Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government provides funding to all local authorities through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF), which supports the development of cycling infrastructure. ATIF Tier 1 provides flexible capital funding to all local authorities to support the planning, design, development and delivery of active travel infrastructure, while Tier 2 provides targeted funding for specific active travel projects through a competitive application process. Through ATIF Tier 1, the Scottish Government has allocated £3.94 million to City of Edinburgh Council and £701,000 to Midlothian Council for 2026-27. In addition, through ATIF Tier 2 in 2026-27, City of Edinburgh Council was awarded £7.98 million, while Midlothian Council was awarded £831,750. Decisions regarding the identification, design and development of local active travel projects are the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

In addition to the National Concessionary Travel Scheme which provides free bus travel for everyone aged 60 and over, the Scottish Government also provides funding to support local authorities in meeting their statutory responsibilities to identify and support socially necessary bus services, helping to maintain connectivity where commercial provision is not available. We are working with local authorities and regional transport partnerships to improve public transport through initiatives such as the Bus Infrastructure Fund, support for community and demand-responsive transport, and investment in ferry services, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges faced by rural and island communities.

Project Willow considered a range of factors affecting the viability of opportunities at Grangemouth, including feedstock availability, technology readiness, market demand, investment requirements, and the wider policy and regulatory environment. This included consideration of (a) hydrogen costs where hydrogen was a material project input, (b) feedstock availability and supporting supply chains, and (c) the UK policy and regulatory framework. Viability was assessed through the interaction of these factors rather than any single variable. The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise continue to work with investors and developers to support future opportunities at Grangemouth.

Information on the age profile of ScotRail's rolling stock fleet is publicly available on the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) website. The Member may wish to refer to: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-environment/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/table-6313-average-age-of-rolling-stock-by-operator/.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact them directly.

Procurement of the Framework Agreement remains on track, and we expect to appoint contractors by the end of 2026.

Scottish Government officials routinely meet with local authorities and other animal welfare enforcement bodies on all aspects of animal welfare enforcement, as well as meeting with other key stakeholders to help facilitate cross-agency working on key issues in this area.

Additionally, the Scottish Government provides guidance for local authorities on enforcement of a range of legislation – for example the guidance on local authority duties under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 – in order to help local authorities better understand their duties and obligations.

At this time it is the view of the Scottish Government that additional training is not required, however we will continue to meet with local authorities to discuss how best to enable them to enforce welfare legislation effectively.

The Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Ellon Corridor Place Based Connectivity Assessment is being led by Nestrans to strengthen the evidence base for improving connectivity in the corridor. This includes consideration of future passenger and freight demand, including for rail.

The study is not a business case and no decisions have been taken on the progression of rail proposals. Any future appraisal by Transport Scotland will be considered once the study has concluded, in line with the established transport appraisal process.

There have been two flights out of Prestwick since 2021: