Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has committed to no cliff edges in support between existing schemes and the introduction of the new four tier framework. We remain committed to supporting active farming and sustainable food production with direct payments, while also delivering on our nature and climate commitments.

We have previously set out that there will be a four-tiered approach to funding and there is ongoing engagement with key stakeholder organisations to determine what goes where in each of those tiers. I want to thank everyone who is contributing their expertise and ideas to that process.

Clearly, part of that depends on how much funding is available in each tier. I can advise Parliament that the funding for Tiers 1 and 2 will constitute at least 70% of the overall funding envelope to support farming, crofting and land management from 2027.

These are the tiers that will reflect most closely the direct payment regime, albeit with conditions built in from the start.

I can also advise that once we have determined what and how to replace the current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme – LFASS – with additional support for where the greatest need is and where people are farming and crofting in the most marginal and challenging of circumstances, that funding will also be made available through Tier 2.

This approach is the right one for 2027 – it delivers on our promise not to create cliff edges but to support farmers and crofters to transition to the new support framework.

Clean Air Night 2024 was the first such event, and has been introduced to complement Clean Air Day, which has taken place since 2017 with funding support from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government will consider how to engage with future Clean Air Night activities in the context of the public engagement framework around air quality which we are developing with partner organisations. It will include a focus on raising awareness of the impact of domestic fuel combustion emissions, which was the overarching theme of Clean Air Night.

The arrangements for setting water charges are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002; decisions on charges are a matter for the Board of Scottish Water.

Charges for future years have not yet been agreed. They will be set annually by Scottish Water’s Board, with approval from the independent economic regulator, in line with the price cap across the 2021-27 period.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to SAY Women through the Equally Safe (2019-21) and Delivering Equally Safe Fund (2021-25). The objectives of funding are to improve mental and physical health amongst young women survivors of sexual abuse; to support them to cope with trauma-anxiety in order to reduce self-harming, substance abuse, and poverty; and to reduce challenging behaviours that can lead to homelessness amongst young women.

In 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 the Scottish Government provided funding to SAY Women through the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme with the objective of delivering safe, supported accommodation and related services for young women who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault and who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

In 2020-21 the Scottish Government provided funding through the COVID Immediate Priorities Fund for SAY Women to deliver enhanced independent living support to vulnerable individuals and those in need as a result of COVID-19. The objective was to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they were experiencing, and to protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has also provided funding through the Third Sector Homelessness Fund (2021-22, 2022-23) and the Homelessness Sector Prevention Fund (2023-24) with the objective of preventing and responding to homelessness among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This supported the delivery of training to frontline staff, and work to support young women survivors of childhood sexual abuse under threat of eviction due to challenging behaviours.

The Violence Against Women and Girls Sustainable Funding Project Board is currently being developed and I expect it to meet for the first time in March. It has been formed to take forward our commitment to develop a flexible and stable funding model that will ensure a focus on prevention and high quality, accessible, specialist violence against women and girls services.

‎ The Project Board, will be co-chaired by Scottish Government and CoSLA, and will include representatives of public sector and specialist stakeholders. The remit of the group will be agreed with the members and will include producing an accurate assessment of the current costs and spend of violence against women and girls, to help inform the development of a sustainable funding model.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and Development Plan to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment. This includes consideration of existing housing provision and current and future requirements.

Where local authorities identify a strategic requirement for a particular type of home, including wheelchair accessible housing, projects to support delivery of these homes are expected to be included in Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans for delivery through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Since the integration of health and social care, Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of adaptations using delegated budgets. IJBs are also responsible for reviewing and developing services to improve outcomes for people who require adaptations.

Our budget decisions are based on fiscal sustainability, legal requirements, contractual obligations and previous commitments, as well as a range of social, economic, political and environmental issues. Work is also ongoing with the financial community in Scotland, and beyond, to boost private sector investment and help deliver more homes including accessible homes. The Draft budget for 2023-24 includes £556 million for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and £8.245 million for adaptations.

Unregistered patients who require urgent care can access services through the Public Dental Service’s (PDS) weekend and evening clinics, and will be able to receive a free NHS prescription if this is clinically required.

Management information on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2022-23 shows that 6,868 new build social homes were built. Returned information confirmed that 99% met Housing for Varying Needs standards. As part of the total 10,462 affordable homes delivered that year, 1,319 homes were delivered with enhanced accessibility standards - including wheelchair, older amenity, supported and sheltered housing.

From the £16.616 million spent on adaptations across Scotland in 2022-23, around 5000 properties benefitted from 6,112 adaptations.

Dentists that choose to provide a wholly private service would be required to resign their NHS list number and would therefore be unable to issue NHS prescriptions.