Chamber and committees

Since its inception, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), which was established to support critical infrastructure at rural pinch points, has provided £14.5 million of grant funding to support development of facilities such as car parks, waste disposal and toilet provision.

The fund has supported 66 projects across 15 local authorities and both national parks. A full list of successful applicants and projects are published online: Rural Development Fund - Funding | VisitScotland.org

The maximum amount of aid a farmer, crofter or agricultural contractor can receive is £20,000. Only one application and claim is allowed per business/Business Reference Number (BRN) per funding round. Grant awards will be based on 40% of the standard cost of each eligible scheme item. Businesses located in the Highlands and Islands (HIE area) will receive a higher grant rate of 50% (in acknowledgement of the higher cost involved with transporting goods to these areas). The standard cost and minimum specification for each item detailed in the scheme guidance is the maximum fixed price that the grant payment will be based on and there is no minimum amount specified.

The Scottish Government’s draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) set out how our approach to planning and development can achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045. The draft NPF4 included green energy policy 19 which would support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis. Criteria for assessing proposals were also set out, including impacts on communities and individual dwellings.

The Parliamentary scrutiny period and public consultation on Draft National Planning Framework 4 has now concluded. Responses received are now being analysed and will inform the finalised NPF4, which will be submitted for Parliament’s approval, prior to adoption by Scottish Ministers.

Improving equality and eliminating discrimination across Scotland is one of the six high level outcomes of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). In our draft NPF4, we sought to make clear that we want Scotland’s future places to support health, wellbeing and safety for all.

We are aware of concerns expressed by organisations such as The Royal National Institute for Blind People, suggesting that the policy on liveable places does not focus sufficiently on the needs of people with disabilities. We are currently considering the responses received to the consultation and how to make more explicit reference to a wider range of societal groups in the final version of NPF4, which will be presented to the Scottish Parliament for approval.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme offers two routes by which displaced people can match with hosts in Scotland. Through the Home Office private sponsor scheme, people match directly with hosts in Scotland and make an application on that basis. The requirement for people to match with a private sponsor before entering the UK undoubtedly delays their progress.

This is why the Scottish Government offered to become a ‘super sponsor’. Through the Scottish super sponsor scheme, people apply to come to Scotland without being required to find a host first. Once people are safely in Scotland, they are accommodated in temporary accommodation before being matched to long term accommodation that has been through appropriate safeguarding and suitability checks.

The length of time these processes take can vary on a case by case basis. The key determinate of time remains the pace at which visas are processed and issued. If the UK Government will not follow the example of the EU and waive the requirement for visas, then they must grant them quickly. We stand ready to welcome people when they arrive in Scotland.

The package of enhancements identified by the project team for taking forward is currently being reviewed by Network Rail’s operations team for Scotland. It comprises signal enhancements, improvements to station approaches and specific capacity alterations to facilitate the mixed operation of faster and slower trains on the same route.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to local authorities to sustain and enhance resettlement teams and enable co-ordination of the third sector contribution to this work. We have made available more than £7 million to local authorities to support refurbishment of accommodation to support displaced people from Ukraine.

Due to an unexpected system error 19,881 Scottish Child Payment clients and 1,284 Child Disability Payment clients who were due to receive their regular payment throughout week commencing Monday 18 April experienced a delay of one working day. Social Security Scotland contacted those impacted to let them know in advance. For clarity, they have received all of their payments.

Implementing our improved social security system and work to continually improve this - for example further uprating benefits to help tackle the cost of living crisis - is not without its technical challenges. There are processes in place to mitigate risk and when issues do arise our priority is ensuring people get the money they are due as quickly as possible and protecting those who are the most vulnerable. The unexpected cause of this delay has been identified and rectified.

The Scottish Government has provided £1.4 million to the Scottish Refugee Council for the expansion of its Refugee Integration Service including qualified helpline advisers and caseworkers. People arriving from Ukraine will also be able to access help and support on an ongoing basis from local authority resettlement officers, and they will be able to raise accommodation concerns directly to their housing association or local authority provider.

A number of City Region Deals include elements of housing infrastructure that is required to unlock wider housing delivery and regional growth ambitions including a notional £20m joint allocation for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. It is the responsibility of Councils to bring forward eligible Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) projects to the Scottish Government for consideration. Progress has been slower than anticipated and to date no eligible HIF projects have been submitted by the Councils as part of the £20m indicative allocation referred to in the 2016 agreement. Given the long-term plans for City Deal delivery in the region, and that HIF is open for new applications, Scottish Government officials will remain engaged with both Councils to support them to apply for HIF support where suitable projects through the City Deal delivery plans are identified.