Chamber and committees

There is no distinction between objectives and deliverables of the £500 million Just Transition Fund for year one, and the £20 million allocation for year one.

Detailed policy design work and implementation planning, supplemented by a programme of engagement, is underway ahead of the new financial year. This will inform the objectives and deliverables of the Just Transition Fund. Further updates will be shared as this engagement develops. We will work collaboratively, continuing to engage and co-design this Fund with partners in region throughout the lifetime of this ten-year £500 million commitment to the North East and Moray.

The Scottish Government is currently working closely with Building Digital UK (BDUK) to develop our understanding of what Project Gigabit means for Scotland. To date, Project Gigabit has primarily focussed on England with the procurement approach developed for the supplier market there. We want to be sure that any approach works in a Scottish context and is tailored to extend future-proofed digital connectivity across the country.

We hope to publish a Gigabit Open Market Review in the coming weeks which will inform any future gigabit procurement strategy for Scotland. We want to ensure that Scotland receives a fair share of Project Gigabit funding and support – a share commensurate with the scale of the challenge we face.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital importance of 4G for remote rural and island communities. Mobile telephony is however, as with wider Telecommunications policy, a Reserved subject area and the responsibility of the UK Government. The installation of alternative power supplies at mobile sites is a decision made by each operator.

The Scottish Government work closely with the UK government and operators to ensure that increasing resilience of the telecoms network in Scotland is a priority.

I have received a response from Chloe Smith, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, to my letter of 5 January 2022 on the delivery of the roll-out of the extension of Scottish Child Payment to 6-15 year olds. That response confirms the Department for Work and Pensions’ commitment to “an agreed approach to the provision of the data which supports [the Scottish Government’s] proposed delivery timeline”.

That timeline is that the extension of Scottish Child Payment to 6-15 year olds will begin from the end of 2022.

The strong preference of the Scottish Government has consistently been to extend the existing interfaces, which are currently in place to support delivery of the Scottish Child Payment for under 6s, but the DWP’s position is that we should build to align with their new strategic solution. This carries a higher degree of risk to our delivery timeline, as the DWP’s new strategic solution is still in the design phase, but we have an agreed joint plan in place to monitor and track that risk.

Our officials continue to work closely to ensure the implementation of the required technical approach and Ministers will meet in due course to review progress.

I refer the member to the question S6W-05691 on 9 February 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 .

Officials did not have any meetings with operators of overseas deposit return schemes (DRS) in the time period specified.

Evidence from other international schemes has played an important role in our decision-making regarding Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and operators of other schemes provided advice to Zero Waste Scotland during the policy-design process. During our review of the implementation date for DRS, Deloitte LLP has provided expertise and independent assurance relating to the process of establishing a scheme administrator, including drawing on its experience as an advisor to other operators and the wider global DRS network.

It is for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as independent regulator, to regulate facilities like the Mossmorran Complex in order to provide assurance that operators are managing the risks created during their activities. The HSE liaises regularly with SEPA and Fife Council with regards to management of the site. The Scottish Government, as a matter of course, liaises regularly with SEPA, which is one of the public partners, including also NHS Fife and Public Health Scotland, in relation to the management and regulation of the Mossmorran complex.

Legal aid applications are prepared by an applicant’s solicitor, who provides all the details of the case to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). Solicitors have professional duties not only to their client, but to SLAB and to the court; therefore it would not be professionally appropriate for a solicitor to submit an application for legal aid if they were of the view that a client’s case was “spurious”.

Legal aid is granted only if the applicant meets the strict eligibility criteria set out in legislation, which apply to all civil cases, including family law matters. This includes the merits of a case. Applicants need to demonstrate that they have a sound legal basis for their case, and that it is reasonable for legal aid to be made available. When looking at the reasonableness test, The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) considers a range of factors including whether the application is premature and whether there are reasonable prospects of success. If the criteria are not met then legal aid will be refused.

Opponents will generally be notified when an application for legal aid is submitted and have the opportunity to make representations to SLAB prior to legal aid being granted. Opponents can also provide any additional information which may affect the merits of the case during its lifetime after legal aid has been granted and does not require legal representation.

The Scottish Government has committed to invest at least £1.8 billion in heat and energy efficiency over the course of this parliament. This funding is delivered via a range of support options, which are available to households across Scotland, including those in rural areas.

The priority for our delivery programmes is to reduce fuel poverty and accelerate progress with decarbonisation of heating. Rural areas of Scotland experience higher rates of fuel poverty and already benefit from additional investment in energy efficiency measures. In line with our Heat in Building Strategy, we have expanded our offer to provide more whole house retrofits and a wider range of support for fuel poor households in rural areas.

We continue to invest in our Warmer Homes Scotland and Area-Based Schemes (ABS). This year we have increased funding for both schemes to a record £50 million for Warmer Homes Scotland (an increase from £32 million in 2020-21) and maintained funding at £64 million for our local authority led Area Based Schemes (an additional £9 million compared with 20-21).

We also continue to fund Home Energy Scotland to provide free and impartial advice on how to reduce bills and make homes warmer and cheaper to heat.

Home Energy Scotland Loans are available to homeowners who live in the property they own and to self-builders. Loans are available for both energy efficiency measures and renewables measures with up to 40% and 75% cashback grants respectively.

The Scottish Government will consult on a draft Islands Energy Strategy in 2022, setting out its approach to supporting island residents and communities to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhance sustainability, and meet their energy needs now and in the future. As part of this work, we will review the evidence base and options for an "islands uplift" across our delivery programmes as part of our commitment to provide additional support for rural and island homes for heat and energy efficiency.

The recruitment and appointment of children’s panel members is the statutory responsibility of the National Convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS). A 2022 recruitment campaign is underway. The 2021 recruitment campaign for panel members won a Scottish Public Services Award for communications.

Scottish Government officials hold regular sponsorship and accountability meetings with CHS. Monitoring information on performance against agreed indicators and finance are routinely provided to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government has received no information that would indicate that there are significant concerns regarding the recruitment of new volunteers, or regarding any CHS internal processes.

Although Scottish Ministers are not responsible for day to day operational matters of public bodies, and Ministers neither direct nor guide the National Convener in relation to specific statutory functions, I have asked officials to make enquiries with CHS for any further information.

CHS have advised that they are not aware of anyone raising concerns regarding this year’s recruitment process, or any failures of internal processes. CHS reported some minor revision activity on internal policies, which has either been completed or is on schedule.