Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures that were necessary to take have been particularly challenging for those with sensory loss. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults has provided £36 million since 2021 to grassroots community groups to tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities, including nine projects for people with sight loss. We have also worked with local authorities and transport providers to ensure that people with sight loss have still been able to access travel since the pandemic. In addition, Active Scotland is working to support everyone to be more active, with specific activity for people with sight loss funded through Paths for All.

Through our ‘See Hear’ strategy, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting children and adults who have deafness, sight loss and dual sensory loss to access the services and social care they need. See Hear is currently under review, and a refreshed strategy will be published in 2024.

Section 34 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is now in force, providing wider powers for local transport authorities to run their own buses. Additionally, secondary legislation to commence Section 35 (Bus Service Improvement Partnerships) is scheduled to be introduced before the end of 2023, alongside franchising powers. These powers will complement and continue to build on the service improvements supported through the Bus Partnership Fund.

As with many aspects of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, the provisions in Part 3 empower local transport authorities with the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges. We will continue to work with local authorities as they explore the full range of options set out in the 2019 Act, including local authority-run bus services and Bus Service Improvement Partnerships.

Following a meeting with the Isle of Rum Community Trust on Wednesday 2 nd November, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity has agreed that more time is necessary to work with the community to try and secure a positive future for the Castle, that can be supported by the community on the Isle of Rum.

Whilst I have not met with the Hunterston B nuclear power station director, either in person or virtually, since taking up the post of Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in May 2021, I did meet with Matt Sykes, the Managing Director for EDF Generation in December 2021.

The discussion focussed on various issues pertaining to EDF Generation, EDF Renewables and their role in supporting Scotland on the road to Net Zero. This included the closure of Hunterston B, which ceased electricity generation in January 2022 with the plant currently being decommissioned.

Following the A9 Dualling Co-Creative Process and other consultations Transport Scotland is currently progressing design and assessment work to identify a preferred route option for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling. It is expected that a preferred route option will be announced in the coming months, with all four options currently under consideration improving access to Dunkeld and Birnam station. If the option selected impinges or interferes with the operation of the station then we will also look to improve accessibility for road and rail users.

As previously stated Rail accessibility is a reserved matter for the UK government and the criteria for selection for an accessibility scheme is set by the Department for Transport and assessed by them via the Access for All scheme:- Access for All: funding to improve accessibility at rail stations - GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ). Currently, Dunkeld and Birnam station does not meet the UK government’s criteria for accessibility investment. At this moment in time, there are no plans to update the railway station.

Together with the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, I recently invited the COSLA President, Vice-President, and Resource Spokesperson to join a working group to consider meaningful short-term changes to Council Tax, reflecting the current circumstances created by the cost crisis; and approaches to longer term reform including the development of effective deliberative engagement on sources of local government funding. The creation of this Working Group was set out in the Shared Policy Programme between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party and will see Ministers working with local government to consider reforms, rather than this being remitted to a newly created body separate from either central or local government.

There are no plans for setting geographic limits on the concentration of wind farms. The Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 8 November 2022 and is the product of extensive engagement and collaboration.

NPF4 will be a significant step forward towards achieving a net zero Scotland. The revised energy policy supports renewable energy projects in principle, setting out that the only areas where wind energy is not supported are in National Parks and National Scenic Areas. Each individual development proposal will be subject to an assessment of its impacts on a case by case basis. Criteria for assessing proposals are included in policy and the impacts on communities, nature and other receptors remain important considerations in the decision-making process.

We continue to progress the preparation stages on the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme with a view to completing the statutory process. This includes the significant work required to prepare for publication of made Orders, including the Compulsory Purchase Order, in the coming weeks. Subject to no legal challenge being received, the Scottish Ministers will then have the relevant powers to acquire the land necessary to construct the scheme.

Delivery of the scheme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. It is not possible to set a firm programme for delivery of the scheme until statutory consents are completed.

The Scottish Government is in the final stages of preparing a Carers Strategy which will set out our long-term approach to unpaid carers’ social and financial inclusion. This will apply to different caring situations, including unpaid older carers of adults with a learning disability. The strategy will include a focus on support made available through social security policies, the Scottish Welfare Fund and action taken by the Scottish Government on fuel poverty, employment and education. This will help support carers who are likely to be disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis.

We are using all the powers and resources available to us to support families with cost of living and have already invested almost £3 billion in a range of measures for households. That includes supporting energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments that are either not available anywhere else in the UK or are more generous, such as the Scottish Child Payment and Bridging Payment.

In addition, we uprated 8 Scottish benefits by 6% in April. Eligible carers in Scotland receive the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, funded from the Scottish Government budget and paying up to £491.40 this year on top of Carer’s Allowance. We will double our Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million in 2022-23, to help households at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing energy use and to ensure support continues to protect people affected by rising energy costs.

We know that the current situation is causing anxiety for many households – and that many people may be missing out on support that is available to them. To help people understand the significant range of support that they may be able to access, we have also launched a Scottish Government “cost of living” website: https://www.gov.scot/cost-of-living-support/ . The website will help people find out what support may be available depending on their own personal circumstances, for example, unpaid carers of adults with a learning disability.

Blood stocks in Scotland are assessed as adequate to meet current clinical demand, but will continue to be monitored. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has no plans at present to resume providing blood donation sessions in the Western Isles, due to the cost and logistical difficulties associated with doing so. However, that does not in any way affect the availability of blood components to patients in the Western Isles.