Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government will address the issues raised in petition PE1979 in its response to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. This response will be issued shortly.

This information is not currently available centrally.

However a Data Strategy for Health and Social Care is due to be published in early 2023, which will set the strategic direction on the improvement of data collection and use for the health and social care sector, including by local authorities.

Whilst we await publication of this strategy, Public Health Scotland will be making available, for the first time, data on those awaiting assessments or packages of care, and hours of care yet to be provided. This information will be available on their website from 23 November 2022.

Paragraph 9(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act states that, if it appears to the National Park Authority that there is a conflict between the National Park aim set out in section 1(a) (i.e. to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area) and other National Park aims, the Authority must give greater weight to the aim set out in section 1(a).

The National Park Authorities in Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs are required by the Scottish Ministers to prepare a National Park Plan setting out how they will deliver the aims of the National Park collectively in relation to their area. The National Park Plan is approved by the Scottish Ministers.

For example, the current Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-2027 is the strategic management plan for the area and provides a strategic policy context for decision making within the National Park. Section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland ) Act 2000 is embedded in the Park plan and its subsidiary documents and it guides decision making within the Park. The National Park Authority can also apply section 9 (6) to individual decisions if it feels the aims are in conflict and greater weight should be given to the first aim.

As required by the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, the Climate Change Plan will set out proposals and policies for supporting, including by the sharing of expertise and technology, action in developing countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and adapt to the effects of climate change.

With regards to intra-UK diplomacy, Scottish Government officials are engaged in regular meetings with counterparts in the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, and we repeatedly promote joint collaboration in areas that will be essential to delivering net zero. The next Climate Change Plan will set out where action will be needed by the UK Government to reduce emissions within reserved areas in order for Scotland to meet its emissions reduction targets.

The following table details capital spend on digital connectivity infrastructure in each of the last five financial years. As our digital connectivity infrastructure programmes are national initiatives, we are unable to provide a breakdown of spend by local authority area.

The R100 programme comprises of three R100 contracts with BT plc, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme and commercial coverage. For those within future R100 contract build plans, there are a number of satellite and mobile service providers who can deliver a commercial service in the meantime. Ofcom’s broadband and mobile service checker, which can be found at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/ofcom-checker , can provide more information on what is available in their area.

Our R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme remains available for those whose properties are not expected to benefit from either R100 contract build or commercial coverage.

The Scottish Government is very supportive of the reintroduction of a passenger ferry service from Scotland to Europe. My officials in Transport Scotland have engaged with a number of interested parties proposing such services and we will continue to engage with potential operators and Scotland’s main ports to provide information and advice on what the Scottish Government can offer in support of a viable commercial ferry proposition.

The commerciality and viability of any new service are key considerations for both the Scottish Government and potential operators. Subsidy Control rules limit the support which can be provided by the Scottish Government and the support which we are able to bring to bear is designed to support the initial start-up of a new service and dependent on a realistic prospect of that service reaching commercial viability and without the need for ongoing support from public funds.

Ministers and officials have chaired regular stakeholder engagement sessions with key port stakeholder as well as freight forwarders and logistics companies. The aim is to explore how goods currently get to market, and why hauliers choose these routes, and understand the opportunities for Scottish ports and their degree of attractiveness to freight forwarders responsible for shipping Scottish goods. Any viable passenger ferry service would require regular freight traffic to be sustainable.

The Emergency Budget Review is about supporting those who need most help, whilst also managing the nation’s budget. This has meant making hard choices to further prioritise spending and find savings.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with Public Health Scotland (PHS) is undertaking a review of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs). Initial recommendations are expected in Spring 2023, which will determine subsequent work and funding required to further develop ABIs in Scotland.

Work is underway on the development of alcohol treatment targets. An expert working group will provide recommendations to Ministers in 2023, which will determine subsequent next steps.

The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) wrote to Transport Scotland in March 2022 expressing their desire that no Ministerial Directions be given on which type of pavement can be considered by local authorities for an Exemption Order. We sought to allay their concerns during a meeting between MACS and the Minister for Transport on 15 June 2022 and a further meeting with the policy lead of MACS and Transport Scotland.

During these meetings we confirmed that exemptions had already been the subject of Parliamentary debate during the passage of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. We also confirmed that Ministerial Directions will not allow for blanket exemptions of streets from the National pavement parking prohibitions and will set out scenarios where local authorities may be able to consider an exemption. Exemptions will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and will not be the norm. Any such exemptions will require to be clearly marked by signs and lines on the ground so that a driver can be in no doubt where pavement parking is permitted.

Additionally, we are currently finalising the wording of the Ministerial Directions to take account of any issues raised in the public consultation.

As with all trunk road improvement projects, delivery of any section of the A96 Programme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. The statutory right for individuals to have their say on our proposals cannot be set aside and it is essential that vital feedback is taken into account as we develop our plans.