Thursday, May 16, 2024: In politics today

Stephen Flynn has accused the Prime Minister of comparing almost half of Scotland to Vladimir Putin in a fiery PMQs.

The SNP Westminster Leader referenced a speech Rishi Sunak made on Monday, in which he said the next five years will be among "the most dangerous", including independence supporters in a list of threats alongside North Korea and Russia.

In the Chamber, Mr Flynn said: "Can I ask him to rise once to the standards befitting of his office and apologise for those puerile and pathetic remarks?"

Responding, the Prime Minister said: "I would say to the honourable gentleman that his party is indeed a threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom, and I hate to remind him that is literally their entire purpose.

“Because when the people of Scotland accepted the referendum in 2014, it was the SNP who didn’t.

"They went on creating a Minister for Independence, focused on constitutional wrangling, ignoring the needs of the people.

The Aberdeen South MP retorted: "Let’s be clear, what the Prime Minister did was not just equate my colleagues and I to despotic and dangerous despots across the world, he proactively compared almost half of his Scottish population with a war criminal like Vladimir Putin, and he did so as their Prime Minister – as the man who represents them on the world stage, and the man who on these isles, is tasked with defending their liberties and their democracy."

Scottish Parliament:

Today’s business includes:

General Questions

First Minister’s Questions

Members’ Business: S6M-13031 Foster Care Fortnight (in the name of Martin Whitfield)

Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills

Ministerial Statement: Scotland’s Prison Population

Ministerial Statement: Horizon Information Technology Prosecutions

Stage 1 Debate: Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill

Financial Resolution: Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill

Appointment of the Chair of the Scottish Commission for Human Rights

Appointment of Member of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit

Decision Time

The following committees are meeting this morning:

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Criminal Justice Committee

UK Parliament:

Today’s business includes:

Oral Questions: Transport (including Topical Questions)

Backbench Business: Debate on a Motion on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on Women’s State Pension Age

Oral Questions (Lords): European Commission and World Trade Organization being notified of proposed changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 regarding folic acid fortification

Oral Questions (Lords): Overall cost-competitiveness of electricity generated offshore wind farms compared to electricity generated from gas-fired power stations

Debate (Lords): Challenges faced by those with disabilities including access to benefits, work, education, housing and healthcare

Aberdeenshire Council:

Today’s business includes:

Infrastructure Services Committee

Aberdeen City Council:

No scheduled business

News/Funding/Consultations:

