The Scottish Government will publish a Framework that effectively tackles and challenges men’s demand for prostitution, and to support those with experience of it, early this year. The Framework takes a holistic approach, recognising the links to wider forms of commercial sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls - aligning with the refresh of our Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy and Equally Safe.

In parallel, and to support this approach, the Framework’s implementation will be supported by the creation of a new multi-agency stakeholder group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. More details will be made available once the group has been established.

NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City HSCP are responsible for the delivery of primary medical services in Aberdeen.

The Scottish Government recently published the General Practice Access Principles report. This report sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how GP services should be delivered – equitably, sensitively, reasonably and appropriately, making the most effective use of resources and systems currently available.

The principles are intended to assist practices in their ongoing considerations of how to best meet those needs in differing and sometimes difficult circumstances. The Scottish Government will continue to work together with all relevant partners to implement these principles.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water evaluates long-term supply and demand positions for water resources on a water supply zone basis, looking over a 25 year period and taking into account growth, population change and climate change effects. Further to this, Scottish Water is currently developing options appraisals for resolving deficits to be considered as part of the development of the next investment planning cycle
‎ 2027-33. Options that will be considered are demand reduction, connections to other supply zones, and source and treatment augmentations. The package of solutions for each zone will be specific to their circumstances.

As an example, the Glasgow Resilience Scheme is costing some £120million. This is providing greater resilience of water supplies for a million customers across Ayrshire and Glasgow by allowing water to be moved between catchments.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water is investing around £110m every year in the operating and capital costs of managing leakage, repairing bursts and rehabilitating water networks. With the capital programme now around £1bn per annum (including responsive repair and refurbishment expenditure) this is equivalent to 8%-10% of capital expenditure.

Results from the Health and Care Experience Survey 2023-24 will be published in May 2024.

NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City HSCP are responsible for the delivery of primary medical services in Aberdeen.

Once the rent cap, under Part 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, is expired rent increases which may be proposed by landlords will proceed under the framework set out in the 2016 Act. Where tenants consider the proposed increase to be unreasonable, the emergency Act provides Scottish Ministers with the ability to temporarily modify how rent increases referred by a tenant are adjudicated. Any proposed modification would be subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament, and the intention of any changes to the adjudication process would be to smooth the transition out of the rent cap and protect tenants from steep rent increases.

It is proposed that, when the emergency rent cap is removed, the rent adjudication process would be amended to require a rent adjudication determination to be based on the lowest of three comparators:

1. open market rent;

2. the new rent proposed by the landlord; and

3. a maximum ‘reasonable’ increase for that tenancy, to be defined by reference to a new ‘taper’ that supports a transition away from the rent cap

Application of such an approach means that market rents would continue to be taken account of in rent adjudication whilst allowing for moderation where the move back to current market rent in a single rent increase would be a significant increase for a tenant.

We are currently consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to modifying the rent adjudication process.

The Scottish Government publishes Homelessness in Scotland statistics on an annual basis, which provides trends for key aspects of homelessness in Scotland including homelessness applications, assessments, the use of temporary accommodation and outcomes. The latest statistics for 2022-23 can be found here: Homelessness in Scotland: 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

We continually monitor and report on applications and grounds for evictions to assess the impact of the moratorium, and we will continue to monitor this data as we transition out of the emergency measures. Scottish Government officials are also in regular contact with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service on costs relating to private rented sector cases.

We are also consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to modifying the rent adjudication process, to prevent unintended consequences when the emergency measures come to an end.

The latest Private Sector Rent Statistics for Scotland show how rents charged by private landlords in Scotland have been rising for more than a decade, and are yet more evidence of the importance of taking action to make rents more affordable. There is no one solution to addressing housing affordability and our work to introduce long term controls as part of the next Housing Bill is one measure being taken forward.

The emergency Act provides Scottish Ministers with the ability to temporarily modify how rent increases referred by a tenant are adjudicated. Any proposed modification would be subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. Any changes made to the adjudication process would be intended to smooth the transition out of the rent cap and protect tenants from steep rent increases which could be experienced if there is a sudden move to open market rent from rent levels that have been supressed.

We are currently consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to modifying the rent adjudication process and will publish further information in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23845 on 11 January 2024. 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 .

Historic Environment Scotland and Creative Scotland are non-departmental public bodies which make their own operational decisions, including those relating to the support for community organisations with heritage safeguarding.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland and Creative Scotland to write to the member directly with an answer.