Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33160 on 22 January 2025. 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

Transport Scotland has developed an Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (ACCAR), which provides a strategic overview of our approach primarily on infrastructure and services directly under Transport Scotland control. A key deliverable of this work is the development of a Trunk Road Adaptation Plan, based on a climate vulnerability and risk assessment using the latest UK climate projections. The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will be published in 2025. It includes key interventions and recommendations for further adapting the Trunk Road Network. There will be a focus on risks associated with increased surface water flooding, river flooding, river scour and landslides.

The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will complement the work of our roads Vulnerable Locations Operational Group (VLOG), which was established in 2021 in line with the commitments set out in the National Transport Strategy Delivery Plan 2020 – 2022 with an initial focus on delivering short-term cost-effective actions, whilst developing a move to a long-term proactive approach, including a dedicated budget for climate change adaptation.

The VLOG has targeted resource on early flood level warning systems around A90 river crossings and undertaken specific bridge scour assessments and inspections to national standards to enable resources to be focused on potential future risk areas

We support a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector. The judgements and issues our view on future licencing of oil and gas are informed and influenced by recent developments in the UK Government’s energy policy and court decisions. This is a rapidly changing landscape, and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.

We continue to call on UK Government to also listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition. We also continue to monitor evidence and information on the energy transition and fuel security from a range of sources.

Current installation costs for both cat’s eyes and emergency telephones relate to commercially sensitive information that would be inappropriate to share. It could be argued by incumbent Operating Companies and DBFO Companies that disclosing this information could provide competitors with a pricing advantage in future similar tendering exercises

It is for individual Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to set levy rates and to decide if a cap should be applied. BIDs must clearly set out in their BID proposal documents who is liable for the levy, the amount of levy to be collected and how it is calculated.

All civil service appointments are governed by the Civil Service Commission (Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)) whose remit is to ensure that selections for appointment to the UK Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Commission’s Recruitment Principles (paragraphs 44 – 48) explain that Permanent Secretary competitions are chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner (or nominee), who will be responsible for ensuring that Ministers are fully involved in competitions in which they have an interest and that their views are relayed to the panel, and taken into account.

In the case of the appointment of the Scottish Government Permanent Secretary, the process is run by the Cabinet Office, with close co-operation from the Scottish Government People Director. The First Minister is consulted throughout the process and makes the final selection decision from the appointable candidates, in consultation with the Head of the Civil Service and the First Civil Service Commissioner. The recruitment process is currently underway and is expected to be concluded by the end of February 2025.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a national ban on pavement parking, double parking, and parking at dropped kerbs, which came into effect on 11 December 2023. Enforcement of these prohibitions is the responsibility of local authorities.

Transport Scotland collates the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued annually, now including those for pavement parking. The most recent figures were published in December 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/decriminalised-parking-enforcement-dpe-report-2023-2024

Figures for the current year (2024-25) will be published in December 2025.

The delivery of a national thrombectomy service has already received over £38m of investment. Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and Galloway Community Hospital are both now able to refer suitable patients for thrombectomy procedures.

We have recently provided funding for thrombectomy nurse posts in spoke sites with high rates of ischaemic stroke, including in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and this will support maximising access to thrombectomy across Scotland.

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, once scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that made to GPs in each financial year. NHS Boards are responsible for all contractual arrangements with their GP practices. The Scottish Government does not routinely monitor these arrangements.

The master of the vessel convicted of fishing in the South Aran Marine Protected Area was initially offered a £10,000 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), the maximum permitted under the FPN scheme. This consisted of £4,000 for the "access offence" and £6,000 for the value of the catch, as determined when the catch was inspected by Marine Directorate Officers at the time of landing. The FPN was not paid and the case was reported the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service and the case went to trial where the master was fined £4175 by the Sheriff.

The catch consisted of 914kg of king scallops, which was sold to a merchant. The merchant provided the Marine Directorate with a salenote stating the value of the catch was £4548.50. The value of the catch would have been paid to the owner of the vessel.

Further details of the FPN are available - Marine compliance: fixed penalty notices - gov.scot