Chamber and committees

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service paid ALLIANCE £18,416 (ex vat) for the design, facilitation and reporting on in-person public meetings as part of the Service Delivery Review (SDR) consultation. This included the participation of multiple ALLIANCE staff as note-takers during breakout table discussions.

The Scottish Government remains committed to introducing Road Traffic Diversionary Courses (RTDCs), including Speed Awareness Courses, as part of Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030. However, legislative changes by the UK Government are required before they can be introduced in Scotland. While no implementation date has been confirmed, we will continue to work with the UK Government to bring forward the necessary changes as soon as possible.

The exact timing of the submission of the Berwick Bank Seabird Compensation Plan is a matter for SSE Renewables. Current indication from SSE Renewables for submission is late in 2026. As per the Section 36 consent condition, consultation will be undertaken with NatureScot; Natural England and any such other advisors or organisations as may be required at the discretion of the Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering Environmental Standards Scotland’s (ESS) report Protecting Scotland’s Seafloor: as assessment of Scottish Ministers’ implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, and will work constructively with ESS to seek to agree an appropriate action plan within the timescale suggested in the report.

Officials are currently considering evidence gathered through the 2025 public consultation on the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments and the subsequent stakeholder engagement undertaken in spring 2026 on the Working Paper: Onshore renewable energy - refreshing the good practice principles for community benefits: working paper - gov.scot. Subject to the completion of this work, the Scottish Government plans to publish the refreshed onshore Good Practice Principles before the end of 2026.

Transport Scotland has not had any discussions regarding funding of the Neilston to Uplawmoor link through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.

Transport Scotland did not receive an application from East Renfrewshire Council for the proposed Neilston to Uplawmoor link through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 2 since it started.

In addition, East Renfrewshire Council did not allocate any of its ATIF Tier 1 funding to the proposed Neilston-Uplawmoor link in 2025-26.

Scottish Government published statutory guidance on compensating for adverse effects from offshore wind in July 2026. The guidance sets out processes for accessing a wider range of compensatory measures, including a requirement to work through a compensation hierarchy. As set out, the guidance should be applied by offshore wind developers when preparing compensation proposals. This includes the developer of the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm.

The Scottish Government has held regular discussions with the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) regarding delivery of the revised Dormant Assets Policy Direction Framework. Consultation, scoping and analysis are continuing by NLCF, with funding programmes expected to be developed by March 2027. The outcomes of the consultation, including with credit unions and community finance providers, will help shape future engagement with financial inclusion stakeholders and inform the delivery of funding programmes.

The Scottish Government does not support the building of new nuclear power stations under current technologies. New nuclear is expensive, slow to deliver and generates radioactive waste which can remain dangerous for thousands of years.

We are working to deliver a resilient, affordable and clean energy system for the people of Scotland. Scotland’s renewable resource, supported by storage, flexibility and grid investment, offers the quickest route to achieving this.

The total claimed from Sustrans through the Transport Scotland funded Places for Everyone Fund for the Neilston to Uplawmoor link was £199,274, of which £28,932 was claimed for Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work stages 0-2 and £170,342 for stages 3-4.

No consideration has been given to recovering or repurposing the funding, as the £199,274 provided was expended for the purposes for which it was awarded, namely development and design work associated with the proposed Neilston to Uplawmoor link.