Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland will be in a position to confirm details in Spring 2022, once the option selection phase for the project is completed and the estimated costs and benefits have been determined against each option.

Currently there is no option being considered which does not see the allocated funding being spent on the route between Aberdeen and Dundee.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning and delivering flood protection schemes. In recognition of the importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has provided, since 2007, a total of £42 million a year through the General Capital Grant to local authorities to allow them to invest in flood protection schemes.

In 2012 an arrangement was agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA whereby the flooding component of the General Capital Grant would be distributed to major projects according to an agreed set of eligibility criteria. Between 2012 and 2016, it was decided that 7 schemes were eligible for 80% Scottish Government grant funding, 2 of which were in the South of Scotland.

All planning applications are required to be determined in accordance with the relevant development plan unless material planning considerations justify a departure from the development plan.

Whilst it is for decision makers to decide what considerations are material to, and what weight to attach to each consideration in, the determination of a planning application, Scottish Government Planning Policy is a significant material consideration in the planning system.

Currently, our National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate adaptation to climate change. Responding to the global climate emergency is at the heart of the preparation of National Planning Framework 4, that we will lay in Parliament and consult on widely this autumn.

These issues were addressed in my response to question S6W-01417 on 6 August 2021 and the name of the consultants, Ernst and Young LLP, was highlighted in our letter to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee of 11 March 2021. The contract was signed on 9 March 2021.

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 information requested is held by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd who considers this to be commercially sensitive and that its release could make it more challenging to achieve value for money for Scottish taxpayers. In addition the Scottish Government could potentially be held responsible for any detrimental effect to the market value of the those vessels that remain available, should it be known it had decided against their purchase.

I can confirm that we are using capital funding for the third section of the A9 to be dualled between Tomatin to Moy.

A market consultation exercise commenced earlier this year to inform assessment of procurement options for remaining sections when the statutory processes are complete. Determination of the optimal procurement option is a complex exercise which is considering a pipeline of work in a form that can be delivered by the industry, supports the economic recovery post COVID and minimises disruption to users if this lifeline route.

It is expected this analysis will be completed in the coming weeks and will inform decision making on our procurement approach and phasing.

Disused flares and other time expired pyrotechnics are likely to be hazardous (special) waste and should be classified and managed as such. Advice on management of special waste is provided by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Guidance is provided on how to classify special waste, how to consign this waste, and how to pay for the waste to be moved safely.

Some manufacturers of flares and pyrotechnics offer takeback schemes. There are specialist hazardous waste disposal companies and operators who can manage this waste in the correct manner.

With regard to maritime flares, maritime safety is a reserved matter. Certain HM Coastguard locations are licensed to store flares, and will accept flares for disposal at their discretion. There are a small number of coastguard operations bases in island and rural locations in Scotland where flares can be taken for safe disposal.

The Self-directed Support (Direct Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 set out that people in receipt of a direct payment, Option 1 of Self-directed Support, may employ family members where this is deemed appropriate in certain prescribed circumstances. However, if the family member is acting as Power of Attorney or Guardian and managing a direct payment, it is prohibited under the Section 9 of the Direct Payment regulations for family members to be employed as personal assistants.

Local authorities should consider requests to employ family members on a case by case basis, taking into account the family member’s health, their capacity to provide the required care, and other welfare and wellbeing factors.

Throughout the development of our new social security system our overriding commitment is to the safe and secure transfer of disability assistance from the Department for Work and Pensions to Social Security Scotland. It is essential that clients continue to receive the payments they rely on. However, our decision-making processes will be significantly improved in order to better meet the needs of clients. This includes an expedited application process for clients who are terminally ill. We are also significantly improving the definition of terminal illness by removing arbitrary time constraints and ensuring decisions are better informed by clinical judgement.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Government is committed to developing and implementing a national specification for neurodevelopmental services which outlines service standards that all Boards should follow, to ensure access to this support is effective and consistent across Scotland. The national specification for neurodevelopmental services will be published shortly and will provide a basis to enhance evidence and data collection in relation to neurodevelopmental assessments and pathways for children and young people.