Tuesday, March 14: Today's political diary

Scottish Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Topical Questions
• Scottish Government Debate: Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill – UK Legislation
• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Debate: The Role of Local Government and its Cross-sectoral Partners in Financing and Delivering a Net-zero Scotland
• Decision Time
• Members’ Business: S6M-07996 International Long Covid Day (in the name of Jackie Baillie)

The following Committees are meeting this morning:

• Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (agenda items include: Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (taking evidence from Lorna Slater MSP, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity) and the Energy Bill (UK Legislation))
• Finance and Public Administration Committee
• Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
• Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
• Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

UK Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Oral Questions: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (including Topical Questions)
• Backbench Business: Debate on a Motion on seizure of Russian assets
• Oral Questions (Lords): Car production in the United Kingdom since 2016
• Oral Questions (Lords): Carbon reduction costing or pricing form used to assess different cleaner energy technologies in reducing UK emissions
• Legislation (Lords): Electronic Trade Documents Bill – report stage
• Legislation (Lords): UK Infrastructure Bank Bill – consideration of Commons amendments
• Legislation (Lords): Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill – report stage
• Grand Committee Orders and regulations (Lords): The Alternative Fuel Payment Pass-through Requirement (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2023; The Non-Domestic Alternative Fuel Payment Pass-through Requirement and Amendment Regulations 2023
• Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Oral evidence session on The work of Ofcom
• Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee – Private Meeting
• Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee – Oral evidence session on Prepayment meters: warrants and forced installations
• Science and Technology Committee (Lords): Private meeting
• Justice and Home Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session Post-Brexit UK-EU security cooperation – follow up
• Treasury Committee – Oral evidence session on The work of the Financial Ombudsman Service
• Built Environment Committee – Oral evidence session on The impact of environmental regulations on development
• Communications and Digital Committee – Oral evidence session on Digital exclusion and the cost of living
• Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Oral evidence session on Safety at major sporting events
• Economic Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Bank of England: how is independence working?

Aberdeenshire Council

Todays’ business includes:

• Garioch Area Committee
• Buchan Area Committee

Aberdeen City Council

Today’s business includes:

• Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee

News/Funding/Consultations

• Consultation: Amendments to the Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is consulting on proposals to amend the current payment practice legislation. A recent statutory review identified an ongoing need to ensure greater compliance in terms of prompt payment and to increase awareness of the performance of large businesses in this area. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. Closing date for responses is 28^th April.
• Consultation: Draft code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement. The Code sets out employers’ responsibilities when seeking to change employment terms and conditions, if there is the prospect of dismissal and re-engagement. It requires employers to consult staff and explore alternative options, without using the threat of dismissal to pressure employees to agree new terms. For further information or to respond to the consultation, please click here. Closing date for responses is 18^th April.
• Consultation: Ending the sale of peat in Scotland. As part of the recently adopted National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the Scottish Government have stated their intention to ban the sale of peat and related products as the first stage of their commitment to phase out its use in horticulture. They are now consulting on the proposed timetables and the impacts of doing this. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 12^th May.
• Consultation: Additional Dwelling Supplement: Proposals for Change. The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals to increase the timelines in the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) legislation from 18 months to 36 months. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 5^th April.
• Consultation: International Culture Strategy: Survey. The Scottish Government has committed to developing a strategy to support the international aspirations and potential of Scotland’s culture sector. The Strategy will focus on the motivations of culture sector stakeholders in working internationally, while recognising that such work has wider impacts on Scotland’s international reputation and relationships. For more information or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 26^th April.
• Consultation: Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets a vision for Scotland's energy system to 2045 and a route map of ambitions and actions that, coupled with detailed sectoral plans and the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, will guide decision-making and policy support over the course of this decade. For more information or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 9^th May.
• Consultation: Changes to residency criteria for access to financial support in Further and Higher Education. Following a recent Court case, Scottish Ministers have given an undertaking to review the residency criteria in relation to student funding. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please see here. The closing date for responses is 31^st March.
• Consultation: Community Wealth Building. Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach designed to tackle long-standing economic challenges and transform Scotland’s local and regional economies by considering the ways in which the public sector, in partnership with the private, third and community sectors, can ensure more wealth is generated, circulated and retained in communities and localities. In short, CWB is focused on growing the influence communities have on the economy and ensuring communities receive more of the benefits from the wealth they help to generate. The 2021-22 Programme for Government confirmed the Scottish Government’s intention to bring forward legislation on CWB during the current Parliamentary session. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 25^th April.
• Consultation: Amendments to the regulation on independent health care. The Scottish Government is consulting on proposed changes to the regulation of independent health care in Scotland. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 26^th April.
• LAST CHANCE TO RESPOND: Consultation: Electoral Reform. The Scottish Government is consulting on possible changes to electoral law including proposals to increase voter registration, accessibility in elections, those without voting rights and those permitted to vote but not stand for election. For more information or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 15^th March.
• Support: Develop your workforce through apprenticeship. A series of free online events for employers providing information, advice and first-hand accounts of apprenticeships and how they work. The series has been organised by Skills Development Scotland to provide step-by-step advice and practical support to help employers get involved in apprenticeships. For more information, or to register, please click here.
• 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/Training: Manufacturing Excellence. Manufacturing Excellence is a 10-month programme aimed at leaders from small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry. The programme will look at collaboration and networks, supply chains and competitiveness, adaption and transformation, and skills and workforce. The programme will be delivered through a series of in-person workshops and support days. For more information, or to apply, 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: 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.
• 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.