Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number and percentage of domestic and non-domestic buildings taller than 11m. The High Rise Inventory: Summary Report provides relevant information on external wall systems of domestic high rise buildings over 18m. Since 1 April 2021, local authorities have been requested to notify the Scottish Government when a BS 8414 fire test has been used to prove compliance with building regulations. To date, there have been no BS 8414 fire test reports notified to the government.

As referenced in the answers to S6W-03093 and S6W-03094 on‎ 29 September 2021, officials will provide me with delivery options and recommendations – including on funding – by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

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

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a valuable tool for identifying geographic areas where deprivation is most concentrated, and was used in identifying the Challenge Authorities as councils with high levels of deprivation to be targeted in the first phase of the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

It is recognised that this method may not always account for poverty experienced in rural and remote geographic areas, or settlements where low-income families reside alongside other families who are not deprived.

As we work to refresh the Scottish Attainment Challenge from 2022-23, we are analysing the alternative data sets available to us for use in the distribution of funding. The aim is to achieve a distribution of resource that equally recognises the challenges faced by low-income children across the country. Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their potential remains central to this Government’s work. Our ambition is a long-term one and we know that the challenges presented by the pandemic mean our efforts to deliver equity in education are more vital than ever.

Face coverings are required in indoor spaces. As stadiums are a mixture of both inside and outside, face coverings are required in internal areas such as entering and exiting as well as accessing kiosks or toilet facilities. Local Authorities engage with the Football Clubs through the event capacity limit exemption and Sports Advisory Group process to ensure Covid baseline measures are in in place in football stadiums.

We expect football clubs to use stewards and messaging to fans to encourage supporters to wear facemasks while inside at grounds. While police officers may be present at matches, their primary role is public safety, and while they have the powers to enforce the wearing of face coverings, as in any other setting, Officers would engage, explain and encourage before enforcing.

The Scottish Government have produced updated guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine certification update - 23 September 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), which states that an exemption will be in place for those working and performing at venues requiring proof of vaccination from attendees/spectators. This exemption will therefore cover officials and players.

The Scottish Government understand the important role sport plays in communities, bringing people together, and contributing to a sense of local belonging and inclusion. Through the Programme for Government we have committed to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament ensuring more people can enjoy active lives as we recover, improving physical, mental and social health.

We will work with sport scotland, and wider partners to understand how best to increase investment in physical activity and sport, while ensuring we address inequality of access. We will continue to work with sport scotland and wider partners to understand how best we can ensure opportunities are available for everyone.

Our National Agency for Sport, sport scotland, invests in and supports more than 50 Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs) to develop their sport-specific pathways, including pathways for participants with disability. The Equality Standard for Sport is a shared approach by all UK sports councils to help address the inequalities that exist within the sector. sport scotland has focused on supporting Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport to progress against the Equality Standard and implement the action plans that are developed through this.

More recently, sport scotland published their new equality? outcomes for 2021-25. These new equality outcomes are person centred and look to address inequalities and ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity.

Scottish Disability Sport is the Scottish Governing and co-coordinating Body of all sports for people of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability. Scottish Disability Sport have developed an Activity Inclusion Model (AIM) which is being used widely across Scottish sport to ensure inclusive sport to strategy, education and participation.

The Scottish Government are aware of the continued disruption as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the significant impact on the sport and physical activity sector particularly, on disability sport. The Scottish Government and sport scotland worked with local and national partners across Scotland to ensure people with a disability were considered in any return to sport plans.

During the lockdown period , Scottish Disability Sport developed a suite of online projects and programmes to meet the identified needs of volunteers, coaches, participants and athletes to maintain engagement and support wellbeing .

Culture is more important than ever to Scotland’s collective wellbeing and prosperity. A central aim of our Culture Strategy is that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in, develop and enjoy culture, and we know this helps individuals and communities to thrive. The National Towns of Culture scheme intends to build on this, by making culture relevant to people’s lives and building meaningful connections between people and the place that they come from.

Specific aims and objectives of the National Towns of Culture scheme remain subject to robust scoping work. As referenced in the answer to S6W-03093 on
‎ 29 September 2021, officials will provide me with delivery options and recommendations by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

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

We have no plans to review the Antisocial Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) (Scotland) Order 2011 at this time. However, we are always open to listening to the police, local authorities, the court services and communities to see how we can improve the approach being taken to tackle antisocial behaviour for the benefit of all communities.

The Single Building Assessment (SBA) pack contains the current criteria and guidance which will used by those undertaking the SBA in conjunction with the Scottish Advice Note. Visual and physical inspections will determine, as part of the SBA process, what needs to be removed on a building by building basis.

The Scottish Advice Note is used to help inform this process by determining the fire risk posed by external wall systems in multi-storey residential buildings. This process will determine which properties require mitigation or remediation.

I have today launched a consultation on the next Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland which invites comment on our future strategic priorities for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. I encourage everyone who has an interest in this important consultation to have their say. You can access and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/safer-communities/fire-and-rescue-framework .