Chamber and committees

We continue to keep these estimates under review and will provide updates later in the year, after our planned consultation on a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans at this stage to introduce secondary legislation under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 or Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, regarding the Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) rebuild of the Mackintosh building.

The Mackintosh building is owned by The Glasgow School of Art, which is an autonomous body with responsibility for its own strategic and operational decision making. The GSA have stated that its plans for a faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh building will take into account the practical constraints of the current regulatory environment. Employers, building owners and managers are responsible for their premises, including duties in relation to fire safety and mitigation.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will continue to engage closely with the GSA at senior management and board level on institutional governance, its plans for the delivery of high quality education, and decision making regarding the rebuild of the Mackintosh building. Historic Environment Scotland, as the lead public body for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment, will continue to work with the GSA, Glasgow City Council and other interested parties on the complex issues surrounding the rebuild of the Mackintosh building.

Evidence about the number of people with learning disabilities in Scotland is collected through the Learning Disability Statistics Scotland publication. The most recent publication, published in 2019, found there were 23,584 adults with learning disabilities known to local authorities across Scotland.

Officials are in discussions with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities about how Learning Disability Statistics Scotland will be improved to provide the most precise picture of people with learning disabilities across Scotland.

Scottish Government understands the important of reliable evidence about people with learning disabilities and has committed to improving the evidence base through its autism and learning/intellectual disability transformation plan 'Towards Transformation'.

The Scottish Government can encourage investment in areas aligned with our climate priorities but the decision on which sectors or projects to invest in is for each individual private company to make.

However, in line with our commitments in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), the Scottish Government is working to attract and deploy significant domestic and international private investment in Scotland, including net zero sectors. The recently established Investor Panel chaired by the First Minister will bring investor intelligence into policy and regulatory development early in the process and will primarily focus on how we attract capital investment in the physical infrastructure to support our transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government was alerted by the UK Government on 6 February about a fraudulent letter claiming to be from Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to sponsors of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, asking for data for the Ukraine Embassy.

The alert from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) did not refer to the accessing of personal data. In a public statement released by DLUHC on twitter shortly afterwards DLUHC stated that, “we are aware of fraudulent letters to homes for Ukraine hosts circulating on social media ”. The statement made no reference to the accessing of personal data of hosts taking part in the Scheme and DLUHC has not reported any subsequent issues regarding any breaches of data security.

Scottish Government issued the following message on social media platforms on 7 February: “We are aware of fraudulent letters being sent to Homes for Ukraine hosts. These are not from @dluhc or Scottish Government.”

The Scottish Government has implemented high security standards for personal data for volunteer hosts and has had no reported issues with data security.

On 11 January 2023 I visited Aberdeen to attend the opening of the National Subsea centre and for a media round table to discuss the launch of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

On 9 February 2023 the Minister for Just Transition, Employability and Skills visited Opportunity North East and Net Zero Technology Centre to hear updates on projects funded via the Just Transition Fund. The Minister also met with Aberdeen City Council Co-Leaders and Chief Executive to discuss Just Transition in the region.

Permitted development rights already allow solar panels to be retro-fitted on domestic properties without a planning application, subject to relevant criteria being met. Permitted development rights grant planning permission for specified types of development through legislation. In doing so, they help provide certainty and save the time and expense associated with applying for planning permission.

The permitted development rights for domestic solar panels do not, however, apply to domestic properties located within a conservation area, meaning a planning application is required. This allows the planning authority to consider the potential negative impacts of solar panel installations on the visual amenity and character of the conservation area. Under the new fees regulations introduced by the Scottish Government in 2021, such applications qualify for a 25% reduction of the normal application fee.

The Scottish Government is currently considering potential for extending the permitted development rights for renewable energy installations, including domestic solar panels, in the light of the current climate and cost crises. We will be publishing a consultation on our proposals shortly.

The responsibilities of Scottish Ministers and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, as amended. The Principles of Charging, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/principles-of-charging-2021-2027/ , specify how Scottish Water is to charge for its services, together with the discounts, exemptions and reductions which must be applied.

The Maritime sector is supported by a range of apprenticeships. Recent employer led developments include a full review of Aquaculture provision and Engineering Apprenticeships to ensure that employers have skills programmes which support their current and emerging needs.

For those who are unemployed or in receipt of a low income, Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) currently offer support of up to £200 to help individuals move into or to progress in work.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offers employers flexible workforce development training opportunities tailored to their needs to support inclusive economic growth through up-skilling or re-skilling of existing workers. The Fund is in addition to apprenticeship support, access to which is available to all employers in Scotland; and ITAs.

Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council are ensuring that our annual investment in skills is fully aligned behind our economic ambitions and support for emerging sectors.

Our colleges are also committed to supporting the economy through their curriculum offer. Many colleges offer a maritime related courses and City of Glasgow College has a dedicated campus which specifically offers a wide range of nautical courses which put theory into practice in innovative shipping simulation suites, computer labs, and a Marine Skills Centre with its own jetty.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13065 on 20 December 2022, 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 Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform is next scheduled to meet next on 22 March 2023.