Image source, bbc

That's all from Holyrood Live on Tuesday 7 January 2020.

UK government plans for a March budget are "disrespectful to devolution" and could have "profound consequences" for Scotland, Derek Mackay has warned.

Chancellor Sajid Javid has announced he will set out his tax and spending plans on 11 March.

Scottish ministers want to see these plans before drawing up their own, but will now have little time to do so.

Mr Mackay, the Scottish finance secretary, said the move was "really disrespectful" to Holyrood.

Scottish councils need to set their budgets by 11 March, and local government umbrella body Cosla has written to Mr Javid warning of "catastrophic risks" to local services.

A date for the Scottish budget will be announced in due course, with Mr Mackay in talks with other parties and the Scottish Fiscal Commission about how to respond to these "exceptional circumstances".

Read more here.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick says the Levern Valley partnership is "going above and beyond" in getting defibrillators into the community.

He praises various campaigns and voluntary organisations for their efforts in raising awareness of and cash for defibrillators.

The Scottish government is working with key stakeholders on next steps as the current out of hospital cardiac arrest strategy ends in 2020, the minister tells the chamber.

One in 12 people now survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest, compared to one in 20 when the strategy was first published he highlights.

Children as young as three are being taught first aid using teddy bears in special training sessions.

The Dinky Doctors programme provides training for youngsters to help prepare them for possible emergency situations.

Thousands of the keen young local learners have already "graduated" from the Aberdeenshire-based Dinky Doctor school.

Now a Scotland-wide tour is planned for 2020 due to the interest the scheme has generated.

Read more.

NHS England and NHS Scotland are joining the British Heart Foundation and Microsoft to create a database of defibrillators across the UK.

But would you know how to use one? Defibrillator trainer Helen Tennant has this guide.

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar praises the work of the Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership.

Mr Sarwar says he is proud to be working with the British Heart Foundation, external to introduce the mandatory registration of defibrillators across the country.

He hopes his member's bill which would bring the register into being will get cross-party support.

The Labour MSP explains that it is crucial AEDs (automated external defibrillators) are registered with the Scottish Ambulance Service so they can direct people to where they are so they can be used.

Classmates of a 10-year-old who died after collapsing during an ice skating lesson are aiming to raise awareness about the use of defibrillators.

Jayden Orr, from Port Glasgow, died in 2017.

Since then his family has been campaigning and fundraising to install child-friendly defibrillators in schools.

Now pupils at Newark Primary have made a film to show how simple the machines are to use.

Read more.

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Tom Arthur praises the Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership.

Mr Arthur says it was established by Douglas Yates in 2018 and since then 18 PADs (public access defibrillators) have been installed in Barrhead.

He highlights that you can adopt a PAD for just £200 for maintenance a year.

The SNP MSP welcomes the work of the partnership's efforts to publicise where the PADs are and he concludes thanking Douglas Yates and all who have supported the partnership.

SNP MSP Tom Arthur is leading a member's debate on the Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership.

Here is his motion...

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Compulsory sales orders should be introduced to reduce the number of empty homes in Scotland, MSPs have said.

Holyrood's local government committee has said it was "disappointed" the Scottish government had not yet introduced such powers.

It also highlighted the low take-up of compulsory purchase orders, calling for a review.

Convener James Dornan said: "Empty homes are a blight upon communities across Scotland and represent a wasted resource at a time when housing supply is limited."

Read the committee's report., external

Maureen Dixon's house in Arbroath has been empty for almost four years.

She said: "For a couple of months we didn't have to pay anything, but now we have to pay the full whack.

"Here, we're on band B, which was £114 a month, but we're now having to pay £228."

She and her husband Jim are now renovating it for sale.

More than 15,000 empty homes were charged double council tax last year in a bid to reduce the number of unoccupied properties in Scotland.

BBC research found councils such as Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Fife had raised millions in extra revenue while others had not used the powers at all.

Glasgow City Council has just begun to use the levy which has been available to local authorities for four years.

Read more.

Green MSP Andy Wightman says at the current rate it will be 35 years before all of Scotland's empty homes are brought back into use.

On compulsory sale orders, he highlights these were consulted on in 2015 and says it is disappointing the Scottish government will not bring forward proposals in this parliamentary session.

The minister intervenes to say this would mean unpicking a complex piece of law and there is a lack of time to do so.

Mr Wightman says he is not necessarily seeking legislation, but encourages the minister to publish proposals for parliament to consider.

Image source, bbc

"The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership is funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland.

"We exist to encourage Scotland’s approximately 40,000 privately-owned long-term empty homes back into use.

"At a time of a housing emergency we know that every home matters.

"The partnership was first formed in 2010, after the review of the private rented sector identified that empty homes can play an important part in meeting our housing challenges."

Read more at the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership website, external.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill praises the committee's report and says to bring 40,000 empty homes back into use would be game changer.

Ms McNeill also praises Green MSP Andy Wightman for his report highlighting the higher rate of empty homes in areas of high social and economic deprivation.

She too calls on all councils to appoint empty homes officers as she argues they can make a critical difference.

"Local authorities are the key driver and they must be adequately resourced to carry this out."

Tory MSP Graham Simpson says the number of empty properties and second homes are now at their highest level since 2005.

The number of properties which have stood empty for over six months stands at over 40,000 he states.

Mr Simpson says bringing these back into use can be a sustainable way of increasing housing stock, much cheaper than building new homes.

The minister's response to the committee's recommendations on compulsory sales orders was "disappointing", the Tory MSP states, adding these are less financially risky than compulsory purchase orders.

He insists CSOs could be "game changing" in getting empty homes back into use.

Image source, David Bol

Edinburgh City Council is to push ahead with plans to force owners to sell up abandoned empty homes by using controversial legal measures.

The city currently has 1,267 properties which have been empty for more than 12 months, while 5,000 homes have remained vacant for at least six months.

Officers will draw up plans to pilot the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders to force homeowners to sell properties.

The council wants to free up housing stock.

Read more.