Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has agreed with HM Treasury to postpone the implementation of VAT assignment and commit to review it as part of the Fiscal Framework Review. Postponement is necessary in light of the extraordinary economic circumstances now facing Scotland and the UK, and responsible financial management requires that we delay the introduction of this new source of budgetary volatility.

This represents an opportunity for the Scottish Government to re-evaluate the VAT assignment model and consider whether other options, including full devolution of policy powers following EU Exit, could bring greater benefits to Scotland.

On 24 September the Scottish Government published a Recovery Framework for Pain Management which set out clearly that pain management services should be considered essential in NHS Health Board remobilisation planning. The Scottish Government has consistently made clear that we will provide the necessary funding across health and care services to recognise the additional costs of responding to COVID-19 and to ensure that patient safety remains the top priority at all times. On 29 September the Scottish Government confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion across NHS Boards and Social Care Partnerships to help them meet COVID-19 related costs and remobilisation of services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33027 on 20 November 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In recognition that there are times when a person might be unable, or it would be inappropriate for them to wear a face covering, there are exemptions in the regulations and guidance.

This includes an exemption for babies, toddlers and children under 5 years of age, due to the possibility of overheating, suffocation and strangulation and they are safe without one.

Children over 5 years of age should wear a face covering in the mandated places unless exempt, this includes entering and exiting most public buildings, such as gyms, swimming pools or other indoor leisure centres.

The settings were face coverings must be worn can be found on the Scottish Government website.

I expect to receive Scottish Water's annual accounts imminently.

The consultation paper indicated that the Scottish Government’s view at the beginning of the consultation process was that fuller assessments were not required given the procedural and technical nature of the proposals set out in the paper. However, we specifically sought the views of stakeholders on this issue and we will carefully consider what they have said before deciding how to proceed.

The Scheme of Assistance is a grant for homeowners and private tenants who require significant changes to the structure of their home, such as an accessible bathroom, wider doors to accommodate a wheelchair and lowering kitchen work surfaces. The Scottish Government believes that older and disabled people should be supported to live independently in their own home for as long as possible.

Where an adaptation has been assessed as necessary, usually by an occupational therapist or other health professional, mandatory grant funding is available from the Local Authority. The level of funding applied is 80% of the total eligible costs or 100% if the applicant; any person who is dependent on the applicant or any person who resides with the applicant is in receipt of universal credit or pension credit (guarantee element).

Where there is an assessed need and the work is not covered by 100% grant funding, local authorities have a duty to provide assistance. This can be given in the form of advice, guidance or practical help. Local authorities also have discretionary powers to provide top-up funding.

The following guides provide further information:

• Funding adaptations to the home: a guide for housing association tenants
• Funding Adaptations to the home: a guide for local authority tenants
• Funding adaptations to the home: a guide for private tenants
• Funding adaptations to the home: a guide for homeowners

Owners of tenements are responsible for the cost of work to repair their own homes. Where owners own a flat in a tenement they share responsibility for work required to common parts of the building.

Local authorities have broad discretionary powers to provide assistance to home owners who have difficulty in paying for repairs. funding for housing activities is included in the general capital and revenue grants provided to local authorities, and the allocation to housing is at the discretion of the local authority, subject to local resources and priorities.

Where an owner is unable or unwilling to pay for their share of common works the local authority has discretionary power to pay the missing share, make a charge against the property, and recover it in instalments. A registered social landlord can pay, and recover, a missing share, if they own property in a tenement. The Scottish Government is also currently piloting an equity loan scheme in eight local authority areas, which can be used to help home owners fund repairs.

The Scottish Government allocated a private sector housing grant to local authorities up to 2009-10. Details of the amounts allocated to each local authority between 2007-08 and 2009-10 are provided in the written response to Parliamentary Question reference S3W-24571, answered on 11 June 2009.

From 2010-11 funding for housing activities is included in the general capital and revenue grants provided to local authorities, and the allocation to housing is at the discretion of the local authority.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Urgent scheduled care will continue to be carried out within private hospitals where agreed under the COVID-19 Strategic Framework, unless it is deemed unsafe to do so. The only circumstance where this will be the case is if infection prevention and control measures cannot be adhered to and the risk of COVID-19 is greater than the risk to surgery. The following link to the Framework provides further detail on the new guidance: https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/pages/10/