Thursday, March 2: Today's political diary

Scottish Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• General Questions (questions of note include: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the £200 million Aberdeen to Central Belt enhancement project, which aims to reduce travel times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 20 minutes by 2026)
• First Minister’s Questions
• Members’ Business: S6M-07887 Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2023 (in the name of Kenneth Gibson)
• Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills
• Ministerial Statement: Policing in Scotland – 10 Years on from Reform
• Ministerial Statement: Caledonian Sleeper Train
• Scottish Government Debate: Arctic Connections – Scotland’s Growing Links with the Arctic

The following Committees are meeting this morning:

• Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
• Public Audit Committee
• Social Justice and Social Security Committee
• COVID-19 Recovery Committee

UK Parliament

Today’s business includes:

• Oral Questions: Transport (including Topical Questions)
• Westminster Hall debate: Fiscal support to the hospice sector and increases in the cost of living
• Oral Questions (Lords): Impact of Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on translation and interpreting services in the criminal justice system
• Oral Questions (Lords): Ensuring that electric cars built in the UK after 2024 meet the country-of-origin requirements, such that they can continue to be exported to the EU tariff-free
• Legislation (Lords): Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill - committee stage (day 3)
• AI in Weapon Systems Committee – Private meeting on AI in weapon systems
• Horticultural Sector Committee – Private meeting on the Horticultural sector
• International Agreements Committee – Private meeting

Aberdeenshire Council

Today’s business includes:

• Business Services Committee

Aberdeen City Council

No scheduled business

News/Funding/Consultations

• 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
• Consultation: Alcohol advertising and promotion. The Scottish Government are consulting on whether further restrictions on the alcohol advertising and promotion should be introduced, what any restrictions might cover and what might be expected from them. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 9^th March.
• 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.
• 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.
• Consultation: 2035 target for the amount of heat to be supplied by heat networks. The Scottish Government is seeking views on a proposed target relating to the combined supply of thermal energy through heat networks in Scotland by 2035. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 11^th March.
• NEW: 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: Techscaler. Techscaler is a Scottish Government programme that connects tech startups in Scotland with experts who can help them grow and scale their businesses. Techscaler membership provides tailored support for founders and leaders of tech startups including educational courses, resources, one-to-one mentoring, workspace options, events and meetups, and access to a network of experts. For more information, please click here.
• NEW: 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.
• NEW: 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.
• Funding: Business Chargepoint Funding. Grants of up to 50% of the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle chargepoints for small and medium enterprises in rural areas. For more information, please click here.