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Eligible owner/occupiers and eligible landlords can receive a minimum of £11,050 and a maximum of £16,900 as grant-in-kind funding as part of the Scottish Government’s Area Based Schemes allocation to the City of Edinburgh Council. Owners’ contributions to top up these grant levels are sometimes required. The council is working with Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust to ensure that, where possible, owners are offered access to interest-free loans for these contributions. The council also offers payment instalment plans which are available to all participating property owners. The council is constantly reviewing its financial support for its Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme.

Retrofit schemes that are funded by the Scottish Government are assessed for value for money and the benefits to owners and the community as a whole. Scottish Government officials meet regularly with councils to monitor progress.

The former Deputy First Minister undertook a visit in December 2022 and the Minister for Housing visited the MTIS project in July 2023 in Westerhailes to understand the scope of the works being undertaken. The former Deputy First Minister also met with a homeowner to discuss the impact that the project had on their life. Scottish Government officials meet City of Edinburgh Council regularly to discuss progress with the MTIS and any issues arising. The Scottish Government has not met with Shelter Scotland or Living Rent in regards to the MTIS project in either Westerhailes or Lochend and Restalrig.

The Scottish Government is supportive of workers’ legal right to strike, and to take action short of a strike. We would in all situations encourage employers, workers, and their representatives to work together and engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure a satisfactory agreement can be reached.

The Scottish Government has not estimated employment levels at P&O Ferries.

Our vision, shared with the Fair Work Convention, is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. Fair Work is a key driver for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth and a wellbeing economy.

Control over employment and industrial relations legislation is currently reserved to the UK Parliament; while this remains the case, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.

P&O are not members of the Scottish Maritime Cluster.

The area under the Kingston Bridge West Street on and off ramps requires fencing off to address a growing problem of anti-social behaviour. Issues include the lighting of fires, illegal drug use, discarded hypodermic needles and graffiti.

It should be emphasised that skateboarders who use the unofficial skate park are not being blamed for this anti-social behaviour.

The unofficial skate park lies within the area to be fenced-off. However, contrary to suggestions in the media, Transport Scotland has no intention of closing the skate park and, indeed, is supportive of the initiative. Gated access will be required to the area for bridge maintenance purposes. Transport Scotland and Amey will be happy to discuss how shared access can be accommodated, to allow continued use of the skate park.

Transport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey Highways, is progressing the fencing scheme. The work will commence in the autumn and will be completed by the end of the year.

As set out in my previous reply to S6W-27492 we have now reached a point where there is a need for a transition to a public charging network that will be largely financed and delivered through the private sector. The £30 million EV infrastructure fund will support local authorities across Scotland attract private investment to install public charging infrastructure in locations best suited to serve the local community’s needs. Residents and organisations should contact their own Local Authorities to discuss potential charging infrastructure opportunities in their own local area.

These are unprecedented times with significant pressure on financial resources and difficult decisions had to be taken when setting the 2024-25 Scottish Budget. Given these constraints, our consumer-focussed incentives are evolving to support individuals who live in rural and island communities, residents in flats and factored developments that do not have access to dedicated off street parking, and community transport organisations. This financial support will enable recipients to purchase and install charge points for private use, complementing Scotland’s public EV charging network. Those who wish to register their interest should contact Energy Saving Trust for further details.

The legal use of electric scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. The UK Government has stated its intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework for vehicles such as electric scooters, however the timescales for this are unclear and it may take a number of years for such a new framework to be in effect.

Enabling the use of electric scooters through such a regulatory framework would also require amendments to devolved legislation, therefore the Scottish Government are monitoring developments in this area and will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on this matter.

No e-scooter trials are taking place in Scotland, and recent extensions to the trials do not enable onboarding of new areas. We do not anticipate that this is likely to change therefore no preparations for a Scottish trial are taking place.

As is recognised by Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework, it is crucial that disabled people are involved in the design, development and improvement of transport policies, services and infrastructure. Therefore, before any changes are made to devolved legislation the Scottish Government would engage with all stakeholders and ensure all necessary impact assessments are carried out.

The affordability threshold for the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) aligns with that of the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) set by Ofcom, which is currently £56.20 per month. This threshold is increased by CPI (Consumer Price Index – a measure of inflation) each year.

We considered it appropriate to adopt this criteria, given the robust analysis and monitoring that Ofcom undertakes to support their decisions. Ofcom continues to monitor pricing regularly, and we will continue to mirror any changes in our own terms and conditions.