Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is working with Zero Waste Scotland to update their latest capacity analysis and expect to publish the results in 2026.

This work will inform the development of Scotland's residual waste plan to 2045.

The Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland made it clear that Scotland does not need additional waste incineration facilities to treat our unavoidable and unrecyclable municipal residual waste, beyond those for which planning permission has already been granted, with very limited exceptions.

That is why the Scottish Government introduced restrictions on energy from waste developments in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which came into effect on 13 February 2023. This sets out that development proposals for energy from waste facilities will not be supported except in limited circumstances where a national or local need has been sufficiently demonstrated (e.g. in terms of capacity need or carbon benefits) as part of a strategic approach to residual waste management. No new energy from waste planning requests have been submitted since NPF4 was adopted.

Any changes to an existing incineration facility’s throughput (i.e. authorised capacity) requires an application to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for a permit variation.

The Scottish Government recognises that national capacity is not currently considered in SEPA’s environmental permit decisions and will work with SEPA to ensure that the Scottish Government’s indicative capacity cap for residual waste, under development through Scotland’s residual waste plan due in 2027, is reflected in regulations and considered when assessing environmental permits. This will ensure that, going forward, SEPA will consider national capacity as part of environmental permitting.

Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland, including data for NHS Grampian and national averages. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

Our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.

This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

The Scottish Government’s strategic direction for respiratory care is currently set through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland. This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and effective long term management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

The Scottish Government is aware of calls from respiratory stakeholders in England for a Modern Service Framework focused on respiratory care. To clarify, the UK Government has not introduced such a framework. Modern Service Frameworks are being developed for major conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, but respiratory conditions are not currently included.

The Scottish Government will continue to monitor emerging approaches from across the UK while taking forward our long term, evidence informed approach.

We welcome DEFRA's strategic assessment report on Nature security and the attention it brings to the critical importance of biodiversity both domestically and globally. We will take these findings into consideration as we work to deliver our biodiversity ambitions through the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and its first five year delivery plan.

Detailed consideration for such a proposal is not considered necessary: the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2025 requires that anyone selling or otherwise transferring ownership of any dog must give regard to a Code of Practice setting out a range of considerations relating to the health and welfare of the dog, and that both parties must complete and sign a certificate which, amongst other details, confirms that the acquirer has received any relevant health records.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Scottish Government does not hold this information however the econometric analysis that was undertaken for Evaluation of the Peak Fares trial and the Outline Business Case for Permanent removal will be repeated to assess the initial impact of permanent removal. Towards the end of the first 12-month period this will be augmented by survey work to get a full picture of the impact of the policy

The procurement process for ScotRail’s replacement fleet is currently under way. The Public Contracts Scotland website sets out the vehicle procurement: View Notice - Public Contracts Scotland.

The Battery electric multiple units (BEMUs) are being procured to operate as a pooled fleet, with no specific vehicles being allocated just to the Fife routes.

Since 2023, following the launch of active travel transformation by the (then) Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants Rights, Transport Scotland has been reshaping the way active travel funding is delivered. This revised approach places Local Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) at the heart of delivery. Both have established relationships with community organisations and national active travel delivery partners, which they use to support local and regional priorities.

The new funding model is designed to increase the pathways through which organisations can access support, rather than restrict them. It broadens opportunities at local and regional levels rather than concentrating them nationally, meaning that more organisations have the opportunity to apply for support.

Community organisations seeking funding for active travel initiatives should engage directly with their Local Authority or RTP to explore the range of available funding streams, including those delivered through the People & Place programme.

Fair Work First is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work plan and it requires employers to meet a minimum standard of practice to access public sector grants.

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with any operators of a proposed ferry service with regards to Fair Work First.