Chamber and committees

Nine of the Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectors have received training in fish welfare. Currently four veterinarians from the Animal and Plant Health Agency have received training and are available to conduct fish farm welfare inspections.

The Scottish Government routes its funding for sport through sport scotland, the National Agency

for Sport. sport scotland has made the following direct investments in university sport since 2007.

sport scotland has made the following direct investments in university sport since 2007.

sport scotland capital investment into Scottish university* sport since 2007

* sport scotland also invested in one college sport facility during this period: 2015-16

| Perth College | Climbing Centre | Perth & Kinross | £200,000 award | £747,255 total

project cost | funding source – National Lottery. **Aberdeen Sports Village is a partnership

between the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council. sport scotland revenue

investment into Scottish university sport since 2007 sport scotland invests Scottish

Government and National Lottery funding into Scottish Student Sport*. Scottish Student

Sport has the aim of ensuring quality and breadth in well-managed sporting programmes,

increasing and promoting involvement in physical activity and aiding and supporting the

development of appropriate professional structures and systems throughout sport in Tertiary

Education in Scotland. Scottish Student Sport are hosted by the University of Edinburgh,

but work across tertiary education institutions in Scotland.  

Since 2007, sport scotland has invested the following:

• 2018-19 - £135,000
• 2017-18 - £135,000
• 2016-17 - £130,000
• 2015-16 - £130,000
• 2014-15 - £116,250
• 2013-14 - £56,250
• 2012-13 - £40,000
• 2011-12 - £40,000*
• 2010-11 - £55,025
• 2009-10 - £55,025
• 2008-09 - £40,000
• 2007-08 - £35,000

*Scottish Student Sport is the amalgamation of Scottish Universities Sport and Scottish

Colleges Sport. Prior to 2011-12, sport scotland invested in Scottish Universities Sport.

The Scottish Funding Council also provide direct funding for University Sport.

Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy met with the Scottish Food Commission at their final meeting on 28 June 2018 and provided verbal feedback on their recommendations for the Good Food Nation Bill. The Commissioners were thanked for their work and deliberations and assured that full consideration would be given on how best to take forward their recommendations and to incorporate those proposals that were not already happening into the government's work to deliver our ambition to be a Good Food Nation.

The Scottish Food Commission held its final meeting on 28 June 2018.

Within Scotland there are currently two authorised facilities that can use vehicle tyres as part of their feedstock for either energy or cement production. These are Levenseat Renewable Energy Limited by Forth, Lanarkshire and Tarmac Cement and Lime Limited at Dunbar, East Lothian. Use of waste tyres as cement kiln fuel is regulated under Industrial Emissions Directive which sets stringent conditions for co-incineration of waste.

Apart from these two operations, most of Scotland’s tyres are stored and transported elsewhere for treatment. The transport of waste tyres should only be undertaken by registered waste carriers, their movement should be described on suitably completed controlled waste transfer notes and their storage or treatment should only take place at premises that have been appropriately authorised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Every part of the supply chain from production through transport to final treatment should comply with the over-arching Duty of Care requirements ensuring that waste is managed safely.

The majority of waste tyre exports are carried out under ‘green list’ controls which do not require application to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) but do require paperwork to be sent in which provides details on the waste type, quantity, date of shipment, recipient country and facility etc. The data below is therefore based on what has been submitted to SEPA.

Approximate tonnages exported for the last 5 years from Scotland are as follows;

2014 - 1,696 Tonnes (212,000 car tyres)

2015 - 1,460 Tonnes (182,500 car tyres)

2016 - 2,236 Tonnes (279,500 car tyres)

2017 - 702 Tonnes (87,750 car tyres)

2018 - 780 Tonnes (97,500 car tyres)

The majority of the tyres captured in the data above have been sent to India. When SEPA becomes aware of shipment of tyres to countries such as India, the exporter is required to furnish SEPA with the details of the recipient recovery facility, including permit which allows for the acceptance of tyres and of the contracts which need to be in place as required by the Waste Shipment Regulations. Where possible SEPA will also try and make contact with the Environment Agencies of the recipient countries to ask them to verify the suitability of the receiving facilities.

While planning applications for new infrastructure are considered by Scottish Ministers under S37 of the Electricity Act, regulation of electricity infrastructure and electricity markets is a reserved policy area, In line with our Energy Strategy published in December 2017, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of developing a smart and flexible electricity grid to enable and support the decarbonisation of the whole energy system in taking forward our success in delivering growth in renewable energy to decarbonise our heat and transport sectors.

This whole system approach is at the heart of our Energy Strategy which highlights the vital role that smarter and more dynamic networks will play - supporting decarbonisation, empowering consumers and communities, and enabling the development of smarter, local models and approaches which we believe will be a vital component of our energy future.

Later this year, we will publish a Networks Vision Statement. This will set out in more detail the vital part that Scotland’s electricity and gas networks will play in the transition to a low carbon future.

The Forth Replacement Crossing Public Transport Strategy was developed in collaboration with bus operators, City of Edinburgh Council, Fife Council and SEStran. The strategy has helped deliver a number of interventions including bus hard shoulder running on sections of the M90 both north and south of the Forth as well a Halbeath Park and Ride. It is up to all members of the group to play their part and Transport Scotland intends to publish an update to the strategy to reflect the current status of each intervention. The evaluation of the performance of public transport measures will form part of the overall project evaluation for the Queensferry Crossing and this will help inform future investment considerations.

Further to the above, as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal the Scottish Government has committed £20 million for public transport infrastructure identified by the West Edinburgh Transport Appraisal work. City Region Deal partners will also contribute towards the improvements in West Edinburgh.

It is anticipated that the Local Rail Development Fund will reopen for a second round of applications in the Autumn, giving those previously refused in the first round the opportunity to receive feedback on their applications before considering if they wish to resubmit.