Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has not received any applications for rent pressure zone designation.

Our aim is to ensure quality, affordability and fairness for everyone who rents a home and our new draft Rented Sector Strategy consultation, ‘A New Deal for Tenants’ opened on 20 December 2021, closing on 15 April 2022.

Topics include improving affordability by introducing an effective national system of rent controls in the private rented sector. For rent controls to work effectively, we need good rental data and we will undertake an analysis of what is required on data collection and will set out our intentions. We will also build on learning from the rent pressure zones. The consultation includes the question: “Are there elements of the existing Rent Pressure Zone system that could be built upon when designing a new system of rent controls?”.

Upon consideration of the consultation responses, a final Rented Sector Strategy will be published later in 2022 and deliver a key commitment, set out in Housing to 2040 , Scotland’s long term vision for housing.

VoiceAbility will begin providing advocacy services for those who require support to access Social Security Scotland assistance from 31 January 2022. VoiceAbility will continue to build capacity in the service after that date to ensure the service scales up proportionally as more benefits become available.

The Scottish Government currently offers a number of funding schemes, through Transport Scotland, to support businesses (including taxi owners) make the shift to low and zero-emission vehicles. Applications for these funds can be made through the Energy Saving Trust who administer the schemes on our behalf.

Available support includes:

• the Switched-on Taxi Loan scheme which offers an interest free loan up to £120,000 to enable taxi owners and operators to replace their current vehicle with an eligible ultra-low emission vehicle.
• the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Retrofit Fund for taxi owners operating within LEZs. This provides up to 80% grant funding to replace existing diesel engines to meet the Euro 6 standard for driving within a LEZ. The grant provides up to £10,000 per wheelchair accessible taxi installing re-powering technology, or £5,000 per taxi installing exhaust after-treatment systems.
• the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Support Fund, which is available to eligible microbusinesses and sole traders (including taxi operators), operating within a 20km radius of Scotland’s LEZs. The fund provides a £2,500 grant towards the safe disposal of non-compliant vehicles as an incentive to take older, more polluting vehicles off the road.

We acknowledge that working together is crucial, because we know that Scotland’s world-leading and legally binding net-zero target cannot be met by Government alone and a partnership approach between businesses, local authorities and communities will continue to be required to respond to the climate emergency and improve the air quality within our cities.

We have no current plans to extend free bus travel beyond the existing older and disabled persons scheme and the new young persons scheme for people under the age of 22.

Our Fair Fares Review, which is currently in its planning stages, will consider the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry, as well as the cost and availability of services.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on temporary closures of community pharmacies or the possible cost incurred by the NHS.

The provision of community pharmacy pharmaceutical care services are the responsibility of territorial Health Boards as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Any challenges faced by community pharmacies in ensuring the safe and effective dispensing of treatments should be discussed with the local Health Board.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05153 on 5 January 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Birds of Conservation Concern, often referred to as the UK Red List for Birds, is published by the British Trust for Ornithology. The report, which reviews the status of all regularly occurring birds in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, is compiled by a coalition of bird conservation and monitoring organisations from across the UK, including RSPB.

All bird species in Scotland are protected through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Schedule 2 of the 1981 Act sets out the quarry species, i.e. those species that may be killed or taken outside of the closed season.

There are a range of reasons that may be responsible for a decline in a species’ population or a contraction of the species’ range leading to them being listed as a species of conservation concern. Where there is evidence that quarry species status is causing or exacerbating conservation concerns we will take steps to remove the species from Schedule 2 in accordance with the procedure set out in section 26(3) of the 1981 Act.

The Scottish Government published its response to the Just Transition Commission in September. This set out a National Just Transition Planning Framework, which defined National Just Transition Outcomes and outlined how we will work with others to manage the economic and social impacts of the net zero transition.

Our Just Transition Plan for the Energy Sector will be the first of these plans and will be published in 2022. The Plan will establish a shared vision for Scotland’s energy system and identify concrete steps to manage the economic and social impacts of the transition. It will be co-designed with representatives of workers, businesses and communities across the country. In drafting the Plan we will endeavour to amplify the voices of those most liable to be impacted by the transition.

Engagement and work on the Plan has already begun including, during COP26 convening young people from across the energy sector to discuss the opportunities and challenges for workers and businesses in the decade ahead.

We have been working with Local Government, trade unions and business organisations to establish how best to involve others in shaping the Energy Just Transition Plan. We aim to launch our engagement and co-design programme with stakeholders in the early part of this year.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out an ambitious programme and a wide ranging framework, incorporating funding support, delivery programmes, public engagement, local heat and energy efficiency strategies and regulations among other components. A number of organisations will play roles in overseeing implementation of different aspects of the overall framework, including the Scottish Government, the new National Public Energy Agency and local authorities.

Further, reflecting the expansion in investment and delivery programmes the Scottish Government is refreshing its programme governance arrangements to provide appropriate oversight and strategic direction. We will continue to draw advice from stakeholders and advisors through a variety of channels.

The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with stakeholders on organisational roles and responsibilities, along with other issues related to the heat transition, in an open and transparent way. Among other consultation processes, we currently have a live call for evidence to inform design of the National Public Energy Agency (open until 8 February 2022), and next year we will consult on proposals for regulation.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to the Energy Saving Trust to administer the Low Carbon Transport Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland officials also work closely with Energy Saving Trust to consider the most appropriate structure and approach required to administer the loan.

To manage the demands of the scheme, officials have regular meetings with Energy Saving Trust and service level agreements are also in place to ensure the effective delivery of the loan scheme.