Chamber and committees

The 2023-24 Programme for Government outlined our commitment to develop legislative proposals and other actions to support Community Wealth Building across Scotland. In 2023, we held a consultation that sought views on the changes and actions required to advance the approach. An independent analysis report of the consultation was published in October 2023.

We are undertaking detailed analysis of respondents’ feedback in relation to the proposal for a duty to advance Community Wealth Building and examining the feasibility of the proposals for other areas of legislative change that were submitted through the consultation exercise.

Scottish Government officials have been meeting regularly with the UK Government and the other devolved nations to discuss and share plans around the potential impact of synthetic opioids. These meetings are now occurring on a monthly basis. This issue has also been raised on a number of occasions at a Ministerial level, including at the recent British Irish Council Ministerial meeting in January and the UK Drugs Ministerial meeting which took place in November.

The early warning system using wastewater analysis and overdose reports will provide vital information in terms of changes in the drug supply and in identifying changes in use in different locations. Scottish Water are involved with this work and we will get the data on a quarterly basis and this will feed into our surveillance plans.

It is vital that we are able to share surveillance information, intelligence and details on changes in drug trends between the different administrations, particularly as the illegal drug supply is not impacted by borders.

All NHS Boards have been briefed on the current situation and the NHS Cyber Security Centre of Excellence will continue to support Boards to be alert and respond to potential threats.

This is in addition to the routine work that the Scottish Government undertakes to support Health Boards in their cyber security through ensuring compliance with the Network and Information System Regulations.

As set out in S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament , colleagues will appreciate that this incident is the subject of a live Police investigation. As a result I am limited in the detail I can share.

However, I want to assure the member that the Scottish Government continues to fully support NHS Dumfries and Galloway as they respond to the cyber-attack.

While I understand this news will have been alarming for both patients and staff, I can assure Parliament that the Board responded swiftly and in line with established protocol. I have personally spoken to the Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway and I am assured that my officials are fully supporting Dumfries and Galloway as part of a multi-agency approach.

In addition to this, I can confirm that other NHS Health Boards, at the Governments request, have been mobilised to provide technical support to Dumfries and Galloway.

Gender equality is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s vision for a fairer Scotland, one where women and girls have and are empowered to exercise equal rights and opportunities, have equitable access to economic resources and decision making, and live their lives free from all forms of violence, abuse and harassment.

We are absolutely clear that harassment or abuse of any form, whether in professional sport, the workplace, schools, in the home or in society is completely reprehensible and must stop.

Sport, of course, has a very special place in our society, which is why it is important that professional sports clubs take any appropriate steps to ensure they and their players are positive role models for both children and adults across the country.

I met with the End Sexual Misconduct in Sport Campaign, and we strongly encourage all professional clubs to engage with the campaign to ensure they have appropriate policies, training, standards and reporting procedures in place to educate and root out sexual misconduct and discrimination.

Powers to set alcohol duty are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty, and clearly considers potential effects and impacts of decisions.

The Scottish Government recently laid regulations to continue and to increase the minimum unit price of alcohol to 65 pence per unit. Modelling published by Sheffield University in September 2023 looked at the potential impact of changes in the minimum unit price level on alcohol consumption and health effects, and also considered the relationship between different rates of alcohol duty and the impact of MUP. This modelling formed an important part of the range of information considered in developing our MUP proposals.

The Scottish Government will continue to review the data relating to alcohol, including on consumption, sales and alcohol related harm, in considering its approach to tackling alcohol harm in Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report by the Environmental Standards Scotland published in February 2024. As outlined in their report, the previous 2018 Climate Change Plan received recommendations from committees of the Scottish Parliament and the Climate Change Committee. The Scottish Government responded to these recommendations in March 2021, accepting 66 of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations, with a commitment to delivering many of these through the practical implementation of the Climate Change Plan update, with the next Climate Change Plan also identified as the mechanism to address any other recommendations.

This remains the mechanism and, as such, Scotland’s next Climate Change Plan will set out our approach to delivering on Scotland’s net zero ambitions up to 2040 and provide information on the costs and benefits of all policies contained within the Plan. Work is ongoing to ensure the next Climate Change Plan provides a credible and robust pathway to deliver Scotland’s ambitions and the recommendations outlined by ESS in their report are being considered as part of that process. We will, of course, consult widely on the new Plan, including with ESS.

Scottish Ministers are aware of the environmental impacts of so-called fast fashion. Information and advice for consumers on tackling fast fashion is provided by Zero Waste Scotland https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/how-fast-fashion-failing-environment

The National Public Energy Agency – Heat and Energy Efficiency Scotland (HEES) – has been operating in virtual form in-house within the Directorate for Energy and Climate Change since October 2022. The resources allocated to the Agency are integrated into the overall Heat in Buildings (HiBs) revenue allocation, amounting to £40.1 million for 2023-24 and £37.8 million for 2024-25. This includes managing and overseeing the operation of our delivery schemes, which provide advice and financial support for households and non-domestic property owners as well as capital and pre-capital funding for heat networks, social housing, and public and private sector buildings.

The virtual agency continues to build its presence and develop its role in leading and co-ordinating project development and delivery. For example, the virtual agency’s Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) offers a suite of services, including feasibility and business case development support. We recently announced the expansion of the HNSU's role to assist Local Authorities in executing their local heat and energy efficiency strategies (LHEES) heat network related actions and developing strategic approaches for district heating development.

The virtual agency is developing a programme of public awareness, education, and participation around clean heat and energy efficiency, as set out in our Public Engagement Strategy . This will build on our past successful marketing and engagement activity.

We continue to consider next steps with regards the creation of a new, standalone body and will provide a detailed update to the NZET Committee in due course.

The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing labour market inequalities for racialised minorities. Our Anti-Racist Employment Strategy published in December 2022 supports and encourages employers to address these inequalities. It provides guidance on improving data as well as recruitment, retention and progression practices to improve the representation and experience of racialised minority staff.

The strategy further sets out a series of actions for the Scottish Government, including developing an anti-racism workplace training framework; supporting employers in their use of positive action measures; and continuing to engage with public sector leadership on recruitment and representation, data and on understanding institutional racism.

The Scottish Government is also currently reviewing the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland with a view to improving the Scottish Specific Duties, including data reporting on ethnicity. We have consulted on proposals which include extending the existing gender pay gap reporting duty to ethnicity and disability, with listed public authorities required to make more evidence-based decisions on the information they publish.

It is proposed that the carbon capture project at Peterhead Power Station would connect into the CCS infrastructure being developed by the Acorn Project and the wider Scottish Cluster. This would see its emissions transported through shared pipelines and safely stored under the North Sea.