The Scottish Government delivers support for energy efficiency measures in owner occupied household through a number of schemes.

Information about the number of measures installed by councils as part of our Area Based Schemes is not reported on a monthly basis. Annual returns based upon the information provided by councils are published on the Scottish Government website:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/area-based-schemes/

Information about the number of measures installed by the scheme managing agent, Warmworks, as part of our Warmer Homes Scotland scheme is not reported on a monthly basis. Annual reports are published on the Warmworks website:

https://www.warmworks.co.uk/our-work/warmer-homes-scotland/

The number of households supported with energy efficiency measures through the HES Grant and Loan, including payment for funding offers issued under the predecessor HES Loan and Cashback Scheme are set out in the following table.

The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people. We are continuing to work on a proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill. Following scoping work in 2022, and an extended period of further engagement with stakeholders, practitioners, and people with lived experience, we will launch a public consultation on a proposed Bill by the end of 2023.

The Scottish Government is taking a human rights-based approach to the Bill’s development and is working to ensure that it is fully co-designed with people with lived experience.

3 Panels have been supporting the work to develop policy for the Bill – a professional panel, a stakeholders panel and a lived experience panel. The members of the lived experience panel are all neurodivergent people with a wide range of life experiences.

On 22 June 2023, the Scottish Government published the Agriculture Bill - Analysis of Consultation Responses which details the findings of this extended engagement.

The Scottish Government is aware of commentary provided in the formal reports of the Public Local Inquiries into the Sanquhar II and Clauchrie windfarm planning applications. The Inquiry's focus was not regarding the conduct of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is run on a commercial basis at arm's length from the Scottish Government, therefore commercial agreements reached by the airport and windfarm developers are a commercial matter between the parties involved.

GPA continues to perform well in a highly competitive aviation market and is now a profitable business. The Scottish Government has full confidence in the Board and senior management and its strategy to grow and develop the airport. The airport is a key enabler for the Ayrshire aerospace cluster, sustaining 300 direct and 4,000 indirect jobs and Scottish Ministers remain committed to supporting their investment in the airport.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 2023. 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 .

Our recently published Cash-First Plan recognises the role of the community food sector, including pantries, in helping people to access cash and wider support in a crisis to reduce the need for emergency food parcels.

That is why we are providing The Scottish Pantry Network with £16,000 in 2023-24 to support the development and evaluation of cash-first models to tackle food insecurity within the context of pantry-type organisations. This funding will support them to work with their membership of around 20 pantry initiatives to increase access to cash-first support alongside access to dignified food services, and to develop learning and resources that can be shared with pantries beyond their network.

Pantries and the wider community food sector can also contribute to Scotland being a Good Food Nation by promoting healthier diets, increasing access to local and sustainably sourced foods and supporting our climate ambitions.

The Scottish Government has not had discussions with the Council regarding specific congestion charging schemes including charging for drivers not resident in Glasgow. The Scottish Government has had discussions with the Council in the context of local measures to support delivery of the 20% car km reduction target, and the Government’s commissioned research on equitable options for car demand management.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 established the discretionary power for local authorities to implement road user charging schemes, and they are best placed to determine whether a local road user charging scheme supports the objectives set out in their local transport strategy and the amount of charge that supports these local objectives.

Out of all pupils recorded with an additional support need in the 2022 pupil census:

(a) 8% were reported as having language or speech disorder as reason for support

(b) 5% were reported as having communication needs as reason for support

(c) 5% were reported as having learning disabilities as a reason for support

(d) 11% were reported as having autism spectrum disorder as a reason for support

Note that each pupil may be recorded as having multiple reasons for support.

Statistics on additional support needs are published in the pupil census supplementary statistics, available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/

The First Minister frequently meets with members of the Cabinet to discuss the Government’s policy priorities, including the proposed Agriculture Bill.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with COSLA, both at official and Ministerial level, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our shared commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people and communities of Scotland.

As part of the Verity House Agreement, the First Minister has committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential Team at least twice a year. Most recently this included a meeting on 30 August to discuss the forthcoming Programme for Government and 14 September to discuss progress on a range of topics.