Chamber and committees

The proposed redevelopment of the site is subject to a live planning application which has been called in for determination by Scottish Ministers. As such, it would not be appropriate to comment while this case is under consideration.

The Scottish Government welcomes visions that promote the appropriate expansion of tree and woodland coverage across Scotland. We recognise the value of the 3-30-300 rule, alongside other mechanisms for identifying urban areas with low tree cover, as a means to target planting where it can deliver the greatest benefits. This includes building more resilient communities and addressing the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Our commitment to increasing access to urban woodlands and trees is demonstrated through support for the Woodlands In and Around Towns grants under the Forestry Grant Scheme, and through funding partnerships such as the Forth, Clyde and Fife Climate Forests that are delivering projects to expand tree canopy cover across towns and cities in Central Scotland.

We aware that various countries and regions are actively considering this issue and will continue to monitor the issue.

The Scottish Government has committed to bring forward a product stewardship plan in 2026 that sets out how we will tackle the environmental impact of priority products.

Shipbuilding is a highly competitive global market and is classified as sensitive under the UK Subsidy Control Act. Any direct award must therefore comply fully with both procurement and subsidy control legislation, as these frameworks operate independently but are equally critical to legal defensibility.

Defence and national security remain reserved matters under UK law, and Scotland does not commission independent naval vessels. The design of these replacement vessels reflects operational needs of the Marine Directorate and does not include warship specifications or military capability, which could misrepresent their authority at sea. MPVs are built and operated to merchant-vessel standards, with Crown-servant crews accountable to Scottish Ministers.

As merchant-class vessels, they fall outside the defence-related exemptions referenced by section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act.

Zero Waste Scotland is leading on the work to support the development of a model for regional Scottish hubs and networks for the reuse of construction materials and assets.

They are working with a consortium of European partners to undertake an EU Horizon project – Circular Construction Finance (CirCoFin). CirCoFin aims to accelerate the circular transformation of the construction sector by helping cities and regions across Europe to create infrastructure and financial mechanisms to support the reuse of building materials. Example projects are being set up in Munich, Copenhagen, Lisbon and Scotland.

CirCoFin is also working towards creating a common step-by-step approach to developing Circular Construction Hubs through the development of a practical set of tools and templates.

The aim of the Scottish project is to develop a proposal for the Circular Construction Hub model which is tailored to the specific national and regional context of Scotland. The project is divided into phases - Pre-feasibility, Feasibility, Appraisal, Due Diligence and Bankability, and Roll Out. In year one, progress has been made on the pre-feasibility phase, including initial stakeholder engagement and pre-feasibility analysis to help understand key challenges and opportunities and support thinking on potential business models, materials and locations.

Further information on the range of activities undertaken to date is available from Zero Waste Scotland and information on CirCoFin in general is available online at https://circofin.eu/.

As set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, the Scottish Government will establish an expert advisory group to help develop the most effective way to implement mandatory public reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses, with the intention of developing options from 2025-26. We continue to gather relevant evidence and engage with stakeholders to understand key issues. We will also consider any relevant responses to the consultation on the draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland. Options will be developed with stakeholders as part of our engagement with the expert advisory group, once established.

Following publication of the Learning: For All. For Life. report in July 2024, the Scottish Government and COSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 of the report to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) in December 2024. The SLG has made good progress since its inception and has identified taking action on ESOL as an immediate priority.

There are several pieces of work currently being undertaken which will feed into the work of the SLG and will inform the next steps on ESOL. This includes:

• a survey undertaken by COSLA in relation to the provision of ESOL for New Scots across local authorities;
• work being taken forward to address the issue of ESOL access and coordination for New Scots in line with the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026 commitment. This involves engagement with key stakeholders and partners to identify potential solutions for effective ESOL delivery across Scotland. This work is expected to be shared with the SLG in the first half of 2026;
• a thematic inspection of ESOL led by HM Inspectorate of Education and focussed on the experience of learners in accessing provision within communities and colleges as well as how providers respond to demand. A final report will be published in early 2026.

The SLG are also in the process of establishing a working-level Strategic Delivery Group which will take forward tangible actions linked to the priorities identified by the SLG, including on ESOL.

Noting the need for immediate action, and in direct response to recommendation 3.2, since 2024-25, over £1.2M in funding has been made available for a short-term intervention in Glasgow where evidence of high demand for ESOL is documented. In the 2024-25 academic year this enabled over 1000 learners in Glasgow to access English language classes. The aim of the funding in the 2025-26 academic year is to enable 800 learners to access or progress in their learning.

In 2025-26, a further £200,000 has been awarded to ESOL Scotland for a nationwide online ESOL pilot for up to 1,800 learners responding to the demand identified by the review report.

The Scottish Government does not routinely undertake this type of analysis and has no plans to do so. The Scottish Transport Statistics are published yearly with chapters on freight moved by mode and with data on tonnages and distance.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on whether any public bodies receive reports from Peel Ports and The King's Harbour Master regarding the monitoring of container traffic on the River Clyde.