Chamber and committees

We expect NatureScot’s work to progress the Scotland’s Great Trails brand to a new model will to be concluded in late 2026.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Details on how many drones are in operation in NHS Scotland would require to be requested from NHS Boards.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36643 on 2 May 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.

Below is a list of how many buses were ordered under each round of the Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme broken down by manufacturer. As previously advised in answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 on 3 July 2025, the Scottish Government does not collect data on the locations in which vehicles are manufactured.

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.

Round 1

Alexander Dennis Ltd

• 12 ADL Enviro 400 EV
• 23 ADL Enviro 200 EV

Yutong

• 22 Yutong E12

Round 2

Alexander Dennis Ltd

• 113 ADL Enviro 400 EV
• 59 ADL Enviro 200 EV

Yutong

• 33 Yutong E12
• 10 Yutong TCe12

Below is a list of how many buses were ordered under each round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund broken down by manufacturer. As previously advised in answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 on 3 July 2025, the Scottish Government does not collect data on the locations in which vehicles are manufactured.

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

Round 1

Alexander Dennis Ltd

25 ADL Enviro 400

19 ADL Enviro 350H

4 ADL Enviro 200

Round 2

Alexander Dennis Ltd

9 ADL Enviro 400

Optare

3 Optare Solo

Volvo

10 Volvo 7900H

Round 3

Alexander Dennis Ltd

3 ADL Enviro 350H

Optare

1 Optare Solo

Volvo

20 Volvo 7900H

Round 4

Alexander Dennis Ltd

18 ADL Enviro 400 (with Volvo B5LH chassis)

Volvo

14 Volvo 7900H

Round 5

Alexander Dennis Ltd

29 ADL Enviro 400

58 ADL Enviro 200

Optare

6 Optare Solo

Volvo

20 Volvo 7900H

Wrightbus

30 Wrightbus Streetlite

Round 6

Alexander Dennis Ltd

26 ADL Enviro 400

Volvo

20 Volvo B5LH

Round 7

Alexander Dennis Ltd

25 ADL Enviro 400

Optare

1 Optare Electric

Volvo

6 Volvo B5LH

Round 8

Alexander Dennis Ltd

125 ADL Enviro 400

3 ADL Enviro 200

(a) Enviro400EV – (SULEBs) 125, (ScotZEB) 59.

(b) Enviro200EV – (SULEBs) 82, (ScotZEB) 74.

(c) Enviro100EV – (SULEBs) 0, (ScotZEB) 21.

(d) Enviro400MMC – 0.

(e) Enviro200MMC – 0.

I wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 25 June 2024 to confirm that a market testing exercise for Glasgow Prestwick Airport was underway. Scottish Ministers’ longstanding position is that the airport should be returned to the private sector at the appropriate time and opportunity. This must be to an organisation with the commitment and capability to operate businesses directly relevant to GPA.

Any decision to sell GPA must represent value for money for taxpayers and be informed by what is right for the long-term success of the business and its contribution to the local and Scottish economy. I am unable to comment on the structure of any transaction that returns GPA to private ownership or any conditions that would apply post-sale completion.

The process is ongoing and I will update Parliament when a significant development has been made.

Through ScotZEB 1, the average subsidy per vehicle, excluding infrastructure was £176,000. Through ScotZEB 2, the average subsidy per vehicle, excluding infrastructure is £108,000. ScotZEB 2 is still a live project in its delivery phase, and consortium membership and vehicle numbers may be subject to change. Both phases of ScotZEB have been designed to bring about a market transformation in Scotland’s bus sector, to see the rapid adoption of zero-emission technologies.

Through ScotZEB 1, all subsidy was offered to bus operators, not to bus manufacturers. Similarly, through ScotZEB 2, the grant award was made to Zenobe Energy, to manage on behalf of their consortium of operators, and no subsidy went directly to manufacturers.

The social value of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund arises in several ways, including through the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the bus sector by accelerating the uptake of zero emission buses and coaches as part of wider activity to address the climate emergency.

In addition, Wider community and decarbonisation benefit was included among the criteria for ScotZEB 2, accounting for 10% of the total score. The guidance to applicants explained that this could include job creation, making assets (particularly infrastructure) available to a wider number of users and / or transport modes. The programme’s delivery of this criterion are assessed through evidence provided in annual reports to Scottish Ministers from the consortium. The full criteria for ScotZEB2 can be found online at https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund-phase-2/

The programme has been highly successful against these aims: through ScotZEB and its predecessor programme SULEBS, more than 800 zero-emission buses and coaches have been introduced to Scotland’s roads, a network of charging facilities established for use by bus operators and other businesses, and new business models introduced to the sector to help make the use of zero emission technology financially sustainable. This contributes to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, as well as higher air quality and lower noise pollution, particularly in urban areas. Furthermore, ScotZEB 2 has seen, in only its first year, 60 new jobs in the Dundee area at zero-emission coach company Ember linked to their participation in the successful ScotZEB consortium.

I recognise the importance of housing co-operatives and the need to support and encourage them. While we already have powers to make amendments to this section, given the importance of HMO licensing in protecting tenants in Scotland, any decision to make such a change should not be taken lightly, and certainly not before full consideration of any unintended consequences and mitigations had been undertaken. On that basis, the Scottish Government has no immediate plans to change the legislation relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing requirements.

England and Wales operate a different HMO licensing regime from Scotland.