Chamber and committees

As it is set by the UK Government, the Scottish Government has no power to influence the strike price for projects in Scotland.

Independence would allow the Scottish Government to take decisions that would reduce electricity bills, including reforming our energy market arrangements and how it interacts with neighbouring markets. We would also work to ensure that the lower cost of renewables is passed to customers, with the price of electricity more accurately reflecting our abundant, low-cost renewable resources.

The full powers of independence could tackle fuel poverty in Scotland and bring the cost of living down substantially for households.

I welcome the appointment of Sharon Clelland to the role of Traffic Commissioner for Scotland and look forward to her starting the role on 6 April 2026. No discussions have taken place since Ms Clelland is not in post.

The Traffic Commissioner for Scotland is an independent regulatory appointee who plays a vital role in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of commercial vehicles and passenger transport services. In relation to bus franchising, they are a statutory consultee to the franchising process and are responsible for enforcement, they also convene the panel responsible for independent approval of a franchising framework. However, the Traffic Commissioner has no direct role in the decision-making of this panel.

Barriers in rivers have long been identified as a significant pressure on Scotland’s migratory fish populations, including our wild Atlantic salmon. Improving river connectivity by easing or removing these barriers is a priority action under our Wild Salmon Strategy and River Basin Management Planning (RBMP).

Where barriers are no longer in use, such as weirs from historic industry, the best outcomes for fish populations are often achieved by removing the barrier entirely. However, there are a range of factors to consider when making decisions on options to ease fish barriers, including flood risk, risk of erosion associated with removal, and the heritage and amenity value of historic structures. Where historic structures are adapted to be used for flood risk management or energy generation, they will usually require authorisation from SEPA.

RBMP sets out a programme of measures to remove and ease historic and redundant fish barriers which may be funded through the Water Environment Fund (WEF). With a total investment of over £37 million, WEF over the past 12 years has removed or eased 25 redundant structures, opening over 440km of river to migratory fish. The impact of this is clear, with examples such as the removal of the Bronie Burn Weir in Aberdeenshire, which now allows migratory fish to freely access 22 km of upstream habitat for first time in over 100 years

The footbridges between Junctions 21 and 23 are complex structures, which have taken longer than expected to design repairs for. Once the suspended spans were removed, previously hidden defects in the concrete were discovered. This required further testing and changes to the repair approach. Repair work on the suspended spans is continuing off-site. Work on site is expected to restart in the summer, and the footbridges are now expected to reopen in autumn 2026.

Scottish Government officials asked Historic Environment Scotland about Ballantine Castings Ltd and whether it had engaged on this issue.

I understand Historic Environment Scotland used its powers under the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2015 to carry out a rapid emergency photographic survey of the Ballantine Castings site shortly after liquidation proceedings began. It was essential to act quickly and capture the historically significant combination of buildings, patterns, machinery and equipment within one of Scotland’s last traditional foundry sites, before the next steps of the liquidation process were undertaken. These images will soon be made available to the public via www.trove.scot

Historic Environment Scotland also worked pro-actively with other national and local cultural heritage bodies at pace to secure what they can. Challenges around asbestos have complicated some aspects.

The Scottish Government is pleased to learn that the Ballast Trust has already secured the bulk of the business and archive records from the site in collaboration with other heritage bodies including Historic Environment Scotland, and with financial support from the National Archives Records at Risk fund.

I have recently spoken to senior management at the GFG Alliance, the parent organisation of Liberty Steel, about the restart of operations at Liberty Steel Dalzell. I have been advised that the restart is on track and that they have confidence that the contract will be fulfilled.

The Dalzell Plate Mill is privately owned and any decisions on its ownership are a commercial matter for the company.

National security and defence are matters reserved to the UK Parliament under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, (noting the exception of civil defence). The concept of national security does not extend devolved competence beyond those reserved matters. The Strategic Defence Review is a UK Government policy document and does not alter the statutory division of responsibilities set out in the devolution settlement. As such, including in relation to maritime matters and resilience, it does not provide additional scope for the Scottish Government to rely on the national security exemption set out in Section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 when procuring vessels for devolved purposes. As explained in the answer to question S6W-42791, marine protection vessels and marine research vessels reflect the operational needs of the Marine Directorate, are built and operated to merchant-vessel standards and fulfil functions related to fishing and environmental protection. The national security exemption within the Subsidy Control Act is intended to apply only in exceptional circumstances where this is necessary for the protection of UK national security, and its use does not affect the underlying reservation of defence and national security matters. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government on subsidy control matters through established intergovernmental mechanisms.

The Scottish Parliament’s catering service partner has recently reviewed its beverage range and is expanding its Scottish offering. This includes introducing Scottish wines alongside a wider selection of Scottish-produced alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages.

With regard to retail, the Scottish Parliament Shop product range is currently under review, and the suggestion to consider Scottish wines will be taken under consideration.

NatureScot provides comprehensive standing advice on badgers in relation to development and planning, which is directly relevant to the responsibilities of local authorities. This guidance is publicly available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/standing-advice-planning-consultations-badgers. It brings together a range of referenced sources and includes links to more detailed best-practice material, such as collaborative work undertaken around 20 years ago between Scottish Natural Heritage, the Highland Council, and several local developers in the Inverness area. Although produced some time ago, the information and core principles, particularly the importance of a holistic approach to balancing development and badger conservation, remain highly relevant today.

While there is no statutory requirement for developers to protect wider badger habitat, the law does provide strict protection for badgers and their setts. NatureScot’s advice therefore emphasises that planning authorities should also consider associated feeding areas and foraging grounds when assessing proposals. Incorporating these key habitats into development plans helps to avoid situations where legally protected setts become isolated and disconnected from essential food resources. Although such outcomes may technically comply with the law, they are ecologically undesirable, and the guidance encourages local authorities to work proactively to prevent them.

Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has confirmed there is currently no proposal to extend the operating hours of The Thistle service. Any extension would require approval from the Glasgow Integration Joint Board, as it would involve additional budgetary provision ,clear evidence of demand, and detailed planning for staffing and service delivery.