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Do you need more legislation to embed it into the work of Government?

I actually wanted to go back to the bus partnership fund. It is disappointing that the fund has been paused, but my understanding is that it is a pause: the Government has not scrapped it. The intention is to bring it back when capital budgets allow.

My question to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition is on what councils and transport authorities should be doing. The funding is not there for this year, but should they continue to develop projects to allow buses priority access, and can that work continue in the next year? There has been a lot of nimbyism in relation to some of the schemes that have been put forward, and it has taken a while for councils and transport authorities to work through objections and that side of things to get to a point where they can put in an application and develop a scheme.

Okay, thank you.

I have a number of questions about the most exciting issue: the joint budget review. I apologise that I was not here for the first couple of minutes of the meeting. However, I am aware that Philip Raines commented on the accuracy of the detail in annex J. It would be very good if the committee could get further updates on that.

I want to ask about the first two strands of work: the overall climate narrative, which was introduced last year, and the classification or taxonomy, which was, I think, introduced this year and is about whether spend is helping or hindering our attempts to tackle climate change. How are you reviewing those two bits of work? Will there be further improvements and further detailed evaluation? Obviously, some accuracy issues have been highlighted. What will you do next year? The information that has been provided is valuable, but it always leaves us wanting more detail and a sense of whether spend is making it harder or easier to tackle the climate emergency.

So, just to be clear, is the intention for that to be across the whole of Government? When we are looking at plans for investment in the NHS, and considering capital, new hospitals, refits or whatever, will the decisions around climate change and low carbon be absolutely intrinsic in the thinking? Ultimately, judgments might have to be made about what to invest in, which will bring in other factors, but I want to be sure that the climate thinking will be there and will be absolutely clear, evaluated and numbered. Will judgments be able to be made on the real value of investment in climate?

I want to ask about the fair fares review. We are still waiting for the review to be published and for there to be discussions in Parliament about the various options that, I am sure, will be set out in it. Currently, the Government is committed to two big concessionary travel schemes, and it was announced that free bus travel will be extended to people who are in the asylum system. Will you confirm that the budget for next year covers the concessionary travel schemes that are in place and what the Government has committed to already?

I have a question about the older persons scheme. It has been very challenging to get that age group back on to the buses after the Covid pandemic. Is it expected that there will be less of a draw on the budget that has been allocated for that concessionary travel scheme, given predicted demand, or are we expecting people who are aged 60 and over to increasingly get back on the buses in the next year and for demand to rocket up?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that is available for people living with, or affected by, dementia. (S6O-03004)

Organisations such as Town Break and meeting centres provide essential support to those living with dementia and their carers in Dunblane and Stirling. From peer support to social activities, such local independent groups provide exactly the care that people need to add life to years. However, the future of those groups is at risk and the local health and social care partnership’s funding for dementia services is unclear for the next year. Does the minister agree that all efforts should be made to properly fund such community-led dementia support groups as part of the Government’s strategy?

I have a follow-up question about the pipeline of onshore wind projects. It appeared to be quite clear in last year’s draft energy strategy how we would meet the 2030 target for doubling onshore wind capacity—slightly more than half of what we need was in the planning system and slightly less than half of what we need had been consented. I am trying to understand what the big bulk of work for planners is that we do not understand at this point. If that holds true, pretty much everything that we already have in the system will meet the target.

I do not know the extent to which the onshore wind pipeline has developed in the past 12 months since the onshore wind sector deal and whether we are seeing far more applications or whether there has been a reduction. In the draft energy strategy, it seemed that there was certainty about what was coming down the pipeline. I am interested in your perspective, or Susie Townend’s perspective, on whether that has changed in the past 18 months. Clearly, the onshore wind sector deal has been fantastic for the industry and a major thing that the Government has pushed forward.