Chamber and committees

As of the end of the day on 21 November 2022, there had been a total of 34,018,746 journeys made under the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

The following table shows the number of cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of the end of the day on 21 November 2022, broken down to local authority level.

This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The table includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile application.

We are in discussion with the UK Government and Devolved Administrations on what action is required for the UK to meet the pledge.

Within Scotland, methane is emitted from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources; agricultural activities, landfills and oil and gas systems. Laid out below are the actions we are currently taking to reduce methane emissions. However, the next Climate Change Plan will include new policies on reducing all greenhouse gas emissions.

The bulk of methane emissions come from agricultural production, and action is being taken to bring these down. Feed additives have the potential to reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle and sheep and we are continuing to work with the industry. The First Minister announced at COP26 more than £100m investment by Royal DSM in Scotland , focused on reducing methane emissions from farming while Scottish Development International (SDI) has also supported the investment of DSM Nutrition in Scotland for the manufacture of its EU-approved methane-reducing food additive. Alongside the UK Government, Welsh Government and NI Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs we have just completed a call for evidence on the potential role of methane supressing livestock feed products, which will allow us to explore further opportunities for methane reduction in this area.

Currently the majority of Waste Management sector greenhouse gas emissions come from the degradation, with time, of biodegradable waste in landfill sites, which produces methane. Although landfill greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by 72% from 2005 to 2020 (in line with a 63% reduction in the tonnage of waste landfilled), we know we need to go further to decrease this more. The actions set out in the recent Waste Route Map are therefore key to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. These include current actions like the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill by 2025, expansion of the existing landfill gas capture programme from 2023; and proposed new actions, including the development of a Residual Waste Plan to ensure the best environmental outcome for materials and set strategic direction for management of residual waste to 2045.

Offshore oil and gas is reserved to the UK Government, meaning reducing methane emissions in that area sits with them. As regards onshore oil and gas refining, large industrial, gas and petrochemical sites have a requirement in their Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Permits for regular Leak Detection and Repair programmes for fugitive gases (which would include methane, where appropriate). Reviews of methane emissions from National Grid sites regulated by SEPA under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 are undertaken with the Operator.

As part of the development of our new Strategic Framework for biodiversity we have recently consulted on a new Biodiversity Strategy where we set out our high level vision to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and reverse declines by 2045. Consultation responses are being analysed and a draft of the strategy will be published in December 2022. We identified outcomes that we wish to see across a range of different land- and sea-scapes, including our woodlands and forestry, recognising the importance of native woodland cover and woodland ecosystem health to sustaining our rich biodiversity.  

We know that we need to enable large scale regeneration through reductions in herbivore impacts, the removal of invasive non-native species and new native woodland planting. The second part of our Strategic Framework will be the underpinning fluid, dynamic delivery plans, where we will set out the actions we need to take to deliver the outcomes we want to see as set out in the Strategy. Part of this work will involve looking closely at targets for restoration and regeneration of nature, including our annual native woodland creation target, seeking advice and views from key stakeholders and our Programme Advisory Group, which is made up of expert scientific advisers.  

The Scottish Government is committed to protecting freshwater habitats from diffuse agricultural pollution.

Responsibility for regulation of agricultural diffuse pollution lies with SEPA. Since 2009, through River Basin Management Planning SEPA has identified 57 priority catchment areas where additional intervention is needed to tackle agricultural pollution.

This priority catchment approach, involving catchment-based farm visits, has been successful in building a strong working relationship between the agricultural sectors and SEPA. To date, SEPA has completed over 6000 initial farm visits and 3500 revisits to non-compliant operators in 38 of these priority catchments with six now regarded by SEPA as reaching full compliance. SEPA will continue to complete ongoing diffuse pollution compliance work in the other 32 catchments by 2027.

Phased work in the remaining 19 priority catchments began in October with initial visits by SEPA in two new catchments – Wick and Thurso - and as of 1 November initial farm visits have commenced in the River Leven catchment.

The Programme for Government 2021-22 stated that we will work alongside Police Scotland to develop an online reporting system that will enable anyone to upload camera footage of dangerous road use. The National Dashcam Safety Portal (NDSP) initiative, which deal with all matters of careless road use including riding, cycling or walking, is being led by Police Scotland with financial support from the Scottish Government through Scotland’s Road Safety Framework Fund.

The project to introduce a pilot Dash-Cam Safety Portal into Police Scotland is in the initial business case stage with Police Scotland currently looking at the internal processing, handling and storage of digital images and how that best fits with current and projected processes.

The management of Scottish waters is an area of devolved competency. Whilst there are currently no supertrawlers in the Scottish fishing fleet, a number of other fleets operate within Scottish waters, including a small number of EU supertrawlers. As well as vessels from the rest of the UK, the TCA UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows EU vessels full access to fish shared stocks within UK waters.

It is important to note that all vessels authorised to operate in Scottish waters do so under the appropriate licenses, and are obliged to follow Scottish domestic management rules, including mesh size restrictions and closed areas. These vessels also operate within agreed quotas. The majority of commercial stocks fished are managed by the use of Total Allowable Catches (TACs). TAC levels are informed by the best available independent scientific advice, and are used with an aim to ensure sustainable fishing levels in the long term. Vessels, regardless of size or gear, are only permitted to fish the quotas that they have been allocated, in line with TACs set for each stock.

I am aware that a multinational fleet has operated in the UK/Faroe ‘Special Area’ for a number of years under the Faroese Government’s authority. This is an area of water overlapping both UK (Scottish) and Faroese waters, which the UK and the Faroe Islands both claim, and over which both Parties are entitled to exercise jurisdiction and other rights. Both the UK/Scottish Government and the Faroese Government can issue sea fishing licences, including to third country vessels, which include the right to fish within the Special Area. Under the 1999 Agreement, neither Party can prevent or impede the other from issuing such licences.

I was, however, deeply troubled by the Russian fishing activity within the Special Area earlier this year. Whilst I fully recognise that the Faroese Government has the right to license third country vessels to fish in this area, I do not condone or support the continuation of any activities which will deliver economic benefit to the Russian Federation at a time when their unlawful invasion of a sovereign state continues to pose such a threat to the global order. In the spirit of the constructive relationship we have developed with the Faroese Government, I met with the Faroese Fisheries Minister on 11 July to discuss this matter, and to reaffirm Scotland’s strong position.

We laid a brief update before parliament last week on progress against our Heat in Buildings Strategy since its publication in 2021: https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-in-buildings-strategy-2022-update/ .

Delivering the Strategy will be an essential part of meeting our net zero ambitions. The update confirms our intention to consult next year on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, and publish our Public Engagement Strategy.