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As referenced in my previous correspondence, officials received a scoping paper from Police Scotland that outlines their programme for delivery, particularly on what they are looking to deliver and a detailed timescale. My officials met with Police Scotland on 13 July and during the meeting they discussed the development of the business case. The business case will look at the service design, delivery, organisation policy and life time management of the National Dashcam Safety Portal.

My officials remain in discussion with Police Scotland on this matter and will meet with them again later in August as we look to progress this important road safety initiative.

As part of Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 , we are undertaking a National Speed Management Review. The review covers comprehensive analysis of all types of speed management policies and initiatives in Scotland as well as a review of what has been introduced in other countries throughout the world.

We are about to finalise the milestone 2 report, which will contain a number of recommendations and later this year will conduct stakeholder and public consultation to consider their views of whether any changes to speed limit policies and speed management measures should be introduced as part of our speed management plan.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any noise monitoring enforcement trials introduced by any road authority within the last five years.

The Transport Scotland remote sensing study is assessing real-world vehicle emissions in four main cities in Scotland (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow).

The first of three emission testing campaigns, scheduled for 2021 to 2023, took place during October 2021, and the campaign collected over 225,000 air quality measurements from 95,000 unique vehicles using contact-less remote sensing technology.

During 2022, as part of preparing to include noise emissions in the study, Transport Scotland evaluated worldwide progress on roadside vehicle noise monitoring techniques, conducted motorcycle noise assessment work, and compared noise and air quality emissions at one of the remote sensing sites in Edinburgh.

A final round of air quality monitoring began on 29 June 2023 and will continue until 1 August, with detailed noise monitoring planned for inclusion in this work.

Securing positive effects for biodiversity is one of six statutory outcomes for the National Planning Framework, as identified in section 3A(3)(c) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended. National Planning Framework (NPF4) was adopted and published on 13 February 2023. Improving biodiversity is a cross-cutting theme which runs throughout NPF4. Our strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity.

Current building regulations include a standard which promote sustainable development, including advice on how biodiversity can be well served as a topic in new school developments – this is published under Aspect 4 of our ‘statement of sustainability’, standard 7.1 in the Non-domestic Technical Handbook . We plan to revisit this topic, in the context of other ongoing activity, to understand further opportunities for building regulations to make a positive contribution to biodiversity within new developments.

National Planning Framework 4 Policy 3 (c), which relates to local developments, is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. This guidance includes 24 measures that development can incorporate to enhance biodiversity, one of which is Homes for Small Birds (measure 13).

The Swift Conservation website also provides guidance to the building industry on swift bricks and nest boxes Swift Conservation Homepage (swift-conservation.org) .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-02398 on 21 June 2023 which is available at Meeting of the Parliament: 21/06/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website .

Reviews for the Network Support Grant and National Concessionary Travel Schemes are being taken forward this financial year and are ongoing. The review of concessionary travel is one of the workstreams being progressed through the Fair Fares Review.

The UK Government has yesterday announced a decision taken to defer obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging payments from October 2024 to October 2025. The Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is being progressed by the UK Government, working in partnership with the Scottish and other devolved governments.

The deferral is intended to provide stakeholders with additional time to prepare for the upcoming requirements, and to ensure a further opportunity to engage on the design of EPR policy and initiatives. This includes more open scrutiny with stakeholders on the main piece of legislation bringing forward these reforms, which will be laid as a UK Statutory Instrument and come to the Scottish Parliament for consent.

Scotland remains at the forefront of the global journey to reach net zero emissions and a climate resilient future. We are committed to a just transition to net-zero by 2045 and within this, decarbonisation of industry is ‘mission critical’.

It is clear that we cannot maintain the status quo if we want to reap the benefits that the transition to net zero holds.

The next Climate Change Plan will extend Scotland’s emissions reduction planning pathway to 2040 and include estimates of the costs and benefits of the policies to achieve this.

However, many of the key levers to bring about large-scale industrial emissions reductions are reserved to UK Government. For example, we remain bitterly disappointed that there is still no timetabled solution for when UK Government will confirm Track-2 of the Cluster Sequencing Programme, which adds further delay and impacts progress against our climate change commitments.

Ensuring a Just Transition to net-zero is equally important. As you will be aware, the Scottish Government is in the process of developing a Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster and following its completion, we remain committed to evaluating that approach to understand what ways Just Transition planning can be adopted for other sites.

The Mossmorran industrial complex plays an important role in the local economy for Fife, and I am keen to see that role, and the many well-paid jobs and skills preserved through a just transition to net-zero.

Given the novel nature of industrial just transition planning, it is appropriate that it is tested, evaluated and improvements considered, before applying it to other areas. We will conduct an evaluation of the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster Just Transition Plan once complete, considering what learnings could be adopted in future work.

Just Transition is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s approach to net-zero, and accordingly, focused work on key major industrial sites will put the participation of – and meaningful engagement with – operators, workers and community at its core.

Industry has a lot to gain from the process of Just Transition, as such, we welcome innovation and commitment, by industry, in this area.

Once again, I welcome Mr Ruskell’s work and the recently commissioned report exploring Just Transition options for Mossmorran.