Written questions by Stone.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of insurance provision available to Community Councils and other volunteer‑run civic bodies, particularly regarding the availability of cover for defending Judicial Review proceedings.

Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.

Communities and Local Government, whether their Department intends to explore mechanisms, such as pooled schemes, indemnity funds, or shared‑risk arrangements, to ensure that Community Councils can access protection against high‑cost legal challenges, including Judicial Review.

Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.

Communities and Local Government, whether their Department has issued guidance to Local Authorities regarding the procurement or negotiation of insurance policies for Community Councils, specifically in relation to the exclusion of Judicial Review defence costs.

Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 167 of the National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024, whether she has plans for local planning authorities to take a proactive approach to facilitating domestic decarbonisation.

Paragraph 167 of the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 sets out that when determining planning applications, local planning authorities should give significant weight to the need to support energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements to existing buildings, both domestic and non-domestic. The Framework also makes clear that plans should take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change and that the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change should be considered in preparing and assessing planning applications.