Chamber and committees

Under the Free Fees Initiative of the Irish Government, Scottish-domiciled students may be eligible for free tuition fee funding for approved full-time undergraduate courses at higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland. Students still incur the cost of the annual student contribution charge.

The student contribution charge is not a tuition fee but is an additional charge to cover general costs such as student services, libraries, registration and examination fees at a higher education institution in the Republic of Ireland. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) covers the student contribution fee on behalf of eligible Scottish-domiciled students undertaking an approved first-degree course at specified higher education institutions under a long-standing historical arrangement.

Scottish-domiciled students studying in the rest of the UK are required to pay the fees set by the UK Government. The Scottish Government has had to make a difficult decision therefore, that in order to continue free tuition in Scotland for Scottish-domiciled students, and as the majority of Scottish-domiciled students choose to study in Scotland, tuition fee loans will be offered to Scottish students who study in the rest of the UK.

Scottish Ministers must determine the section 36 application before them, having regard to the proposed development for which consent is sought.

The Scottish Welfare Fund records the number of applications received rather than the number of individual people applying. In:

• 2023-24, 260,015 applications were received for a Crisis Grant.
• 2024-25, 244,945 applications were received for a Crisis Grant.
• 2025-26, 258,490 applications were received for a Crisis Grant.

The Scottish Government’s ambition is for a Scotland without the need for food banks. No one should have to compromise on food or other essentials and people should have sufficient money to access these with dignity and choice.

To support this, across this Parliament we will go further to protect and expand our cost-of-living package. Putting more money into people’s pockets – through maximising the support they are entitled to or cutting everyday costs – is one of the most direct ways we can tackle poverty, protect people from the cost crisis and ensure they have the resources they need to thrive. That aim is built on a solid foundation, with Scotland having the most generous cost-of-living package anywhere in the UK.

Specifically in 2026-27, we will allocate around £3.5 billion to policies that tackle poverty and the cost of living, including maintaining our investment in the Scottish Welfare Fund at £41 million, funding free bus travel for over 2.4 million people and helping households save an estimated £450 a year on energy bills. We are also investing more than £18 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice.

Over the last 15 years, we have committed around £1.5 billion to mitigate the impacts of UK Government policy such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and we call on the UK Government to follow the Scottish Government’s lead to protect and enhance the social security safety.

On 29 September 2026, we published the final evaluation of our Cash-First Programme, which aimed to improve urgent access to emergency income and reduce the need for food banks. We are currently considering the findings to help inform future policy decisions.

The legal duty for housing and homelessness services, including responsibility for the provision and management of temporary accommodation, rests with local authorities. Under The Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2014, temporary accommodation provided to households must meet specified standards, including access to adequate cooking facilities. Access to suitable cooking facilities is important in enabling households to prepare meals and make their own choices about the food they eat while living in temporary accommodation.

The Scottish Government provides funding to regional community food networks to work with local authorities and health boards to help improve access to healthier food options and improve diets, including for people living in temporary accommodation.

It is unacceptable for any home to be subject to vandalism, deliberate damage or other criminal activity. As well as affecting communities, vandalism and other criminal damage can result in homes being unavailable for occupation at a time when demand for social housing remains high.

All social landlords are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their properties and for ensuring that homes meet the required standards before they are let to tenants. Decisions about repairs, reinstatement works and the management of affected properties are therefore matters for the individual landlord, reflecting their responsibility for the condition and safety of their housing stock.

In 2024-25 and 2025-26, a total of 620 void social housing properties were supported back into use through targeted use of £120m Affordable Housing Supply Programme grant for acquisitions and voids.

As of 24 September 2026, over £8 million has been allocated to commercial developments, including £1.5 million for MiAlgae and £6.2 million for Celtic Renewables to establish and expand operations within the Grangemouth industrial cluster.

Funding allocated to community and third sector activity includes £90,000 to Forth Valley College to deliver the Future Skills: Pathways to Employment programme for people in the Grangemouth area. The programme provided accredited training, employability support, industry engagement and personal development opportunities.

The Grangemouth Just Transition Fund is a multi-year fund, and funding remains available within this year's budget for suitable commercial and community projects.

All engagement with the CMA has been at official level as noted in the answer to question S7W-02577 on 11 September 2026. 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.

It would not be appropriate to comment on the Loch Kemp Pumped Storage Hydro proposed development, as this is a live application under consideration by the Scottish Ministers.

The final amount spent on working together towards a LDAN Bill - current proposals for potential Bill provisions' published in March 2026 was £7,203.01.