Chamber and committees

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd ensured the highest standards of service quality in this procurement, relevant at time of initiating the procurement process. Suppliers were asked to describe and demonstrate how they will commit to progressing towards adopting the five Fair Work First criteria that were in place at the start of the procurement for workers (including any agency or sub-contractor workers) engaged in the delivery of this contract, as part of a fair and equitable employment and reward package as a route to progressing towards wider fair work practices set out in the Fair Work Framework. Answers also had to include tangible and measurable examples and also describe how they will report on, and demonstrate progress, to the contracting authority during the lifetime of the contract.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.6) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 and will take effect on 4 April 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove the requirement to wear a face covering for persons who enter or remain indoors within a place of worship, and in any other indoor public place whilst it is being used as a place of worship.

These Regulations also remove the requirement for those at a marriage ceremony, civil partnership registration, funeral or commemorative event related to the end of a person’s life to wear a face covering for the duration of the event. The requirement is removed in respect of such ceremonies and events in all indoor places.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/123

The Scottish Government has today published its Heat Networks Delivery Plan which can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804352366 .

This plan fulfils the requirement of section 93 of the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 to publish and lay before Parliament the first Heat Networks Delivery Plan no later than 1 April 2022. (Laying number SG/2022/46.) The plan outlines how the provisions of the 2021 Act, and any other supporting policies, will contribute to increasing the use of heat networks in Scotland. It sets out the proposed approach that the Scottish Ministers intend to take to increase the use of heat networks in Scotland and how the statutory targets will be met. In addition, it outlines how progress will be measured and the expected contribution that heat networks will make toward meeting the emission reduction targets.

Over this parliamentary term we are investing at least £1.8 billion in heat and energy efficiency in buildings, including investing £400 million to support the development of large-scale heat infrastructure, such as heat networks. Our £300 million Heat Network Fund launched in February 2022 is part of this new suite of delivery schemes. Additionally, our recently announced £1 million Heat in Buildings Development Funding Invitation, which is a forerunner to our Heat Networks Support Unit, provides resource funding to stimulate and accelerate the development of a pipeline of zero emission heat projects for buildings across Scotland.

This plan has developed after taking into consideration views provided during a period of public consultation on the Draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan. Today we are also publishing the analysis of responses to that consultation. The report of the analysis of responses can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804351918 .

The plan will be reviewed within a 2 year period.

I have also written to the Conveners of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and Local Government, Housing and Planning committees. The Government looks forward to engaging with interested parties on this issue.

Since January 2019, Scottish Government ministers have not had any meetings with DP World. In the same timeframe, no Scottish Government officials have had meetings with DP World.

On my recent ministerial visit to Dubai, I requested to meet with DP World in order to raise with them our serious concerns about the recent behaviour of P&O Ferries. They did not respond to this request, therefore no meeting took place.

I can confirm that at present 48 schools have registered for access to ESAS materials and resources. While some of these schools are very active and have undertaken many ESAS activities, others are planning to begin the work next academic year and so are not yet “active” ESAS schools.

During the ESAS design and pilot stages (2016-2020), the University of Glasgow carried out formative evaluation research with staff and students. This type of evaluation seeks to test acceptability and feasibility with a view to improving the intervention. The research team also used ‘systems thinking’ to map sexual harassment within school systems (drivers, occurrence of, and responses to); understand ‘what counts’ as sexual harassment). Learning from the formative stage can be found at: https://www.equallysafeatschool.org.uk/research/ .

Alongside the roll out of ESAS, the research team has designed a ‘real-world’ evaluation study (2022-2024) that will aim to 1] assess whether the ESAS intervention improves ‘whole-school’ culture in relation to preventing and addressing gender-based violence; and 2] to understand what works, how, for whom and under what circumstances. We plan to follow up 30 schools, randomised to immediate start and delayed start (one year later). Schools will have option to opt into the evaluation. Students and school staff will have the opportunity of providing direct feedback on ESAS activities in various ways including during group interviews.

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme treats in-scope containers equally, whether they are made from glass, plastic or metal, and will ensure that significantly more of these containers will be collected and sent for recycling.

There are currently no plans to use landlord registration to identify beneficiaries of private rented sector properties. The purpose of landlord registration is to ensure the owner is a fit and proper person to let houses and that the properties meet certain safety requirements. We are, however, looking to review this system and identify opportunities for strengthening the registration regime, and would encourage respondents to our New Deal for Tenants consultation to highlight examples of how that strengthening might be done.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd requested the four bidders at Invitation to Tender stage to provide responses to fair working practices. These were consequently received and fully evaluated by CMAL’s Head of Vessels and Head of Business Support as part of the procurement process.

Across the 4 year period to 2020-21, Scotland has seen an annual average of 15.6 affordable homes delivered per 10,000 population. This is 62% more than the 9.6 homes per 10,000 in England, and 71% more than the 9.1 homes per 10,000 in Wales. Over the same time frame the annual supply of social rented housing per head of population in Scotland has averaged 10.8 homes per 10,000 population, over nine times the 1.1 homes per 10,000 population in England.

Comparator figures for the current financial year 2021-22 are not available yet. The Scottish figures for 2021-22 will be published in June this year but the other UK financial year figures might not be published until later in the year, and as some of these are financial year rather than quarterly, it is not possible to calculate within-year comparisons.

The Scottish Government believes that where appropriate family cases should be resolved outwith court. A number of forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) are available in family cases, including mediation, arbitration, collaborative law and family group decision making.

The Scottish Government provides funding to Relationships Scotland who provide a number of services, including family mediation.

The cost of family mediation may be funded through the Scottish Legal Aid Fund, where a person who is in receipt of legal aid is referred by a court.

Section 23(1) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 requires the Scottish Ministers to set up a scheme to make assistance available so that individuals can meet the costs of alternative dispute resolution procedures in certain cases such as those dealing with contact and residence for children.

Work has progressed in this area, but the provision will take time to implement. Two reports on the Scottish Ministers’ progress between 1 October 2020 and 31 October 2021 on implementing provisions in the 2020 Act on ADR have been published:

• Scheme for funding for ADR - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - alternatives to court and funding of alternative dispute resolution pilots: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Scheme for funding for alternative dispute resolution (section 23 of the 2020 Act) - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - section 23(1) and section 24(1): second report on the Scottish Ministers’ duties - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)