Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government welcome the report’s focus on contributing to delivery of Scotland’s statutory Climate Change Targets.

Some of the recommendations align with Scottish Government existing actions to support the bus sector, including £113 million funding for 548 modern, zero emission buses, the £500 million Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme to help organisations to understand the steps required to replace their bus fleet with zero emission alternatives and £25.8 million Bus Partnership Fund for bus priority in 11 partnerships covering 28 local authorities across Scotland. Other recommendations fall out with the remit of the Scottish Government, with recommendations on fuel duty and other taxation reserved fully to Westminster.

More widely on transport’s contribution to emission reduction, our route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car kms by 2030 also sets out the range of actions that will support mode shift and measures that support bus use. The route map similarly notes the need to address the cost of motoring and outlines that we are taking forward research to explore equitable options for demand management measures to discourage car use.

I thank CPT for the report which I will consider in full and respond in due course.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads, including the provision of parking spaces with local road authorities. The number of parking spaces required in each area is therefore determined by the relevant local authority.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of parking spaces in each local authority.

The Oban Craignure project is currently at the initiation stage where service and operator requirements are being developed for the new vessel project. Simultaneously options are being investigated for an interim option to replace MV Isle of Mull.

The Scottish Government welcomes the City of Edinburgh Council’s commitment to cut car kilometres by 30% by 2030, and will work with all local authorities to support equitable measures which discourage car use to accompany greater investment in public transport and active travel for a fairer and greener transport system. As outlined in our route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, jointly developed with COSLA, the scale of the climate challenge means that we need to take forward a broad combination of interventions including infrastructure, incentives and regulatory actions, taking into account the needs of people on low incomes to help ensure a just transition to net-zero.

The Scottish Government's concessionary bus travel schemes are the most generous in the UK, with free travel for under-22s, over-60s, and people with disabilities. The Partnership and Franchising powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 allow Local Transport Authorities, such as those covering Greater Glasgow, to gain control over the fares in their area, but that would be a matter for the relevant Local Transport Authority.

No meetings between Ministers and the Clyde Catamaran Group have taken place in that time period. However, a meeting with the CCG has been arranged and I look forward to hearing the Group’s proposals.

The Scottish Government has no plans to establish such a fund; however, we are currently considering a number of advocacy-related recommendations from the Scottish Mental Health Law Review. This includes whether a national dedicated independent advocacy service for unpaid carers should be developed.

Independent advocacy is central to empowering people to have their voices heard and to participate fully in decisions about their care. The Scottish Government is committed to co-designing, with people with lived experience including unpaid carers, and implementing a coherent, consolidated and consistent approach to independent advocacy across the National Care Service.

The Scottish Government also funds the Social Security Independent Advocacy Service, delivered independently by VoiceAbility. This is available to support anyone who self-identifies as disabled to access their Scottish Government benefits. This means the service is available free of charge to all carers and cared-for-people who identify as such.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15454 on‎ 15 March 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15447 on 15 March 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

The following tables show the number of people from Scotland who have received elective or emergency treatment as an inpatient or day case in hospitals in other parts of the UK in each year since 2017.

Information is provided in the following table on the number of finished admission episodes for patients resident in Scotland who have received healthcare from the NHS in England since 2017.