Seòmar agus comataidhean

I will ask all three witnesses about their organisations’ changing remits. Nick Halfhide talked about the need to scale up to tackle the nature emergency, and I think that he said that NatureScot is taking over from Marine Scotland the responsibility for marine protected area designation.

I am interested in understanding how the witnesses expect their bodies to develop. What changes do you hope to make to your remits? How will you develop more partnership working?

[Inaudible.]—does that look like? Is it increased regional land use partnerships? What actions will be needed on the ground to drive that?

Yes, particularly in terms of regional land use partnerships.

I ask Terry A’Hearn about changing remits, as well. The committee heard evidence from the just transition commission several weeks ago and it is clear that high energy users will need to produce just transition plans. What will SEPA’s remit be in relation to that? Are you already working on that in terms of your sustainable growth agreements?

I was struck by a what Liam Fowley said about how to get a public voice into public services. We are rolling out free bus travel for the under-22s, but young people still have concerns about safety and the quality of services. Is the deliberative democratic process valuable in bringing people’s voices into how public services are managed? If so, what does that process look like? Is it an assembly? Does it look like a citizens jury? I am interested in your perspective. That seems to have been a successful process and I am delighted that it has produced a substantial report with much for Government to consider. How do we more deeply embed that deliberative democracy as we tackle the climate emergency and reform public services?

I will ask you about something specific on how we change the places where we live. There has been a big discussion during the Covid crisis about changing road space: perhaps losing some car-parking spaces, extending footpaths and changing the urban environment. Did that come up during your conversations? What was the thinking about the need for that change? Was it supported, or was that issue ducked in the conversations?

Good morning. How do we build towards a successful launch on 31 January? Up until now, the message has been not to use public transport during the pandemic. Through the introduction of the amended concessionary travel scheme, there will be a relaunch of bus travel in Scotland. How are you preparing for that and for getting the message out there that, on 31 January, buses will be open for business, with young people able to travel for free and to enjoy the opportunities that that will bring?

I ask Iain Gullane the same question on remit. You provide key advice for Government and local authorities. I welcome your work over a long period of time on incineration and getting to grips with the environmental impact of that. That remit will remain, but how will the work of Zero Waste Scotland develop over time, particularly in the context of the forthcoming circular economy bill?

Great—thank you for that. I turn to what Iain Munro said earlier about the big challenges that we face as a society and how those are reflected in Creative Scotland’s objectives, because I am curious as to why your annual plan does not mention the word “regeneration” anywhere. You talked earlier about the pandemic and climate change. One of the consequences of the pandemic is that our high streets and towns are dying, because there are lots of empty spaces, but some creative groups are coming in to repurpose our high streets and draw more people back into our places. Where does what we traditionally call regeneration sit within your plan? How many of the projects that you fund each year are about urban, community-based regeneration?

As part of that renewal, do you see the creative sector leading that public participation? Previously, councils or particular agencies might have tried to lead that process. How much involvement do you see the creative sector having? You said that there has been £6 million for one fund. Is that funding particularly for high street regeneration work? Does it involve participatory conversations with communities to regenerate areas?