• Consultation: Fit Note Reform – call for evidence. This call for evidence will inform a programme of work announced at the autumn statement in 2023, to explore reforming the fit note process to support those with long term health conditions to access timely work and health support. The Department for Work and Pensions, alongside the Department for Health and Social Care are gathering evidence to assess the impact of the current fit note process in supporting work and health conversations and exploring the enhancements stakeholders would require for the fit note to better support people to start, stay and succeed in work. For more information, or to respond to this consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 8^th July.
• Consultation: A consultation on time limits for enforcement action for unauthorised Environmental Impact Assessment development. The Scottish Government is inviting comments on proposals to disapply Section 124 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 concerning the time limits for taking enforcement action on unauthorised development which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 11^th July.
• Consultation: VAT Treatment of Private Hire Vehicles. Consultation on the potential tax impacts of recent High court judgments on transport legislation on the private hire vehicle sector and its passengers. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 8^th August.
• Consultation: A Regional Active Travel Network for North East Scotland. Active travel is people-powered transport: walking, wheeling (such as wheelchairs, scooters, prams and buggies) and cycling. Improving routes for these options can help more people get to where they want to go, improve people’s health and reduce carbon emissions. There are some good facilities for active travel in both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, but it is recognised that there is much more that could be done to create safe and attractive routes. The new Regional Active Travel Network will set out a multi-decade vision for high-quality routes within and between the region’s communities and will help define the priorities for improvements and make the case for investment. A draft of the network plan has been developed by Nestrans and with partners Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council, and the group are now seeking public views on it. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 2^nd June.
• Consultation: Developing a natural capital market framework. Natural capital is our geology, soil, air, water, plants and animals. We depend on our natural capital for goods and services that make our lives possible and worthwhile. Public and private investment will be needed to restore and improve our natural capital. The Scottish Government are committed to ensuring that this investment is responsible; that it contributes to a just transition, benefits communities and achieves robust environmental outcomes. The forthcoming Natural Capital Markets Framework aims to strengthen the existing Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital and set out their approach to using public spending more effectively to leverage in responsible private capital. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for response is 3^rd June.
• Consultation: Amendments to licensing restrictions – bus, coach and heavy goods vehicles. The Department for Transport is seeking views on a range of proposals designed to address bus, coach and HGV driver shortages. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 5^th June.
• Consultation: Low Pay Commission Consultation 2024. 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 input to shape the recommendations that they will make to the Government this autumn, on minimum wage rates to apply from April 2025. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 7^th June.
• Consultation: Introduction of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism. From 1^st January 2027, a carbon border adjustment mechanism will be introduced on imports of certain carbon intensive imported goods from the following sectors: aluminium; cement; ceramics; fertilisers; glass; hydrogen; and iron and steel. This consultation sets out the proposals for the design and administration of the mechanism. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 13^th June.
• Consultation: Draft Bioenergy Policy Statement. Bioenergy is a key component of the energy system and contributes to a more circular economy, by turning wastes into valuable resources which can be used for electricity and heat production or to displace fossil fuels in our gas network and transport systems. The Scottish Government's draft Bioenergy Policy Statement signals what the Scottish Government see as the short, medium and long term role for bioenergy in helping to deliver that transition to net zero. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 12^th June.
• Consultation: Improving the effectiveness of the Money Laundering Regulations. HM Treasury has published a consultation on improving the effectiveness of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (the ‘MLRs’), which place requirements onto a range of businesses to identify and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The consultation considers changes to the existing legislation to improve the Money Laundering Regulations while minimising the burden on legitimate customers. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 9^th June.
• Consultation: Disclosure Scotland fees: discounting, waivers and accredited bodies consultation. This consultation seeks views to enable Disclosure Scotland to consider fee discounts for certain groups applying for Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership disclosures and views on the fees applied to organisations acting as accredited bodies. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 28^th May.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: Consultation: Development plan amendment regulations. The Scottish Government are seeking views on their proposed approach to regulations on the processes for amending the National Planning Framework and Local Development Plans. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 22^nd May.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: Consultation: Masterplan consent area regulations. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced MCAs, which will have expanded powers building upon Simplified Planning Zones. They will allow planning authorities to take a place leadership role, by proactively consenting the type and quality of development they wish to see in their places. Planning authorities will be able to prepare a MCA ‘Scheme’ setting out what they are giving consent for, through the scheme. MCAs allow for frontloading scrutiny and streamlining consents, as MCAs will be broader in scope than SPZs, being able grant planning permission, plus roads construction, listed building and conservation area consent – where provided for in the particular MCA scheme. MCAs will help to facilitate investment in places, by providing certainty and direction to investors. Once the MCA is ‘made’ (adopted) development could be brought forward without the need for an application providing it is in line with the scheme. The 2019 Act established the principle for establishing MCAs, and the Scottish Government is now consulting on the proposals for the detail of the regulations. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 22^nd May.
• Consultation: Investing in Planning: a consultation on resourcing Scotland’s planning system. The Scottish Government recognise that there are no simple answers to the challenge of resourcing planning. We live in financially constrained times and even if money was to be found, there is a complex set of circumstances to address. This consultation explores a range of solutions to support resourcing of the planning system. It sets out options which have the potential to improve the capacity of the Scottish planning system, in particular in planning authorities, in the coming years. It responds to current and future challenges, with a view to identifying a set of short and medium term actions that could improve the capacity of the planning system by helping build resilience and strengthening cross sector collaboration. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 31^st May.
• DEADLINE APPROACHING: Consultation: Restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt – Consultation on the detail of proposed regulations. The Scottish Government is consulting on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict HFSS (high fat, salt or sugar food) promotions including: targeted foods within the scope of restrictions; price promotions within the scope of restrictions, including meal deals and temporary price promotions; the approach to placement restrictions of targeted foods in store or online; the qualifying businesses within the scope of restrictions, including the proposed exemptions; and the proposed approach to enforcement and implementation. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 21^st May.
• LAST CHANCE TO RESPOND: Consultation: Provisional registration for overseas-qualified dentists. This consultation seeks views on The Dentists Act 1984 (Provisional Registration of Dentists) (Amendment) Order 2024 (‘the draft order’) that aims to give the General Dental Council (GDC) the necessary powers and duties to provisionally register dentists who have qualified overseas and have not yet satisfied the GDC’s requirements for full registration. Provisional registration would allow an overseas-qualified dentist to practise in any dental setting, including high street dental practices, under the supervision of a dentist who has full registration on GDC’s dentists register. For more information, or to respond to the consultation, please click here. The closing date for responses is 16^th May.

• Support: Develop your workforce with Skills for Growth. Skills for Growth is a diagnostic service that helps you identify skills gaps in your business and find ways to fill them. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will work with you to understand the skills your business needs, help you create a detailed people skills action plan and direct you to the right support. For more information or to apply, please click here.
• Support: Techscaler. Techscaler is a Scottish Government programme that helps people to start and scale tech businesses. Techscaler membership provides tailored support for founders and leaders of tech start-ups. For more information or to apply, please click here.
• Support: DigitalBoost Health Check. Take a Digital Health Check to find out how your business could improve its digital performance. Just answer 12 questions about your current approach to discover where you could do more with technology and how to boost your online presence. For more information, or to do your own check, 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/Funding: Guidance on how to apply for Innovate UK funding opportunities. Innovate UK provides grant funding, loans and procurements for UK-based businesses to support research, development and innovation. This guidance explains what types of funding opportunities are available and how to apply through their Innovation Funding Service. For more information, or to access the guidance, please click here. Details on the various live funding options are available 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: Scottish Co-Investment Fund. The Scottish Co-investment Fund (SCF) is designed to address a finance gap (up to £1.5million) alongside Scottish Enterprise's accredited co-investment partners. This fund is designed for Scottish start-up, early-stage or growing companies seeking investment to develop products and/or markets. For more information, or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: Innovation Funding Service. Innovate UK supports UK-based businesses to invest in research, development and innovation through grant funding, loans or procurements. A variety of innovation competitions are currently open, with the full list and details of eligibility available here.
• Funding: Foresight Scottish Growth Fund. The Scottish Growth Scheme is a package of financial support of up to £500 million for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland. Backed by the Scottish Government, it aims to help businesses grow. This equity funding can be used for a variety of purposes, including working capital, capital expenditure and growth funding. For more information or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: SME Loan Scheme. This loan is for small to medium-sized businesses in Scotland and can be used for the installation of energy-efficient measures such as lighting and heating upgrades, double glazing, insulation and more. For more information or to apply, please click here.
• Funding: UMi Debt Finance Scotland. This funding is managed by UMi Debt Finance Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government and provides loans of £25,000 to £250,000 to eligible small and medium enterprises to help them grow. Loans can be used for a variety of purposes including working capital, capital expenditure and growth funding. 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: 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: 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: 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.