Chamber and committees

Scottish Government officials have met with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association (Scotland) and with Police Scotland on several occasions to discuss the sharing of information between general practitioners and the police for the purposes of firearms and shotgun licensing. Discussions are continuing in order to ensure the appropriate and timely sharing of information and the safety of individuals and the public.

The Scottish Government records units by bedspace rather than number of bedrooms.

The following table shows the average cost per unit to deliver new homes for social rent by registered social landlords since 2007-08, together with the average number of bedspaces per unit:

* Programme management information only – not published as yet and as such, could be subject to change.

The following table shows the average cost per unit to deliver new homes under the Rural Homes for Rent pilot grant scheme, together with the average number of bedspaces per unit since 2007-08:

The Scottish Government is working closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, local authorities, Scottish Water and others to deliver the flood risk management actions set out in the 14 Flood Risk Management Strategies published in December 2015. Taken together, the strategies form the first ever national flood risk management plan for Scotland. The strategies are supported by the 14 Local Flood Risk Management Plans which were published in June 2016. These local plans provide additional local detail on the funding and delivery timetable for actions between 2016 and 2021. The Scottish Government has reached agreement with COSLA on a ten year funding plan to deliver the actions set out in these plans, including 40 new flood protection schemes aimed at protecting around 10,000 properties across Scotland, and 134 flood protection studies to help find potential solutions for another 26,000 residential properties currently at risk. This agreement will give local authorities the certainty they need to deliver the actions set out in their Local Flood Risk Management Plans to help protect individuals, business and communities from the danger of flooding.

The Scottish Government believes that public awareness, participation and community support are essential components of sustainable flood risk management. That is why the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out a framework for coordination and cooperation between all organisations involved in flood risk management, including a formal statutory process which leads to confirmation of a flood protection scheme. This process provides an opportunity for local people to comment on, and lodge objections to, any proposed scheme, which local authorities will then be obliged to seek to address. However, long before a planned flood protection scheme gets to the stage of formal confirmation, local authorities are encouraged to involve local residents, land managers and key community representatives in the scheme planning process. This helps to build understanding and trust locally, which means that communities understand the basis on which decisions about flood risk management actions have been made.

Although a new station at Beattock does not feature in our current £5 billion investment programme in Scotland’s railways to 2019, we are committed to on-going improvements to rail services and connectivity.

Funding for new railway stations can be considered from the Scottish Government's £30 million Scottish Stations Fund which aims to lever in third party funding to provide new and improved stations. Projects will be considered subject to the Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the strategic transport network, a robust business case, affordability and other competing proposals.

The details of flood protection schemes owned by local authorities are held on the Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database (SFDAD) administered by SEPA. This database is available for registered users to view through a secure website. The aim of this website is to provide users with a tool to view detailed information on flood protection schemes and their associated assets within Scotland. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is aware of SFDAD and that it is open for its members and other insurers to register for the service and view the information therein.

At the moment, SFDAD only includes those schemes that have progressed under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. However, the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (the 2009 Act) makes provision for capturing all structures and measures that contribute to flood risk management into one dataset. The Scottish Government is working with SEPA and the local authorities to develop SFDAD so that it can, ultimately, include more the more detailed information required by the 2009 Act.

Although a new station at Eastriggs does not feature in our current £5 billion investment programme in Scotland’s railways to 2019, we are committed to on-going improvements to rail services and connectivity.

Funding for new railway stations can be considered from the Scottish Government's £30 million Scottish Stations Fund which aims to lever in third party funding to provide new and improved stations. Projects will be considered subject to the Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the strategic transport network, a robust business case, affordability and other competing proposals.

Transport Scotland, through grant funding to Sustrans and Cycling Scotland, has facilitated a range of support for cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. This includes advice on the development of the council’s active travel strategy (adopted in March 2015); funding for infrastructure for the period 2013-14 – 2015-16 of £829,912; provision of a dedicated i-bike officer to work in schools in the area and almost £14,475 in grants in 2015-16 and 2016-17 to community organisations through Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly and Sustainable Communities Fund.

Although a new station at Thornhill does not feature in our current £5 billion investment programme in Scotland’s railways to 2019, we are committed to on-going improvements to rail services and connectivity.

Funding for new railway stations can be considered from the Scottish Government's £30 million Scottish Stations Fund which aims to lever in third party funding to provide new and improved stations. Projects will be considered subject to the Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the strategic transport network, a robust business case, affordability and other competing proposals.