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No payments or funding was provided to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society in 2022.

The 2009 Flood Risk management Act allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland. In accordance with this the Scottish Government works in in partnership with local authorities. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring local accountability by leading on the preparation of local flood risk management plans, which supplement the national strategies prepared by SEPA and ensure actions are locally targeted and delivered.

The Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme is exceptional in terms of scale and financial cost. As such it requires careful consideration and the Scottish Government will continue to work with Falkirk Council to ensure that the scheme brought forward delivers for the local community and economy.

The extent of any potential pollution in the Grangemouth area would be dependent on the extent and depth of any flood event and any damage caused.

Under the Flood Risk Management Act (2009), it is for local authorities to develop, design and deliver flood protection schemes within their area. It is therefore the responsibility of local authorities to predict the likely economic damages resulting from flooding in their areas as part of producing a robust business case for their proposed flood protection schemes. The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with Falkirk Council and input where required to ensure that their estimates are robust and up to date.

Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with Falkirk Council officials, working collaboratively to ensure that the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme delivers for local communities and businesses.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust are a valued partner of the Scottish Government in delivering locally driven projects that address the climate and nature crises across Scotland. Funding for these projects is usually provided via government agencies or other public bodies, and comprehensive information is not therefore held centrally. However, funding received by the Scottish Wildlife Trust is set out in their annual financial reports published on their website at https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/about-us/our-publications/ . The latest report was published on 2 August 2023.

The recent announcement made by Petroineos relates to preparatory works, at this stage, to assess the development of an import terminal.

Therefore it is our understanding, that work to determine the potential future size of the workforce and subsequent impacts is still under development.

I understand that the recent announcement will create uncertainty for the highly skilled and valuable refinery workforce, and I have been clear in my engagements with both Petroineos as the operator, and the Unions that workers must be at the heart of any decisions around the site’s transition.

Furthermore, I have tasked the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to assess, at pace, options that are available to bring forward in support of industrial transition at Grangemouth, in line with our Just Transition Plan for the site, including options for maintaining and re-skilling the workforce.

The Grangemouth refinery is an important economic asset for Scotland and whilst this announcement does not guarantee a cessation of refining operations, the Scottish Government is in the process of considering the wider potential economic impact of conversion to an import terminal.

According to the ONS the entire refined petroleum and chemicals manufacturing sector in Scotland accounted for 1.1% of total gross value added in 2021 of which the Grangemouth refinery is a part.

However, given how recent the announcement is, a more detailed analysis of the potential impact is yet be completed, including impacts on the immediate supply chain and the wider impacts on employment in the local economy via spending. Any potential changes to operations will require time and consideration of data that is not publicly available. Furthermore, it is important to note that some aspects of the announcement are still in development.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body announced on 23 November that it will undertake an investigation in line with its duties under the MSP code of conduct.

As stated then, in the interests of fairness to all, and to avoid prejudicing our investigation, the Corporate Body will not comment on any matters that could have a bearing on the process. It is important to stress, however, that the Corporate Body remains wholly committed to openness and transparency and will release all material that it can, when it can, in line with its legal obligations.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21592 on 4 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .