Chamber and committees

The cost of energy remains a significant issue in terms of tackling fuel poverty and can discourage switching to electric zero emissions technologies for heating. As energy pricing and obligations are reserved, we must see action by the UK Government if we are to meet both our emissions and fuel poverty targets.

The Scottish Government is engaging broadly to raise our concerns for the people and businesses of Scotland. A letter has been sent this week from the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport to the BEIS business secretary highlighting the need for affordable energy and Ministers are engaging with industry and consumer groups, including fuel poverty organisations.

We note the publication of Shelter Scotland’s Understanding the True Cost of Evictions in Scotland report and will study the details as part of our wider consideration of evidence around this area. We have reservations about the report’s treatment of rent arrears costs as part of the analysis and will engage with Shelter Scotland to gain an understanding of the work that has been carried out.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that eviction for rent arrears is a last resort. A social landlord must have exhausted all attempts to resolve rent arrears with the tenant before taking action to evict. The Scottish Government and Social Landlords reaffirmed our joint commitment to supporting people to keep their homes and avoid eviction where tenants are struggling through no fault of their own to manage their rent in our Shared Statement: Social landlords working together with tenants to avoid evictions: https://www.gov.scot/publications/joint-working-on-evictions-social-housing-shared-statement/ published on 25 June 2021.

International travel restrictions are important in limiting the importation of further cases of the virus, in particular new variants, which could undermine the rollout of our vaccine programme. Exemptions to self-isolation requirements have been granted for seafarers returning directly to Scotland from red or amber list countries outside of the UK. Seafarers who are repatriating in Scotland are also exempt from isolation and the financial pressure that isolation incurs. This exemption does not apply to seafarers returning to Scotland for a period of leave or any other non-work-related circumstance. Offshore workers arriving from amber list countries to work on the UK continental shelf are also exempt from isolation requirements. Where workers are required to travel internationally for business reasons, employers are encouraged to consider how they support their employees to comply with restrictions on their return to Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to fair income for our councillors, which is why we introduced a new mechanism in 2017 that ensures Councillors' pay is increased annually in line with the percentage increase in the median annual earnings of public sector workers in Scotland. However, I appreciate that the annual salary of an ordinary Councillor is seen as one of the main contributing factors to the lack of diversity among Councillors in Scotland, and I am open to discussing with COSLA and wider stakeholders how we might support them to address this issue.

We want everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight, yet we know people living on low incomes have poorer health outcomes.

We promote a cash-first approach through the Scottish Welfare Fund and other discretionary supports, and through the Independent Food Aid Network’s Cash-First Pathways.

We have increased the level of the Best Start Food Grant which supports low income families to buy healthy food for children under the age of three and intend to increase eligibility in this parliamentary term.

Our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan also outlines a range of actions to make access to affordable healthier food options easier for those on low incomes.

The consultation on New Year's Day trading closed on 24 August and attracted over 1,860 responses. The responses are being analysed and I will inform the Parliament of a decision once the analysis is complete.

We have this morning placed an update to the paper published on
‎ 8 September entitled Mandatory Covid Vaccine Certification in Scotland in SPICe under BIB 62718. The paper is also published on the Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-certification-update-23-september-2021 .

The Scottish Government was deeply concerned to learn of the ongoing risk to jobs at both McVities and CalaChem. The member will be aware of the ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and McVities, and I have already responded to the member in relation to engagements with CalaChem.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation will represent a coherent Green Industrial Strategy for Scotland, which, supported by the Just Transition Plans for industry, will include a vision for reinvigorating the Scottish manufacturing and industry, supporting Scottish supply chains and creating high-quality jobs.

ScotRail engages with key stakeholders, including Mobility and Access Committee Scotland, throughout the timetable development consultation process to seek their views which will help inform the final May 2022 timetable.

ScotRail currently offers a range of discounted fares and concessions to reduce the cost of travel for a diverse range of passengers. The Scottish Government will require ScotRail to continue to review how it can offer lower fares to meet the needs of people on low incomes and in response to changing travelling patterns emerging from Covid-19. In addition, the Scottish Government has taken action to minimise the impact on passengers by capping fares increases for regulated ScotRail peak fares at the level of the Retail Price Index (RPI).

Regulated off-peak fare increases are capped at one percent lower than inflation. This means, in Scotland, average fares increases are lower than England. The average fares increase in March 2021 in Scotland was 1.2% compared with 2.6% in England. Overall, fares in Scotland are on average 20% lower than in the rest of Britain.

ScotRail continues to help facilitate a seamless transport network which combines rail journeys with bus, ferries, active travel, other transport modes and through smart and integrated ticketing to improve accessibility to those from households without access to a car.