Chamber and committees

Scottish Ministers remain committed to working with councils to ensure that all households across Scotland benefit from a council tax freeze in 2024-25. Our offer to Argyll and Bute Council and Inverclyde Council to deliver a freeze in 2024-25 remains on the table.

Enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authority, in this case North Ayrshire Council. There are a wide range of enforcement powers in planning legislation and planning authorities have discretion to determine what power, or combination of powers, to use in any particular situation.

In this case the reporter accepted the proposed planning conditions suggested by the council with minor alterations.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

By adopting a person-centred approach, SPS aims to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care.

The placing of transgender individuals is made on a case-by-case basis depending on the persons individual circumstances, including an assessment of individual risk and need.

No transgender woman with violence against women and girls’ markers who presents a risk to women and girls will be admitted to or placed in the women’s estate.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25567 on 15 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

As defined in the Gender Recognition Act 2004, SPS cannot legally ask an individual to declare a Gender Recognition Certificate, however, SPS will record this information when an individual in our care choses to share this with us. At present, there are less than 5 individuals in custody who have chosen to share this information with SPS.

Ministers are considering the implications and options for delivery of the regeneration budget in 2024-2025 and we have yet to make decisions on a future application round for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

We take online safety very seriously and our expectation is that online service providers will act responsibly.

Though regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to securing the online safety of our children and young people. That is why the First Minister urged the UK Government to include additional measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 to protect children and vulnerable adults online and go further to encourage tech firms to design out illegal and harmful material.

The regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government.

Notwithstanding, the Scottish Government has been very clear that providers also have a responsibility to enforce their own policies on harmful online content. We continue to engage with the UK Government and Ofcom, on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 in Scotland, and to press for stronger protections to keep children and vulnerable adults safe online.

The Bill was introduced on Wednesday 13 March, and published on Thursday 14 March 2024.

Having regard to the development plan the reporter considered that the determining issues in this appeal were the principle of the development and its potential benefits, including renewable electricity generation; landscape and visual impact and ecological impacts.

The reporter took account of all submissions made on this appeal which included extensive environmental information containing an informal environmental report, landscape and visual impact assessment, extended vegetation survey, hydrological assessment, preliminary ecological appraisal, transport and access statement and a heritage impact assessment.

The reporter concluded the proposal would make a modest but worthwhile contribution towards the achievement of renewable energy generation targets and whilst the proposal would have some negative effects, the reporter found these impacts to be localised in nature, are capable of some mitigation and are outweighed by the benefits of the development.

The reporter takes account of all the evidence submitted by parties involved including those views expressed by consultees and members of the local community.

The reporter concluded that the proposed development accorded with the development plan with regard to ecological and landscape and visual impacts.