A further extension of military aid to NHS Lanarkshire has been approved for the period 4 th February until 26 th February 2022 by both, the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Defence, there is now a phased drawdown of activity as agreed between NHS Lanarkshire and the MOD.

Our Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out how our approach to planning and development will help achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045, including through a suite of 35 proposed new or updated national planning policies. Draft policy 19 on green energy supports renewable energy development other than in national parks and national scenic areas, subject to an assessment of impacts on a case by case basis. Criteria for assessing proposals are also set out, including impacts on communities and individual dwellings, as well as on aviation.

We laid the Draft NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November 2021. Alongside Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft, we are running a public consultation, supported by an extensive engagement programme, and comments are invited by 31 March 2022. Following this period, we will consider the responses received and any appropriate amendments to the draft NPF4 before presenting a final draft to the Scottish Parliament for its approval, in advance of adoption by the Scottish Ministers.

We will give consideration, once NPF4 has been finalised and adopted, to whether and where our existing suite of planning guidance may need updated or replaced to support NPF4 implementation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-00814 on 3 March 2022 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx .

We are working closely with local authorities and are in the planning stages of our commitment to provide a device for every school aged child by the end of this Parliament. We will report to Parliament in due course.

The Scottish Government is engaging closely with COSLA and Heads of Planning Scotland to make sure we have a common understanding of the pressures faced by the planning service and to promote a highly performing system which can deliver on the ambitions set out in the emerging NPF4.

We have laid regulations in the Scottish Parliament which will bring into effect fee increases, providing substantial additional income to authorities. The new regulations are expected to come into force on 1 April 2022, subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Beyond this we have committed to engaging with the High Level Group on Planning Performance which includes COSLA, Heads of Planning Scotland and other stakeholders, on a work programme to consider how full recovery of the costs of determining applications could be achieved.

Our consideration of capacity and skills in planning has been informed by recent research commissioned by Skills Development Scotland, undertaken by EKOS and published by Partners in Planning, available at https://www.partnersinplanning.scot/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/23623/Skills-in-Planning-Research-Final-February-2021.pdf The research report provides an independent perspective on the challenges faced and a series of proposed actions. Scottish Government is working with the other partner members of Partners in Planning to take forward the proposed actions to help ensure the future pipeline of planners needed to deliver on our ambitions. This includes supporting a short project recently commissioned by Heads of Planning Scotland and the RTPI to explore options and set out proposals to help increase the numbers of people entering the planning profession.

Delivering the NPF4 spatial strategy and implementing its national policy will require collaboration and we will continue to work with stakeholders as we progress towards a finalised NPF4 and beyond.

Up to £5m funding has been made available to local authorities on the basis that they may use it to undertake remedial action in line with guidance on ventilation, with problematic spaces prioritised for action.

As part of the funding arrangements and ongoing work with local authorities on schools/ELC ventilation, the Scottish Government has agreed updated reporting arrangements with local authorities to ensure an appropriate understanding of how and to what extent funding is being used to support remedial action.

During the Covid pandemic Network Rail and Transport Scotland examined ways where efficiency savings could be made. There has been no reduction to the maintenance budget in Scotland.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS is taking forward the work in relation to the transition of HMP Kilmarnock from the private sector into public ownership. A Project Executive is to be appointed within SPS and thereafter the relevant stakeholders will be identified for future discussions.

Our guidance asks local authorities to complete assessments of ventilation in their schools and to ensure that all day care of children services have access to CO2 monitoring, whether via mobile or fixed devices.

We have empowered local authorities to make their own supply arrangements, and supported them to overcome logistical problems when they have arisen.

a) The ChargePlace Scotland Single Framework Agreement between Transport Scotland and SWARCO eVolt Ltd will be published shortly.

b) The ChargePlace Scotland Single Framework Agreement contains Key Performance Indictors (KPI), it is the KPIs which Transport Scotland use to monitor the contractor’s performance. These KPI’s have been published on the ChargePlace Scotland website and are updated monthly. The Framework Agreement describes the service levels which the contractor is expected to deliver in Schedule 1 of the document.