Transport Scotland are aware of the proposed industrial action by staff at the Clyde Tunnel, however no assessment has been made as the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of Glasgow City Council.

It would be a matter for the Council to assess the proposed impact and engage with stakeholders who may be affected.

The Scottish Government has a legal duty to review and update its Benefit Take-Up Strategy by October 2026. This is in line with regulation 9(c) of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which states that a new strategy must be produced within 5 years of the last strategy being laid in Parliament.

Universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making. The Scottish Government regularly engages with the Scottish Funding Council on a range of matters, including on the funding of institutions, and has engaged with the University of Edinburgh directly in recent weeks. There has been no ask of the Scottish Government or Scottish Funding Council regarding additional financial support from the University.

The Scottish Government fully appreciates the financial sustainability challenges being faced by many universities due to a range of factors, including inflation, the impact of UK Government immigration policies on international student recruitment, and the increase to employers’ National Insurance Contributions.

Roads Authorities in Scotland, such as local authorities and Transport Scotland can, under existing legislation, restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can be used on roads within their remit.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for the making of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for specific reasons and these can have various types of restrictions such as access restrictions, time-limited restrictions or vehicle class based restrictions.

It is for each Road Authority to ensure their TROs are appropriate and fit for purpose.

Roads Authorities in Scotland, such as local authorities and Transport Scotland can, under existing legislation, restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can be used on roads within their remit.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for the making of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for specific reasons and these can have various types of restrictions such as access restrictions, time-limited restrictions or vehicle class based restrictions.

It is for each Road Authority to ensure their TROs are appropriate and fit for purpose.

The Scottish Government will set out its future approach to alcohol and drugs before the end of this parliamentary term.

To develop this plan we are engaging with partner organisations, including delivery bodies and the voices of those with lived and living experience, over the summer to identify actions that will help develop and deliver a strategic plan that covers alcohol.

Transport Scotland was approached by Glasgow City Council in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2023 in relation to the funding for the Clyde Tunnel and to gauge the possibility of adopting it as a trunk road. The Scottish Government’s position is that the Clyde Tunnel is appropriately classified and will not be adopted by Transport Scotland as a trunk road.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

As the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of Glasgow City Council, neither the Scottish Ministers nor the Scottish Government would become directly involved in their day-to-day duties.

The vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not stipulate how local authorities should utilise their individual allocations. It is therefore the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the UK Government regarding a statutory mechanism for asylum dispersal.

Asylum is reserved, including provision of asylum accommodation and support provided to people seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute while awaiting a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.

In 2022 the Home Office introduced funding for local authorities for the first time, to recognise the contribution of local authorities like Glasgow who supported significant numbers of people seeking asylum and to encourage participation by new local authorities. This funding has only been confirmed annually and the level of funding provided does not adequately reflect local authority costs for service provision.

Funding for local authorities has been a positive step, but we support calls for a long- term commitment to enable better support for people seeking asylum as well as local communities.

Since 1 April 2024 local authorities have had discretionary powers to apply a Council Tax premium of up to 100% on second homes.

Council Tax is a local tax, and it is for individual councils to determine the appropriate balance of housing in their areas based on local needs. The Regulations give Councils greater fiscal empowerment, in the spirit of the Verity House Agreement. They enable Councils the discretion to charge Second Homes anywhere between a 50% discount, and up to a 100% premium. It is for Councils to take decisions about the tax treatment of second homes, including where exclusions may apply.

The Scottish Government is committed to monitoring the impact of the premium and will consider their effects as more data becomes available. The first set of data reflecting the implementation of the premium was collected in September 2024. This data indicated a 10% decrease (2,455 properties) in the number of second homes compared to the previous year. This decline may be related to the introduction of the 100% Council Tax premium on second homes. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the impact of the Council Tax premium.

I would also note that the Council Tax system includes exemptions for certain circumstances. This includes an exemption for properties that are difficult to let, which applies specifically to properties that are inherently hard to let due to their physical relationship with another dwelling. Further, there is an exemption for properties that cannot legally be lived in because it is prohibited by law. It is for the local authority to assess whether the conditions are met for these exemptions to apply.