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Officials are engaged in regular discussion with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities colleagues on a number of matters including the block grant expenditure and the possibility of further funding for cladding remediation. The Inter Ministerial Group, which last met in May this year, agreed that official level engagement on areas of policy of mutual interest on cladding safety would be increased. The next Inter Ministerial Group will meet again in Autumn where matters of building and fire safety and finance will be discussed.

£3.6 billion of funding is being made available in this Parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes providing the certainty and assurance that the housing sector needs to plan and deliver the ambitious affordable homes programme.

We are aware of the global issues affecting construction which are impacting affordable housing delivery. We are working closely with the construction industry and housing partners to mitigate these where possible.

We have now started to deliver against our commitment to 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.

The Scottish Government has no plans to prevent people taking cans from wheelie bins following the introduction of DRS.

Housing to 2040 outlined that we would focus the first five years (up to 2026-27) on delivering 50,000 homes and the latter five years (up to 2031-32) on delivering a further 50,000 homes. The overall target includes at least 70% for social rent to be delivered by 2032. The Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party - Shared Policy Programme increased that target to 110,000 affordable homes, but did not set a specific revised mid-point target.

We will carry out a review at the mid-point of this target period to assess if plans should continue unchanged or be adapted. This will be important to support local authorities, who are key in this process and currently plan for housing through their Local Housing Strategies on a five-yearly cycle.

In the Historical Search Room situated in General Register House, the current occupancy is set at 8 desks for consulting original records, 3 desks for use of NRS on site PCs and 1 reception desk for use by 3 staff members. Appointments are offered on a daily basis up to maximum current occupancy levels of 11 desks.

Ventilation levels are monitored on an hourly basis and remain under the required level.

The First Minister announced the Programme for Government 2022 to 2023 on 6 September 2022, which set out the action to ‘Establish a dedicated Food Security Unit within the Scottish Government with a view to monitoring ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities and linking with future food security work’. The Food Security unit is in the process of being established.

Work is also being taken forward on other recommendations from the Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce Report and Supply Taskforce Report, some of which have already been completed such as the launch of a digital gateway, specifically designed for the food and drink sector to access additional business support.

The Scottish Government has had no direct involvement in any scheme to extend the National Cycle Network (NCN) route 73 between Stranraer and Cairnryan. The NCN in Scotland is managed by Sustrans who, as custodians of the NCN, gave intentions to explore improvements to NCN 73 in the south west which are included within Sustrans’ 30 year National Cycle Network Plan. However, the Scottish Government is currently investigating the feasibility of a shared use path south of Cairnryan to the A751 junction from the new Trunk Road active travel budget.

The Scottish Government has funded Sustrans with £10.6 million in 2022-23 (increased from the £4 million award in 2021-22) to undertake National Cycle Network Plan work.

Programme for Government in 2016 and 2017 addressed potential transport issues in South West Scotland and extensive stakeholder engagement was undertaken to inform the South West Scotland Transport Study; the initial appraisal report was published in January 2020, and included 23 recommendations for consideration in Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), including one to develop the Strategic Active Travel Network in the South West of Scotland and better connect communities to key destinations with cycle paths parallel to trunk roads and improvements to the NCN. This intervention is currently subject to detailed appraisal as part of Phase 2 of STPR2.

The earliest date for implementation of this bill, as with all other bills, is wholly dependent on the agreed bill process and how quickly that can be completed, and meet Parliament’s as well as the Scottish Government’s requirements for appropriate bill scrutiny and consideration. Once the local visitor levy bill is introduced to Parliament, the bill timetable will be agreed and the earliest implementation date will become clearer.

Scottish Government Framework Agreements include pricing clauses which may differ depending on the products and services being procured.

The majority of our frameworks have fixed prices for the duration of the agreements, therefore providing a degree of protection from inflationary pressures.

Where the frameworks do not include fixed prices for the duration of the agreement, any potential price increases, as a result of inflationary pressures, will be addressed in accordance with the framework terms and conditions.

The Scottish Government is reviewing its framework agreements to assess likely price increases, where applicable.

The national frameworks for the Supply of Electricity and Supply of Natural Gas wholesale volumes are bought up to 2½ years in advance in tranches, following a proven ‘hedging’ purchasing strategy overseen by a cross-sectoral Risk Management Committee. The Committee comprises senior managers representing procurement, finance and energy management interests.

Whilst energy prices have risen to unprecedented levels because of global influences, the Scottish Government purchasing strategy has mitigated some of the increases. As an illustration, if we were to seek a fixed price today on the wholesale market for Electricity and Gas for 2022-2023, it would be more than double the contract prices that the Scottish Government framework currently enjoys.