Chamber and committees

In our consultation document: Allocation of Scottish Additional Quota from 2024, the Scottish Government set out a wish to explore whether a vessel’s history of compliance with regulatory requirements relating to fishing could be utilised as a criterion for allocating Additional Quota.

As noted in our subsequent outcome of consultation document, there were split views on this proposal. The Scottish Government sees merit in exploring withholding Additional Quota on the basis of non-compliance with regulatory requirements. As we set out in the outcome report, this will be taken forward as part of a review of the penalties system. No date is set for when this work will commence, but it will be delivered in line with our Fisheries Management Strategy (2020-2030).

Applicants for the scheme already have to agree to specific terms and conditions when signing up for the scheme, however we are working to strengthen these through changes to application forms to specify expected standards of behaviour when travelling and development of a behaviour code linked to operator’s conditions of carriage and existing legal protections.

We are exploring the legal means to suspend access to concessionary travel for perpetrators of persistent antisocial behaviour of any age. While this is being progressed as a priority, the National Concessionary Travel Schemes in Scotland are provided on a universal statutory basis therefore detailed and thorough consideration of any process and penalty must be undertaken to ensure consistency and fairness.

As emphasised during the Parliamentary debate on Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) on 11 December, there has been no reversal of the decision to provide funding for CPTs. I expect to be in a position to provide details of the amount of funding we propose to provide in the New Year. Funding will rely on Parliamentary approval of the Scottish Government’s Budget Bill.

Every ‘scheduled’ award review carried out by Social Security Scotland is a light-touch review.

This means that Social Security Scotland do not require clients by default to provide information again that they already provided, that is not relevant to the changes they have reported, or that we can gather through other means.

Instead, Social Security Scotland will consider information they already hold about the client, where still relevant, and make use of appropriate decision-making tools, where needed, to reduce the need for further questions. They only ask for new supporting information in specific scenarios and take their usual supportive approach to gathering this information.

Our approach differs when a client’s circumstances or changes are more complex, or their reported level of need is unexpected. This is not light touch and Social Security Scotland will decide on a case-by-case basis what additional steps are required and appropriate to better understand the client’s needs, and to ensure they have the information needed to make a robust determination on the client’s entitlement.

Initial views were sought on the criteria for the Changing Places Toilets (CPT) Fund at the CPT Cross Party Group on 14 November. We will not be undertaking a formal consultation on the draft criteria, but we will share them with key interests, including the Cross Party Group, in the New Year.

On 4 December 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Local Government announced a draft Scottish Budget for 2025-26. Included in the draft Budget was the commitment to continue mitigating some of the negative impacts of UK Government policy decisions, including the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and a new commitment to develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child limit in 2026. The Child Poverty Action Group has estimated that the change could lift 15,000 children in Scotland out of poverty.

Subject to the approval of Parliament, the Scottish Government will invest over £97 million in Discretionary Housing Payments in 2025-26 to mitigate the bedroom tax and benefit cap and provide additional housing support. This is an increase of nearly £7 million over 2024-25 and more per person than any other UK nation.

In addition to the above support, an additional £20 million was recently added to the Scottish Welfare Fund to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis, bringing the total investment for 2024-25 up to £61 million. Shortfalls in the UK social security system have contributed to an increased demand on the fund, and we will continue to closely monitor spend and demand trends as we look ahead to the next financial year.

The following table includes estimated costs to extend the 40% relief for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate to retail premises liable for the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates respectively. These costs are in addition to the forecast cost of the 40% relief for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate and are net of existing reliefs (such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme) that we expect businesses to be awarded in 2025-26. A £110,000 cap has been applied at business level and a take-up adjustment of 70% has been applied, which is consistent with the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecasts.

When considering relief for properties liable for the Intermediate and Higher rates, the estimated costs are additional to the cost of relief for retail properties liable for the lower rate(s). Offering 40% relief for retail properties liable for Basic and Intermediate Property Rates, capped at £110,000 per business, for example would cost an estimated £52m (in addition to the cost of offering 40% relief to hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate, capped at £110,000 per business).

Relief cost estimates are based on the property classification as per the valuation roll. Properties could be used for other purposes, however. It should be noted that use-based non-domestic rates relief is only available where a property is wholly or mainly used for a specific purpose.

