Chamber and committees

It was not possible to support all of the submitted projects within the available budget. There is currently no scope to support the reserved projects however should additional budget become available this will be considered. As part of the pipeline approach reserved projects can be considered for support in future years, subject to annual budget availability.

£636,431.99 has been spent to date.

As substantial financial pressures persist, we are unable to confirm whether it is possible to provide financial support to fund the planned expansion of the Scottish Events Campus (SEC). However, we continue to be open to further engagement with the SEC, which has an excellent track record and reputation for hosting conferences, concerts and events, ranking highly as it does in the global Pollstar rankings and contributing to Scotland’s reputation as The Perfect Stage.

The Scottish Government has not to date, provided any direct financial support for the People’s Palace redevelopment project. However, I understand that this project was accepted onto Historic Environment Scotland’s, Historic Environment Repair Grant programme in May 2023 and is currently going through the development process.

I will be meeting with Glasgow Life in the coming months to learn more about the project and the opportunities it could deliver for the local community, the wider heritage sector, Scotland’s economy, and tackling child poverty.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has now entered into committee stage in the House of Lords. Following the conclusion of the Bill’s passage through Westminster, we expect to consult on the extension of restrictions on smoke-free places.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has now entered into committee stage in the House of Lords. Following the conclusion of the Bill’s passage through Westminster, we expect to consult on the extension of restrictions on smoke-free places.

In the financial year 2024-2025, there was one banning order granted for tobacco and five banning orders granted for vapes.

Public sources of information indicate that BAE Systems is among the contenders to supply new frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy. No discussions have taken place between BAE Systems, the UK Government and the Scottish Government on partnership in the Type 26 Norway frigate campaign. However, given the potential industrial and employment opportunities for Scotland are significant, officials from the UK and Scottish Governments have held constructive informal discussions around how the bid might be best supported.

The law underpinning judicial review of administrative action in Scotland is devolved and within the control of the Scottish Parliament. Judicial review functions are within the framework of Scots administrative law, with the power held by the Court of Session.

The time limit for judicial review is set out in the Court of Session Act 1988. The Act provides a three-month time limit for actions to be brought and where it is equitable to do so, allows the court to accept petitions out with this time limit.

The three-month time limit was introduced via the Court Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, following consultation, as this struck an appropriate balance of avoiding unnecessary delay whilst maintaining access to justice.

While the three-month time limit is the ‘standard’ period for bringing a judicial review, the 2014 Act allows for different periods to be set for particular cases. This is relevant as the time period for bringing a judicial review against any decision on any planning application or appeal determined by the Scottish Ministers is six weeks. This is set out in section 239 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

The substantive laws regarding the grounds of judicial review in Scotland are similar to those in England and Wales, however the Scottish Government will not express a view about the position in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government’s priority is to ensure that those who are most impacted by the refinery closure receive support. We are providing support to the workforce, who are facing redundancy as a result of the refinery’s closure. We are providing a comprehensive retraining offer, which is delivered by Forth Valley College and is equipping workers right now with the skills to transition into in-demand industries. We are also focussed on supporting businesses to bring forward propositions that will help to secure a long term and sustainable future for the industrial cluster which will create the jobs and economic opportunities for years to come. The Project Willow study has identified nine projects that are viable alternatives to existing fossil-based operations. If brought to fruition, those projects could support 800 direct jobs at Grangemouth, along with others across the supply chain.