Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10920 on 20 September 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

The Scottish Government has supported the development of the Scotland Loves Local (SLL) gift card scheme as part of the SLL programme aimed primarily at economic stimulus and building community wealth. The card can be pre-loaded with funds for rewards and gifts, including for use for retail, hospitality, transport, culture and leisure.

In February, we launched the £80 million Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery (LACER) fund which empowers councils to consider the needs of local businesses, communities and households and to target support to maximise economic recovery in their areas. The dual purpose approach of economic stimulus and support for low income households was first pioneered in late 2021 by East Ayrshire Council who chose to use their own funding to provide £20 and then £50 SLL Gift cards to low income households.

Some local authorities chose to use the existing SLL gift card scheme as a mechanism to deliver the dual purpose of support to low income households and local business. To date, over £12m of funding has been committed for the SLL cards targeted at low income households via the LACER. This includes Glasgow £8.9m, Aberdeen £1.1m, Argyll & Bute £800,000 South Ayrshire £500,000 East Renfrewshire £450,000 with other local authorities’ still to be confirmed.

The Deputy First Minister met with the financial services sector at the quarterly Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FISGAD) on 30 August 2022 and discussed measures industry and government can partner on to support households and businesses in Scotland.

Officials also regularly engage with UK Finance (representative body for the banking and Finance Industry) to discuss a range of issues affecting the mortgage sector including at their quarterly Board meetings in Scotland, last held on 10 June 2022, and on 1 September 2022 where discussions included the cost crisis, and the support lenders can offer customers in difficulty.

The Scottish Government remain in contact with the financial services sector on a regular basis in the current period and expect to engage regularly in the future.

The Scottish Government Environment Strategy (2020) recognises the urgent need for action at all levels, in tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Sadly, the evidence tells us that in common with the rest of the world, Scotland has not yet done enough to prevent the continuing decline in biodiversity. We recently consulted on our new biodiversity strategy, which sets out our ambition to halt nature loss by 2030 and reverse it by 2045. The consultation closed on 12 September and we are currently analysing responses.

The Scottish Government is committed to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities. This is backed by £3.6bn funding available in this Parliamentary term including support of up to £30 million for the continuation of the demand-led Rural and Island Housing Fund.

SMEs play an important role in the delivery of affordable homes in all areas of Scotland both as developing landlords, contractors and the wider supply chain.

The Tenant Grant Fund was a £10 million fund with each local authority receiving a share. The latest set of full available data, provides an overview of Tenant Grant Fund spend as of 31 December 2021, by local authority area. This was published in March 2022 and is available here - Tenant Grant Fund monitoring report: January 2022 .

The next set of data will cover the three month period up to 31 March 2022 and will be published once all 32 local authorities have provided the relevant information and analysis has been carried out.

To date, data up to 31 March 2022 detailing expenditure, grant and refusal figures have been obtained for 28 local authorities. This shows £5,143,119.56 expenditure, 4,430 grants and 1,326 refusals.

As the fund has been expanded and local authorities will continue to use any remaining allocation in 2022-23 until fully spent, a final review will be carried out once all LAs have closed their funds.

The membership of the panel is agreed between Scottish Government and COSLA and consists of a number of organisational representatives. A list of those organisations and current members is as follows.

Scottish Government   David Cowan (Co-Chair)

COSLA       Calum Lindsay (Co-Chair)

SURF Scotlands Regeneration Forum Laura Black

Scottish Futures Trust   Mhairi Donaghy

Highlands & Islands Enterprise Douglas Cowan

South of Scotland Enterprise Bryan McGrath

Scottish Enterprise     Gillian Adam

SOLACE – (Chief Executives) Russell McCutcheon

SLAED (Economic Development) John McCrone

HoP ( Planning)     Beverley Smith

Directors of Finance   vacant

The full analysis of the responses to the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill consultation has been completed and a report of the findings will be published on the Scottish Government website shortly.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with the other GB administrations on potential improvements to animal transport legislation and consulting stakeholders through a series of workshops, to ensure all options are fully considered before any specific proposals are brought forward.

The Scottish Government remains committed to consulting on proposals to phase out cages for gamebirds and laying hens, as well as farrowing crates for pigs. The consultations will be prepared and brought forward in due course.

The Scottish Government holds regular meetings with COSLA covering a number of issues.

The increasing energy costs are a concern across a number of businesses in Scotland. Scottish Ministers are clear that the powers and resources needed to tackle this emergency on the scale required - access to borrowing, welfare, VAT on fuel and energy bills, taxation of windfall profits, regulation of the energy market - lie with the UK Government. The Scottish Government has continually urged the UK Government to use all the powers and fiscal headroom at its disposal to address the costs crisis.