Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on deployment of private 4G and 5G networks.

The Scottish Government has committed to developing a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex following delivery of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. Work will commence in early 2025. This will allow for a thorough evaluation of the approach taken at Grangemouth to maximise learning and outputs. The Scottish Government intends to publish the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran by the end of the parliament.

The Scottish Government intends to establish a board to oversee and co-design the development of the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran and will take cognisance of any learnings from the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.

There is no financial support currently available from the Scottish Government towards the construction of private mobile phone networks.

There has been no specific assessment of impact on bridge infrastructure in light of cessation of sale of combustion engine cars in 2030. Design loading for bridges is primarily influenced by heavy goods vehicles. The slight increase in the weight of cars from 2030 is not expected to affect this loading.

Although there is no blanket ban on wood burning stoves, the Scottish Government has been listening to the concerns raised over the past weeks about the reliance on biomass and wood burning stoves in rural and remote areas, and is taking these fully on board.

The New Build Heat Standard, as it currently stands, applies only to new buildings and certain types of conversions applying for a building warrant from 1 April 2024. Wood burning stoves or other ‘direct emission heating systems’ can under this current standard still be installed to provide ‘emergency heating’.

However, we acknowledge that the way in which technical guidance is currently drafted on what constitutes emergency heating can be difficult to reconcile with the nature of wood burning stoves which are often installed for more frequent use, rather than solely as emergency systems, particularly in rural homes. We are currently considering the guidance and will work with concerned parties, developers, and Local Authorities to ensure any updates to the existing technical guidance address these concerns.

The Scottish Government has committed to developing a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex, work will commence in early 2025. This will allow for a thorough evaluation of the approach taken at Grangemouth to maximise learning and outputs. We will follow the principles of co-design and include a wide range of appropriate stakeholders from the community, industry, workforce and public sector. The Scottish Government intends to publish the plan by the end of the parliament.

Oversight and governance of the Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal (SOWSD) is led by the Scottish Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group (OWSLG).

The OWSLG is accountable for delivery of the Sector Deal, including review and approval of the work programme. The group will publicly report at least annually on progress, including on the forecast of operational onshore wind to 2030 and beyond. The group currently meets on a quarterly basis, with Ministers attending meetings twice a year.

In relation to the commitment on a skills paper, the Scottish Government commissioned research to identify the skills and workforce required to support the deployment of onshore wind up to 2030. This research was published through ClimateXChange on 14 May 2024 Workforce and skills requirements in Scotland’s onshore wind industry | ClimateXChange

It is Scottish Government policy to place children in secure accommodation where detention is required by the court.

Subject to Royal Assent, once the relevant provisions in the Children (Care and Justice) Scotland Bill are commenced, this will ensure that the use of Young Offenders Institutions (YOI) will be prohibited for under 18s.

The Bill passed on 25 April - discussions have already begun with secure accommodation providers, the Scottish Prison Service, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and local authority representatives. The aim is to arrange the transition of young people from YOI to secure care or community alternatives as soon as is safely possible. We will update Parliament once firm arrangements are in place.

Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed that there are no cells within the SPS estate that exceed their maximum capacity.

The management of the police custody estate is a matter for Police Scotland. Cell availability across Scotland varies on a daily basis.