Chamber and committees

Details of decarbonisation of the Scottish rail network will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Our fourth National Planning Framework (NEF) is a long-term plan looking to 2045 that guides spatial development, sets out national planning policies, designates national developments and highlights regional spatial priorities.

Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans, which will be to take forward NPF4 in a way which responds to local challenges and opportunities. NPF4 Policy 22, flood risk and water management, sets out the need to strengthen resilience to flood risk by promoting avoidance as a first principle and reducing the vulnerability of existing and future development to flooding. NPF4 Policy 22 exception iv states that redevelopment of previously used sites in built up areas will only be supported where the LDP has identified a need to bring these into positive use and where proposals demonstrate that long-term safety and resilience can be secured in accordance with relevant SEPA advice.

Decarbonisation of Scotland’s Railway is undertaken on a phased basis. The line to Barrhead was decarbonised in December 2023. The line to East Kilbride is next, completing in December 2025. Other lines will follow.

Electrification work is delivered by Network Rail, which works with ScotRail and other train operators to take various steps in order to reduce disruption to passengers. The optimal approach to reduce disruption varies from scheme to scheme and, wherever possible work is conducted when no trains are planned to run.

In 2024, the Scottish Government France Office continued to take forward the objectives of the Scottish Government’s International Strategy [Scotland's International Strategy - gov.scot] in bringing benefits to Scotland under our key themes of Economy, Trade and Investment; Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy; and Reputation, Influence and Relationships.

Some examples from 2024 include:

To support Economy, Trade and Investment, the Scottish Government and SDI France jointly organised a Saint Andrew’s Day showcase event at the British Embassy and supported a Ministerial-led delegation of Scottish meat producers led by Quality Meat Scotland at the Salon International de l’Agroalimentaire to showcase Scottish products.

To support Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy, we continued to engage with French partners to promote green energy including at the Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Conference (FOWT) in Marseille, with a range of potential investors in the offshore wind sector in Paris and with a delegation of Scottish companies at Hyvolution.

To support Reputation, Influence and Relationships, we continued to work with the Brittany Region with our MoU, with UK delegations of multilateral organisations (UNESCO and OECD), and numerous Scottish diaspora organisations (under our Scottish Connections Framework). We also supported a range of cultural events such as the Interceltique Festival in Lorient, and worked with the UK Embassy on remembrance events and ceremonies.

Examples of our international network’s work from last business year can be found here: International network: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot

In 2019 the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed to adopt the Place Principle to help overcome organisational and sectoral boundaries, to encourage better collaboration and community involvement, and improve the impact of combined energy, resources and investment.

It promotes a shared understanding of place, and the need to take a more collaborative approach to a place’s services and assets to achieve better outcomes for people and communities. The principle encourages and enables local flexibility to respond to issues and circumstances in different places.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) embeds and promotes the Place Principle, to ensure all land-use planning decisions take account of place and local circumstances, including flooding. The NPF4 also encourages the use of the Place Standard tool in the early stages of planning, to ensure that the needs and priorities of local communities are incorporated, and for developers to demonstrate how the Place Principle has been incorporated into their proposals.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32606 on 14 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.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32572 on 9 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

As set out in our recently published National Flood Resilience Strategy, we are considering how farmers can be supported to make changes to handle extremes in water availability; for example, through improving soil management practices. We continue to work with stakeholders to make the most of existing financial support for farmers to adapt to a changing climate for the good of the farm itself, and the wider public good, as well as exploring opportunities offered by the Agricultural Reform Programme.

Existing financial support includes the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) which was launched in 2015 to promote land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland’s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change. Last year alone £4 million of funding was made available through AECS to fund irrigation lagoons. As well as support for the restoration of natural riverbank profiles and intertidal habitats through the AECS, support to restore flood plains which can provide space for flood water to be stored was also included; helping to reduce flood risk downstream.

Agricultural businesses also have a range of support available to them on water management through the Farm Advisory Service. This includes: events, peer-to-peer groups, videos, podcasts, technical notes, advice line support and up to £5,860 funding for bespoke consultancy support.

Rail services make a significant positive contribution to Scotland’s economy and communities. The provision of rail services is also a requirement under railways legislation.

Transport Scotland is working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings, who is responsible for overseeing ScotRail, to ensure that ScotRail services are delivered efficiently. This includes discussions on the regular monitoring of trends in ScotRail financial performance and delivery.