Chamber and committees

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) signals a turning point for planning, placing climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and making clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies. NPF4 policy 11 makes clear that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors remain important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are already, and will continue to be, subject to site-specific assessments.

Technical requirements for assessing potential wind turbine impacts such as noise, or interactions with aviation or defence interests, are set out in topic specific guidance and more general information on the status of these issues can be found in our Onshore Wind Policy Statement (Dec 2022), Chapters 6&7.

Engaging with people with lived experience, including autistic people, and other neurodivergent groups, is essential to the work of the Scottish Government and we have put person-centred approaches at the heart of our work.

We have commissioned the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support local areas to involve a range of neurodivergent voices in planning, decision making and delivery of neurodevelopmental pathways. NAIT will also set up a neurodevelopmental community of practice for professionals and will continue to work with neurodivergent people. This will support local practitioners in developing local practice in co-production.

In addition, the Scottish Government has involved people with lived experience in the development of a new leadership and engagement framework and in policy design around mental health support for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. This new way of working is based on the belief that the most effective and sustainable change is made by the people who need and use supports and services, in equal partnership with decision makers at all levels.

The former Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Kevin Stewart, wrote to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 23 March to inform them that the Scottish Government was happy to accept all 10 of the recommendations made by the National Autism Implementation Team in their report published on adult neurodevelopmental pathways in Scotland.

The current ETSU guidance should continue to be followed by applicants and used by decision makers to assess and rate noise from wind energy developments. The WSP report, commissioned on behalf of the UK Government, provides some recommendations for updates that could be made to bring the guidance into line with the most up to date evidence and policy.

The Scottish Government is a member of the ETSU steering group comprising of the four Governments of the UK. This group is considering, under the lead of the UK Government, how best to take forward these recommendations and will do so, as required, in due course.

Legislation on accessibility and public transport remains reserved to the UK Parliament and is set out in the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) and enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The Scottish Government has no remit to intervene, but does support an integrated transport system where possible. Our support for the purchase of new buses will be, where appropriate, conditional on space being made available for bike transport in addition to wheelchair and buggy space.

The Scottish Government is committed to monitoring the risk and prevention of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus.

The identification of one probable case of TBE in Scotland is insufficient evidence to conclude that there has been a significant change to the risk to human health in Scotland from TBE. On 5 April, the HAIRS group published an updated TBE Risk Assessment which states that the risk of infection to the general population in the UK remains very low, and low for high risk groups (such as those living, working or visiting affected areas, as determined by duration of time spent outside).

However, the potential seriousness of TBE infection and this finding has prompted increased clinical surveillance. Furthermore, Public Health Scotland have requested the UK Health Security Agency undertake tick capture and testing in Lochearnhead this spring to assess whether TBE infection can be identified in ticks in Scotland.

The identification of one probable case of tick-born encephalitis (TBE) in Scotland is insufficient evidence to conclude that there has been a significant change to the risk to human health in Scotland from TBE. On 5 April, the HAIRS group published an updated TBE Risk Assessment which states that the risk of infection to the general population in the UK remains very low, and low for high risk groups (such as those living, working or visiting affected areas, as determined by duration of time spent outside).

However, the potential seriousness of TBE infection and this finding has prompted increased clinical surveillance. Furthermore, Public Health Scotland have requested the UK Health Security Agency undertake tick capture and testing in Lochearnhead this spring to assess whether TBE infection can be identified in ticks in Scotland.

The Scottish Health Protection Network group on Tick Borne Diseases reconvened in April 2023 and will be looking to include surveillance as part of their future work.

The Scottish Government is committed to continuing its work on raising awareness of Lyme disease and ticks.

The Scottish Government-led Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Group will run the Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Campaign in May 2023 to coincide with National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, during which patients, activists, educators and Government share information on how to prevent Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with stakeholders and clinicians through the Health Professionals Education Sub Groups. This is chaired by the Scottish Government and comprises representatives from primary and secondary care, including experts in infectious disease in general and Lyme Disease. The group are examining the current resources being used by GPs and considering options for additional learning and development.

Clinical decisions on the care and treatment of individual patients are always matters of professional judgement for the responsible practitioner. NHS Boards and clinicians are required to use methods of treatment that are clinically appropriate and have a strong evidence base for their efficacy.

The Scottish Government will continue to use its own platforms to highlight the need to be tick aware and to set out the signs and symptoms of possible infection.

The provision of local bus services is a matter for individual bus operators who use their own commercial judgement on conditions of carriage in the open de-regulated market, as established by the Transport Act 1985.

A number of operators of bus and coach services allow the carriage of folding bikes or standard bikes being stored in a box or bag, in a luggage compartment. The recently published cycling framework for active travel recognises the importance of supporting cycling journeys to and from public transport hubs and working with operators to support multi-modal journeys.

The methodology used to assess dwellings’ EPCs is adjusted over time to update modelling assumptions and reflect changes in technology. According to our National Statistics publication on the conditions of the housing stock, the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), 24% of dwellings had an EPC rating of A-C in 2010, and 51% had an EPC rating of A-C in 2019. This is calculated using SAP 2009, an older methodology, which allows comparisons back to 2010.

The most recent methodology, SAP 2012 (RdSAP v9.93) provides figures for only 2018 and 2019. In 2018, 43% of dwellings had an EPC rating of A-C. In 2019, 45% of dwellings had an EPC rating of A-C.

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Scottish House Condition Survey, 2019 is the latest year for which we have National Statistics for EPC ratings across the Scottish domestic housing stock. Figures for 2023 will be published in late 2024 or 2025.