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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 16 January 2025
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Displaying 2365 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

I am also asking about the wider issue of air quality management area reform.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

The system that we have in Scotland is one of local air quality management in local authorities. We have had quite a lot of written evidence on that. The ESS report talks about the timescales for how plans are developed, reviewed and published. Gary Fuller made comments about monitoring vulnerable people, particularly outside schools, and we have had comments from Professor Campbell Gemmell about who provides the independent oversight of air quality management areas and the plans that come from them. How can the system be improved overall? I ask Gavin Thomson to answer that first, and then anybody else who wants to comment.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

You made a specific point about monitoring vulnerable populations and monitoring outside schools. Should that be part of all plans, or should a place-based approach be taken?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

Is it adequate?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

I have one final question. Jackie Dunbar raised the issue earlier of the WHO limits, and we had some discussion on that with the first panel. To paraphrase, Gary Fuller was saying that strict compliance may be very challenging, but there is still work that councils can do to look at pathways towards potentially meeting those WHO limits on an area-wide basis. What is your response to that? Can councils look at what it would take and what the various pathways might be? I suppose that it might be possible to pick particular pathways that match the wider investment that you are planning in active travel or neighbourhood regeneration. I do not know, but it is interesting to know how you might approach that—or is it in the “too difficult to do” box?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

Okay. That is useful. Do others want to come in specifically on how the targets could be delivered and what those pathways might look like? Gavin Thomson is nodding.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

With existing resources?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Air Quality

Meeting date: 18 April 2023

Mark Ruskell

What does the support that is available from SEPA and the Scottish Government look like? Kenny Bisset said that SEPA sits on the delivery group but, beyond that, what does that support look like? Is it adequate?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Meeting date: 30 March 2023

Mark Ruskell

I attended the Arctic Circle assembly in Reykjavík last year on behalf of the Scottish Parliament, and there were a lot of conversations between Governments, academia, business and non-governmental organisations in the west Nordic region. We met representatives from Parliaments that are part of the west Nordic region.

How does ministerial co-operation happen in that region? Is there room for others who are more on the periphery to be involved? We had representatives of Orkney Islands Council at the assembly, who were very keen to take part in the discussion on some of the topics.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Meeting date: 30 March 2023

Mark Ruskell

I noted a focus on wind energy. We had a delegation from the Icelandic Parliament’s Environment and Communications Committee at our Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. We had a very good conversation about wind energy planning and the role of that technology. Is wind energy planning a particular focus for learning beyond the Nordic region?