Chamber and committees

There is strong national planning policy support for approval of good quality conversions to residential development following thorough planning assessments. We have no plans to introduce new permitted development rights providing for the conversion of business premises to housing without a planning application. We sought views on this during the second phase of the ongoing review of permitted development rights. More than 90% of respondents agreed this should not be taken forward and that residential development should continue to be plan-led. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted in February 2023 and is now part of the development plan. Policy 9 (Brownfield, vacant and derelict land and empty buildings) of NPF4 supports the sustainable reuse of brownfield land including vacant buildings. Furthermore, Policy 27 of NPF4 (City, town, local and commercial centres) specifically supports town centre living and the re-use of vacant buildings within city and town centres for residential development.

The First Minister and the Prime Minister spoke on the telephone on 28 March 2023 and have exchanged letters. The First Minister looks forward to meeting the Prime Minister in person in due course.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry in its work to explore the handling of the pandemic and to identify and report on lessons learned. We will consider the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations once available.

The Scottish Government is co-operating fully with the work of the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry, this will include participating, as required, in public hearings. It is a matter for the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry as to who they call to give evidence.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Age Scotland 2022 Impact report and recognises the work Age Scotland undertakes to support and benefit Older People in Scotland.

We will meet with Age Scotland and other Older People Strategic Action Forum stakeholders later this month.

We have always been clear that we want the work of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry to be delivered at speed, addressing the range of questions that people have, so that we can learn and benefit from lessons as early as possible.

It is for the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry itself to comment on its work.

Section 17 of the Inquiries Act 2005 gives an inquiry Chair alone, rather than Ministers, responsibility for deciding how an inquiry should operate.

It is for the Chair to determine how to strike the right balance between addressing the wide range of questions people have and making sure that the inquiry can be delivered at speed, so that we can learn and benefit from lessons as early as possible.

The Scottish Government remains committed, in its role as sponsor, to providing operational support as the Chair considers necessary and appropriate, in order to enable the Inquiry to carry out its independent work and help ensure the progress made so far is continued.

The Scottish Government welcomed the report of the Economy and Fair Work Committee and agrees with the recommendations to focus on coordination, partnership working and long term funding.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA, local government and partners including Scotland’s Towns Partnership to deliver our joint Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) to support transformation of our town centres and promote our Town Centres First approach. TCAP sets out a range of cross sectoral and cross policy actions under the priority themes of better planning, taxation, town centre living, enterprising communities, climate action, digital skills and support, funding and demonstrator towns.

We recently established with COSLA the Town Centre Action Plan Forum to bring together expertise from local government and public, private and third sector partners to help progress key actions.

The following buildings have dedicated cycle parking spaces:-

The Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 was passed in June 2022. As part of learning lessons from the Covid pandemic, the Act updates the statute book to permanently embed reforms in Scotland’s public services. Although these were originally necessitated by the pandemic, they have delivered improvements for service users and improved efficiency. The Act also ensures that Scottish Ministers are able to respond swiftly and appropriately to future public health threats, by making permanent those powers that played a particularly significant role in managing the response to the Covid pandemic.

The Act also includes a Schedule of temporary justice measures, which are due to expire on 30 November 2023 and can only be extended if the Parliament agrees. Under the terms of the Act, Ministers must review the operation of each temporary measure before it expires, to inform a decision on whether it should be extended for a further year. If seeking any extension, Ministers must lay regulations to amend the expiry date, alongside a statement setting out the findings of the review, allowing for full parliamentary scrutiny.

There are no plans to repeal The Act itself The Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 is not emergency legislation, it has been through the full Bill process, and thorough pre-legislative scrutiny. There is no statutory requirement for the permanent provisions in the 2022 Act to be reviewed.

The Scottish Government has no records of any meetings held with Athron Hill Development Company Limited since May 2021.