Chamber and committees

I thank the minister for his previous answer on the number of EV charging points in Scotland. Will he expand on that a little and tell us how that compares with the rest of the United Kingdom?

Good morning, minister. The local authorities will be responsible for the roll-out of the scheme and, because I am still a councillor, you will probably not be surprised to hear me ask this question. What additional support will be needed or given to ensure that the local authorities have the scheme ready to go when it comes into place in January 2022?

I have a quick supplementary question. Are we ensuring that we get the message out there for young people to apply now, so that we do not get a huge number of applications at the beginning of January?

I have a question for Liam Fowley and Katie Reid. I am keen to hear what you think the top priority is that young people want us to hear today. What is the strong message that you want to be ringing in our ears by the end of the discussion? It is important that we hear that.

Face coverings remain an important mitigation in the fight against Covid-19. It is vital that staff who are asking the public to comply with the law in their places of work do not face abuse. Does the First Minister agree that any form of abuse, threats or violence that workers face as a result of simply doing their job is completely unacceptable, and will she advise on what steps are being taken to support workers who are in that position?

Good morning, panel. My question is for Scottish Enterprise. I note in your written submission that you are focused on “stimulating early action” in support of the transition to net zero. What are the early actions and how do you measure their success?

Good morning. I will be brief, because I realise that time is getting on. How does the bank interpret its legal objects with regard to supporting a wellbeing economy? What does supporting wellbeing mean to you in your approach to identifying and assessing investment opportunities?

Taking action on climate change is the biggest challenge that we, as a Parliament, our children and our communities will face for years to come. We must act now to help minimise Scotland’s contribution to climate change. We must restore as much nature and green space as we can and enhance our climate resilience in a just and fair way.

As Glasgow hosts COP26, the spotlight will be on Scotland. We should use the opportunity to highlight the steps that we are taking to achieve net zero. The programme for government outlines our plans for achieving net zero and we must ensure that we can take bold steps to get there. We simply cannot wait any longer. We must act now, as there is so much at stake.

As a Parliament, we should all be working in our constituencies to bring people along with us on our journey to net zero, whether that is through the decarbonisation of transport links—as is happening in my constituency through the actions of First Bus and Stagecoach—through reducing heat loss from properties with the Scottish Government’s warmer homes Scotland initiative, or through free bus travel for the under-22s.

We are also establishing a fair fares review—that is a bit of a tongue twister—of the discounts and concessionary schemes that are available on all transport modes. We need to consider options against a background in which car travel costs are declining and public transport costs are increasing. Public transport should be affordable and accessible for all, and investing in our communities is key to help us achieve our goals.

We also need to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Encouraging the use of active travel is of great benefit—the Scottish Government is investing 10 per cent of its transport budget in that.

In our first 100 days, the Government has already established 12-month pilot projects to deliver free bikes to school-age children who cannot afford them. The pilots will inform how the Government can roll out the scheme nationally.

The Scottish Government has committed to maintaining the cycle repair scheme, thereby ensuring that bikes remain in a roadworthy condition and helping to renovate old bikes to get folk back out on the roads—although I will probably not be one of them, as I am not very good at riding a bike. That is a welcome announcement as we seek to establish an active freeway network in Scotland that utilises existing local networks and links major destinations—[Interruption.] I am sorry, but I will not take an intervention. I am short on time—I have only four minutes.

Renewables will play a key role in our move to net zero, and I welcome the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to a green recovery. It has committed more than £9 billion over this session of Parliament to environmental sustainability and the transition to net zero.

By summer 2022, the Scottish Government will establish a new global renewable centre, working with our international development partner countries to exchange knowledge and research in renewable technologies. In addition, there is an ambition to increase the gigawatt output from our offshore wind turbines to create enough energy to power more than 8 million homes. I just love seeing the turbines from the beaches of Aberdeen. The first cycle of ScotWind leasing is under way, with new projects coming online later this decade.

I see that I am running out of time, Presiding Officer.

What steps are being taken to engage with minority groups and religious bodies on maximising the uptake of Covid vaccination in low-uptake groups and among people who have yet to come forward?

I will finish off, if I can.

In our move to net zero, we simply cannot leave anyone behind, whether that be our communities or the industries in which we work. Our journey to net zero must be a just one, taking communities with us, engaging with them—