Tuesday, March 28: Today's political diary

Scottish Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Topical Questions
• Selection of First Minister
• Decision Time
• Members’ Business: S6M-07711 St Andrew’s Children’s Society (in the name of Christine Grahame)

The following Committees are meeting this morning:

• Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
• 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: Justice (including Topical Question)
• Westminster Hall debate: Lessons learned from redundancies at P&O Ferries
• Oral Questions (Lords): Reducing queues at ports and airports from UK citizens returning to the UK
• Legislation (Lords): Pensions Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Bill – committee stage
• Legislation (Lords): Energy Bill – report stage (day 1)
• Orders and Regulations: Draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Administration, Investment, Charges and Governance) and Pensions Dashboards (Amendment) Regulations 2023
• Treasury Committee – Oral evidence session on Silicon Valley UK
• Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Oral evidence session on Sport Governance
• Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee – Private meeting
• Science and Technology Committee (Lords) – Oral evidence session on The effects of artificial light and noise on human health
• Liaison Committee (Lords) – Oral evidence session on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities – follow-up
• BEIS Sub-Committee on National Security and Investment – Oral evidence session on Information sharing by the Investment Security Unit
• Liaison Committee (Commons) – Oral evidence session on The work of the Prime Minister
• Economic Affairs Committee – Oral evidence session on Bank of England: how is independence working?

Aberdeenshire Council

Today’s business includes:

• Banff and Buchan Area Committee
• Marr Area Committee

Aberdeen City Council

Today’s business includes:

• Budget, Integration Joint Board
• Local Licensing Forum

News/Funding/Consultations

• NEW: 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.
• NEW: 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.
• 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.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: 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.
• 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: 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.