Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Rural Entrepreneur Fund was a 2021-22 Programme for Government (PfG) commitment to invest £20 million over the lifetime of the current parliament.

In light of the challenging financial environment, we need to prioritise our investments to ensure that they are deliverable, impactful and affordable. Consequently, there has been no money made available for Rural Entrepreneur Fund to date.

Our PfG 2022-23 prioritises support for households, businesses and public services. Following the UK Government’s Emergency Budget we will carry out a budget review to assess opportunities to redirect additional resources to those most in need.

Ministers’ charging policies and Objectives for the water industry are clearly set out in the key framework documents that can be found on the Scottish Government’s website. Current circumstances facing the industry, indeed the country at large, are undoubtedly challenging and the Scottish Government will maintain regular dialogue with Scottish Water to support the continued delivery of all of Ministers’ Objectives over the current regulatory period. The affordability of charges is a matter for Scottish Water’s Board to consider alongside the requirement to meet its other statutory obligations. WICS has no powers to require a particular outcome in the charge setting process beyond setting the charge caps which are established to protect customers.

SEPA, as required by the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, prepared Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) for the period 2022-2028. These were approved by Scottish Ministers and published in January 2022. The FRMPs have been developed to ensure all efforts to reduce flood risk are coordinated. The Plans outline the long term ambition by setting objectives and identifying actions for areas most at flood risk. The Local Flood Risk Management Plans, which are complementary to the FRMPS and prepared by local authorities, are due to be published by December 2022. They will provide more detail on how the actions set out in the flood risk management plans for 2022-2028 will be delivered.

There are multiple organisations responsible for flood risk management and the Plans focus their efforts to where the risk of flooding and benefits of actions are greatest. SEPA do not undertake or fund flood risk management works themselves. Funding is provided either by the organisation undertaking the work, such as the local authority, or by the Scottish Government. In recognition of the importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has provided, since 2008, a total of £42 million a year through the General Capital Grant to local authorities to allow them to invest in flood protection schemes. In addition the 2020 Programme for Government committed an additional £150 million over the course of this Parliament for flood risk management actions.

In line with the Scottish Government’s evidence based approach to policy development, we have committed to undertaking a programme of work and analysis to better understand Scotland’s energy requirements as we transition to net zero and how this aligns with our climate change targets. We continue to engage with BOGA and as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11011 on 4 October 2022. 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

I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government's rolling programme of electrification continues to make good progress.

Delivery has already commenced on electrification of the lines from Glasgow to Barrhead and East Kilbride.

Likewise, construction began earlier this year between Haymarket and Dalmeny, the first phase of electrification between Edinburgh and Fife.

Development work for decarbonisation of the Borders Railway is also progressing well.

Scottish Water is currently prioritising the CSOs which it intends to monitor as part of its Improving Urban Waters Route Map. Scottish Water will consider proximity to designated water bodies (for example Bathing Waters), high amenity areas, predicted spill frequency and where environmental problems have already been identified. Scottish Water expects to complete this activity before the end of this year and will publish these locations on its website.

Scottish Water has made commitments in its route map to publishing CSO monitoring data over the next two years. By the end of this year, Scottish Water will look to publish data already reported to SEPA on its website. Additional monitoring data will be made available as new monitors are installed.

Green ports have great potential to contribute towards the Scottish government’s decarbonisation agenda and net zero ambition.

Applicants were required to outline how their proposals will ensure compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and standards and any additional assessment of impacts on protected sites and species including mitigation.

Following designation, the requirement for a robust, action-focused decarbonisation plan will ensure that the port operators and businesses in the green ports will make a significant practical contribution to reducing emissions and facilitating decarbonisation of the green port.

The Scottish Government expects communities to gain from green ports. The joint bidding prospectus , delivered in partnership by the Scottish Government and the UK government, provides details on Planning requirements and advises on place-based tools to inform the delivery of appropriate development in green port areas. It also required applicants to outline how their proposal would ensure compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and standards, as well as submitting an outline decarbonisation plan for the green port. These elements form part of the assessment of proposals.

To the end of financial year 22-23 the Scottish Government expects to have spent around £210m on the initial delivery of the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan.

The answer to question S6W-11007 on 4 October 2022 explains the current Rail Decarbonisation projects underway .

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 .