Chamber and committees

Details are as follows:

The £20 million Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund closed to applications on 18 December 2020. As of this date, 13 applications for support were received with a total application value of £22.5 million. All applications are now being reviewed in line with our eligibility criteria, decisions will be issued in January 2021. Project delivery will progress in compliance with Covid-19 measures and restrictions.

We currently have no plans to allow gyms to open in Tier 4. Level 4 is intended to apply for short periods of time to bring transmission down and under control. Given that the situation with the virus remains fragile – with many cases and continuing pressure on the NHS – we are taking a cautious approach.

Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential benefits and harms to health, the economy, and broader society to minimise overall harm and ensure transmission of the virus continues to be suppressed. This assessment process includes oversight of the assessed health risks in different settings by the Chief Medical Officer and input from the other Chief Clinicians as appropriate.

The full budget allocation for investment related to the Scottish National Investment Bank over 2018-21 is £490 million. This comprises £150 million for the Building Scotland Fund and £340 million for other pre-cursor investment over the 3 year period. This was set out in the Financial Memorandum which accompanied the Scottish National Investment Bank Bill. The following has been provided for within budget settlements agreed by the Scottish Parliament and reported on in relevant annual accounts:

Zero Waste Scotland has welcomed feedback from a variety of sources, including from the waste industry, non-governmental organisations and local authorities, on their report, ‘The climate change impacts of burning municipal waste in Scotland’ . Zero Waste Scotland has revised a section of its report in light of some of this feedback and an update is expected to be published shortly.

The Scottish Government has not provided direct financial support to animal rescue shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unprecedented demands on the Scottish Government's budget as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is, unfortunately, no scope to offer direct financial support at this time.

However, a universal 1.6% rates relief has been made available to all non-domestic properties in Scotland. Non-domestic rates are administered by local authorities, and they will apply this relief automatically.

Additionally, charitable rates relief provides an 80% mandatory rates discount, providing the property being occupied by a charitable organisation, or trustee of a charity, and be used wholly or mainly for charitable purpose; and the organisation is formally registered with OSCR (The Scottish Charity Regulator). A further 20% charitable rates relief is available, and is awarded on the discretion of the local authority.

In addition to rates reliefs, non-domestic properties, including shelters, may have been eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund which provided £10,000 for the first eligible property, and 75% grants (£7,500) to each additional property, in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS), or eligible for the SBBS but in receipt of a small number of other reliefs such as charitable rates relief. This scheme closed on 10 July.

SEPA do not hold any planning applications. The primary responsibility for dealing with planning applications and local planning matters rests with local planning authorities (councils and National Park authorities). SEPA is consulted on planning applications for incineration facilities and responds within the specified time period.

For permit applications, SEPA’s statutory determination period is four months plus one month for public consultation. However, where further information is required to supplement the application this process can take longer.

Scottish Government (SG) announced in the 2018-19 Budget the £150 million Building Scotland Fund (BSF). £70 million was made available in 2018-19, £50 million in 2019-20 and £30 million in 2020-21.

This is an operational matter for the enterprise agencies and I have therefore asked them to respond to you directly.

The budget provision for the overall Scottish National Investment Bank programme and Directorate was £280 million in the 2020-21 budget settlement. The amount that the Scottish National Bank plc and its group directly receives this financial year will be confirmed in the final out-turn position to March 2021 which will be reported on later this year. The overall proposed budget allocation specifically for the Scottish National Investment Bank in 2021-22 will be included in the draft budget which is scheduled to be published later this month.