Today's political diary: Tuesday, June 13

Scottish Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Topical Questions
• Ministerial Statement: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan – Annual Progress Report 2022-23
• Education, Children and Young People Committee Debate: College Regionalisation
• Decision Time
• Members’ Business: S6M-08593 Women Prisoners (in the name of Katy Clark)

The following Committees are meeting this morning:

• Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
• Finance and Public Administration Committee (Agenda items include: Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Economic and Fiscal Forecasts May 2023 and the Deputy First Minister's priorities under the First Minister's policy prospectus)
• Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (Agenda items include: Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme)
• Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

UK Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Oral Questions: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (including Topical Questions)
• Legislation: Procurement Bill [Lords]: Remaining stages
• Westminster Hall debate: Regulation of cryptocurrency
• Oral Questions (Lords): Impact of voter ID rules on people’s ability to vote and reviewing the rules before the next general election
• Oral Questions (Lords): Review of the renewable transport fuel obligation
• Oral Questions (Lords): Assessment of the destruction of the Nova Khakokva dam and the international response
• Legislation (Lords): Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill – committee stage
• Legislation (Lords): Financial Services and Markets Bill – report stage (day 3)
• Orders and regulations (Lords): Draft Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023
• Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill – Oral evidence session to consider the Bill
• Energy Bill [HL] – Debate to further consider the Bill
• Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Oral evidence session on The work of the BBC
• Business and Trade Committee – Oral evidence session on The CBI
• Science and Technology Committee (Lords): Oral evidence session on Independent review into UK clinical trials
• Treasury Committee – Oral evidence session on the Appointment of Megan Greene to the Monetary Policy Committee
• International Relations and Defence Committee – Private meeting
• Foreign Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Critical minerals
• Communications and Digital Committee – Private meeting
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Soil Health
• Economic Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Bank of England: how is independence working?
• European Affairs Committee – Private meeting

Aberdeenshire Council

Today’s business includes:

• Banff and Buchan Area Committee
• Marr Area Committee

Aberdeen City Council

Today’s business includes:

• Risk, Audit and Performance Committee
• Development Day – Local Licensing Forum

News/Funding/Consultations

• Consultation: Smarter regulation non-financial reporting review: call for evidence. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT), working with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the UK regulator for corporate reporting, is conducting a review of the non-financial reporting requirements UK companies need to comply with to produce their annual report. This builds on the Smarter regulation to grow the economy policy paper which set out how the government would improve regulation across the board to reduce burdens and drive economic growth now that the UK has left the European Union. The departure from the UK allows the UK the opportunity to shape rules and processes so that they work for the UK’s specific circumstances, including for non-financial reporting. The review will also consider if current company size thresholds (micro, small, medium and large) that determine certain non-financial reporting requirements, and the preparation and filing of accounts with Companies House, remain appropriate. This call for evidence is the first stage of the review process. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 16^th August.
• Consultation: Scotland’s pavement parking prohibitions – consultation on enforcement regulations for local authorities. The Scottish Government has been working to improve parking legislation in Scotland in order to tackle the impact of inconsiderate and obstructive parking and ensure that our roads and pavements are accessible for all. As part of this work, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 bans pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, and gives local authorities the relevant powers to enforce these new provisions. The Act also gives local authorities the power to exempt footways from the pavement parking prohibition in certain circumstances. The consultation also considers matters including, the process of issuing and paying (including amount and discounts) a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), reviews and appeals, the manner in which a PCN may be enforced and the steps that may be taken following cancellation of a PCN. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 28 July.
• Consultation: Aberdeen Beach Masterplan Phase 2. Aberdeen City Council are conducting a fact-finding exercise to establish how people currently use the Beachfront and what they would like to see improved as part of their work to develop the area. To contribute, or to learn more about the exercise, please click here. The closing date for responses is 23^rd June.
• Consultation: Scottish Government Review of Permitted Development Rights – Phase 3. The Scottish Government is carrying out a review of permitted development rights (PDR) as part of our wider planning reform programme. The PDR review is being taken forward in phases, with each phase focussing on specific development types. Phase 3 of the review considers PDR in relation to renewables equipment, thermal efficiency improvements, development by electricity undertakers, reverse vending machines and the temporary use of land for shooting ranges. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 23^rd August.
• Consultation: Effective community engagement in local development planning guidance. This consultation is about guidance on effective community engagement in the local development planning process. It is for planning authorities and communities. The guidance forms part of the Government’s work on reform of the planning system and implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 13^th September.
• Consultation: Retained EU employment law reforms. This consultation sets out proposals for key areas of retained EU employment law that the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for. The consultation seeks views on 3 areas of retained EU employment law which could benefit from reform: record keeping requirements under the working time regulations; simplifying annual leave and holiday pay calculations in the working time regulations; and consultation requirements under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE). For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 7^th July.
• Consultation: Market Engagement on the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2). This market engagement document is seeking views on the proposed design of the second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2) that will allocate funding to low carbon hydrogen projects. HAR2 aims to award contracts to up to 750MW of capacity in early 2025, subject to affordability and value for money, to deliver up to 1GW of electrolytic hydrogen production capacity in construction or operation by 2025. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 30^th June.
• Consultation: Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy in Great Britain. The government is seeking views on its proposed Strategy and Policy Statement for energy policy in Great Britain. This statement sets out government’s strategic priorities for energy policy, the policy outcomes to be achieved and the roles and responsibilities of persons involved in implementing that policy. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 2^nd August.
• LAST CHANCE TO RESPOND: Consultation: Community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure. The consultation is proposing to create voluntary guidance for industry and communities when developing individual community benefit packages. This guidance will cover how to deliver direct benefits payments to eligible individuals and wider community benefits. BEIS also recommend establishing a recommended level of funding for community benefits in agreement with Ofgem. The views and perspectives of different stakeholders are sought to establish an approach that is both fair and effective. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 15^th June.
• Consultation: Planning for new energy infrastructure: revised draft National Policy Statements. The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) set out the government’s policy for the delivery of energy infrastructure and provide the legal framework for planning decisions. The re-consultation seeks views on: clarifying that offshore wind is now a critical national priority; the offshore wind environmental improvement package, designed to help accelerate deployment of offshore wind; strengthening the electricity networks NPS ; and updating the civil and military aviation and defence interests to reflect the status of energy developments, the impacts and how these should be managed. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 23^rd June.
• Consultation: New National Parks – appraisal framework. One of the priority actions contained within the draft Biodiversity Strategy is the designation of a new National Park within Scotland. This consultation is seeking views and comments on the associated appraisal framework and the selection criteria to be used in determining the successful applicant park. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 4^th August.
• Consultation: Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods: draft planning guidance. The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out a clear commitment to think differently about our places, putting climate and nature at the forefront, tackling long standing challenges and inequalities, and leading the transition to stronger, greener, fairer and healthier communities across Scotland. A key element of this agenda is the need to plan, design and deliver places that support local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods, where people can meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home. Delivering local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods requires an understanding of the specific context of a place. Whatever the context - cities, town, village, rural and island communities - the views and interests of local people must be at the forefront of the decisions made about a place. The Scottish Government is therefore consulting on the draft planning guidance in relation to this. For more information or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 20^th July.
• Consultation: Council tax on second and empty homes/Non-domestic rates. The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals to assist councils in making the best use of existing housing in their areas. This includes managing the numbers of short-term lets, second and long-term empty homes, where these are causing issues. This consultation focuses on a number of potential changes to taxation policy in order to aid this management. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 11^th July.
• Consultation: National Event Strategy review and refresh – Scotland: the perfect stage. Scotland’s national events strategy was first published in 2008 in response to Scotland’ burgeoning potential as a global leader in the events industry. Although Scotland has had many successes under the current strategy the events sector has recently faced a period of unprecedented disruption and challenges and therefore it is being reviewed and updated. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 30^th June.

