Hansard

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Community Councils (Strengthening)

I share that concern. Community councils that do not feel listened to will not attract people and will struggle to recruit. Our work includes a website to support community councils; digital engagement workshops to support them in recruiting new people; and a fairer Scotland c...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Community Councils (Strengthening)

Although local authorities have statutory oversight of community councils, the Government has been working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Improvement Service and Edinburgh Napier University to further enhance their role.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Support to Communities (Highlands and Islands)

Highland Council is receiving £439 million from the Scottish Government and as my colleague the cabinet secretary has already said, the overall reduction nationally for local government is 1 per cent when the figures for health and social care are taken into account. That mone...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Support to Communities (Highlands and Islands)

The Scottish Government and its public sector partners continue to make significant investment in our communities, including the Highlands and Islands. For example, yesterday we announced a £315 million Inverness and Highland city region deal, including a Scottish Government c...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

22 Mar 2016

Local Control

I think that that was a call to speak. The motion is a fitting send-off for my colleague Rob Gibson because, a bit like him, it is packed with ideas for local democracy, communities and land reform. Taken together, the unifying message is testament to the role that the motion...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2016

General Question Time · Orkney Islands Council (Meetings)

The issue of the interconnector from Orkney to the rest of Scotland so that Orkney can export renewable energy has been the subject of some debate in the islands areas ministerial working group and there have been discussions about that vis-à-vis the islands deal. Just this we...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2016

General Question Time · Orkney Islands Council (Meetings)

I take the view that it is certainly far better, when asking local government to take forward key priorities, such as a living wage for every social care worker, protecting the council tax freeze and maintaining the pupil teacher ratio, that we put money on the table to fund t...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2016

General Question Time · Orkney Islands Council (Meetings)

On Monday I, along with my ministerial colleague Derek Mackay, met the leader and chief executive of Orkney Islands Council as part of the latest island areas ministerial working group meeting. The Minister for Transport and Islands also met representatives of the council on T...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2016

Fairer Fife Commission

I thank Jayne Baxter for her motion on the fairer Fife commission and for securing the opportunity to be here. The debate has been quite fascinating for me as local government minister, because the fairer Fife commission is a wonderful example of a local authority leading a ...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

10 Feb 2016

Female Genital Mutilation

Some battles constantly need to be refought because they seem to re-emerge each generation. I was going to remark on the fact that the practice being made illegal in 1985 and the closing of the loophole in the law in 2015 were separated by 30 years and on the fact that we stil...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Third Sector Services (Commissioning)

The member raises some very important issues and I will endeavour to have my justice colleagues investigate and respond in as short order as possible.

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Third Sector Services (Commissioning)

Scottish ministers and Government officials regularly meet representatives of all local authorities to discuss a wide range of matters of current interest to local organisations. Under the local authority single outcome agreement, delivery decisions on commissioning services a...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Argyll and Bute Council (Discussions)

There, figures range from 27 per cent in cuts to a figure I saw last night in an analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said that, in the run-up to the 2015 election, there was a 36 per cent cut in central Government funding to local government in England. We ar...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Argyll and Bute Council (Discussions)

We came into government and we immediately removed £2.7 billion of ring fencing, allowing local government to address its own priorities and answer to its own electorate. We have consistently protected local government from the scale of the cuts that have happened in England. ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Argyll and Bute Council (Discussions)

It is always a ray of sunshine when Neil Findlay comes to ask a question, isn’t it? I am very proud of the effect that our policies have had on local government since we came into government.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Argyll and Bute Council (Discussions)

The local government settlement as a whole has been challenging but fair. That applies to Argyll and Bute as much as it does to anywhere else, and represents a 2 per cent reduction of the overall expenditure available. I point out that, for Argyll and Bute, many of the things...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Argyll and Bute Council (Discussions)

I am meeting Argyll and Bute Council on 1 March to discuss matters of mutual interest. Other ministers and officials also meet council representatives regularly.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Bullying

I very much agree with the member that the issue is important. The member raised the issue of policies. We know that 28 councils have local authority-wide anti-bullying policies for schools that mention homophobic bullying; two are developing them; and the remaining two—Stirl...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

28 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Bullying

The Scottish Government takes bullying very seriously. Bullying of any kind, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, is unacceptable and must be addressed wherever it arises. We want all children and young people to be free from discrimination so that they ca...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Gender Recognition Act 2004 (Update)

As I have said, we are considering the issue, which I have already met the Scottish Transgender Alliance to discuss. We have noted the United Kingdom Women and Equalities Committee report, and I have discussed its inquiry with my colleague the member of Parliament for Lanark a...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

28 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Gender Recognition Act 2004 (Update)

