Chamber and committees

The Scottish Budget prevented a cliff edge return to full liability on 31 March 2022 for businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, by continuing relief at 50% for the first three months of 2022-23, capped at £27,500 per ratepayer. This follows 100% relief for retail, hospitality and leisure premises for the past two years without any cap, which has saved Scottish businesses around £1.6 billion. We were the only Government to offer the relief at 100%, uncapped in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, when businesses needed it most. We have no current plans to alter the relief already being delivered for 2022-23.

The Scottish Budget also delivered another below-inflation increase to the poundage, providing the lowest poundage in the UK for the fourth year in a row, and ensuring that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK. We have further maintained a competitive package of reliefs worth an estimated £802 million, including the UK’s most generous Small Business Bonus Scheme which takes over 111,000 properties out of rates altogether.

We are currently reviewing the previous work done, including the draft policy development, the results from the formal consultation and the written reports of the round table events, and will look to commence stakeholder engagement after the local government elections.

The Scottish Government collects data relating to individual temporary accommodation placements (associated with homelessness applications) through the HL3 data collection. This includes information on whether or not placements have been in breach of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order (UAO).

Comprehensive HL3 data is available for all local authorities from 1 April 2017. The most recent data available is up to 30 September 2021.

Prior to 5 May 2020, a breach occurred when a household with a pregnant women and/or child was in unsuitable temporary accommodation for more than 7 days. From 5 May 2020, this was extended to all homeless households. Therefore, breaches data pre and post 5 May 2020 are not directly comparable.

Various temporary exceptions were introduced from May to September 2020 to allow local authorities to provide households with accommodation in response to COVID-19. These exceptions were still in place by September 2021. Where an exception applied, a breach did not have to be recorded.

As a result of uncertainty caused by the extension of the legislation falling at the same time as the introduction of the exceptions, there was increased scrutiny of the data. This uncovered inconsistency in the practice of reporting and recording breaches across local authorities, including prior to May 2020. Therefore, data on the number of breaches should be treated with caution.

Following identification of this inconsistent recording practice, the Scottish Government issued clarification to local authorities in January 2022. Clearer, more explicit HL3 guidance with worked examples is also being prepared to minimise different interpretations of the legislation and ensure consistent reporting.

The tables below provide the number of UAO breaches recorded in the HL3 return by local authority and by month from 1 April 2017, when comprehensive coverage began, to 30 September 2021.

Figures have been rounded to the nearest five for disclosure control purposes, with the except i on of zeroes – which are denoted by ‘.’ – and values of 1, 2 and 3 - which are denoted by ‘<4’.

The sum of the monthly totals may not match published quarterly figures due to rounding.

Only local authorities with at least one breach from April 2017 to September 2021 are included in the tables. If a local authority is not included, this is because they have no reported breaches over this period.

Number of temporary accommodation placements that have been in breach of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order, by local authority

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the cost to local authorities for housing homeless households in temporary accommodation. This information would need to be requested from each local authority directly.

Funding for local authorities is provided by way of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, including any funding to combat homelessness, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Scottish Government lawyers provide legal services and advice to the Scottish Government and its agencies only. As such, Ukrainian-speaking lawyers have not been specifically recruited in order to assist the resettlement process.

To support the settlement process of Ukrainian refugees, the Scottish Government has provided £36,000 to JustRight Scotland to provide free, confidential legal advice to Ukrainians and their family members seeking safety in Scotland. We have also provided £7 million to Local Authorities to meet longer term needs. In addition, we have provided £1.4 million to the Scottish Refugee Council for the expansion of its Refugee Integration Service.

Scottish Ministers have established a short-life Food Security and Supply Taskforce, together with industry. The Taskforce met for the first time on 18 March and again on 01 and 20 April. It will monitor, identify and respond to any current and potential disruption to the food and drink supply chain resulting from the impact of the current situation in Ukraine.

It is currently considering a range of issues and proposals submitted to it and will seek to recommend, any short, medium and longer-term actions that can be taken to mitigate impacts, resolve supply issues and strengthen food security and supply in Scotland. The taskforce will report in due course.

Salus and Working Health Services Scotland (WHSS) provide return to work and occupational health services for people who have health conditions or injuries that are impacting on their work, including long COVID. These services are adapting to meet the additional needs required of them due to the pandemic. Currently there are no plans to develop an occupational health return-to-work support service for people with long COVID.

NHS inform provides people living with long COVID with clear and accessible guidance on managing their symptoms. It includes specific advice on navigating a return to work and signposts to information developed by the Society of Occupational Medicine and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

Ministers did not direct officials or CMAL to enter into the contract; nor did officials or CMAL seek such a direction or “written authority” from Ministers. Transport Scotland and CMAL ensured that Ministers were informed of, and accepting of, the risks associated with this contract following which Ministers provided some additional assurances sought by CMAL. These exchanges have been set out in the public record since 2019.

The Auditor General confirmed last week that Audit Scotland was “clear in our judgment that there was no formal written authority”.

We published our NHS Recovery Plan last August and continue to work with Public Health Scotland on updating guidance for Primary Care settings, covering key issues such as the removal of mandatory physical distancing requirements, access for patients and infection prevention and control.

We increased the Primary Care Improvement Fund to recruit multi-disciplinary teams from £110m in 2020-21 to £155 million in 2021-22, and this will increase again to £170m in 2022-23.

In line with JCVI advice, adults aged 75 years and over, and residents in a care home for older adults, as well as individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed, will be offered an additional booster dose in spring 2022, at least 24 weeks after their last dose.

As per clinical guidance in the Green Book, health boards have the flexibility to offer spring boosters sooner than this (at least 12 weeks since last dose) where appropriate, to help provide additional protection during the spring and summer months. Those eligible will receive a scheduled appointment letter and should wait to be contacted.