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The Scottish Government recognises the incredible contribution that Scotland’s unpaid carers, including our young carers, make to our communities as well as the pressures many carers are under.

The Young Carers Package, delivered by Young Scot, was put in place to provide additional benefits and opportunities for young carers. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 defines a young carer as someone who provides (or intends to provide) care who is under 18 (or over 18 and still at school). The package is designed to support children and young people who are not eligible for social security benefits and other support available to young adults.

In recognition of the fact that transitioning from being a young carer to an adult carer can be difficult, as young people look towards work or further or higher education, the package includes a transition bundle to provide extra benefits before young carers turn 19. There is a Young Scot webpage with further information on the transition bundle and young carers transitions more generally at: www.young.scot/get-informed/young-carers-transitions

I would encourage anyone providing unpaid care to contact their social work department or local carer centre to find out what support they may be able to offer.

There is no statutory process for either scenario.

Subject to the agreement of both parties, any owner-occupier who wishes to sell their home to a local authority and remain in it as a tenant in the social rented sector may do so.

If there is already a private tenancy in place, prior to any purchase there could be some negotiation and agreement with the sitting tenant in order to bring their private tenancy with their existing landlord to an end so that they may enter into a social tenancy when the property is purchased by the local authority.

The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 provides that repairs and maintenance work will be carried out according to the provisions in the relevant title deeds of the properties.

Where homeowners have workable provisions in their title deeds to carry out maintenance and repair then these should be followed. Where title deeds do not specify how decisions should be made, or if different owners' title deeds say conflicting things and are therefore unworkable, the Tenement Management Scheme (TMS) in Schedule 1 Rule 2 of the 2004 Act sets out procedures for flat owners to follow when making scheme decisions about maintaining and repairing common parts of a shared building.

Rules 7 and 8 already set out the requirements for consultation, and rule 9 sets out the procedure for giving notice in connection with the TMS.

More detail is here: Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Minister for Housing visited the Wester Hailes pilot on 4 July 2023 and met with local councillors, members of the City of Edinburgh Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) Team and local tenants living in flats affected by the MTIS. Scottish Government officials meet City of Edinburgh Council regularly to discuss progress with the MTIS and any issues arising, most recently in July 2024 with another meeting expected in September.

Living Rent Edinburgh gave a deputation at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on 27 August 2024, after which they shared their concerns with council officials. The council have extended an invitation to Edinburgh Living Rent to hold regular meetings with them to discuss and agree options to improve local engagement.

MTIS is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council and decisions related to service delivery are best discussed with the council.

The total drug costs and fees for dispensing methadone mixture and solution (1mg/ml) to the NHS in the last year (July 2023 – June 2024), broken down by NHS Board, are presented in the following table. Cost data are complete for all NHS Boards, whereas fees are incomplete as some payment elements are handled locally.

Table 1: Total drug costs and fees for dispensing methadone mixture1. Items dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board – July 2023 to June 2024

The Scottish Government has not engaged in any such discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service. Homeowners who have purchased properties under the Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) are able to participate in such improvements schemes in the same manner as other residents.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold management fee information about local authorities’ mixed tenure improvement services, which would need to be obtained directly from each local authority that operates such a service.

The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 does not discuss “standard rates” for any aspect of work to be undertaken and no changes to this are currently under consideration.

In Edinburgh, the council’s Scheme of Assistance Strategy allows owner occupiers to sell their homes back to the Council and remain in their home with a Scottish Secure Tenancy. Throughout the 3-year Pilot programme in Wester Hailes, the team have engaged and consulted with owners and landlords to understand their concerns and see what support could be offered. This approach will continue as the service expands to Restalrig and Lochend.

The prescribed Notice to Leave that landlords must use to end a private residential tenancy includes important information for tenants and signposts to a number of organisations, such as Citizens Advice Scotland and Shelter Scotland, should they need advice and support to understand their rights. It also directs tenants worried about having somewhere to live to contact their local authority to discuss their circumstances.

Local authorities are obliged by law to offer minimum of temporary accommodation, advice and assistance for people who are at risk or who are experiencing homelessness. They are best placed to provide advice on housing options and what further support they can offer.

For short assured or assured tenancies, the Notice to Quit landlords must use to end the tenancy advises tenants about getting legal advice or contacting organisations who provide housing support if they are unsure of the validity of the Notice. It advises that help with all or part of the cost of legal advice may be available under the legal aid legislation.

Scottish Government are providing up to £2 million this year to support the Early Resolution Advice Programme administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, which supports projects in the third sector, to provide assistance and representation for people at risk of, or facing court action related to debt and housing matters.

The interest rate is applicable to debt where private property owner occupiers pay back over an agreed period of time. The City of Edinburgh Council consider this a last resort for private property owners who may be able to source more favourable rates through re-mortgaging or external finance. This rate was agreed within the council in 2021 alongside the approval of the enhanced Scheme of Assistance and extension of the debt recovery terms. It is worth noting that interest rates were much lower in 2021.

The policy is aimed at getting the balance right for both the council and debtors whilst not encouraging owners to agree payment plans with the council by default. Debt recovery from owners for the works in Wester Hailes is very positive so far with 77% of debt paid or secured in payment plans.