Wednesday 1 February 2017 SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT Communities John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how the ability to make twice-monthly payments and pay the housing element of universal credit directly to landlords compares with the current monthly payment system. (S5O-620) Jeane Freeman: By making Universal Credit payments more flexible and adaptable we are giving people in Scotland more choice and control over how they manage their budget. During our social security consultation, DWP’s monthly payments were repeatedly raised as a problem. Twice-monthly payments can make life a bit easier for low income households who have to make a tight budget work for them and their family. Direct payments to landlords can also help people manage their income better, as well as providing rental security and minimising rent arrears for local authorities and landlords. Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether the planning system encourages the use of alternatives to pylons, and how it works to mitigate their visual impact, especially in areas of natural beauty, such as Bennachie. (S5O-621) Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Planning Policy states that consideration should be given to underground grid connections where possible. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what additional social security support it is providing to low income households that will see an increase in council tax from 1 April 2017. (S5O-622) Jeane Freeman: The Council Tax Reduction Scheme assists low income households in meeting their Council Tax liabilities but is not part of either the devolved or the UK Government Social Security systems. Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Government's recently published document, Consultation response - Exceptions to the limiting of the individual Child Element of Child Tax Credit and the Child Element of Universal Credit to a maximum of two children. (S5O-623) Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is fundamentally opposed to this policy which will have a devastating impact on low income families in Scotland. Latest published estimates are that this policy will cut UK Welfare spend by a further 1.6 billion by 2020-21. DWP’s own impact assessment found that more than 600,000 families will receive a lower entitlement by 2020-21 and, once the policy is fully rolled out, this figure will rise to 3.7 million. We have raised our concerns direct with UK Government Ministers and it is disgraceful that they have has chosen to ignore the serious concerns raised by the public and many other stakeholders. Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 in reducing inequalities. (S5O-624) Kevin Stewart: The different Parts of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 are being brought into force to different timescales. Part 5 of the Act on Asset Transfer was the latest when it was brought into force on 23 January 2017. The Scottish Government will keep the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 under review to look at the impact on improving outcomes for people and communities across a number of key aspects including reducing inequalities. Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how the second allocation of money from the Fair Food Transformation Fund will impact on communities and organisations in South Scotland. (S5O-625) Angela Constance: All four organisations from the South Scotland region that applied in the second round were successful and will receive funding for a range of activities, including establishing a Community Food Hub and café, practical cooking, budgeting and growing skills, and community meal provision for those at risk of food poverty and social isolation. This takes the total number of projects supported in South Scotland to six of the 36 successful projects across Scotland. Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what impact the UK Government’s welfare reforms have had on North Ayrshire's economy. (S5O-626) Jeane Freeman: The UK Government’s welfare changes are impacting across the whole of Scotland. By 2019-20, the cuts are expected to take £1 billion per annum out of the Scottish economy. This inevitably has a major impact on low income households and a knock on impact on local economies. The Scottish Government continues to do what it can with the resources it has to mitigate the impact of UK welfare changes, including the Scottish Welfare Fund (£38million); mitigating the Bedroom Tax (£35million); and the council tax reduction scheme (£23million). Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support rural halls and community spaces. (S5O-627) Kevin Stewart: This Government understands the importance of strong resilient communities and community spaces. We are helping rural communities make the most of these local assets including support from the Community Land Fund, the People and Communities Fund and LEADER. Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how UK Government plans to reduce housing benefit for people under 35 will impact on those affected as well as on the social rented sector. (S5O-628) Angela Constance: We are extremely concerned about the potential impact of the UK Government's decision to apply local housing allowance rates to the social rented sector from April 2019. Single people under the age of 35 are likely to be most affected as support for their housing costs will be capped at the shared accommodation rate. We know from current Housing Benefit caseload information that more than 25,000 social sector households come into this category and could face a cut in benefits if their rents are above the shared accommodation rate for their area. We are also aware that social landlords’ have concerns about the impact of the UK Government’s plans and will continue to work closely with our housing partners and stakeholders to fully understand the implications of the proposed policy. Elaine Smith (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether councils that do not accept the settlements resulting from its Draft Budget will be penalised and, if so, how. (S5W-6351) Kevin Stewart: Any local authority not wishing to accept the 2017-18 local government funding package on offer was required to write to the Scottish Government by 20 January 2017. No such letters were received. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will (a) undertake a review of Scottish Office Circular 4/1998: The Use of Conditions in Planning Permission and its addendum and (b) publish up-to-date guidance on planning conditions. (S5W-6352) Kevin Stewart: We have no immediate plans to review this circular and addendum; however, we are currently consulting widely on proposals for changes to the planning system. We will consider future options in light of the results of the consultation. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government for what reason empty properties will have to pay water charges even from April 2017 when no water is being used, and whether a system of reliefs will be in place. (S5W-6446) Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government considers that, whilst vacant properties may not be in active use to produce goods and to deliver services, owners of these properties still benefit by being able to rely on the continued availability of services provided by Scottish Water. There is a reliance, in particular, on drainage services to ensure that rainwater from roofs and car parks continues to be drained so that properties are not flooded. It is also important to note that the costs associated with maintaining services to these properties currently falls to other non-household customers. The revenue generated from the removal of the exemption is enabling a price freeze in business charges for the period 2015-21. There are no exemptions proposed. Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of responses to its consultation on social security in Scotland advocated means testing for winter fuel payments. (S5W-6490) Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent organisation, Research Scotland, to carry out an analysis of all of the responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on social security. The analysis report, which will be published shortly, will provide a summary of the findings to all of the questions, including those on winter fuel payments. Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on victims, whether it has notified the UK Government of its position on the so-called tax credit “rape clause” proposal in which, to avoid losing tax credits, a woman who has a third child as the result of rape would have to justify her decision to keep the child. (S5W-6494) Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government wrote to the Minister of State for Welfare Reform on 15 December 2016 about the UK Government's proposals for “Exceptions to the limiting of the Child Element of Universal Credit to a maximum of two children”. The letter made clear that the Scottish Government is fundamentally opposed both to the policy in its entirety and the way in which the UK Government plans to implement it. There is no acceptable process which can ever be put in place which requires a woman being forced to disclose being raped in order to access social security.