Chamber and committees

Eligibility is based on when a child is first old enough to start primary school and is not affected by deferred P1 entry. The current application window is for children born between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022, with the application dates for children born before March 2021 having now passed. We automatically award the School Age Payment to eligible families in receipt of Scottish Child Payment, without the need to apply, reducing the risk of missing out even if a child’s school start is deferred. In the 2024-25 financial year 91% of School Age Payments were made automatically and the take-up rate was 97%.

We will take forward legislation to put in place a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland by the end of this Parliament.

The Scottish Government has no plans to amend schedule 1 of The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (the EIA Regulations). Decision-makers have a responsibility to consider the environmental implications of all planning applications. In cases where a proposal is likely to have a significant environmental effect, these powers are further supplemented by the requirements and procedures set out in the EIA Regulations.

The Scottish Government has no plans to amend schedule 1 of The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (the EIA Regulations). Decision-makers have a responsibility to consider the environmental implications of all planning applications. In cases where a proposal is likely to have a significant environmental effect, these powers are further supplemented by the requirements and procedures set out in the EIA Regulations.

The Scottish Government is working to assess how the extension of the £2 bus fare cap pilot to the west of Scotland can best be taken forward as quickly as is practicable. It is crucial that we work with the industry to understand the practical, operational and technical requirements for delivery.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the transition to EVs by ensuring that charging infrastructure is comprehensive, convenient and accessible.

The Road (Scotland) Act 1984 identifies that responsibility for the road network, including control of private installations sits with roads authorities. Under Section 109 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, local authorities already have the power to issue permits for the installation of private apparatus, such as EV home charging points, therefore decisions pertaining to cross-pavement charging are the responsibility of Scotland’s local authorities, not Scottish Ministers.

Current legislation does not provide a basis for the Scottish Government to develop national guidance. However, with support from Transport Scotland, on 22 May, the Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS) – a strategic collaborative body representing Scotland’s 32 local authorities and seven regional transport partnerships – published guidance on cross-pavement charging addressing the legal, safety and accessibility issues associated with its provision. This is a standard practice for roads authorities, who regularly collaborate in this way through SCOTS to produce national guidance.

Through the Scottish Government’s Cross-Pavement Charging Grant Fund, households can access grants of up to £3,500 to help meet the cost of installing cross-pavement charging solutions at domestic properties without off-street parking, subject to agreement from the relevant local authority.

The extension of the £2 bus fare cap pilot to the west of Scotland will help address cost of living pressures for people in that region. Once introduced, it is our priority to then take forward legislation in this parliament to put in place a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland.

The costs for implementing new policies will be detailed during the standard budget setting process.

The Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 state that in order to be eligible for the payment, a young person must have been looked after under section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 on or after their 16th birthday, and they must also have left care or continuing care on or after 1 April 2026.

The purpose of the payment is to help ‘care leavers’ (those looked after in accordance with section 17) overcome financial challenges and to provide additional financial security when they leave care and move on into adulthood and more independent living. Research and feedback from stakeholders show that the leaving care transition point is a large life milestone that may be especially challenging for care leavers, if informal support networks are absent.

Only young people who are looked after under section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (and meet the other eligibility requirements) will receive the payment. Section 17(6) includes children who are in looked after kinship care, which means that they have been placed with kinship carers by the local authority. Young people who are subject to an order under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are not looked after for the purposes of section 17(6) of that Act and are therefore not eligible for the payment.

Young people who were looked after under section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, but do not meet the other eligibility criteria (for example, they left care or continuing care prior to 1st April 2026 or ceased to be looked after prior to their 16th birthday), will not be eligible for the payment.

The Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 state that in order to be eligible for the payment, a young person must have been looked after under section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 on or after their 16th birthday, and they must also have left care or continuing care on or after 1 April 2026.

The purpose of the payment is to help ‘care leavers’ (those looked after in accordance with section 17) overcome financial challenges and to provide additional financial security when they leave care and move on into adulthood and more independent living. Research and feedback from stakeholders show that the leaving care transition point is a large life milestone that may be especially challenging for care leavers, if informal support networks are absent.