Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss a range of issues as part of our commitment to work in partnership. This includes meetings in relation to the New Scots refugee integration strategy for which Scottish Refugee Council is a key partner.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information, including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Officials regularly engage with stakeholder organisations, including Scottish Refugee Council, as part of policy development processes.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Officials across the Scottish Government regularly engage with gender equality stakeholders as part of the policy development process. Officials work closely with the Scottish Women’s Convention as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to advancing gender equality. The Scottish Women’s Convention engage with Scottish Government officials as part of their work to ensure women’s voices from across Scotland are heard on a number of key issues.

The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role local authorities play in communities across Scotland. Through various published strategies and plans, as well as sponsorship of our public bodies, we support and empower local authorities to act on behalf of the communities they serve.

Examples include our Culture Strategy, which celebrates the diversity and excellence of Scottish culture – past, present and future. National Planning Framework 4 approved by the Parliament in January 2023 recognises Scotland’s rich heritage, culture and outstanding environment as national assets that develop local economy, identity, and boosts health and wellbeing

Historic Environment Scotland has published a suite of documents on its website covering management of traditional buildings. It supports local communities through its Heritage and Place programme of area-based funding that aims to contribute to the development of vibrant and sustainable places in Scotland, through community-led regeneration of the historic environment. The Culture Collective programme, administrated by Creative Scotland with over £10m of Scottish Government funding to date, supports projects that celebrate local social history, and empowers communities to shape and share the story of their place.

Local authorities are statutorily responsible for taking forward flood protection schemes and other actions to reduce flood risk. In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection. The agreement guarantees that until 2026 the level of flooding capital grant in the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42 million per annum. 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to take forward other flood risk management actions.

The Programme for Government published in 2020 included a commitment to invest an extra £150 million in flood risk management over 5 years in addition to the £42 million per annum. This funding will also be distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. We are working with partners on the best way of allocating this additional funding.

The high cost of energy prices combined with inflation is having a disproportionate impact on fuel poor households across Scotland.

That is why the First Minister recently announced that our Fuel Insecurity Fund will be increased to up to £30 million in the next financial year to support the most vulnerable households in Scotland. In addition, our winter heating payment has been maintained, providing a stable and reliable annual £50 payment to around 400,000 low-income individuals. This benefit is an investment of over £20m each year which is more than double the £8.3m provided on average by the UK Government in each of the last 7 years.

We were disappointed that the UK Government did not answer our calls to extend the Energy Bills Support Scheme as part of its Spring Budget Statement. The removal of the support scheme means a typical household’s annual bill will increase by around 19%. As well as removing 50,000 households from fuel poverty, the continuation of the scheme would also have removed 120,000 Scottish households from extreme fuel poverty.

Following the progress made at the Scottish Government energy summits held last year, we continue to work with energy suppliers to explore ways to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs on those who are struggling to pay their bills and heat their homes.

The Covid Recovery Strategy, published in October 2021, set out a joint vision between the Scottish Government and Local Government for Scotland’s recovery which focused on reducing systemic inequalities, tackling poverty and supporting people and communities most affected during the pandemic. The strategy set out three priority outcomes: to increase financial security for low income households; to enhance the wellbeing of children and young people; and to create good, green jobs and fair work. The Covid Recovery Strategy also set out an overarching ambition to reform public services, in line with the principles of the Christie Commission, so that they are person-centred and outcome-focused.

The Covid Recovery Strategy included over 70 actions which were funded through existing portfolios and the Scottish Government has made progress towards our Covid Recovery outcomes by, for example: increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week; doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million; providing local authorities with additional funding for Discretionary Housing Payments; investing at least £50 million in 2023/24 in a Whole Family Wellbeing Programme; and investing in the Green Jobs Fund and Green Jobs Workforce Academy.

The Covid Recovery Strategy Programme Board met for the first time in January 2022 and was co-chaired by the former Deputy First Minister and the COSLA President. The Board includes representatives from Local Government, business organisations and the third sector and has overseen the collaborative and joint delivery of the Covid Recovery Strategy. It has ensured progress towards the three Covid Recovery outcomes and overarching ambition of public service reform. The Board met most recently in January 2023 and minutes are available on the Scottish Government website .

The Covid Recovery Strategy programme is due to conclude in the summer of 2023, although the Scottish Government will build on this programme to continue to deliver for people across Scotland. The priorities of the Covid Recovery Strategy align with the 2023/24 Scottish Budget which focuses on tackling child poverty, transforming the economy to deliver a just transition to net zero, and achieving fiscally sustainable public services.

As a key stakeholder for the Scottish Government on Climate Change Policy, officials in the Scottish Government regularly meet with 2050 Climate Group.

Ministers have also met with 2050 Climate Group during that period. The Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, and the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights participated in 2050 Climate Groups Young Leaders Development Programme in February 2022 and February 2023 respectively to showcase how working in politics can help shape climate action in Scotland. In addition, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity visited 2050 Climate Group in August 2022 to discuss 2050 Climate Groups work in more detail, particularly linked to developing green skills in the political sphere. There were no recorded outcomes to these meetings. Participants welcomed the engagement with Ministers and officials remain committed to working with young people including on green skills and the 2050 Climate Group are part of the CESAP (Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan) Implementation Steering Group.

In relation to licensing, the 2022 Act contains permanent provisions which allow notice of some licensing applications under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to be given by publication on a website. It also made provision so that some licensing hearings and alcohol licensing hearings can be held through remote facilities, as well as in person, or through a mixture of both. There are no plans to extend the scope of these provisions of the 2022 Act.

On registration services, the 2022 Act put on a permanent footing the option of remote death registration and introduced permanently the option of remote birth registration. National Records Scotland are developing proposals so that the registers of life events which they operate are held electronically. There are no plans to allow couples to marry or enter a civil partnership remotely. The 2022 Act make permanent provisions for registration in property registers to proceed on a copy of a deed submitted to the Keeper of the Registers by electronic means. There are no plans to extend this further.

Published information on home purchases and spend across the First Home Fund, Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) schemes can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following links:

Help to Buy (Scotland):

https://www.gov.scot/policies/homeowners/help-to-buy/

Open Market Shared Equity and New Supply Shared Equity:

https://www.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/affordable-housing-supply/

First Home Fund:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-home-fund-spend-and-units-monitoring-information-report-december-2019-to-march-2021/

Please be aware when reading the published statistics that all schemes were available for first-time buyers. Help to Buy was also for second steppers and priority groups eligible for OMSE and NSSE. First Home fund applicants were eligible if one of a couple were a first time buyer.

An evaluation of the Scottish Government shared equity schemes (Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)) was published in June 2020. The evaluation can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-scottish-government-shared-equity-schemes/ .

The evaluation estimated that 64% of Help to Buy purchasers, 71% of NSSE purchasers and 95% of OMSE purchasers were first time buyers. All households supported by the First Home Fund include at least one first time buyer.

We do not hold any historical records pre 2007.

The Scottish Government’s grant-in-aid to Creative Scotland for 2023/2024 is to fulfil its statutory functions, deliver Scottish Ministers' strategic objectives and contribute to the National Outcomes and National Performance Framework , as set out in the approved Creative Scotland Corporate Plan.

The public sector reform agenda announced as part of the 2023-24 budget is to ensure public services remain sustainable and are best placed to deliver improved outcomes. Guidance has been issued to Creative Scotland and other public bodies around key themes including where savings, improved performance and improved service delivery can be achieved by working together.

Updated Fair Work First guidance was published on 24 March, that supports public sector grant managers and recipients to pay at minimum the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, within the limits on devolved competence, from 1 July 2023.