Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland holds a quarterly Strategic Transport Electrification Group with the two Scottish electricity network operators, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and Scottish Futures Trust. This seeks to co-ordinate research and analysis and ensure the electricity networks are aware of the overall requirements for energy infrastructure to support decarbonised transport, as well as existing data to inform business planning. Fleet operators should discuss specific future power requirements directly with electricity networks to secure appropriate connections in good time.

Transport Scotland has undertaken significant research to identify where charging will be required for zero emission road transport. This has been shared with the Scottish electricity network operators and NESO, as well as fleet infrastructure providers, trade bodies and commercial investors. The next iteration into charging requirements for zero emission heavy goods vehicles will be published in September, based on an substantially increased sample of vehicle data and incorporating an interactive tool to help infrastructure providers, fleet operators and others to make investment decisions. COSLA and Regional Transport Partnerships are aware of this work, the current version of which can be found at Towards Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure in Scotland: Phase 2 Report | Transport Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to improve transport infrastructure and make travel more accessible and affordable for all through the Accessible Travel Framework and the National Transport Strategy, which includes “Reduces Inequalities” and “Improves our Health and Wellbeing” as two of its four priorities.

Support is delivered through mainstream transport investment, affordability measures, equality legislation and race equality policies. Equality Impact Assessments help identify and address barriers affecting protected groups, supporting more inclusive transport outcomes.

Measures include enhanced passenger assistance, improved access at rail stations and transport hubs, clearer travel information, and embedding accessibility in the design of new transport infrastructure.

Free bus travel for eligible disabled people and free public transport for blind and visually impaired passengers help reduce the cost of accessing services, employment and recreational opportunities. The Accessible Travel Framework also expects operators to improve accessibility and the passenger experience.

The Scottish Government engages with disabled and minority ethnic representative bodies, including the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and the Transport Equalities Group, to ensure policies reflect lived experience and address barriers to travel.

Under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities are responsible for identifying and meeting the additional support needs of children in early learning and childcare (ELC) settings. In line with the National Standard, local authorities and settings are expected to work together to support children with additional support needs to access their funded ELC entitlement. Settings must provide appropriate support, including reasonable adjustments, to ensure that children’s disabilities or additional support needs do not present a barrier to participation.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has recently reviewed the National Occupational Standards for Early Learning and Childcare. This work is informing the redevelopment of qualifications and learning resources to help ensure that the workforce has the knowledge and skills required to support children with diverse and additional support needs.

As we take forward our approach to childcare expansion, we will continue to build on evidence and experience to ensure that the needs of children with additional support needs, and their families, are understood and reflected in future delivery.

Statistical information about road collisions in which one or more people are injured is collected by Police Scotland and reported to the Scottish Government and the Department for Transport using the Great Britain-wide ‘STATS19’ data collection. Floating bus stops (and similar) are not amongst the pre-determined location options that police can select as part of this data collection. As a result, they are not separately identified in road casualty statistics.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data through other sources on the number of collisions or injuries involving cyclists and pedestrians at or around floating bus stops and bus boarders. Such infrastructure is typically delivered and managed by local authorities, who are therefore best placed to hold any location-specific information relating to incidents on their networks.

There have been a number of significant developments since we consulted on our draft Solar Vision in 2023, including the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and Warm Homes Plan.

We have also co-commissioned the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, which will provide an updated assessment of Scotland’s future energy system needs.

Given these developments will inform the Scottish Government’s position on solar it would not be appropriate to publish a final policy position until they are complete.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02062 on 19 August 2026. 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.

Public investment in Scotland has previously been explored in the context of a publicly owned energy retail company supplying energy to households. Initial exploration of the retail company proposal, including the outline business case, highlighted key barriers to the Scottish Government advancing public investment, particularly around devolved and reserved responsibilities.

The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the public benefits of the energy transition and continues to explore opportunities to invest in energy-related projects, technology and infrastructure within devolved competence.

The Scottish Government’s analysis will consider the definition of underused spaces and potential for installing solar panels in these areas in line with NPF4. As part of this analysis we have directed ClimateXChange to investigate the approach taken in other territories and this research will be published within the next year.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the growth of solar generation as part of Scotland's future energy mix and will continue to undertake analysis as required to improve our understanding of how solar deployment can best contribute to Scotland's renewable energy ambitions. Our analysis to date has not included modelling of individual industry-led ambitions.

As part of the response to the significant wildfire in the Cairngorms two commercially hired helicopters were in use for water bombing the fire. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) assessed that additional aerial support to drop water on the fire could aid the response. The Scottish Government sought to explore every available avenue of support and that included requesting military assistance in the form of aerial support to drop water on the fire from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supplement the existing aerial resources that were in place. The response was that the MoD did not currently possess aerial firefighting assets stationed within the UK.

The MOD did offer Chinook helicopters for the movement of people, troops and logistical support. However, the Scottish Government received assurance from SFRS that it had sufficient firefighters and volunteers along with logistical support to deal with the fire and therefore the offer of this other military support was not taken up.