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The ongoing Scottish Mental Health Law Review is reviewing our mental health and incapacity legislation in light of developments in international human rights, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and will consider where improvements could be made. The Review’s final report and recommendations are due to be completed in September 2022.

This information is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government holds data on the number of long term empty homes that have been empty for 6 months or more, by local authority from 2005 to 2021. This can be accessed using the following link: Housing statistics: Empty properties and second homes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This data is sourced from Council Tax information. Caution should be applied when considering this data as improvements have been made to the data collection systems by several local authorities since 2005, with some local authorities reporting zero long-term empty properties up until 2013. In addition, local authorities gained discretionary power to remove the empty properties discount or set a council tax increase of 100% in 2013. The council tax changes have led to the reclassification of a number of properties.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to increase the single person’s council tax discount. We are committed to reforming the Council Tax to make it fairer and is establishing a working group with representation from the Scottish Green Party, and engaging with COSLA, to oversee the development of effective deliberative engagement on sources of local government funding, including Council Tax. This work will culminate in a citizens’ assembly.

Fulfilling the commitment made within the Housing to 2040 route map, we are currently in the process of reviewing the Housing for Varying Needs design guide. The guide offers good practice in the design of homes in order to help them achieve a good standard of accessibility and flexibility. Where possible, all new affordable homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are built to Housing for Varying Needs standards.

Over the coming months, we will publish a consultation on proposed changes to the guide. As part of this consultation we plan to seek views on the introduction of building standards in 2025-26 to underpin a new Scottish Accessible Homes Standard, which all new homes will need to achieve, regardless of tenure.

I know that the energy price increases we have seen recently will be concerning to many Scottish consumers, not least of all those in vulnerable circumstances.

I also know that consumers using prepayment meters pay a higher tariff for their energy. Unfortunately, regulation in the gas and electricity supply markets remains reserved to the UK Government meaning the Scottish Government’s potential actions are limited.

We are doing what we can within our reserved powers. We have extended our Fuel Insecurity Fund through 2022-23 and made available a further £10m to support those facing fuel insecurity. The Fuel Insecurity Fund includes support for the Fuel Bank Foundation to expand their existing Fuel Bank network in Scotland, to provide same-day support to prepayment meter users at risk of imminent self-disconnection We will seek to ensure that those receiving help are not just provided with financial support but that they are also connected with wider advice and support on energy efficiency, income maximisation and how to reduce energy bills.

The Investing in Scotland’s Future: Resource Spending Review confirmed that the Scottish Government will work closely with COSLA to agree a New Deal for Local Government, in advance of the next financial year. This will be based on the twin pillars of a new Fiscal Framework and an accompanying partnership agreement with Local Government. The New Deal will also build on the Local Governance Review, and help to bring a sharpened focus on ensuring the review arrives at a set of findings which can transform local democracy in Scotland.

NHS Board’s baseline revenue allocations are set out annually in the Scottish Budget, as published on the Scottish Government’s website. In addition, resource and capital spending limits are reported in Board’s annual accounts, which are published on their websites.

Since 2018-19, funding for frontline boards has increased by 17.4%.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to territorial NHS Boards based on the NRAC formula. The NRAC formula takes into account factors in addition to population levels, including relative deprivation and need for healthcare in different NHS Board areas.

Since 2012-13, almost £2.6 billion additional funding has been committed to those NHS Boards below their NRAC parity levels, bringing all boards to within 0.8% of parity.

More information on the NRAC formula is available at: Resource Allocation Formula in Scotland - Finance - Data & intelligence from PHS (isdscotland.org)

The Scottish Government is fully committed to helping the Scottish hydrogen sector develop.

Following publication of the draft Hydrogen Action Plan in November 2021, a 10 week consultation was conducted to allow stakeholders adequate time to provide their views and feedback on the draft plan and its associated impact assessments. Officials are currently revising the draft Hydrogen Action Plan to take account of this feedback and we will be publishing our final Hydrogen Action Plan later this year. The Hydrogen Action Plan will outline our work to promote hydrogen activity and to develop the hydrogen economy in Scotland.

The draft Hydrogen Action Plan committed £100 million hydrogen funding for 2022-2026 through the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF). In June 2022, we launched the first tranche of the EETF via the £10 million Hydrogen Innovation Scheme. The remaining £90 million hydrogen investment programme is expected to launch in Autumn 2022 and will focus on supporting rapid renewable hydrogen production from Scotland’s abundant renewable energy resources.