Chamber and committees

We recognise the very challenging conditions for Scottish retail businesses. NIC decisions are reserved to the UK Government and it is regrettable that the Chancellor’s changes places additional pressures on Scottish retailers. We have called on the UK Government to reverse this decision, as debated in Parliament on 18 February. SG continues supporting businesses and workers through the Fair Work Framework, skills programmes and business support. The latest Scottish Budget maintains a competitive non-domestic rates regime, ensuring over 95% of properties in Scotland are liable for a lower property tax rate than elsewhere in the UK. A £3 million fund has also been introduced to tackle retail crime, reinforcing our commitment to supporting businesses, protecting jobs and strengthening Scotland’s retail industry.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to eradicate child poverty and tackle inequality.

The Scottish Government recognise the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That is why the Scottish Government has made available over £14 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a real terms increase of 4.3 percent, with a record £15 billion for 2025-26 set out in the Scottish Budget, a further real terms increase of 5.5 percent.

In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.

In addition to block grant funding for local authorities, the Scottish Government funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes which aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work, supporting the best possible outcomes for young people.

Furthermore, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to eradicate child poverty and tackle inequality.

Each education authority is responsible for securing Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their area under the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, including in rural and island education authorities.

The 2013 Regulations require local authorities to plan and arrange the provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35328 on 13 March 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 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 Section 3 states that it is local authorities who issue building preservation notices. The Scottish Government does not routinely gather information about how many building preservation notices each local authority issues.

The Scottish Government publishes statistics on planning applications determined by planning authorities on a 6 monthly basis on our website at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/

Historic Environment Scotland considers applications for sites/properties to be designated, and publishes annual statistics on their website through their Planning Performance Framework Reports.

In my statement to Parliament on 8 January 2025, I reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing to fund the placement of sentenced and remanded children in 2025-26, subject to Parliamentary approval of the Budget Bill.

Approval is now being sought through the Scottish Government’s financial accountability and assurance processes. I will update Parliament when this is complete.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35311 on 13 March 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 answer to question S6W-35311 on 13 March 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 national contract, which is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland, requires suppliers to treat high temperature incineration (HTI) waste, but it did not require a specific solution to create the capability in Scotland. HTI waste constitutes around 15% of NHSScotland clinical waste, and at this time, there remains no investment plan for creating HTI clinical waste treatment capacity in Scotland, as that would involve diverting capital investment away from frontline health and social care services.

It is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland to assess the need for an environmental impact assessment.

The NP805/19 Healthcare Waste Services framework, implemented in 2019, requires NHSScotland clinical waste suppliers to follow SEPA regulations and permit requirements for healthcare waste handling and disposal and thereby meeting environmental impact standards. Additionally, environmental and sustainability impacts of the procurement of products and services to NHSScotland are an essential element of awards.

For the 2019 clinical waste award, as part of the specification, suppliers were asked to demonstrate how to minimise environmental impact by reducing waste, improving material recovery, and exploring new disposal methods.