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As part of the national strategy for 20 mph the Scottish Government is developing communication plans for pre and post implementation of 20 mph speed limits. Research is being carried out to identify the most effective approach to promote benefits and encourage behaviour change.

Evidence has shown that early communications aids a wider acceptance and smoother implementation.

Over the last five years Scottish Water has used social media, community events and other activities such as school visits to encourage people to use water wisely. As part of this, over 100,000 water saving packs have been distributed. Each summer Scottish Water also issues news releases to encourage people to use water wisely and in times of prolonged warm, dry weather, it works with media outlets to encourage coverage of the issue. The costs are incorporated into normal operations and activities

In 2022 Scottish Water launched a behaviour change campaign to raise awareness that 'Water is Always Worth Saving', highlighting water as a precious natural resource. The effectiveness of this campaign is being measured by awareness, attitude and reported behaviours. By August 2023, 58% of people agreed that water is a precious natural resource (up 5% pre-campaign), 81% reported that they would be more careful with water use (up 12% pre-campaign), and 75% said they would take less time in the shower (up 6% pre-campaign).

The cost for the campaign for 2022-23 was £315,000. Almost all the materials developed have been re-used in 2023 and will continue to be used, spreading any cost of production and delivering best value for money. The costs incurred for 2023-24 will be reconciled in the next financial year. The integrated campaign utilises TV and Radio ads, outdoor ads, social/digital media, PR, customer engagement and partnerships with other organisations.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water’s aim is to operate at the economic level of leakage at water supply zone level, taking account of the costs of treating water and the costs of leakage detection and pipe repair. Since 2007, Scottish Water has reduced leakage by over half to under 500ML/d and, following a refresh of its assessment in 2020, Scottish Water is now progressing towards a leakage level of 408Ml/d.

Scottish Water also carries out wider assessments of long-term supply and demand positions for water resources on a water supply zone basis, looking over a 25 year period and taking into account growth, population change and predicted impacts of climate change. Where zones are identified as at risk, Scottish Water takes this into account when assessing the economic level of leakage for a zone, with demand reduction (leakage and customer water efficiency) being its first activity, before considering supply side increases.

The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland publishes an Annual report which contains information on the numbers of private water supplies and the quality of water supplied. The information provided is broken down by Local Authority. The most recent information relates to 2022 and is available at https://dwqr.scot/media/bv4go0kc/pws-annual-report-2022-november-2023.pdf

We want to put fair work principles at the heart of the retail sector. This is a key theme of the Retail Strategy, and the ongoing work of the Fair Work Working Group.

Were employment powers devolved, we could do more to protect and enhance workers’ rights, tackle poverty and increase fairness through legislation. In the absence of these powers we are committed to promoting a fair work strategy produced in collaboration with the retail sector and trade unions.

I would like to reiterate what my predecessor, Tom Arthur, stated on this matter and affirm that the Scottish Government is receptive to any suggestions for non-legislative routes that could be explored. We would be willing to consider any proposal from USDAW that could progress this endeavour.

The Scottish Government deeply values ongoing collaboration with USDAW and we view our continued engagement through the Retail Industrial Leadership Group and Fair Work Working Group as essential in ensuring we reach our ambition for fair work to drive success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 was introduced to provide additional protections to tenants through the worst of the cost of living crisis, and we have always been clear that the measures are timebound and temporary. Prior to the introduction of the Act, private tenants in Scotland already benefitted from some of the strongest protections in the UK, and tenants will continue to benefit from the strong legal protections introduced by The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. In addition, the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 further strengthened tenants’ rights by requiring private landlords who are seeking to evict on the basis of rent arrears, to comply with certain specified actions prior to pursuing eviction. The Tribunal, in assessing the reasonableness of eviction in such cases, is also required to consider the extent to which the landlord complied with these new requirements. This enhanced protection has been in place since 1 October 2022.

In terms of support for tenants regarding housing costs, in 2023-24 we have invested over £83 million in Discretionary Housing Payments; a vital tool to reduce poverty, safeguard tenancies and prevent homelessness. In 2024-25 we will make over £90 million available, mitigating UK Government cuts such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap.

This year’s Programme for Commitment commits to go further to enhance the rights of tenants, and a Housing Bill will be brought to Parliament in this parliamentary year to deliver a New Deal for Tenants.

We are also consulting with stakeholders on the proposed approach to temporarily modifying the rent adjudication process, to prevent unintended consequences when the emergency measures come to an end.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council continue to support universities in developing their own mitigating strategies to minimise any negative impacts on long-term financial sustainability. This includes any reduction in international student fee income.

Within the context of a challenging international environment and stricter UK Government immigration rules, the Scottish Government remains committed to working with the university sector to ensure that Scotland remains the destination of choice for international students, demonstrated by our commitment to launching Scotland’s International Education Strategy early in 2024. We have engaged closely with key stakeholders, including universities, to develop the strategy, which will focus on three key themes: attracting and diversifying the international student population; maximising the economic benefits of international higher education; and promoting Scotland as a world leader in research and knowledge exchange.

VisitScotland pay all staff in line with the Scottish Government pay guidelines. HR records cover the past six years, these are stored in line with legal requirements of employee record keeping.

VisitScotland’s digitised annual accounts published on VisitScotland.org cover 2012-13 onward. Detailed in these, since (and including) the 2012-13 financial year, no bonus payments have been made to executive level staff. These annual accounts are publicly available by accessing online at https://www.visitscotland.org/about-us/annual-corporate-reports/annual-report

Please note that by ‘executive level’, VisitScotland refers to CEO and Director level staff.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a reply to his question in writing.

No funding was offered through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) for the repair of small scale wind turbines in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022 and 2023, CARES funding has mainly focussed on decarbonising community buildings and supporting off-electricity grid communities to upgrade their energy systems and decarbonise their energy supplies.