Chamber and committees

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including queries relating to any Grant applications or eligibility, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I would suggest that Moray Council contact Historic Environment Scotland directly at [email protected] to discuss the Spey Viaduct Bridge repair project and any potential funding options. Further information on Historic Environment Scotland’s Grant Schemes is available at https://www.historicenvironment.scot/grants-and-funding/.

A breakdown of funding provided to local authorities from the Just Transition Fund is given in the following table. This provides details of each project that has been awarded funding:

The vessel leasing costs for the current contract period (Oct '25 to March '26) payable by CalMac Ferries to Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), for vessels currently operating the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service are detailed in the following table.

The 40.2% reduction compares the FY 25/26 budget, including Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) transfers with the FY 26/27 budget.

During the FY 2025-26, Forestry and Land Scotland received a £7.0m transfer for Peatland and Atlantic Rainforest restoration on Scotland’s national forests and land as part of the ABR. Allocation of funding for those activities in FY 2026-27 to delivery partners (including FLS) has yet to agreed.

If this transfer is removed to enable a like-for-like comparison, the reduction is 22% (£5.0m), which relates to funding for woodland creation on Scotland’s national forests and land.

There is a corresponding increase in the capital allocation to Scottish Forestry. The Scottish Government is placing a greater emphasis on supporting woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS).

Focusing woodland creation through the FGS offers improved value for money for the taxpayer, as the FGS only partially covers the cost of tree planting, requiring private investment to meet remaining costs and to purchase the land.

The Scottish Government wants to ensure that people are supported to live independently in their own homes and communities.

However, decisions on how best to deliver services for local communities are ultimately for integration authorities to make. This has to be a continuous way of working that appropriately seeks to understand the needs of local people and how best to meet them.

The Scottish Government would encourage all local partners to work together to find solutions that not only address financial pressures, but put the needs of local people – particularly those most vulnerable – at the centre.

The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund is demand-led and requires local authorities and Registered Social Landlords to identify proposals where there is identified need. To date, 25 homes have been delivered through the Fund, with a total of 41 homes having been approved. My officials regularly engage with local authorities and RSLs to encourage proposals to be brought forward.

The Fund complements our broader Affordable Housing Supply Programme which has delivered more than 12,000 homes in rural and island communities between April 2016 and March 2024, including to meet the need for key workers.

While SEPA typically produces weekly water scarcity reports from May to September, it extends the weekly reporting period as conditions require. In 2025 weekly reporting started in April and continued into October due to conditions.

Weekly reports are designed for the period of highest hydrological risk, when frequent updates offer the greatest value to both abstractors and public bodies. Extending weekly reporting across the full year, rather than responding to when conditions require it, does not represent the best use of resources at this time.

Upside does not provide funding directly to individuals released from custody.

As covered in the answer to question S6W-42664, funding is issued on a quarterly basis to Sacro as the nominated lead parter of Upside. Sacro distributes the funding to the remaining third-sector partners within the Upside partnership. This funding is used to support the operational delivery of the programme, including staff salaries, recruitment and training, IT and other associated running costs.

The cost of harbour dues CalMac Ferries paid in 2024-25 paid to CMAL was £16,589,235, other harbour authorities was £11,702,717, and Local Authorities was £12,822,773

Details relating to each harbour is detailed in the following table: