Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring there is resilience and capacity in the health and social care system to aid us in our mobilisation, support staff to recover from previous COVID-19 waves, and to manage the need to remain vigilant against any future wave.

The most recently published data indicates a total of 258,269 patients were seen at new outpatient appointments during the first quarter of 2021. This is down 20.4% from the same period in 2020, prior to implementation of social distancing restrictions. At 31 March 2021, 48.1% of those waiting for a new outpatient appointment had been waiting 12 weeks or FEWER. This IS down from 74.4% in the same period in 2020. At 31 March 2021,184,224 new outpatients had experienced ongoing waits greater than 12 weeks, up 177.8% from the same period in 2020 (66,325).

It is difficult to quantify the impact that the two-metre social distancing restrictions have had on capacity and throughput in outpatient settings, not least because of the differences in Wave one where elective services halted and Wave two where services began to remobilise. In addition to this there is considerable variance in the layout, structure and fabric of NHS facilities across Scotland.

Whilst the two metre distancing restrictions will have played a part in capacity and throughput, other factors will also have influenced them. These include bed closure, staff absences (including those who have been deployed elsewhere to assist with the pandemic or were shielding) and throughput lost to other IPC controls, which include removal of beds to reduce potential risk of COVID-19 transmission.

There has been a change in the way services have been delivered in outpatient settings, for example – staggered waiting times to avoid overcrowding within these areas/ reduce footfall, one-way access/egress and the use of Near Me where possible to avoid face to face consultations.

The Scottish Government currently only allows travellers returning from green and amber list countries to use NHS Covid-19 tests.

These home PCR kits are sold at a fixed price and can be booked through CTM, the UK Government’s booking portal for international travel.

Wales currently also only allow use of NHS Covid-19 tests, booked through CTM and have the same fixed pricing structure as offered in Scotland.

SEPA has the ability to carry out enforcement and investigatory activity in relation to compliance with the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations of businesses based outside Scotland, although their powers will not be as extensive as they would be in relation to those with a presence in Scotland.

SEPA has the power to cancel the registration of a producer that has failed to comply with its obligations under the DRS Regulations. That would make it an offence for anyone to sell their scheme articles to a consumer in Scotland.

SEPA works to an enforcement policy that sets out a wide range of tools at its disposal. SEPA is currently drafting a compliance strategy to support Scotland's DRS. SEPA will use all the tools available to it to ensure compliance with the DRS Regulations and a level playing field are achieved for businesses.

A review of the energy standards of the Scottish building regulations is currently under way. This is considering options to further improve the energy performance of both new residential developments and all other new buildings. It also considers the energy performance requirements where relevant new construction work is carried out to existing buildings.

The consultation can be accessed at:

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure - Scottish Government - Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot) .

The new energy performance requirements are programmed to take effect in 2022.

It is not possible to know how many factors have been operating without registration each year.

Where the Scottish Ministers are made aware of a property factor operating without registration we will take action where there is evidence to support the allegation.

Operating as a factor without registration is a criminal offence and as such the investigation of such matters is for Police Scotland. Where concerns have been raised with the Scottish Government and we believe these require investigation by the Police, we will provide information of these concerns to the Police and cooperate with their investigations. We would encourage any property owner who considers that their factor is operating without registration to report the matter to Police Scotland.

The Code of Conduct for Property Factors sets out minimum standards of practice and encourages transparency, while ensuring that homeowners know what to expect from their property factors. A revised Code of Conduct for Property Factors was approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament in March 2021. This brought the Code of Conduct up to date, clarified and strengthened it, ensuring that all registered property factors operate consistently and to the appropriate standards, while also giving homeowners confidence in what their factor is offering them. The responses from homeowners to the public consultation for a revised Code of Conduct for Property Factors did not suggest that excessive or unjustified management fees was an area of concern. The consultation opened on 6 October 2017 and closed on 15 January 2018. You can find details of the consultation, an analysis of responses and view submitted responses at:

https://consult.gov.scot/housing-regeneration-and-welfare/code-of-conduct-for-registered-property-factors/

A property factor must provide each homeowner with a comprehensible written statement of services that sets out, in a simple, structured way, the terms and service delivery standards of the arrangement in place between them and the homeowner. This includes a requirement to set out the management fee charged by the property factor and the property factor’s policy for reviewing and increasing or decreasing this management fee. The revised Code will come into force on 16 August 2021.

While the Scottish Government has no plans to make changes that affect the remit of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) at present, it is our intention to review the existing legislation to identify areas for consideration to strengthen and support the improved operation of the regulatory regime for property factors. We hope to undertake this work in the latter half of this operational year with the intention of including any proposed changes in a suitable legislative vehicle thereafter.

The information requested is contained in the following table:

The information requested is contained in the following table:

The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to explore how the proposed New Homes Ombudsman scheme, within the UK Building Safety Bill, could operate in Scotland. The aims of the scheme are to provide better protection to consumers purchasing new build homes and to make access to remediation simpler and easier. The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to work with the UK Government as the Bill moves through its amendments process, to try to achieve a UK-wide scheme that works for the people of Scotland and respects the devolution settlement.

In the UK warranties for new-build residential homes typically consist of a two-year ‘developer warranty’, followed by a further eight years of structural cover. A warranty on a new build property is a type of insurance policy, meaning that any changes to the existing time periods for which such a warranty would apply falls within the remit of the UK Government as a reserved matter in line with Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.