Chamber and committees

A total of 56 homes have been completed through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since November 2021. The following table provides a breakdown by local authority area.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17667 on 17 May 2023. 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

Development Trusts and others taking forward community led housing already have access to the demand-led £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Fund. This fund already supports community organisations to bring forward new housing projects, or to renovate empty homes or to convert commercial or non-domestic premises into residential accommodation to meet local housing needs including through the attraction or retention of economically active households.

Up to £30 million is being made available to the Rural and Islands Housing Fund during this parliamentary term.

All food and drink served in local authority and grant aided schools must meet the standards set out within The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. These Regulations are supported by statutory guidance on ‘Healthy Eating in Schools’, which is available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link: Healthy eating in schools: guidance 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Whilst local authorities and schools are required to meet the standards set out within the school food and drink Regulations, any decisions about the type produce used, and where it is sourced from, are for individual local authorities, who should take into account local needs, priorities and circumstances as well as their duty to consider sustainable development as they procure food and drink for their school menus.

Since these Regulations were first introduced, we have expanded the availability of universal free school lunches during school term-time to include all children in primaries 1 to 5 at publicly-funded schools. We remain committed to the expansion of free school meals in primary and special schools as described in our programme for government.

We remain committed to the expansion of free school meals in primary and special schools as described in our programme for government. All food and drink, including free school meals, served in local authority and grant aided schools must meet the standards set out in the Nutritional Standards for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. What produce is used and where it is sourced from is a matter for individual local authorities taking into account local needs, priorities and circumstances as well as their duty to consider sustainable development as they procure food and drink for school menus.

However, the member raises an important matter. I have asked to meet with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs to discuss the points raised by this question in more detail.

A consultation on the final Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and its first Delivery Plan will take place over Summer 2023. Publication of the final versions of both the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and the first Delivery Plan will follow in Autumn 2023.

As the Rural and Islands Housing Fund is part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, the Scottish Government will consider any additional costs associated with improved quality standards for homes delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund and those additional costs will be accounted for in the affordable housing investment benchmarks which determine how a project is appraised.

Short-term let licensing and powers to designate control areas allow local authorities to strike a balance between the economic benefits of short-term lets and the needs and concerns of communities in their areas. It is for local authorities to use the powers available to them to achieve the right balance in their areas recognising the need for a thriving tourist economy, as well as having sufficient homes for people to live in.

The short-term let licensing scheme will ensure that all short-term lets in Scotland comply with basic safety standards. Many hosts will already be following these standards as a matter of compliance with existing law or best practice. We do not consider them to be onerous. Whether someone is sharing their own home or letting a portfolio of properties, in rural Skye or in central Edinburgh, safety matters.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on businesses that have closed, or are considering closing as a result of the short-term let licensing scheme. Existing hosts, those operating before 1 October 2022, have until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue operating whilst their application is being determined.