Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22478 on 9 November 2023. 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

Our Pay Strategy contains wellbeing measures including encouraging employers to standardise to a 35-hour working week and to implement a Right to Disconnect policy. Employers under the Pay Strategy are required to actively look at how they can promote wellbeing in their workplace to support a positive and healthy work-life balance.

Many employers have introduced more flexible working practices. We are also progressing our four-day working week pilot to assess the benefits of a shorter working week to staff.

The Scottish Budget does not designate funding specifically for staff welfare, but annual funding for public bodies is informed by their delivery priorities and commitments, including for pay and conditions.

For Local Government employees, pay and other employment matters are delegated to Local Authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23041 on 29 November 2023. 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 .

I can confirm that the site of the former Braehead Brickworks is within the operational land of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project and is maintained by the project contractor, Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP).

I confirm that the Scottish Government is not the owners of the site of the former Carnbroe Mains Farm in Bellshill.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Local authority social landlords maintain data on their housing stock.

The Scottish Government has not made an estimate of the cost of bringing back into use council houses that are currently unoccupied. Local authority social landlords maintain data on managing their housing stock.

The First Minister's WhatsApp messages were provided to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on the 6 November 2023. The Scottish Government continues to cooperate fully with both the UK and Scottish Covid-19 Inquiries.

As compliance with the Temporary Accommodation Standards Framework is not yet mandatory, no formal data collection has been established to gather information on breaches.

The Temporary Accommodation Standards Framework was published in April 2023 and replaced the advisory standards [1] published in the Homelessness Code of Guidance in 2019. The new standards for temporary accommodation were produced by a short term working group, which also considered how the standards could be regulated and legally enforced.

Although the framework has been agreed, the route of legal enforcement remains under consideration. Before the standards can be legally enforceable, they will first have to be formally consulted on.

In the meantime, before the framework becomes legally enforceable, local authorities and social landlords are expected to work towards meeting the standards. Social landlords are already voluntarily complying by making improvements to their temporary accommodation supply, providing the necessary training for their staff and ensuring new processes are implemented in line with the revised standards

[1] The advisory standards were based on the Guidance on Standards for Temporary Accommodation published in 2011 by the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland and Shelter Scotland.

In his final statement to the Covid Inquiry the First Minister provided unredacted WhatsApp messages from his personal mobile device.