Chamber and committees

Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans were developed by local authorities in 2018, with funding support of £2m from the Scottish Government. The five-year plans set out how each local authority would transition to a rapid rehousing approach to homelessness between 2019-2024. The Scottish Government provided local authorities with £8m per annum between 2019-2024 to support the delivery of these plans. An additional £5.5m was provided to support the delivery of a Housing First Pathfinder programme between 2019 and 2022.

While positive progress was made in the initial five-year period, the Scottish Government recognised that implementation was impeded by external factors, including the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. As a result, Scottish Government funding was extended for an additional two years, with £8m provided in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. The Scottish Government has also acted to boost rapid rehousing transition plan funding to respond to pressures, with a £5m uplift provided in 2020-21 (bringing total funding that year to £13m) and a £2m uplift provided in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 (bringing total funding in both of those years to £10m).

The Scottish Government recognises the essential role that rapid rehousing, including Housing First, continues to play in tackling homelessness and supporting people into settled homes. That is why we announced a £1m Housing First uplift to funding in 2025-26 and a further extension of £8m funding in 2026-27 as part of our Housing Emergency Action Plan. This will support local authorities to mainstream rapid rehousing activity and funding, and brings total investment since 2018-19 to £81.5m.

Future funding for rapid rehousing beyond 2026-27 will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s normal budgetary process to ensure resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. Funding to date is set out in the following table.

The Scottish Government cannot guarantee construction but can provide multi-annual policy and funding certainty, increased spend and a planning and regulatory environment which is conducive to investment and delivery. Our Housing Emergency Action Plan seeks to deliver against this tripartite approach.

The Scottish Government remains focussed on our target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent and at least 10% in our rural and island communities.

Local authorities have responsibility for setting out the investment priorities supported through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), ensuring the delivery of the right homes in the right places. In support of these priorities the AHSP has been increased, with the budget for 2025-2026 now £808 million.

Recognising the importance of multi-year funding for housing and the confidence this brings to the sector, the Housing Emergency Action Plan published on 2 September includes a commitment to deliver up to £4.9 billion investment over the coming four years, with homes delivered through a mixture of public and privately leveraged investment. Further details will be outlined in the forthcoming Scottish Spending Review and Scottish Budget.

Actual progress on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) are reported via our quarterly official statistics. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

CMAL, as the contracting authority, will consider bids appropriately in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The Scottish Government has not engaged with the Ramsar Secretariat on the planning application at Coul Links. NatureScot serves as a statutory advisor to the Scottish Government on developments that may affect Ramsar sites, offering expert ecological guidance to assess environmental impacts. The Ramsar Secretariat, based in Switzerland, is responsible for the day-to day co-ordination of convention activities. Whilst the Secretariat provides guidance, technical advice, and support to member countries to help ensure Ramsar sites are protected within their national planning processes, the Secretariat does not have a direct role in specific planning applications.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40652 on 2 October 2025. 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.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-40658 and 40659 on 2 October 2025. 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.

The terms of reference, membership and minutes of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Strategic Group’s meetings are published on the Scottish Government website: National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group - gov.scot.

Membership of the Group is drawn from organisations that deliver, support delivery, scrutinise or regulate child protection responses and frameworks in Scotland, alongside relevant academic and research bodies. The group has one independent member, Professor Alexis Jay, who was selected for her particular expertise and experience in the area of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

As of the week commencing 15 September, 94.9% of PVG applications were completed within 14 days. This meets the service level agreement of 90% completed within 14 days, with average processing times for PVG applications at 7.5 days.

Between April and August 2025, Disclosure Scotland experienced a significant rise in applications and customer enquiries following the implementation of the Disclosure Act and new digital functionality. To manage this, we temporarily onboarded agency staff to help reduce processing times, increase processing capacity and improve customer service levels.

A proportion of disclosure applications naturally take longer than 14 days where Disclosure Scotland are awaiting information from third parties in the vetting process. This is why the target is 90%, to allow for these delays which are caused by additional safeguarding enquires with third party agencies or to establish identity with certainty. The application surge meant that a higher volume of applications than normal required this step. Disclosure Scotland has improved communication with third-party organisations involved in the vetting process to expedite the return of required information and we continue to work closely with our partners to minimise delays.

Disclosure Scotland will also be improving our website and social media communications to provide regular updates to applicants and stakeholders regarding expected timescales, to improve transparency and manage expectations.

I can confirm that both Qualifications Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE) will begin the process of establishment and operation from the end of 2025.

Implementation of the Education (Scotland) Act is supported by a Scotland Act section 104 Order (SAO) to be passed by the UK Parliament. Based on current information, we expect this to be completed before the end of this calendar year, though this is subject to UK Parliament timetabling.

Qualifications Scotland will be established as a legal entity on 1 December 2025, with Shirley Rogers appointed as Chair and the Board being established by transitioning selected current members of the SQA to Qualifications Scotland and the recruitment of new members. Recruitment of members to the Learner and Teacher Interest Committees and the Strategic Advisory Council will also begin in December.

From 1 November 2025, HMIE will begin phased establishment, pending the passage of the SAO by the UK Parliament. During this time, HMIE will operate increasingly independently as part of Education Scotland, with a new website and business support functions and will begin to develop and establish its Advisory Council. Subject to successful recruitment, a substantive appointment to the role of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland will also be confirmed during this period.

The focus for both bodies during this process will be to ensure continuity of service and to establish critical business functions in accordance with the legislation. This will ensure they are ready to deliver meaningful change which puts our children, young people, and adult learners, their teachers, practitioners and school leaders at its heart once they are fully operational.

We have laid before Parliament today an annual progress report against our Heat in Buildings Strategy, the fourth since its publication in 2021: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806431168.