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UK Government announced full asylum dispersal policy in April 2022. Under the policy Home Office contractors can presume that asylum dispersal properties can be procured in any local authority area across the UK.

The Scottish Government is aware that over half of Scotland’s local authorities now have asylum dispersal accommodation in their area.

The Home Office regularly publishes statistical data relating to immigration and asylum including data relating to people seeking asylum in receipt of Home Office support by local authority. Latest data publication is available online: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK

Transport Scotland are aware of the proposed industrial action by staff at the Clyde Tunnel, however no assessment has been made as the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of Glasgow City Council.

It would be a matter for the Council to assess the proposed impact and engage with stakeholders who may be affected.

The Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) undertakes risk based aquatic animal health surveillance where Aquaculture Production Businesses are assessed against their regulatory responsibilities with respect to aquatic animal health. This includes routine and intelligence-based inspections.

The FHI monitors international trade of live fish and shellfish using import notification systems and checks on import health certificates, ensuring imports meet the aquatic animal health requirements of the Great Britain trade unit. Where significant risk of listed disease is detected official control measures can be enforced to help reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread.

The FHI’s enforcement policy, including a range of enforcement actions, is set out in its Service Charter which is available on the Scottish Government website. The Service Charter is based upon the Scottish Government’s principles of good regulation including taking a response which is proportionate to the risk posed and the seriousness of any offence.

The current time charter of MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries will run until 31 May 2025.

Asylum is reserved, including provision of asylum accommodation and support provided to people seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute while awaiting a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.

In 2022 the Home Office introduced funding for local authorities for the first time, to recognise the contribution of local authorities like Glasgow who supported significant numbers of people seeking asylum and to encourage participation by new local authorities. This funding has only been confirmed annually and the level of funding provided does not adequately reflect local authority costs for service provision.

Funding for local authorities has been a positive step, but we support calls for a long- term commitment to enable better support for people seeking asylum as well as local communities.

Transport Scotland was approached by Glasgow City Council in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2023 in relation to the funding for the Clyde Tunnel and to gauge the possibility of adopting it as a trunk road. The Scottish Government’s position is that the Clyde Tunnel is appropriately classified and will not be adopted by Transport Scotland as a trunk road.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

As the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of Glasgow City Council, neither the Scottish Ministers nor the Scottish Government would become directly involved in their day-to-day duties.

The vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not stipulate how local authorities should utilise their individual allocations. It is therefore the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Discussions that have taken place to date between Ministers/officials and Glasgow City Council have been to confirm that the Scottish Government’s position is that the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of the Council and is appropriately classified, therefore it will not be adopted by Transport Scotland as a trunk road.

GP contractor regulations were amended in 2022 to reflect a prior agreement with the BMA that GP practices should all be expected to provide online appointment booking. Previously contractors were only expected to provide that function if they had the capacity to do so.

Since 1 April 2024 local authorities have had discretionary powers to apply a Council Tax premium of up to 100% on second homes.

Council Tax is a local tax, and it is for individual councils to determine the appropriate balance of housing in their areas based on local needs. The Regulations give Councils greater fiscal empowerment, in the spirit of the Verity House Agreement. They enable Councils the discretion to charge Second Homes anywhere between a 50% discount, and up to a 100% premium. It is for Councils to take decisions about the tax treatment of second homes, including where exclusions may apply.

The Scottish Government is committed to monitoring the impact of the premium and will consider their effects as more data becomes available. The first set of data reflecting the implementation of the premium was collected in September 2024. This data indicated a 10% decrease (2,455 properties) in the number of second homes compared to the previous year. This decline may be related to the introduction of the 100% Council Tax premium on second homes. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the impact of the Council Tax premium.

I would also note that the Council Tax system includes exemptions for certain circumstances. This includes an exemption for properties that are difficult to let, which applies specifically to properties that are inherently hard to let due to their physical relationship with another dwelling. Further, there is an exemption for properties that cannot legally be lived in because it is prohibited by law. It is for the local authority to assess whether the conditions are met for these exemptions to apply.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) is the regional hub responsible for providing services to children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on behalf of the West region which includes NHS Lanarkshire. In response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards, including NHS GGC. He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families with children with DMD covered by the national Early Access Programme (EAP), in the next two weeks. NHS GGC are planning three treatment cohorts, beginning week commencing 26 May 2025, with the second and third cohorts starting week commencing 28 July 2025 and 29 September 2025. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all eligible children and applied the broadest definition possible to the eligibility criteria to ensure that all children described in the EAP can access the medicine.