Chamber and committees

We have committed to implementing new infrastructure-levy regulations under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 by spring 2026. On 3 June a discussion paper was published setting out the research undertaken previously and seeking views on the various options for a levy. The discussion phase will run until 30 September. After that, and subject to the views received in response to the discussion paper, draft regulations will be prepared which will be subject to a formal consultation in early 2025.

The Scottish Government prepared its draft Transport to Health Plan in 2023, we are continuing to engage with the relevant partners on the commitments contained within the plan. It is expected that the plan will be published by September 2024.

Following engagement with teachers and stakeholders, the Scottish Government has further considered the role of the national education agency, including how it can add most value to Scotland’s education system.

An excellent curriculum from 3-18 requires national leadership and direction. Therefore, the primary purpose and focus of Scotland’s national education agency will be to lead curriculum design, delivery and improvement, including the provision of resources to support high quality learning and teaching.

The national agency will also have an important role in supporting a thriving professional learning sector through a national framework for professional learning and will build on the existing and well-regarded national leadership professional learning programmes.

The Scottish Government is ambitious for all of Scotland's children and young people and Scotland’s local authorities and schools have an important role in creating the conditions for them to thrive. The national agency will work with local authorities to inform approaches to wellbeing, inclusion, behaviour and enabling better support for those with additional support needs. The national agency will also employ its unique national perspective to inform, share and promote wider approaches to improvement to close attainment gaps as set out in the National Improvement Framework.

The Scottish Government has determined that refocussing Education Scotland will deliver the change and improvement necessary to achieve excellence and equity for Scotland’s children and young people including across Gaelic Medium Education.

Work is underway to set out further detail on transition plans and associated timescales, including for the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive for a refocussed Education Scotland and HM Chief Inspector of Education, both of which will be taken forward as quickly as practicable. In line with previous commitments, there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of this reform.

Migrant workers are essential contributors to our communities, public services, and vitally help address skills shortages.

Scotland’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to become a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025.

The Scottish Government have funded the Worker Support Centre since 2022 to provide free and confidential support to seasonal migrant workers so that more of them understand their workplace rights and how to exercise them. RSABI (founded as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution) provides practical, emotional, and financial support to all people involved in the Scottish agricultural industry.

Control over employment and industrial relations legislation is currently reserved to the UK Parliament; while this remains the case, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.

Whilst the Transport (Scotland) Act was implemented in 2019, sections 120 and 121 required secondary legislation to be enacted. This secondary legislation was enacted and came into effect on 1 October 2023.

We expect reports from Health Boards in Winter 2024. Assessments will be made once these reports are received.

Information on college withdrawals is collected and published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in their annual College Performance Indicator publication. College Performance Indicators 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

The SFC publish the number of students that withdraw from a course, but not broken down by week the student withdrew.

Scottish Government welcomed the transport to health and social care report from the Mobility and Access Committee (MACS) and agreed to develop a transport to health plan in response.

Progress has been made against the recommendations including bringing more focus and prominence in work with the relevant partners including Regional Transport Partnerships and Health Boards to take forward specific actions and commitments towards better joined up care planning and working.

Recognising the importance of the recommendations, Transport Scotland have included Transport to Health as one of seven thematic workstreams in their approach for delivery of the Accessible Travel Framework

The programme of NHS reform will consider the recommendation that transport should be built in as an integral part of the care pathway.

I am interpreting your question as relating to the number of prisoners who may potentially be released early under emergency release powers.

Section 11 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 (which came into force on 26 May) provides Ministers with a power to release prisoners in emergency situations. I have now laid draft regulations for emergency release, setting out the eligibility criteria, for Parliament’s consideration and approval.

The number of prisoners that would be released in specific geographical areas would depend on a number of factors, including the composition of the prison population at the relevant time and the application of the Governor’s veto, for example.

The Scottish Government intends to publish costs of the tribunal, which will include payments it has made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation to his fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings. Following a recent Freedom of Information request for this information, the Scottish Government will publish these details on its website, as soon as possible after the Freedom of Information response is issued.

The Nature Investment Partnership (formerly referred to as the Private Finance Pilot) has not yet invested any private finance in to projects on the ground, or delivered any return to investors.

The Partnership is focussed on building the pipeline of projects to enable that investment to flow, and engaging with a range of investors and communities to establish the best fit for each project. NatureScot have published a detailed FAQs page ( Private finance pilot for nature: FAQs | NatureScot ). The first pilot – the Wild Heart Expansion Project - has been established in the South of Scotland and is now engaging with communities and land managers to test the appetite for nature finance and design the potential investment.

We consider lottery funding to be philanthropic funding.