Chamber and committees

The update of the Material Flow Accounts will inform the development of policy for the circular economy bill.

Around 43,000 home buyers have claimed first-time buyers relief since its’ introduction in September 2018.

Revenue Scotland does not publish constituency level data, however, the latest available local authority data shows that around 1,040 homebuyers in South Lanarkshire have claimed the relief.

LBTT statistics published by Revenue Scotland can be found at: https://revenue.scot/news-publications/publications/statistics/land-buildings-transaction-tax-statistics-0

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS). She advises me that RoS does not hold information on transfers which may have occurred but for which no registration application has been submitted.

In relation to registrations in each of the last 10 years the position is given in the following table.

These numbers include transfers for value (sales) and transfers which are not for value (such as succession), but do not include voluntary registrations (where a property owner voluntarily moves their property from the Register of Sasines to the Land Register with no change in ownership).

As at 22 July 2022, in total there are 396 titles with an area over 3000 hectares registered in the Land Register of Scotland. A further 32 titles with a provisional extent over 3000 hectares are currently undergoing first registration.

As the Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT) is developed it will be used as appropriate to support policy making, helping to ensure that we have a sustainable international material footprint, and supporting the Scottish waste and resources sector to play its full role in tackling the global climate emergency.

I have today launched an online employer mental health and wellbeing platform, which provides a single point of access to signpost employers to relevant, reputable and free sources of support. As well as links to guidance and training to help employers support mental wellbeing at work, there are a range of case studies that showcase existing promising practice in organisations across Scotland.

The platform has been developed in collaboration with a wide range of partners, including employer organisations, Trade Unions, Public Health Scotland and mental health charities, and will be hosted on Public Health Scotland’s Healthy Working Lives website. The URL for the platform will be: www.healthyworkinglives.scot/mentalhealth

The values of non-domestic rates reliefs, broken down by local authority and relief, are available in Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics, at https://www.gov.scot/collections/local-government-finance-statistics/#scottishlocalgovernmentfinancialstatistics . The figures can be found in the respective annual publications, in Table 1.16a for 2017-18, and table 2.17a for 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21. Transitional relief was introduced in the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and was therefore not available in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The Autism and Learning Disability Team engages regularly with HSCP leads across Scotland on their strategic approaches and why it is so important for them to increase capacity for autism diagnostic services and to redesign services which are sustainable. We do this on an individual basis and also through the networks of Social Work Scotland.

HSCPs are aware of the actions identified in the current “Towards Transformation” plan for autism and learning disabilities. This includes action on post diagnostic support for adults and the piloting in 4 HSCP areas of a single adult neurodevelopmental pathway. We continue working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) who help build capacity and expertise, acting as a bridge between national strategy and its implementation at local level by providing a hub of professional autism support and information. The Scottish Government provide funding to a number of charities to provide post diagnostic support locally, linking with HSCP service leads.

HSCP leads are linked into our leadership and engagement framework in partnership with people with lived experience focusing on the topic of mental health. In addition, we will be working with HSCPs as we scope out the work towards a Bill to introduce a commissioner for Autism, learning disabilities and people with neurodivergence.

The Scottish Government committed £750,000 to developing the Scotland on Tour Fund in response to the impacts felt by the sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In total, the fund received 270 applications from individual artists, musicians, bands, organisations and independent promoters. These were assessed by a panel of representatives from the music industry, as well as Creative Scotland. Of those, 217 applicants were successful. Work is ongoing throughout the year to convert these successful applications into concerts.

Currently Scotland on Tour is on track to deliver 360 performances and concerts in over 100 venues across Scotland during 2022 and into early 2023.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with representatives of the GFG Alliance at official and Ministerial level.

Officials hold quarterly meetings to monitor performance in respect of the Scottish Government guarantee and maintain regular engagement at local and group level on business operations. 

Four Ministerial meetings have been held with the GFG Alliance in 2022.  These meetings involving the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism & Enterprise took place on 24 January, 18 February, 29 March and 1 April. 

The Scottish Government will continue to publish details of all Ministerial engagements via its website (https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/).

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that there is a thriving music industry in Scotland and so provided £750,000 across 2021-22 and 2022-23 to enable Scotland on Tour to take place.

Scotland on Tour has facilitated new concerts in venues across Scotland at a time when the postponement of concerts, due to the pandemic, had left little room for new concerts to take place in 2022.

While there are no plans to reopen the fund, we will work with the culture sector to ensure our diverse and world class cultural scene continues to thrive.