Scotland has a good record in that area. In 2015, Scotland was ranked by ILGA-Europe—the European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association—in its rainbow map as the most inclusive country in Europe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgend...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

21 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Commission on Local Tax Reform

The Scottish Government is very proud of the effect that the council tax freeze has had in mitigating the unfairness of the council tax. It is noticeable that a commission that included representatives from the Scottish National Party, Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens—not a...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

21 Jan 2016

General Question Time · Commission on Local Tax Reform

The First Minister established the commission on local tax reform, jointly with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, to examine options for the future of local taxation. Before the end of the current parliamentary session, the Scottish Government will introduce plans ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

06 Jan 2016

Age and Social Isolation

I will always value public space and I very much value communities taking over its management themselves. That is a far cry from the attempts to privatise and fence it off in other parts of the world. I go back to John Mason’s point on choice. The last time that I saw the ins...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

06 Jan 2016

Age and Social Isolation

There is something that is often said but not as often meant in the chamber, but I want to say it and mean it: this has been a really valuable debate. A committee of the Parliament has identified a social problem and explored it and made recommendations, and the Government has...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

06 Jan 2016

Age and Social Isolation

Indeed—and long may that remain so. On the ground, there has been a surge of willingness from third sector stakeholders to be involved and to share good practice in this area. There has also been a momentum, which has been highlighted by the festive season in particular, behi...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

06 Jan 2016

Age and Social Isolation

I thank Margaret McCulloch and all the members of the Equal Opportunities Committee for their inquiry into age and social isolation. This is a great opportunity to respond to it. It was a very positive exercise and is a very welcome contribution that is also timely, not least ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

16 Dec 2015

Portfolio Question Time · International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The international obligations are mirrored in Scotland’s approach to homelessness legislation, which ensures that all those who are assessed as being homeless through no fault of their own are legally entitled to settled accommodation, and the work that we are doing to provide...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

16 Dec 2015

Portfolio Question Time · International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Action that gives effect to rights identified in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is central to the work of the Scottish Government. Equality and social justice are at the heart of our programme for government, and we are committed to sustaina...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

10 Dec 2015

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

Whenever we have debates about anything that is connected to Scotland’s traditional industries, whether it is steelworking, shipbuilding—which is what the Scottish side of my family was involved in—or coal mining, there is a real poignancy and sense of identity running to the ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

08 Dec 2015

Marischal Square

There is clearly an on-going debate and people from all sides are having their say. People will have all kinds of opportunities to have their say through the electoral and democratic processes. We, as a Government, believe in local decision making. We intervene only in extrem...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

08 Dec 2015

Marischal Square

Mark McDonald has made his point. Charrettes have been around for a while and they represent a particular way of doing intensive participative planning. The principles are good practice that can be deployed through all kinds of other methods in planning. To answer Nanette Mil...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

08 Dec 2015

Marischal Square

I used the word “led” in the purely physical sense, based on a photo that I saw. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 is really important in this regard. I was about to comment on some of the wider issues that the debate has raised before homing in on the specifics. ...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

08 Dec 2015

Marischal Square

The subject of the motion is clearly an important issue, as we have seen from the debate this evening. I say that not just as the local government minister, but as one city-centre MSP to another. The key questions that are triggered here—about heritage, finances and how to pla...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Dec 2015

General Question Time · Local Government Funding

I note that Ken Macintosh has taken to the press to suggest that there should be £755 million more funding for local government. The Government is always open to suggestions from Opposition parties, so I invite anyone who thinks that funding to local government should be incre...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Dec 2015

General Question Time · Local Government Funding

I am looking at the International Monetary Fund’s analysis of the last UK Government budget. It found that the UK Government made reductions of 27.4 per cent to English local authorities’ budgets. That situation only got worse with the announcement on November 25. I ask Ken Ma...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

03 Dec 2015

General Question Time · Local Government Funding

The Scottish Government is in extensive, on-going discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the spending review and the proposed settlement for local government. If he wants to see what local government being cut looks like, I suggest that Ken Macintosh...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

03 Dec 2015

General Question Time · Local Government Funding

No part of the public sector in Scotland has been immune to the United Kingdom Government’s sustained austerity programme but, despite real-terms cuts of around 9 per cent to the Scottish budget over the past five years, Scotland’s local authorities have been treated very fair...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

26 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Planning Documentation

I emphasise the importance that we place on early engagement. One of the core values that are set out is that the planning service should “be inclusive, engaging all interests as early and effectively as possible”, and that is picked up in our guidance on planning applicatio...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

26 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Planning Documentation

The larger or more complex the planning proposal, the greater the complexity and volume of information submitted is likely to be. Consequently, some planning applications may be more difficult to understand than others.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

26 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Town Centre First (Progress)

I would be happy to meet Fife Council on issues of town centre regeneration or any other issues that it wishes to raise. I last met it some months ago, on another issue. I am always happy to meet local authorities to discuss matters of importance to them.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

26 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Town Centre First (Progress)

The town centre first principle applies to public bodies and requests that the health of town centres is at the heart of decision making. However, the principle recognises that town centres are not always the most suitable location for services; it simply asks that they be con...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

26 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Town Centre First (Progress)

We will produce an update on progress with the town centre action plan in due course. That will include an update on the implementation of the town centre first principle as well as the other wide-ranging actions stemming from the plan.

