Transport Scotland has contracted Hagar Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to deploy remote sensing equipment on both local and trunk roads in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Remote sensing equipment uses laser spectroscopy to measure the real-world emissions of vehicle exhaust plumes as the vehicles pass underneath.

This equipment has been deployed in the Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Aberdeen City Council and Dundee City Council areas. As the equipment was at times deployed simultaneously in each city, there were up to four of these sensors deployed in each year since 2021.

The deployment of remote sensing equipment in Scotland from 2021-2023 was the most comprehensive use of this equipment by any country in Europe.

HEAT have partnered with the ICCT (International Council for Clean Transportation) and Element Energy to deliver this project.

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

The Scottish Government have agreed the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) budget for 23/24 and SDS have completed contract awards to support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprentice (MA) starts in 23/24. This may include MAs in traditional craft occupations subject to the demand.

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

Local authorities have had the power to charge an empty homes council tax premium of up to 100% since 1 April 2013. The Scottish Government’s statistics show that at September 2022 42,865 homes had been empty for more than 6 months. Of these 27,692 had been empty for over 12 months and of those 20,279 had a council tax discount below 10% or a council tax premium applied.

A further breakdown by local authority for homes empty for more than 12 months is available on the Scottish Government website from 2014 onwards: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-empty-properties-and-second-homes/ .

As of the end of day 31 October 2023, there were 701,696 cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Transport Scotland officials have worked to improve and develop reporting processes since the scheme launched, and as such now report on cardholders rather than cards issued.

This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office, who support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data.

Transport Scotland does not hold application information as the Improvement Service are in charge of applications made through getyournec.scot and all other applications are managed by local authorities.

The Scottish Government has not assessed the potential for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production or supply in Scotland by specific dates. However, we continue to explore options for incentivising the production and use of SAF including the support the Scottish Government could provide. We will take account of proposed UK Government action on SAF, recognising that significant levers remain reserved. In considering options, we are drawing on the responses to our consultation on the aviation strategy and the main findings from Scottish Enterprise’s recent SAF supply chain study. We will also involve stakeholders as appropriate.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise I have asked their Chief Executive to respond to you directly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22954 on 23 November 2023. 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

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The annual National Records of Scotland publication on drug-misuse deaths does include data on the geographic split of drug deaths by substance, but the categories only include ‘any opioid’, ‘heroin/morphine’, ‘OST’, and a few medicinal opioids (such as codeine). There is not any information provided specifically on fentanyl, or any other synthetic opioids, broken down by geographical area.

Across Scotland the number of deaths where fentanyl was implicated since 2018 are as follows: