Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of homelessness funding provided to local authorities in the annual local government finance settlements since 1999 has been included in the block grant and is therefore not separately identifiable. It is therefore not possible to determine how much of the local government finance settlement each year supports work to tackle homelessness in any year.

However, the unquantified amounts within the block grant have been supplemented in recent years through identifiable sums added to the block grant, which are enhanced or reduced by the overall annual changes in the local government finance settlement. The additional resource, set out in the table below, was allocated to local authorities for the development and implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans and for preventing and responding to homelessness.

Severance arrangements and the scrutiny of severance cases follow the process set out in SPFM . This includes arrangements around voluntary exits and settlement agreements and use of confidentiality clauses.

• Data in relation to settlement and the number of confidentiality clauses in Scottish Government and Public bodies, NHSScotland and Scottish Funding Council overseen bodies is held from 2014 and, since then, has been provided to parliament annually – see links to previous reports . 2020-21 data will be published imminently.
• We do not hold information prior to 2014, nor do we hold information in respect of local authorities.

SG and public bodies, NHS and SFC Data. - CC = confidentiality clause.

It is not appropriate for the Scottish Government or Ministers to comment on or intervene directly in individual cases relating to patient care.

We are aware that, following the tragic incident involving Mr Brown, the Scottish Ambulance Service has launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident. The Service has been in regular contact with Mr Brown’s family and have confirmed that they will meet with the family again to discuss their full findings once their investigation is concluded in mid-March 2022.

Both new vessels; the MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 will have an accessible toilet with changing facilities, which includes a height adjustable bench and ceiling hoist. There will also be a smaller standard accessible toilet on each of the vessels.

Scottish Government doesn’t have information on the number of applicants to game keeping courses, and we cannot provide a full picture for each year between 2007 and 2021.

Information on enrolments and qualifiers at Scottish University is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Enrolments and Qualifiers on Game Keeper Management courses at Scottish Universities, by JACS classification:

The registration for Baby Boxes in Scotland opened on 15 June 2017 and delivery began on 15 August 2017.

We are unable to give the number of Baby Boxes delivered in the Falkirk East constituency area as we only record numbers of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board.

The total number of Baby Boxes issued in Forth Valley Health Board up to 18 February 2022 is 10,965.

The total breakdown is provided in the following table:

We set up a short life working group and worked at pace with industry to examine where the immediate shortages were most acute and to identify opportunities to remove barriers and build capacity within Scotland. A letter summarising the key findings from the Materials Shortage Working Group’s work was sent to the Economy and Fair Work committee on 25 January 2022 and has been published on the Scottish Parliament website. Details of this letter can be found in the following link:

Construction Materials Shortages Working Group | Scottish Parliament Website

Our Construction Recovery Plan , published in October 2020, recognises the importance of local supply chains and the use of sustainable materials to build necessary resilience in supply. Actions in the Plan are focussed on the development of our supply chains to maximise local economic and community benefits and are being driven forward by the Supply Chain Subgroup of the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF). The Plan also identifies short, medium and long term actions in relations to skills and workforce.

An online Construction Directory is due to be launched this year. This will help businesses make connections to Scottish suppliers.

More widely, our Supply Chains Development Programme is identifying opportunities to strengthen domestic supply chains, improve resilience, support net zero ambitions and help grow the Scottish economy.

We continue to work closely with our social and affordable housing delivery partners and to monitor progress on a project by project basis across the country through our network of area teams. This is a constantly changing position and we are working together to deliver warm affordable homes for the people who need them as quickly as it is possible to do so and to make full use of the £3.6 billion five-year funding already secured to support the delivery of social and affordable housing across Scotland.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides local authorities with a discretionary power to set up workplace parking licensing (WPL) schemes. It will be for local authorities to decide whether they wish to implement WPL locally and to shape proposals to suit local circumstances.

Liability for the WPL charge sits with employers, not with employees, and it is a matter for employers whether they pass on the cost to employees.

As the impacts will depend on local authorities’ proposals, it is for local authorities, rather than Ministers, to assess the likely impacts of their proposed schemes. Local authorities are required to consult those likely to be affected and undertake impact assessments before implementing a WPL scheme.

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 sets minimum standards for the property management industry (including land maintenance companies). It provides protections for homeowners who use their services. The Act requires all factors to be on a national register and abide by a statutory Code of Conduct.

Homeowners who have complaints about the level of the service of their property factors can apply to the First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) for redress. Further information at: https://www.mygov.scot/property-factors/ .

If no property factor as defined in section 2(1) of the 2011 Act is appointed to maintain greenspace when it moves into private ownership, then homeowners should make contact with the owner of the land to establish the obligations that were agreed at hand over or sale of the greenspace. Enforcement may be required by the local authority or through the court. Homeowners may also wish to consult their title deeds and may wish to seek independent legal advice from an advice agency or solicitor.

The following table shows the Scottish Government funding provided to the Falkirk Council area in each year from 2000-01 to 2020-21, and specifically within that, the funding provided directly to Falkirk Council to deliver council homes: