Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to ending our contribution to climate change within a generation. Our Programme for Government sets out our aim to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources, and to have decarbonised our energy system almost completely by 2050.

Our vision and roadmap for the energy sector includes a Just Transition Plan for Energy at the heart of our refreshed Energy Strategy, publishing as one coherent document in spring 2022.

On our ambitions for offshore wind, we were clear in our policy statement published in 2020, that we have an ambition of up to 11GW of offshore wind by 2030. ScotWind bids are currently being assessed by Crown Estate Scotland with results of successful bidders known in early 2022 but this will provide us with a strong pipeline of projects. From that we want to ensure that economic benefits and supply chain opportunities are seized upon in Scotland.

This is why in August, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) published its Strategic Infrastructure Assessment (SIA) for Offshore Wind. The report has five main recommendations which are directed at both the sector and government, and the primary recommendation focusses on bringing the manufacturing of floating offshore wind platforms to Scotland through creation of a Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Port Cluster, with ports acting in partnership to provide the required infrastructure area and capability needed to attract manufacturers to use Scottish ports and invest in Scotland.

I look forward to SOWEC taking forward next steps on the recommendations set out in the report.

Decisions on future local government finance settlements will be the subject of negotiations with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities and announced as part of the outcome of future Scottish Budgets and/or Spending Reviews.

In 2021-22, South Ayrshire Council will receive a total funding package of
‎ £232.7 million to support local services, which includes an extra £6.3 million to support vital day to day services, equivalent to an increase of 2.9 per cent compared to 2020-21. To date, the council have been allocated an additional £30 million to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the local government settlement - over and above their regular grant payments.

Transport Scotland officials meet bus stakeholders, including both Stagecoach and First, on a fortnightly basis. This has recently included discussion on the impact of driver shortages on service provision. Bus operators receiving emergency COVID-19 funding are contractually obliged to run a range of pre COVID mileage, any deviation from which has to be agreed with Transport Scotland. They are also required to consult and cooperate with local transport authorities as to their service plans. These terms are set out in public service contracts with operators and a model contract is available on the Transport Scotland website at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

I welcome the report from the Climate Emergency Response Group and its emphasis on delivering action to tackle the climate emergency. The Scottish Government continues to work constructively with the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG) on delivering the change required to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change within a generation. To that end, I have already met with CERG representatives to discuss their most recent report and its recommendations. On such matters, my officials continue to engage with the group on a regular basis.

I thank CERG for their continuous work offering recommendations to the Scottish Government and for their part in ensuring the climate emergency remains at the top of the political agenda.

Transparent masks have the potential to bring significant benefits in aiding communication and the Scottish Government is supportive of their introduction where appropriate. We are aware that NHS England have previously trialled transparent masks in non-clinical settings.

Earlier this year, a new technical specification for the design and performance requirements of transparent masks was established. The UK Four Nations PPE Review Group has a role to review any products submitted for approval and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is actively engaging in this process and working to ensure masks can be made available as soon as possible.

The Pig Producers Hardship Support Scheme was set up to compensate pig producers who were paid £15 less per pig by Quality Pork Processors at Brechin, between 8 February and 31 March 2021. It opened for applications on 30 August and closed on 26 September, and eligible applicants will now have received their payments. We will not be extending the Scheme at this time.

Following the announcement from Defra on a Private Storage Aid scheme and positive ongoing discussions with our pig industry we are putting in place our own Private Storage Aid scheme in Scotland to further aid the industry. This will help to alleviate the backlog of pigs on farms, and reduce any potential welfare issues. In addition the levy bodies in Scotland and England are providing the pig sector with a levy holiday for the whole of November.

Over the last Parliamentary term, over 6,000 affordable homes were delivered in rural and island areas across Scotland through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP). Between 1 April 2016 and latest published statistics to the end of June 2021, there has been a total of 100 affordable homes delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund (RIHF), which forms part of the wider AHSP.

The fund is demand led and is open to a wide range of potential applicants, including those not able to access traditional funding streams such as community bodies, rural landowners, landlords and private developers. It complements existing investment in affordable housing directed through Registered Social Landlords and Local Authorities, filling gaps in provision.

The following table shows affordable homes delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund in rural and island communities by local authority area.

Affordable homes delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund by Local Authority

Under the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2015, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 3 March 2015 with the consent of Her Majesty’s Treasury, members of the 1995 section of the NHS Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) who have connected service in the career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme, will have their closed scheme benefits calculated on the best of their final three years’ pensionable pay, in line with the provisions of the 1995 section.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads with the local road authorities, including parking on local roads. In addition, Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. As such this is not an issue where the Scottish Government would become involved.

However, Glasgow City Council will enforce car-exclusion zones around schools by way of Traffic Regulation Order which will prohibit any motor vehicle without a permit of valid exemption from using the School Streets zone whilst the scheme is in operation.

Further information on this can be found at the following link;

Spaces for People: Expansion of School Car Free Zones - Glasgow City Council

I have recently written to the profession about our plans for the recovery of NHS dental services.

Our commitment as a Government is to build back NHS dentistry, and ensure that NHS dental teams are focused on the need to tackle the backlog in routine dental care. Our NHS dental teams have been working hard throughout this pandemic in difficult circumstances, and it’s important that they feel supported by Government and representative bodies.

Which is why we have recently detailed a package of new improvements to support NHS dental teams, including new enhanced examination fees for all patients, both children and adults, with a particular emphasis on children and tackling oral health inequalities. This builds on recent announcements of £7.5m for new dental drills and £5m for ventilation improvements.

We want to build on what has been a hugely successful policy of protecting NHS dentistry during this pandemic period. We have provided £50m of financial support payments, in addition to between £30 and £35m of free PPE since the beginning of the pandemic, to ensure NHS dental services emerge well placed to care for the oral health of the population.