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The Scottish Government has not carried out work to assess the impacts of buddleia on Scotland’s forests, natural habitats and riparian areas. Due to the preference of the species for disturbed open ground, its impact on these areas appears to be low. It is not considered to be forest-invasive at this time, and as such, currently poses limited concerns for woodland management or creation. We will continue to record and monitor its presence in the habitat restoration plans we will produce as part of our work to restore Scotland’s Atlantic rainforest.

We understand that buddleia is only likely to establish in buildings where there is a lack of building maintenance. Investing in overall repair and maintenance, therefore, will reduce problems caused by buddleia. Historic Environment Scotland has produced guidance, on both building maintenance and on the effect of biological growth on masonry, which is freely available on its website.

Public transport operators undertook detailed planning for the UCI Cycling World Championships.

With regards to the rail network, ScotRail ensured it was capable of meeting the demands of both competitors and spectators alike during the period of the Championships.

Specifically for the Argyle Line, many services were strengthened from 3 to 6 carriages, serving Dalmarnock for the Velodrome, Scotstounhill for the BMX venue and for general travel across Glasgow. Additionally, to take account of events at the Velodrome, on 6 and 13 August, all train services before 1000 hours and after 1800 hours made an additional stop at Dalmarnock Station.

The Scottish Government is providing up to £246 million to SPT, towards the estimated total project cost of £287.5 million for the Subway modernisation programme, which includes: a smartcard ticketing system; new rolling stock and signalling; refurbished stations with improved accessibility.

To date, the Scottish Government has provided just over £142 million since 2011-12 to Subway Modernisation:

The Scottish Government is committed to working with Scotland’s airports, including Glasgow Airport, to help them grow international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions. Our aim is for Scotland to be as well connected as peer nations and regions, and we have regular engagement with Glasgow Airport to discuss potential opportunities. Our engagement with Scotland’s airports is commercially sensitive and I am unable to share specific details.

Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. In May, representatives from this cross government partnership attended the route development forum Routes Europe 2023, supporting Glasgow Airport and the other Scottish airports in attendance.

In March this year, the Scottish Government supported VisitScotland in rolling out a demand-building campaign to encourage travellers to seek direct flights to Scotland from across our key markets, with airlines serving Glasgow included in this campaign.

As autonomous bodies, Scottish universities continue to strengthen pre-existing relationships with European higher education institutions through all available channels.

The operation and maintenance of these water towers is a matter for Scottish Water and, as such, I have asked them to contact you directly. One of the water towers, Cranhill, is no longer in use for water supply purposes and Scottish Water has advised that they intend to engage locally, as well as with relevant stakeholders, to identify potential future options for this water tower.

The Access for All scheme is a UK Government scheme and as such is managed by the UK Department for Transport (DfT).

The Scottish Government has made a case for Springburn railway station to be nominated for Access for All scheme funding for Control Period 7 (2024-2029). We will continue to make representations to the UK Government on this matter.

The Department for Transport is expected to announce which stations will be prioritised for funding through the Access for All scheme this Autumn.

British Airways Maintenance Group (BAMG) at Glasgow Airport is account managed by Scottish Enterprise (SE) and both are currently engaged in discussions regarding the potential for a new hangar.

Uniform and appearance standards for Police Scotland are a matter for the Chief Constable. It is vitally important that the Chief Constable has the flexibility, subject to risk assessment, as to the appropriate uniform for specific events.

Police Scotland have a Standard Operating Procedure in place which states that dress uniforms shall only be worn on formal occasions or as directed by the Chief Constable, for example at passing out parades at the Scottish Police College. The Standard Operating Procedure can be found at: [ Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Review Template (scotland.police.uk) ]

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the integration of former Hong Kong residents into our communities. We have published a dedicated British National (Overseas) welcome pack, in both English and Cantonese, on our website.

We continue to provide significant levels of funding to a range of organisations supporting the integration of migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum. This includes supporting organisations, such as COSLA, the Scottish Refugee Council and British Red Cross. We aim to ensure that all arrivals to Scotland are welcomed and supported to integrate into Scottish society from day one of arrival. This work will continue.