Our 2023 Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a final version of the route map to achieving the 20% car kilometre reduction this year, and we look forward to publishing this in the coming months.

The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, this consultation closed on 8 March 2024. We are currently analysing all responses received. This analysis will inform the further design of policy provisions together with any feedback gathered during wider consultation engagement events and workshops. All responses will be published in full, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Ahead of the launch of the consultation and in preparing the proposals, I met with several retail banks to discuss their role in supporting consumers in meeting the costs of the proposed standards. In addition, I attended a Scottish Financial Enterprise hosted roundtable to discuss lenders' role and the potential impacts that the proposals may have on the housing market. As we finalise our proposals we will take this feedback into account.

In addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

The Scottish Government’s vision and priorities for Scotland’s transport system, including bus patronage, are set out in the National Transport Strategy which was published in February 2020. The Scottish Government will continue to explore opportunities to make bus, and public transport more generally, a more attractive option for existing and new users.

The Fair Fares Review, published in March 2024, sets out our aim to ensure Scotland’s public transport system is more accessible, available, and affordable, with the costs of transport more fairly shared across government, business, and society. The Review highlights the need to prioritise measures to grow bus patronage and sets out a number of recommendations and actions specific to bus to deliver on our vision for the Future of Public Transport. This includes a commitment to develop a bus service improvement plan and delivery framework, over the next 18 months to improve future availability of bus services across Scotland.

The document referred to in the question is intended to provide guidance for English Local Transport Authorities (LTA), outside London, in updating their Bus Service Improvement Plans, in line with the National Bus Strategy for England. This strategy, originally produced in 2021, sets out a mission to rebuild bus patronage and mode share first to 2019 levels, and then to go beyond.

In Scotland we have empowered local transport authorities with the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges, by delivering all the bus powers within the 2019 Act. This approach enables them to determine what actions are best for their local areas, allowing them to revitalise bus services according to their needs.

The Scottish Government has not had any specific engagement with the UK Government recently on the bus building industry in particular.

The Scottish Government is, however, actively engaged with UK Government on manufacturing opportunities across a number of sectors and signalled the desire to work collaboratively to progress shared interests in response to their Advanced Manufacturing Plan.

We want older people to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens. Our Housing to 2040 strategy sets out a vision for housing in Scotland. This includes all aspects of housing, including independent living for older people.

As set out within Housing to 2040, we understand that accessible and adaptable housing is important in allowing people to live independently with no barriers to participation in daily life, work and community as well as future-proofing new homes to help avoid costly adaptations in future when needs may change.

This is why our aim is that all new homes should be accessible and adaptable to suit the lifelong and varying needs of Scotland’s people.

The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities in their role as strategic housing authorities. Local Councils are best placed to make decisions which reflect the particular nature and characteristics of their local area.

On 29 June 2023 we launched a consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes. The consultation closed on 21 December 2023. We are carefully considering the feedback received.

It is important to note that through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, NHS 24 is available 24/7 and will be able to assist patients across Scotland, including the North East Scotland region, access the most appropriate healthcare pathway over a 24 hour period.

The decision to close the service overnight is an operational decision for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy. It has been reported by NHS Grampian that this bring this service in line with other services across Moray and Aberdeen City. The Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities.

It is important to stress that these Minor Injury Units will continue to operate during the day and the Board report that there is minimal activity at these units during the out of hours period. These services are only equipped to deal with minor injuries which do not need immediate attention. Those patients that may have attended the MIU during the proposed closure times will either be provided with a scheduled appointment through NHS 24 to attend the next morning, or if an emergency will be directed straight to A&E.

Minor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.

The Scottish Government continues to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway respond to the cyber-attack through the provision of the Scottish multi-agency cyber incident support arrangements. These arrangements bring national agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre, law enforcement (including Police Scotland), NHS Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government together to support the response and recovery to the incident.

For further information I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament .

Expert advisory groups are set up in response to the specific needs and demands of the individual policy context. Decisions on the need to set up such groups and membership are taken by the relevant Minister.

The Scottish Government is aware that Network Rail has arrangements in place to assist other organisations to invest in appropriate developments around the railway estate. These arrangements are intended to facilitate beneficial third-party investment in the railway, and we continue to support the use of these by Scotland’s Railway.

Notwithstanding the fact that licensed motor vehicles, including cars, are at highest levels both in terms of number and age, we are committed to finding ways to make alternative travel modes more attractive, and supporting people to take fewer journeys by car. The Scottish Government’s plans to encourage the use of public transport and active travel alongside plans to reduce car use, are set out in the draft route map on 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, jointly developed with COSLA. Our 2023 Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a final version of the route map to achieving the 20% car kilometre reduction this year, and we look forward to publishing this in the coming months.

Following significant pandemic-related road traffic reductions in 2020, the latest figures show that estimated road traffic continued to rebound, increasing by 9% overall (to 47 billion vehicle kilometres) and by 10.7% for car km between 2021 and 2022. A 6.3% reduction against the 2019 baseline for car km travelled reflects ongoing changes to travel patterns, including increased use of digital connectivity. It is also worth noting that fewer people drove every day in 2022 (34%) compared to 2019 (43%).

There remains however uncertainty regarding travel patterns in the longer term, but it is expected car traffic will continue to rise in subsequent years before interventions to deliver reductions in car traffic start to make an impact. Evidence is clear that incentivising sustainable alternatives alone will not be sufficient to bring about the behaviour change to deliver the scale of 20% car KM reduction.

The most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car – fuel duty and vehicle excise duty – are currently reserved. We will continue to press the UK Government for a fair and progressive future transport tax system that better incentivises the transition to zero-emission vehicles, reduces unnecessary journeys and raises revenues to fund policies to support a shift to more sustainable travel.