sector, being led by the Scottish Government and underpinned by a partnership approach across the built and natural environment. Over 100 people, across almost 60 organisations, will collectively contribute to the delivery of the Commitment Plan.

Delivery will take place through a range of actions to be progressed for, and by, people from a broad range of sectors and interests. In supporting skills development, industry representatives are contributing their time and knowledge to participate. The Commitment Plan also adopts a more direct approach to recruitment to attract the next generation of planning professionals. That will include steps to help modernise the image and reputation of the planning profession, as a positive force for delivery of investment in the high quality development that Scotland needs now and for years to come.

Taking forward the committed actions, each month will have a dedicated theme for both skills development and recruitment. For example, in March 2025, housing is the key focus topic for training through webinars and hands-on learning. Meanwhile, to boost future recruitment, the Scottish Government is currently taking forward a Future Planners scheme, for 18 Post Graduates, and is about to launch an expanded Bursary programme, trebling the number from 10, last year, to 30 this year.

I believe that all sectors have a vital role to play in addressing the skills and capacity challenges in planning. Professionals are moving forward with a shared ambition to strengthen resilience across Scotland’s planning system and public services.

Details of the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan

https://www.ourplace.scot/resource/training-and-recruitment-opportunities.

The Scottish Budget 2025-26 identified funding of £5 million to help support independent hospices deliver pay parity with Agenda for Change (AfC) levels for 2025-26. Officials are undertaking work to explore the mechanisms for providing this funding, while respecting local commissioning arrangements. Funding will be provided in financial year 2025-26. Officials continue to take forward positive discussions with the Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group.

This funding does not bring hospice staff under AfC terms and conditions and is only intended to provide pay parity with NHS levels. Independent hospices will have their own terms and conditions for the staff they employ.

Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government for analysis and mitigation of the impact of National Insurance changes on all commissioned services in the public sector, including GP practices.

Since the Autumn Statement published on 30 October 2024, Scottish Government has made continued representation to the UK Government on the significant impact that the changes will have on the health and social care landscape. In particular we note the continued inequity which leaves many commissioned services unable to claim the Employment Allowance, despite its extension to more businesses from 6 April due to the relaxations announced in the Budget.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last month again highlighting the risks to GPs and other contractors and asking for specific consideration and review of the Employment Allowance to allow them to claim this relief. She further pressed the Chief Secretary on the impact of the National Insurance changes in a meeting on 27 February.

It remains the view of Scottish Government that mitigations are essential to safeguard existing service provision, and that greater recognition is needed of the impact to these vital public services – and the people who rely on them – if appropriate compensatory funding or extension of existing tax reliefs is not afforded.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I can confirm that to date, the liquidated damages provisions have not been triggered.