Source: Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024; local councils’ billing information as at 1 June 2024

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32273 on 6 January 2025. 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

Two pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot were launched in early autumn to provide financial incentives to deer managers to increase deer culls in specific parts of Scotland.

The schemes are operating well with 22 deer controllers signed up across 19 properties in Central Scotland and 25 deer controllers signed up across 12 properties in South Loch Ness. Some of the cull thresholds, which are the triggers for incentive payments to be made, have now been met in both pilot areas with payments issued in November 2024.

With the commencement of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act taking place on 6 January 2025, it is timely to set out a brief statement of our strategic priorities for action on cladding in 2025. 

In particular, we will be:

• continuing to take forward our current programme of action  
• taking action to increase both the pace and breadth of action on cladding 
• seeking to develop a collective, national endeavour to address the risks of cladding. 

On continuing action – completing work currently underway 

We will deliver assessment and remediation for properties that have been part of our 'pilot' programme and for which the Scottish Government is taking responsibility in the absence of an identified developer:

• we will deliver assessment and if required remediation for an initial set of ‘pilot’ buildings for which the Scottish Government is responsible.  13 Single Building Assessments are underway at the moment.  Based on their findings, we will set in train all necessary remediation action, putting interim safety measures in place where needed

• based on due diligence work currently underway, we will also take forward assessment and remediation for any additional pilot buildings within the scope of the Act for which it is confirmed that responsibility falls to the Scottish Government.  Where responsibility falls to others, we will identify and communicate this to those parties and to residents. 

We will complete implementation of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024: 

• we are commencing the Act in its entirety on 6 January 2025 
• we will put in place practical arrangements for the long-term operation of the Cladding Assurance Register, building on the interim arrangements now in place 
• we will develop, consider and consult on proposals for a statutory Responsible Developers Scheme 
• as part of the response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 2 report, we will confirm our position on the use of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (including use of the powers provided by the Act). 

We will enable the assessment and remediation of affected properties by the relevant larger developers: 

• we will seek swift agreement with the larger developers on the ‘Developer Remediation Contract’, enabling them to take forward assessment and remediation on properties for which they have accepted responsibility 
• as part of an ongoing process of engagement with the larger developers, we will track, assure and gather information on their remediation progress.

We will continue to improve communication with residents and owners affected by cladding: 

• we will continue to produce a quarterly newsletter aimed at residents along with monthly updates, backed by up-to-date information on the Scottish Government website including ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ 
• we will fully observe the new statutory duties on communication with owners and residents in buildings for which assessment and remediation is being taken forward under the new Act. 

On new action to increase pace and breadth

In parallel, we will work with partners to develop and deliver two new schemes of assessment and remediation:

• we will issue a new 'open call for further properties which may require Government-led assessment and remediation. This will enable residents faced with problems of potentially unsafe cladding, but for which no owner or developer is willing or able to undertake assessment and remediation, to bring this to the attention of Government, and to be considered for Government-led assessment and remediation
• we will also develop a further scheme designed to identify and address those buildings which appear to be at an elevated risk from cladding. In doing so, we will work with local authorities and fire services to help identify the buildings which should be prioritised, and will consider where responsibility for taking forward assessment and remediation should lie - including, where the Scottish Government has a part to play.

More generally, we will bring partners together to seek to make action on cladding a national, collective endeavour:

• we will engage proactively with local authorities, the fire service and other partners, to harness the skills, knowledge and capacity of all to greatest effect. In doing so, we will develop the clearest possible picture of the position across sectors in Scotland, and the action being taken. We will seek assurance where appropriate, and be prepared as Government to play our part where this is needed
• we will consider the circumstances of properties which are partly owned by a Registered Social Landlord or local authority but have a mix of tenure including private owners, or where the owners are not in a financial position to be able to take forward remediation. In these and similar situations, we will consider the potential need for Government funding on a case-by-case basis
• we will also work with partners to explore the potential for new, more effective delivery models for assessment and remediation.

We will publish a renewed plan of action in March, setting out how and when we will be delivering these priorities.

Interested parties can at all times sign up to receive our regular newsletter, and/or raise specific cladding issues with us on our website.