Chamber and committees

I recently met with the South West Scotland Transport Alliance, representing Stena Line, P&O Ferries and Belfast Harbour, together with the Road Haulage Association. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges associated with the A77 and A75 and stakeholders’ priorities for improvement.

My officials are in regular contact with Northern Irish counterparts on transport matters, including the importance of the A77 and A75 as strategic links to the ports at Cairnryan for passenger and freight travelling to Northern Ireland.

Information on the age profile of ScotRail's rolling stock fleet is publicly available on the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) website. The Member may wish to refer to: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-environment/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/table-6313-average-age-of-rolling-stock-by-operator/.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact them directly.

Procurement of the Framework Agreement remains on track, and we expect to appoint contractors by the end of 2026.

Scottish Government officials routinely meet with local authorities and other animal welfare enforcement bodies on all aspects of animal welfare enforcement, as well as meeting with other key stakeholders to help facilitate cross-agency working on key issues in this area.

Additionally, the Scottish Government provides guidance for local authorities on enforcement of a range of legislation – for example the guidance on local authority duties under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 – in order to help local authorities better understand their duties and obligations.

At this time it is the view of the Scottish Government that additional training is not required, however we will continue to meet with local authorities to discuss how best to enable them to enforce welfare legislation effectively.

The June 2026 Agricultural Census shows a small decrease in the overall agricultural workforce, from 66,773 in 2025 to 66,116 in 2026. A year-on-year change of around 1% does not point to a significant shift in overall workforce levels, particularly given increases in both regular employees and seasonal workers. However, the reduction in working occupiers and increase in non-working occupiers reinforces the importance of succession, skills development and support for new entrants into farming and crofting.

Growing Scotland’s economy is a key priority of the First Minister’s and a strong and vibrant agricultural sector is a key contributor to this. Supporting the next generation of farmers and crofters is therefore receiving the priority attention it deserves. This year alone we are investing over £1.2 million through the Land-based Pre-Apprenticeship Programme, the Next Generation Practical Training Fund, the Scottish Land Matching Service and support for the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs Big Build Campaign to attract, develop and retain future talent.

Since 2015, we have also invested more than £28 million through the National Reserve, New Entrants and Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Schemes to help these priority groups establish and grow farming and crofting businesses.

Alongside this, through the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants Group, which has helped make almost 9,000 hectares of public land available for new entrant opportunities, and through Scotland's wider Agricultural Reform Programme, we are supporting succession, creating more pathways into the sector and securing the skilled workforce needed for a thriving rural economy.

Since publication of the 2026 SNP manifesto, Transport Scotland has continued to work with regional partners to advance consideration of proposals to reintroduce rail services to Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

Following receipt of the 2024 Case for Change and Preliminary Options Appraisal, further work was identified to strengthen the evidence base, including consideration of future freight demand. In February 2025, Transport Scotland agreed to support Nestrans, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and the Campaign for North East Rail (CNER) in taking this work forward.

Nestrans is now leading the Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Ellon Corridor Place Based Connectivity Assessment, with support from Transport Scotland. The study is expected to conclude in early 2027, after which any next steps will be considered through the established transport appraisal process.

As set out in the answer to question S7W-04092 on 23 October 2026, additional work is currently being undertaken by Nestrans.

Following consideration of the findings, a decision will be taken on whether the proposals should progress further through the transport appraisal process. Any such decision will be made in line with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and established transport appraisal and business case processes, taking account of the evidence base, strategic fit, value for money, affordability and deliverability.

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.

The Scottish Government provides funding to all local authorities through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF), which supports the development of cycling infrastructure. ATIF Tier 1 provides flexible capital funding to all local authorities to support the planning, design, development and delivery of active travel infrastructure, while Tier 2 provides targeted funding for specific active travel projects through a competitive application process. Through ATIF Tier 1, the Scottish Government has allocated £3.94 million to City of Edinburgh Council and £701,000 to Midlothian Council for 2026-27. In addition, through ATIF Tier 2 in 2026-27, City of Edinburgh Council was awarded £7.98 million, while Midlothian Council was awarded £831,750. Decisions regarding the identification, design and development of local active travel projects are the responsibility of the relevant local authority.