Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is aware of, and shares, the concerns about unfairly withheld tenancy deposits.

As part of the recently published Review of the Private Rented Sector, the Scottish Government collected evidence on the scale and nature of unfairly withheld tenancy deposits.

The stakeholder working group, comprising tenant, landlord and agent representatives, met on 5 February 2009 to discuss the evidence on tenancy deposits, but remained divided about the extent to which this is a significant issue and the most appropriate action to take to improve tenancy deposit practice.

However, stakeholders were keen to explore the mechanisms for some form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme, which could include a statutory tenancy deposit scheme.

I would therefore like to announce that we will be producing an evidence paper on the options and costs for using ADR to resolve tenancy deposits, by the summer. We intend to present the evidence to a final meeting of the stakeholder working group with the aim of trying to reach a consensus on the most appropriate action to take.

If consensus is not possible, we will publish an options paper by the autumn, for wider public consultation with a view to making a final decision on this issue early in 2010.

Ofgem officials are observers on the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum, and attended the meetings at which the Forum developed its recommendations for the Energy Assistance Package. Ofgem also participates in the Scottish CERT Strategy Steering Group and officials were present at meetings where the Energy Assistance Package was discussed, and attended a workshop on 13 January to discuss how Stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package would be delivered.

As a result of the 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support consultation, I am announcing several changes today which will target our support systems more effectively at those young people who are most in need. The details of these changes are set out in a letter I have sent today to the Convener of the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, a copy of which is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48116).

Yes. The review of grants concluded at the end of March, and the new legal grant agreements have been entered into. These have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47927).

The review did not seek to reduce the overall level of resources committed to Glasgow Housing Association tenants. Rather it aimed to achieve transparency and accountability for the use of public money, and to provide support for Glasgow''s transformational regeneration areas.

The new arrangements which have been put in place achieve these aims. In particular they:

support the delivery of promises made to tenants at the time of stock transfer;

set clear performance milestones to be achieved, and

will, over time, release resources to support progress in the transformational regeneration areas.

We intend to lay a Scottish Statutory Instrument in May to increase the cost of all types of Disclosure Scotland applications to £23 with effect from 1 August 2009. The increase in the fee, which is the first since 1 April 2006, is needed to meet the rise in costs of providing the service and to ensure that Disclosure Scotland can continue to operate efficiently and effectively.

The Scottish Government announced in Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland, that it would undertake an extensive review of the private rented sector.

This review, which includes research and analysis commissioned externally, as well as a range of analytical work carried out within the Scottish Government, has been completed.

I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government intends to publish the review of the private rented sector on 24 March 2009.

Copies will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 24 March 2009 (Bib. number 47826).

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0205-01.htm

I am pleased to announce the new rates of support for students in further and higher education for academic year 2009‘10. I am today placing in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of the rates of those loans, bursaries and grants, which will be available to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students in full-time higher education.

A general uprating factor of 2.6%, in line with inflation, will be applied to the existing schemes of support in 2009‘10, thus maintaining their value in real terms.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has also agreed to maintain the alignment between the further and higher education sectors by, where appropriate, uprating the support available to further education students by 2.6%.

A copy of these rates is also being placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47190).

I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government and COSLA are launching the Early Years Framework today. The document is available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/earlyyearsframework.

And a copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47084)

The Early Years Framework represents a radical approach to improving a range of health, education and wider social outcomes and tackling the inequalities of opportunity which have plagued Scotland for too long. It has been developed as a partnership between national and local government and we are jointly committed to continuing this partnership as we proceed with implementation.

I have today written to representatives of employers and unions in the college sector to ask that they look jointly at how the relationship between the success of the sector and the reward process might be improved. I have also asked that they do so in a way which carries a genuine commitment to pursuing consensus.

While I have made clear that there is no question of government imposing new arrangements on the sector, I have asked that employers and unions also consider the implications of a national dimension in the remuneration of staff.