Meeting of the Parliament

Time for Reflection Micheal Matovu, Commercial Director, Radiant and Brighter followed by Topical Questions Murdo Fraser S6T-01602 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the extreme delays reportedly being encountered by users of the A9 north of Dunkeld due to SGN gas pipe replacement works. Katy Clark S6T-01599 2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to resolve industrial action in schools. followed by Scottish Government Debate: Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan Paul McLennan S6M-11027 That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan that will support the Scottish Government’s ambition to deliver 110,000 affordable homes, of which 10% will be in rural and island areas and help attract people to, and retain people in, these communities; recognises that the action plan complements a range of other vital work being taken forward to support sustainable economic growth and to deliver for rural and island communities; considers that it marks an important step in tackling challenges to deliver and retain more homes of all tenures and puts in place the systems and support for the delivery of the right homes in the right place, and believes that achieving delivery of ambitions will require the Scottish Government to work collaboratively with a wide range of partners, including local authorities, registered social landlords, community organisations and Scottish Government agencies, to deliver committed and coordinated action that will support thriving rural and island communities. Rachael Hamilton S6M-11027.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-11027 in the name of Paul McLennan (Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan), leave out from “of which” to “marks” and insert “but regrets that only 10% of these homes will be delivered in rural and island areas to help attract people to, and retain people in, these communities, which comprise 17% of Scotland’s population; recognises that depopulation has been a longstanding problem for Scotland’s rural and island communities, due to a consistent lack of government action; notes that the current rural development programmes, despite being extended, have not been fully utilised; recognises that the plan must deliver on its objectives and promote rural and island areas as good places to live and work; acknowledges that the plan is”. Mark Griffin S6M-11027.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-11027 in the name of Paul McLennan (Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan), leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "notes the publication of the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, which aims to support the Scottish Government’s ambition to deliver 110,000 affordable homes, of which 10% will be in rural and island areas; believes that an interim target should be set for 5,500 houses to be completed in rural areas by 2026; is concerned that, without sufficient economic support from the Scottish Government, the strategy will not provide the infrastructure needed to allow local authorities, registered social landlords, community organisations and Scottish Government agencies to successfully attract people to, and retain people in, these communities; considers that the depopulation of rural areas should not be seen as the status quo, and notes the Scottish Labour Party’s commitment to put economic prosperity at the front and centre of ensuring that Gaelic-speaking communities can survive and thrive; notes that this rural housing crisis is, in some part, due to local people being priced out of the area by the acquisition of second homes; calls on the Scottish Government to take further action to ensure that houses in rural areas are affordable and good quality, and that existing homes are a vital part of the housing stock; agrees that the Scottish Government should give local authorities powers to introduce an escalating council tax surcharge on empty homes in the next Budget, to be launched in 2024-25, as was supported by the responses to the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on Council Tax for Second and Empty Homes, and calls on the Scottish Government to take decisive action to tackle fuel poverty and damp, poor quality housing in rural areas, to improve transport infrastructure, and to support the economic lifeblood of small rural communities by delivering skilled workforces, supporting small businesses and ensuring a just transition that delivers community energy benefits." followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-09705 Katy Clark: Fire Service Cuts That the Parliament notes, with concern, reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has ordered the temporary withdrawal of fire appliances at 10 stations across Scotland, including Greenock Community Fire Station in the West Scotland region; understands that the Fire Brigades Union has expressed deep concern that this reduction will risk the safety of both firefighters and the wider public; further understands that the SFRS is expected to receive a flat cash budget settlement from the Scottish Government over the next four years, and that the service claims it must make £36 million in cuts as a result; believes that this follows a decade of cuts, the reported loss of 1,100 firefighter jobs, and, it understands, a 14% increase in average response times per incident; notes SFRS Chief Officer Ross Haggart’s comments that there is also a £630 million backlog in the service's capital investment; further notes reported freedom of information (FOI) findings that 75% of buildings in Scotland’s fire estate are assessed as being of "bad" or "poor" suitability, and that around 45% are assessed as being in either "bad" or "poor" condition; believes that the combination of withdrawn appliances and what it sees as a dilapidated fire estate puts firefighters, who are exposed to health risks from encountering dangerous fire contaminants in their job, at further risk; further believes that firefighters work hard to ensure the safety of people in Scotland's communities; notes the view that firefighters deserve to be well-equipped, well-resourced, well-protected and well-paid to do the job that they do, and further notes calls for the Scottish Government to come forward with emergency funding for both day-to-day spend and capital budgets, in order to prevent further cuts to staff and equipment, and to modernise the fire estate.