Seòmar agus comataidhean

I have today launched a consultation on the next Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland which invites comment on our future strategic priorities for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. I encourage everyone who has an interest in this important consultation to have their say. You can access and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/safer-communities/fire-and-rescue-framework .

The sheriff must make an order (a “first order”) initiating the inquiry within 14 days of receiving the first notice from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

If the sheriff orders that a preliminary hearing is to be held, it must be ordered to take place within 56 days after the date of the first order.

The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to - ensure that the purpose of the inquiry is achieved when the inquiry takes place, consider the scope of the inquiry and identify the issues which are in dispute, and consider the information likely to be presented at the inquiry and the manner in which it should be presented.

The sheriff may order as many preliminary hearings to take place as is necessary to achieve that purpose.

Our overriding commitment, agreed with social security clients and stakeholders, is to ensure the safe and secure transfer of clients to Adult Disability Payment. Significant changes are however being made to improve clients’ experience of accessing disability assistance, such as replacing assessments with person centred consultations. The reliability criteria, which requires a client to be able to carry out activities, safely, repeatedly, in an acceptable manner and in a reasonable time, will be more fully defined in legislation. This will ensure that decisions take full account of clients’ experiences relating to the daily living and mobility activities.

An independent review of Adult Disability Payment will commence in summer 2023. The review will enable all of the criteria to be considered and will ensure that those in receipt of Adult Disability Payment will be able to provide their valuable feedback and experiences of the process up to that point.

Payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance provides support to those carers typically on lower incomes and has enabled the Government to deliver much needed increased support as quickly as possible.

Extending eligibility to those with underlying entitlement would be a very significant undertaking requiring a completely new application process. Designing and developing the systems required and providing support to clients would require substantial additional resource within Social Security Scotland. New data sharing and co-operation arrangements would be required with DWP both to provide the data required to ensure those with underlying entitlement receive the payment and to ensure that payments were disregarded in the calculations of other benefits. All of this work would be complex and time-consuming and could only realistically be achieved with changes to the timetable for the delivery of the social security programme.

Developing Scottish Carer's Assistance, the replacement for Carer's Allowance, is a priority for delivery following the introduction of disability benefits. Support for carers with 'underlying entitlement' is being considered as part of that work. The Government will begin a consultation before the end of this year on proposals for Scottish Carer's Assistance.

I thank the members of the Legal Aid Payment Advisory Panel for the careful consideration taken over the recommendations in its report.

We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Report and these will help shape future reform to the legal aid system.

In particular, I welcome the recommendation that further research is needed to ensure that fees are set at appropriate levels, therefore we will now begin the process of commissioning that research and will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout that process.

Legal Aid Payment Review Panel: report to the Minister for Community Safety

It is for the crofting Commission to respond to the matters addressed to it in the letter from the Scottish Crofting Federation. However, the Scottish Government will also consider the broader issues relating to crofting policy. We are already committed to addressing neglect and absenteeism, and developing crofting to create more active crofts. We have a strong track record of supporting new entrants and this will remain a priority. We will continue to work with the Crofting Commission and others to ensure that key actions within the Crofting Development Plan are progressed.

Home owners are responsible for the costs of on-going work needed to protect and preserve their own property, which includes the costs for the fire alarms to meet the new standard. We have provided £0.5 million additional funding for Care and Repair Scotland to provide help installing alarms for older and disabled homeowners on low incomes. We have also provided £1 million to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to provide alarms for owners who are considered most vulnerable to the risk of fire. Local authorities also have broad discretionary powers to provide advice and support to owners.

The Scottish Government has undertaken a comprehensive awareness raising campaign across a range of channels including TV, Radio and digital to ensure people are aware of the new legislation and encourage compliance. This includes material to support third sector stakeholders and messaging on the importance of using reputable tradespeople, including signposting to local government Trading Standards.

The Strategic Framework within Scotland’s Scams Prevention, Awareness and Enforcement Strategy, published in 19 March 2021, focusses on prevention, disruption, awareness, education and enforcement. This is intended to help all consumers with practical steps they can take to recognise common scam tactics and avoid the risk posed by this criminal activity.

Further advice can be obtained from https://consumeradvice.scot/ , which is a free consumer helpline funded by the Scottish Government.

We are aware that, following our successful public awareness campaign, there is significant public interest in carrying out work to comply with the new standard for fire alarms in all Scottish homes. It is, therefore, possible, that some retailers will have short term supply issues. However, we have been assured by manufacturers that there is a sufficient supply of alarms available to meet the expected demand by 1 February 2022, when the new standard comes into force.

We have no plans to review the Antisocial Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) (Scotland) Order 2011 at this time. However, we are always open to listening to the police, local authorities, the court services and communities to see how we can improve the approach being taken to tackle antisocial behaviour for the benefit of all communities.

We will start work this year on designing an open scheme for National Towns of Culture, which will be launched over the course of this Parliament.

Officials will provide the me with delivery options and recommendations by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

This builds on our strong track record of taking place-based approaches to our cultural programmes, such as our innovative Culture Collective scheme, launched earlier this year, which is working to increasing cultural engagement in some of our most deprived communities.