Chamber and committees

A list of the active groups and sub-groups within the Education and Skills portfolio is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 63776).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13235 on 20 December 2022. The UK Animal Welfare Committee is currently considering the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter and we will explore the need for any changes to current practice or legislation once the committee publishes its findings. 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 work to replace and upgrade the security equipment across the Scottish Government estate is part of a multi-year improvement programme, and is therefore subject to the usual resourcing and prioritisation variables, common with such large-scale programmes.

It is not in the public interest to publicise details of the Scottish Government’s physical security across its estate, however I can confirm that all Hikvision CCTV cameras have been replaced at those Scottish Government buildings identified as “sensitive sites”, as described in the recent UK Government statement.

Local authorities have responsibility for delivering local economic development and local regeneration. They are best placed to develop the right partnerships to deliver regeneration and to identify suitable funding for regeneration activity.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities and communities to tackle persistent vacant and derelict land and we launched the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) in 2021 to support place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a ‘just transition’ to net-zero.

The VDLIP complements our existing investment in support of place based regeneration across Scotland, including the Place Based Investment Programme. We are keen for South Lanarkshire Council to work with its communities and other partners to develop suitable project proposals and apply to the VDLIP.

We are also providing support for town centre regeneration through the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP), which aims to accelerate ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action, community led regeneration and community wealth building. The PBIP includes the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund which is providing funding for The Hamilton Hub which is transforming the formerly vacant Vogue cinema in Hamilton town centre.

Additionally South Lanarkshire Council are in receipt of an allocation of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund. This is a ring-fenced element of the local government finance settlement which is allocated to five eligible Scottish local authorities where there is the greatest amount of long-term vacant and derelict land alongside deprivation. Each eligible local authority is responsible for developing proposals based on its local regeneration priorities in the area, and they must ensure that their proposals meet the aims and objectives of the fund.

Finally we are seeking to promote the reuse of vacant and derelict land and buildings across Scotland through revised Draft National Planning Framework 4 – which was laid in Parliament on 8 November 2022 for the Parliament to consider and approve. This sets out the priority given to the reuse of brownfield land, including vacant and derelict land and buildings, and seeks to proactively enable its reuse and limit greenfield expansion.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12943 on 20 December 2022. 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

In 2016, the then Education Secretary’s Good Governance Task Group reported back on the lessons learned at Glasgow Clyde, North Glasgow and Coatbridge Colleges. The Task Group made a series of recommendations to improve governance in Scotland’s colleges.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, work on taking forward recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group was put on hold. The Scottish Government has restarted the work around the Task Group’s recommendations and is currently consulting on proposals to introduce trade union nominees onto College Boards. This work will sit within a wider package of transformation and change within the tertiary education and skills sector, as the Scottish Government progresses recommendations from the SFC Review of Coherence and Sustainability 2021.

The Scottish Government works with stakeholders through the Good Governance Steering Group, where work around governance reforms in the college sector is discussed; at present work to implement the recommendation of adding trade unions nominees on boards is underway, along with work to refresh the Ministerial Guidance. No decision has yet been taken on the timeframe for implementing other recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group.

In his 2019 letter to the Education and Skills Committee, the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science proposed to undertake the introducing of the ability for the SFC to attend the board meetings of assigned colleges.

Given the recent resumption of work around the Good College Governance Task Group’s recommendations, following a pause due to the pandemic, the Scottish Government has no immediate plans to implement direct observation of college board meetings. However, Scottish Government officials will work with the SFC, Colleges Scotland, regional strategic boards, trade unions, student associations, and the College Development network through the Good Governance Steering Group to implement changes to college governance in the best possible way.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx' .

There is no application process for an area seeking recognition as a National Scenic Area (NSA).

NSAs were first designated by Scottish Ministers in 1980, the areas having been identified by the Countryside Commission for Scotland (Scotland’s Scenic Heritage, 1978). In December 2010 under the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, NSAs were given a statutory basis. Section 50 of the act sets out the criteria for designation:

(a) whether the area is of outstanding natural beauty,

(b) the amenity of the area, including (i) whether it is of historical, cultural or environmental importance; and (ii) the nature of any buildings or other structures within it, and

(c) any flora, fauna or physiographical features of the area, whether or not to any extent the product of human intervention in the landscape.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx '.

Although aviation is currently reserved to the UK Government, we continue to do all we can within the powers available to support Scotland’s airports recover from the impact of Covid and grow Scotland’s international connectivity for business, tourism, exports and the wider economy.

Last month I met airlines who provided an update on how their networks are recovering from the impact of Covid and was briefed on some encouraging signs of recovery. The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of improving Scotland’s direct international connectivity and continue to be proactive in restoring and growing our direct international connectivity. That is why our cross-Government route development team continues to work closely with Scotland’s airports and airlines globally to help restore and grow international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions. In developing our Aviation Strategy, we are considering how best to improve our approach to recognise the particular impact Covid had on airlines’ route networks and fleet plans. It remains our aspiration that Scotland should be as well connected as peer nations and regions, and recent announcements of new routes for 2023 to Atlanta with Delta Air Lines, and Calgary with WestJet, are welcome developments.

We continue to provide funding to support the operations of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL). In 2021-22 we provided HIAL with over £75 million in funding to maintain their operations. This funding means that HIAL’s airport charges are kept lower than they would otherwise be enabling the operation of commercial air services.