Chamber and committees

The following table presents the budget for NHS estate maintenance in each of the last three financial years. It is the intention of the Scottish Government to double the NHS estate maintenance funding over the Capital Spending Review period of 2021-2026.

Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions of this government.

The Tackling Child Poverty Ministerial Oversight Group, which I will convene, will provide Ministerial-level oversight and assurance of the delivery of the actions set out in Best Start, Bright Futures.

Scottish Government analysis, published in April 2022, estimated that reversing key UK Government welfare changes that have taken place just since 2015 could lift an estimated 70,000 people out of poverty, including 30,000 children, in Scotland this year. We will continue to urge the UK Government to match our ambitions in tackling child poverty head on through reversing its policies such as the benefit cap and child cap and bedroom tax.

We recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed or in poor condition. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance states that it is safe for asbestos to remain in place if it is in good condition, well-protected and unlikely to be disturbed. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate.

Public transport operators undertook detailed planning for the UCI Cycling World Championships.

With regards to the rail network, ScotRail ensured it was capable of meeting the demands of both competitors and spectators alike during the period of the Championships.

Specifically for the Argyle Line, many services were strengthened from 3 to 6 carriages, serving Dalmarnock for the Velodrome, Scotstounhill for the BMX venue and for general travel across Glasgow. Additionally, to take account of events at the Velodrome, on 6 and 13 August, all train services before 1000 hours and after 1800 hours made an additional stop at Dalmarnock Station.

Under planning legislation a failure to comply with a condition of planning consent constitutes a breach of planning control. Monitoring compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions is a matter for the relevant planning authority.

Planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers, and a general discretion under planning legislation to take enforcement action against any breach of planning control if they consider such action to be in the public interest and proportionate to the scale of the breach, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and any other material considerations.

The Scottish Government published both the National Low Emission Framework, and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Guidance to assist any local authority wishing to introduce a LEZ to improve air quality.

Substantial grant funding has also been provided to assist local authorities in establishing and enforcing their LEZ.

Scottish Government also provides grant funding to support lower income households and smaller businesses to adapt to LEZs via the LEZ Support Fund.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission publish forecasts of the number of people receiving payments and spending for Carer’s Allowance Supplement. Those figures are on a national level and not at a constituency geography. The latest published forecasts estimated spending forecast for Carer’s Allowance Supplement for 2023-24 is £49 million with an estimated 91,000 people receiving payments.

The Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts at May 2023 can be found at: Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts – May 2023 – Scottish Fiscal Commission .

To note, payments are made twice a year and while most people will receive two payments there may be some people only eligible at one of the payment windows.

Social Security Scotland publish statistics for total number of carers eligible for Carer’s Allowance Supplement, in each financial year by local authority area, as well as the value of payments at each eligibility date by local authority area.

The official statistics for Carer’s Allowance Supplement can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Summary statistics for Carer's Allowance Supplement to April eligibility date 2023

The latest published number of carers paid and value of payments for the Local Authority area of South Lanarkshire, which includes East Kilbride, are as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Number and value of Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments in South Lanarkshire for each financial year.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission publish forecasts of the number of people receiving payments and spending for Carer’s Allowance Supplement. The latest published forecasts show the estimated spending for Carer’s Allowance Supplement for 2023-24 is £49 million with an estimated 91,000 people receiving payments.

The Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts at May 2023 can be found at: Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts – May 2023 – Scottish Fiscal Commission

To note, payments are made twice a year and while most people will receive two payments there may be some people only eligible at one of the payment windows.

Social Security Scotland publish statistics for total number of carers eligible for Carer’s Allowance Supplement in each financial year by local authority area, as well as the value of payments at each eligibility date by local authority area.

The latest official statistics for Carer’s Allowance Supplement can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Summary statistics for Carer's Allowance Supplement to April eligibility date 2023

The latest statistics show in total 94,460 carers received a payment in the financial year 2022-23, with a value of payments of £42.7 million.

Monitoring compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions is a matter for the relevant planning authority. Planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers, and a general discretion under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to take enforcement action against any breach of planning control if they consider such action to be in the public interest and proportionate to the scale of the breach, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and any other material considerations. The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers have no remit under planning legislation to intervene in or comment on individual cases.

Transport Scotland and their operating company, BEAR Scotland, have taken a number of actions following the recent A86 landslide at Roybridge and further measures are in hand.

A series of landslips emanating from private land adjacent to the A86 trunk road occurred on Tuesday 13 June 2023. Six separate locations along the A86 were affected with an estimate 900 tonnes of material reaching the A86. An unoccupied private dwelling was also affected with material depositing close by. The property was secured and no further action was required. Records indicate that 100mm of rain fell in a localised area within a 3 hour-period. This led to the mobilisation of material from the land, leading to closures of both the trunk road and the parallel rail line

Geotechnical and operational response teams attended, leading to the road reopening under traffic lights by Wednesday 14 June 2023 and fully reopening on Monday 19 June 2023. The railway opened on the same day.

Additional heavy rainfall on 11 July led to an overnight closure with the A86 reopening at lunchtime 12 July under traffic lights, which were removed on 13 July.

As noted above, the immediate response by the geotechnical and operational teams enabled access to be returned as soon as it was safe to do so. This helped to reconnect communities and business access in the area. This work was undertaken in conjunction with both Network Rail and the private landowners from whose land the mobilised material emanated. These locations along the A86 continue to be monitored by BEAR Scotland.

For the medium to longer term, measures are currently being discussed with the adjacent landowners to help them develop remediation works, including inspections for any blocked culverts in their land, to prevent further incidents affecting the A86.