Chamber and committees

Evidence about the number of people with learning disabilities in Scotland is collected through the Learning Disability Statistics Scotland publication. The most recent publication, published in 2019, found there were 23,584 adults with learning disabilities known to local authorities across Scotland.

Officials are in discussions with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities about how Learning Disability Statistics Scotland will be improved to provide the most precise picture of people with learning disabilities across Scotland.

Scottish Government understands the important of reliable evidence about people with learning disabilities and has committed to improving the evidence base through its autism and learning/intellectual disability transformation plan 'Towards Transformation'.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15106 on 2 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

SEPA has not conducted any monitoring or investigations at Arecleoch or Glen App wind farms within the last 12 months.

Scottish Power Renewables have advised the Scottish Government that all spills on the sites have been of a minor nature and therefore have not required a notification to be sent to SEPA.

The fourth round of the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) will open for stage 1 applications shortly for projects seeking funding in financial year 2024-2025.

Skills Development Scotland has operational responsibility for the funding of Modern Apprenticeship (MA) training on behalf of Scottish Government. There are apprenticeships available across these sectors, such as Maritime Occupations, Boat Building and Repair, Engineering Construction and Aquaculture, with funding towards the cost of training from SDS.

Data from Skills Development Scotland is that the number of employers of individuals who started the Maritime Occupations framework is:

2018/19 – 5

2019/20 – 5

2020/21 – 1

2021/22 – 4

2022/23, up to end Quarter 3 – 3

The Maritime sector is supported by a range of apprenticeships. Recent employer led developments include a full review of the Aquaculture provision to ensure that skills programmes support current and emerging needs.

There is work ongoing to refresh Engineering apprenticeships to support employers in boat/ship building, wind farm and marine construction across production, maintenance and technical support, which employers have told us are critical skill areas.

Skills Development Scotland work closely with key partners and stakeholders to develop Regional Skills Assessments (RSAs) and Sectoral Skills Assessments (SSAs) across Scotland. RSAs and SSAs provide a coherent evidence base to inform future investment in skills, built up from existing datasets and forecasts, which look at current and future skills demand across Scotland to help plan future skills investment in Scotland’s people and businesses. There are several SSAs that are relevant to maritime industries including Engineering, Construction, Energy and Food and Drink.

The Maritime sector is supported by a range of apprenticeships. Recent employer led developments include a full review of Aquaculture provision and Engineering Apprenticeships to ensure that employers have skills programmes which support their current and emerging needs.

For those who are unemployed or in receipt of a low income, Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) currently offer support of up to £200 to help individuals move into or to progress in work.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offers employers flexible workforce development training opportunities tailored to their needs to support inclusive economic growth through up-skilling or re-skilling of existing workers. The Fund is in addition to apprenticeship support, access to which is available to all employers in Scotland; and ITAs.

Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council are ensuring that our annual investment in skills is fully aligned behind our economic ambitions and support for emerging sectors.

Our colleges are also committed to supporting the economy through their curriculum offer. Many colleges offer a maritime related courses and City of Glasgow College has a dedicated campus which specifically offers a wide range of nautical courses which put theory into practice in innovative shipping simulation suites, computer labs, and a Marine Skills Centre with its own jetty.

It is not entirely clear as to which formal plans the questions refers, however the Bute House Agreement sets out our commitment to the introduction of a Land Reform Bill by the end of 2023. One of the proposals in the Bill is the introduction of compulsory Land Management Plans that will apply to large-scale landholdings. The public consultation on the Bill, ‘ Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation’ , was open from 4 July until the 30 October 2022, and received approximately 540 responses which are currently being analysed to inform the development of the proposals.

National Planning Framework 4, (NPF4) Policy 22 (e) - Flood Risk and Water Management, sets out a policy that Local Development Plans should seek to ‘ identify opportunities to implement improvements to the water environment through natural flood risk management and blue green infrastructure …’ by taking into account ‘relevant flood risk and river basin management plans.’ NPF4 Policy 6 also sets out that Local Development Plans will be ‘ supported and informed by an up to date Forest and Woodland Strategy’ . The Scottish Government guidance, The Right Tree in the Right Place contains advice to Local Authorities on preparing such Strategies, with direct reference to natural flood management as a suggested area for consideration. NPF4, and the Forest and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018, also set a framework for woodland protection.

In relation to forest management plans, advice on planning woodlands for flood mitigation benefits is included in the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and supporting guidance. Forest managers must follow this to receive grant aid from Scottish Forestry. New guidance was published in 2022; ‘ Designing and Managing Forests and Woodlands to Reduce Flood Risk’ . Forest and Land Scotland seek to follow the guidance as above in their own Land Management Plans for the public estate, and ensure appropriate consideration of flood mitigation.

We continue to keep these estimates under review and will provide updates later in the year, after our planned consultation on a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.