Today's political diary: Wednesday, June 7

Scottish Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Portfolio Questions: Constitution, External Affairs and Culture; Justice and Home Affairs
• Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: A Thriving Future for Scotland’s Oil and Gas Sector and its Workers
• Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Prioritising Scottish Tourism
• Decision Time
• Members’ Business: S6M-09106 Transforming Local Bus Services (in the name of Mark Ruskell)

The following Committees are meeting this morning:

• Economy and Fair Work Committee
• Education, Children and Young People Committee
• Criminal Justice Committee

UK Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Prime Minister’s Question Time
• Ten Minute Rule Motion: Road Safety (Cycle Helmets)
• Oral Questions (Lords): Support for small and medium-sized enterprises in working towards net zero targets
• Legislation (Lords): Illegal Migration Bill – committee stage (day 3)
• Oral Questions (Lords): Improving the reliability of passport control systems
• Grand Committee Debate: Environment and Climate Change Committee report: 'In our hands: Behaviour change for climate and environmental goals'
• Grand Committee Debate: Science and Technology Committee report: '"Science and technology superpower": more than a slogan?'
• Second Delegated Legislation Committee – Debate on The draft Amendments of the Law (Resolution of Silicon Valley Bank UK Limited) (No. 2) Order 2023
• Defence Sub-Committee – Oral evidence session on Defence Equipment and Support
• Work and Pensions Committee – Oral evidence session on Cost of living support payments
• Science, Innovation and Technology Committee – Oral evidence session on Insect decline and UK food security
• Treasury Committee – Oral evidence session on Insurance
• Environmental Audit Committee – Oral evidence session on Environmental change and food security
• Home Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Human Trafficking
• Human Rights (Joint Committee) – Oral evidence session on Human Rights at Work

Aberdeenshire Council

No scheduled business

Aberdeen City Council

No scheduled business

News/Funding/Consultations

• NEW: 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.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: Consultation: Low Pay Commission. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is the independent body which advises the Government on the levels of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW). They are seeking evidence on the broad economic and labour market conditions that workers and businesses are facing, as well as the specific impact of the proposed rates themselves. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 9^th 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 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.
• LAST CHANCE TO RESPOND: Consultation: Clean heat market mechanism. This mechanism will create a market incentive to grow the numbers of heat pumps installed in existing premises each year, providing industry with a clear, long-term policy framework for investment and innovation. In this consultation, views are sought on a range of design features of the proposed mechanism, including: the choice of target levels for the early years of the scheme; proposals for trading within the mechanism; proposals for the collection, handling and use of the data required for the scheme; and proposals for scheme administration, compliance and enforcement. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 8^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.
• 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.
• LAST CHANCE TO RESPOND: Consultation: Royal Mail service changes. The Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee are gathering public views on the proposed Royal Mail service changes and the impact of recent strikes, in advance of a Committee evidence session in which these views will be put to Royal Mail. The Committee are particularly interested in hearing from businesses and rural communities. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 8^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.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: Consultation: Prescribing the minimum annual number of learning hours. Traditionally, Scottish primary schools provide around 25 learning hours per week, and Scottish secondary schools around 27.5 hours per week. However, while local authorities are required to have their schools open for 190 days each year, the number of learning hours is not prescribed. The Scottish Government is now consulting on whether there should be a legal minimum number of hours of school education that pupils should receive every year. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 13^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: Circular Textiles Fund. The fund supports the development of circular supply chains and helps businesses achieve net zero carbon emissions across the textiles industry in Scotland, from fashion to upholstery, industry and technology. Zero Waste Scotland is administering the fund, which is backed by the Scottish Government, to help reduce the environmental impact of textiles. The fund can help businesses in Scotland take part in Scotland's circular economy by creating their own innovative circular projects. This means resources will be valued and kept in circulation for as long as possible. For more information or to apply, please click here. The closing date for initial expressions of interest is midday on 9^th June.
• 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: ETZ Ltd Challenge Fund. The ETZ Ltd's Challenge Fund supports high-growth potential companies across North-east Scotland's energy sector to enter the low-carbon industry, awarding grant funding between £50k and £250k to accelerate innovation and market entry, support business growth, and create new jobs in the energy transition into the low-carbon market. The fund will primarily support SMEs servicing the oil and gas market in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray to transition to new or existing opportunities in green energy. For more information or to apply, please click here. The closing date for applications is early June.
• 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.