Chamber and committees

Historic Environment Scotland has undertaken surveys of Scotland’s historic environment sector to evaluate the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic on heritage businesses and community groups and is working on further plans to empower and enable a resilient and robust recovery for the sector.

Historic Environment Scotland has also been conducting targeted and direct engagement with communities around its Properties in Care closed either by the pandemic or by recent health & safety precautions.

Future transport investment decisions, such as the reopening of the former stations at Glasgow Cross and Glasgow Green, are being considered within the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). As concluded in the Initial Appraisal: Case for Change for the Glasgow City Region, the re-opening of disused rail lines and associated stations within Glasgow City Centre was one of the interventions recommended for the next stage of appraisal, together with wider proposals for a Glasgow Metro.

The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against the transport outcomes we are seeking, the Transport Planning Objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and impacts based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria, to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to Infrastructure Investment Plan. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

The Scottish Government collects information on households who apply to Local Authorities for homelessness assessment. This includes information on reasons for homelessness, including evictions, but does not include information on the time between evicted households having their tenancy terminated and formally presenting to the local authority. There are currently no plans to assess the feasibility of collecting this data.

Not all evicted households experience homelessness and approach their local authority for help, and not all who do will necessarily be assessed as homeless.

Landlords and lenders are legally required to inform the relevant local authority when they take action that puts a household at risk of homelessness due to eviction by completing a Section 11 Notice. On receiving notification, the local authority should take the most pro-active approach possible to prevent homelessness occurring appropriate to the particular case.

All current Scottish Government Homelessness data collections, their guidance and the resulting publications can be found here .

The cost of energy remains a significant issue in terms of tackling fuel poverty and can discourage switching to electric zero emissions technologies for heating. As energy pricing and obligations are reserved, we must see action by the UK Government if we are to meet both our emissions and fuel poverty targets.

The Scottish Government is engaging broadly to raise our concerns for the people and businesses of Scotland. A letter has been sent this week from the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport to the BEIS business secretary highlighting the need for affordable energy and Ministers are engaging with industry and consumer groups, including fuel poverty organisations.

We note the publication of Shelter Scotland’s Understanding the True Cost of Evictions in Scotland report and will study the details as part of our wider consideration of evidence around this area. We have reservations about the report’s treatment of rent arrears costs as part of the analysis and will engage with Shelter Scotland to gain an understanding of the work that has been carried out.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that eviction for rent arrears is a last resort. A social landlord must have exhausted all attempts to resolve rent arrears with the tenant before taking action to evict. The Scottish Government and Social Landlords reaffirmed our joint commitment to supporting people to keep their homes and avoid eviction where tenants are struggling through no fault of their own to manage their rent in our Shared Statement: Social landlords working together with tenants to avoid evictions: https://www.gov.scot/publications/joint-working-on-evictions-social-housing-shared-statement/ published on 25 June 2021.

As concluded in the Initial Appraisal: Case for Change for the Glasgow City Region, the re-opening of disused rail lines and associated stations within Glasgow City Centre was one of the interventions recommended for the next stage of appraisal. This option is one of 58 potential new stations across Scotland that are being appraised as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against the transport outcomes we are seeking, the Transport Planning Objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and impacts based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria, to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to Infrastructure Investment Plan. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on potential new stations such as Parkhead North.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Climate Emergency is currently being established. Once finalised, the remit of the new Sub-committee, including its membership and operating arrangements will be subject to approval by the First Minister. It is however envisaged that the first meeting will take place during October 2021.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02823 on 24 September 2021. 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 Transport Scotland budget underspends form part of the Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity portfolio underspend reported in the portfolio outturn statement in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2020 of £232 million, which in turn forms part of the overall Scottish Government outturn, with underspends carried forward in the Scotland Reserve to support the delivery of the Government’s outcomes, meaning there is no loss of spending power to Scotland and no underspend remains unallocated. Overall changes to the Scottish Budget are set out in full at budget revisions.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lived experiences of young people who require additional support and listening to what matters to them. I refer to the response provided in S6W-02859 on 24 September 2021.

We will continue to seek input and advice from the Disabled Children and Young People’s Advisory Group (DCYPAG), our long standing practitioner forum.

The Scottish Government also commissioned the Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland to deliver the Principles into Practice Trial Programme, using good practice principles for transition, in 10 local authority areas. Principles into Practice sets out practical steps to be taken locally to coordinate planning and practice to improve the transition to young adult life.

The learning from early adopters of this work will be used to inform the development of a National Transitions Strategy alongside direct engagement with children, young people, their parents and carers, to fully explore the gaps in provision and support as they see them.

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 .