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

24 Nov 2015

Violence Against Women

It is a privilege to add my voice to the many other voices that have united today in their condemnation of violence against women. I do so cautiously, in the full awareness that it is a voice that is an octave or so lower than many, although not all, of the voices that precede...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

19 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Racial Discrimination

I am aware of the research to which the member refers. It also found that 82 per cent of everyone who was surveyed would encourage a friend or family member to make a formal complaint if they had encountered discrimination. Therefore, there is a strong feeling that people will...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

19 Nov 2015

General Question Time · Racial Discrimination

Any form of racism is unacceptable. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling racial discrimination and all forms of hate crime. We are renewing our approach to promoting race equality by developing a new race equality framework for Scotland, which will run between 2016...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

10 Nov 2015

New-build Homes (Minimum Room Sizes)

—I would be surprised and blown away. I suspect that he might generally prefer more voluntary codes. There is such a document out there. “Housing for Varying Needs”, which is available online, is a good practice document that social housing providers and local authorities ha...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

10 Nov 2015

New-build Homes (Minimum Room Sizes)

On the latter issue, I can give the undertaking that I will go to my officials and go over that aspect of the building standards for new build. It is clear that we want properties that are being built to meet the demands of people. We will leave aside the issue of retrofitting...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

10 Nov 2015

New-build Homes (Minimum Room Sizes)

When I originally saw that this debate was taking place, I was pleased but also intrigued by the motion. I was pleased that the motion gives the recognition, which Alex Johnstone referred to in his speech, that through Scottish building standards we have significantly impr...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

05 Nov 2015

General Question Time · National Standards for Community Engagement

As the act is about working in partnership, we have been working in partnership with the interested organisations so that the standards can be genuinely co-produced. The expected commencement date of the relevant provisions is the summer of next year, by which time guidance wi...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

05 Nov 2015

General Question Time · National Standards for Community Engagement

Yes, I whole-heartedly agree. That was the impetus behind the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. We intend to use the powers in that act to embed the national standards, once they have been refreshed and the relevant parts of the act have been commenced. I welcome the ...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

05 Nov 2015

General Question Time · National Standards for Community Engagement

Good progress is being made by the Scottish Community Development Centre and the what works Scotland initiative in the review of the national standards for community engagement. Following extensive consultation since June 2015, we expect that live testing of the new standards ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Town Centres (Business Rates)

We will produce factual guidance on the power that councils will be able to use and, as with any power, we will keep it broadly under review. I am sure that the member applauds the fact that with the power business rates can be varied downwards, which will probably only assist...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Town Centres (Business Rates)

Yes. The benefits of the small business bonus scheme are clear; indeed, it has reduced or removed business rates bills for more than two in every five rateable properties in Scotland. The Federation of Small Businesses has commented that the small business bonus continues to g...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Town Centres (Business Rates)

The Scottish Government is committed to giving communities control over their futures. The substantial new power that was delivered under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 will give councils more control over business rates and an opportunity to tailor rates to the...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Fife Council (Meetings)

On the 8 October, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport met the chair of NHS Fife and the leader of Fife Council to discuss delayed discharges and the wider operation of the integration joint board. That is an area to which we pay particular attention, in part ...

The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Fife Council (Meetings)

The Scottish Government engages regularly with Fife Council and all other local authorities in Scotland on a wide range of issues.

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Local Government Budget Reductions (Impact on Poverty)

I do not agree. The departmental expenditure limit reduction in the Scottish budget has been about 10 per cent. I would perhaps agree with another point in the SPICe report that highlights that the council tax freeze—I cannot remember whether Labour is in favour of or against ...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Local Government Budget Reductions (Impact on Poverty)

I completely agree. We have in front of us evidence in relation to tax credits, as just one example, that next year—if the UK Government somehow goes ahead despite a fiat under the Westminster constitution—the measures would cost the families that would be affected £1,500 a ye...

Marco Biagi SNP Chamber

28 Oct 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Local Government Budget Reductions (Impact on Poverty)

First, it should be said that local government in Scotland does very well financially and has done much better than English local authorities according to any independent analysis of how the two Governments have responded to the same financial pressures. As my colleague Shona...