Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government will set out a strengthened framework of support in the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in 2022, to support the growth of the marine renewables and offshore wind sectors, focused on funding for the infrastructure these sectors need, such as port upgrades.

Forecasts relating to future requests for award reviews and reassessments are set out by the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC). The most recently published forecast of 26 August 2021 stated that 8,700 additional people could request that their award be reviewed due to their circumstances changing over the course of case transfer.

On the assumption that around 72% of these individuals could request their mobility award is reviewed, based on the current share of PIP award types, such requests could therefore be around 6,300 people following transfer to ADP from PIP.

The Scottish Government committed in the Programme for Government to develop an Export Plan for Renewables . This Plan will be developed in partnership with the industry and stakeholders, including Scottish Renewables. Consideration of an energy skills and services export target will be included as part of this process.

Transport Scotland maintain regular engagement with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and other partners regarding future vessel projects. These discussions include appropriate consideration of design and operating options, including alternative fuels. CMAL also continues to work as part of the HySeas III consortium in its role as concept designer for potential hydrogen fuelled vessels.

Our Ending Homelessness Together action plan sets out actions we are taking in the short to medium term to end homelessness. Some actions have timescales associated with them while others involve system-wide reforms. There are timescales for the funding that supports the action plan, however. The £50 million Ending Homelessness Together Fund announced in 2017 is for five years (2018-23) and the new £50 million announced in Programme for Government 2021 to end homelessness is for this parliamentary term (2021-26).

Recruitment for the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel has now been completed and we will announce the successful candidates in due course, once the necessary processes to establish this new Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) have been completed.

In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. The agreement guarantees that until 2026 the level of flooding capital grant in the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42 million per annum. 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to take forward other flood risk management actions.

The Programme for Government published in 2020 included a commitment to invest an extra £150 million in flood risk management over 5 years in addition to the £42 million per annum. This funding will also be distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. We are working with partners on the best way of allocating this additional funding.

The amount in the general capital grant available to local authorities for flood risk management this year and each year up to 2023-24 is:

Scottish Government a) will increase the annual native woodland creation target from 3000 to 4000 hectares and commit to setting evidence-based targets for both native woodlands and natural regeneration as part of the 2022 Biodiversity Strategy.

Scottish Government are supporting this action through provision of SRDP grant for both planting of new woodland, and management of herbivores to encourage natural woodland expansion.

The Scottish Government publishes as part of annual housing statistics publications information on the number of local authority housing tenancy changes made each year due to succession. The available Scotland level published information on this, covering the period 2001-02 to 2018-19 is available at Housing statistics: Management of local authority housing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , with a local authority level table available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 62926).

As I have previously said, this issue deserves to be looked at properly. That is why I am very keen to hear from those with lived experience. I have already held several meetings with some of those affected and I hope to learn more through further engagement opportunities with people who are able to share their experiences.