• Support/Training: The Princes Trust Explore Enterprise Course. The Prince’s Trust Explore Enterprise Course consists of up to seven online sessions providing information and support on the basics of self-employment, HMRC and finance, pricing and sales, marketing, networking, cashflows, and business plans. These sessions are open to individuals aged between 18-30, who are resident in Scotland and been trading for less than 2 years. For more information, or to sign up, please click here.
• Support/Funding: UK Tradeshow Programme. The UK Tradeshow Programme offers government support to help UK businesses attend or exhibit at overseas trade shows more effectively. For more information, or to apply, please click here.

• Funding: District Heating Loan Fund. The District Heating Loan Fund is managed by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government. It provides capital loan funding of more than £1 million to organisations in Scotland that use renewables technologies to build out heat networks. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Heat Network Fund. This Scottish Government fund encourages commercial interest and investment that will help make the most of Scotland's vast potential in the low carbon sector and contribute to the positive progress already made in reducing Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible projects must be large-scale and based in Scotland. As well as helping reduce emissions, successful projects should also have positive social and economic benefits for Scotland. For more information or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Marine Fund Scotland. This fund will support investments and jobs in seafood sectors, the marine environment and coastal communities in Scotland. It replaces the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) following the UK’s exit from the EU. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Feasibility Funding (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre). The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)'s Feasibility projects provide members with the opportunity to tap into the expertise of Scotland’s academics to assist with a biotech-focused proof of concept study to support a future funding application for a larger scale research work programme. Feasibility projects should focus on innovative applications of industrial biotechnology and address a real market need or commercial opportunity through collaborative knowledge exchange and research between industry members and at least one of Scotland’s talented higher education institution (HEI) research teams. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Workforce Innovation Voucher. The Workforce Innovation Voucher scheme can be used to support innovation to develop a company’s workforce in partnership with a college or university – for example, a new or enhanced workplace business processes, workplace practice or innovative business expertise. Interface provides support with finding a suitable academic partner who has the right specialist expertise to progress your Research and Development project. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: National Lottery Open Fund of Organisations – Creative Scotland. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations is a funding programme for artistic, creative and cultural organisations based in Scotland. Organisations can apply for between £1,000 and £100,000 to support creative activity that lasts up to 18 months. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: National Lottery Extended Programme Fund – Creative Scotland. The National Lottery Extended Programme Fund is a time-limited funding programme for non-profit artistic, creative and cultural organisations based in Scotland. Organisations can apply for between £100,000 and £200,000 for programmes of creative activity that last between 18 and 24 months. For more information, or to apply, please click here. Deadline to apply is 14^th November.
• Funding: Flexible Workforce Development Fund. The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) helps employers in Scotland access workforce training opportunities to upskill or reskill their employees. Eligible employers can get up to £15,000 in funding for tailored training programmes. Applications will be accepted up until the 31^st July or whenever the fund has been fully allocated, if earlier. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Green Heat Innovation Support Programme. The Green Heat Innovation Support Programme provides grant funding, competitive procurement and other forms of support to help Scottish-based companies or companies looking to invest in Scotland develop innovative products, services or business models that address the challenges of green heating. For more information, or to apply, please click here.