Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government supports the development of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage as a decarbonisation infrastructure for hard to decarbonise sectors. Its deployment must enable decarbonisation at pace and cannot be used to justify unsustainable levels of fossil fuel extraction or impede Scotland’s just transition to net zero. Scottish planning policy states that the construction of new thermal generation power stations may be acceptable where that proposal includes or commits to carbon capture and storage. Any application made to the Scottish Ministers for the construction and operation of such power stations in Scotland is determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account responses from key consultees and representations made by members of the public, and in light of careful consideration of the benefits and environmental impacts of the proposal.

There are different forms of active management of vegetation on deep peat including muirburn, cutting and grazing.

As far as muirburn is concerned, NatureScot published research earlier this year which reviewed the evidence on the impacts of muirburn on wildfire prevention, carbon storage and biodiversity: NatureScot Research Report 1302 - Reviewing, assessing and critiquing the evidence base on the impacts of muirburn on wildfire prevention, carbon storage and biodiversity | NatureScot

Following on from the research, the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) have been asked to provide advice on the circumstances under which muirburn, including muirburn on peat could be permitted under licence, and where it would not be appropriate.

The Scottish Government will take in to account evidence from the NatureScot research and the SAC advice alongside information provided by stakeholders.

Further information on impacts of grazing and cutting are available in NatureScot guidance:

https://www.nature.scot/doc/peatland-action-peatland-management-guidance-grazing-and-muirburn

https://www.nature.scot/doc/guidance-muirburn-code#Cutting

Network Rail advise that of the 359 operational railway stations, 214 currently have platform edge tactiles installed. As the second phase of the installation programme is underway some stations where work has been completed may not yet have been captured in this data.

The list of stations is as follows:-

The Low Carbon Transport Loan, launched in 2011, provides interest free loans to help households and businesses purchase electric vehicles. Since its launch, the scheme has invested over £176 million, helped purchase 6,148 low emission vehicles, and saved over 113,000 tonnes of CO2. The LCTL has several distinct streams, including the domestic, business and taxi loan streams.

The Energy Saving Trust deliver the Low Carbon Transport Loan on behalf of the Scottish Government. The target for processing submitted claims containing all requisite information is within 10 working days.

The following table shows the percentage of payments made to businesses within 10 working days of all the necessary information being submitted by the applicant. Despite the challenges posed by COVID, for the vast majority of cases falling outside of the target, payments have only been delayed by 1 or 2 days.

Official Statistics on Adult Disability Payment were published on 13 December 2022 and provided information on processing times up to 31 October 2022. This publication is available from: https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-scotland-stats-publications/#benefitsforcarersanddisabilityassistance.

Information on average processing time and the profile of processing times is available in Table 9 of the accompanying Excel tables.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council’s Collaborative Framework Working Group, which is comprised of all active offshore wind developers in Scotland, the enterprise agencies and ORE Catapult, to develop a Strategic Investment Model (SIM). The SIM will deliver on the commitments in the Collaborative Framework Charter, and facilitate timely, strategic investment through the pooling/sharing and coordination of funds linked to supply chain commitments associated with the ScotWind projects. The Strategic Investment Model is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, with further detail to be announced in early 2023.

The Scotland Act 2016 empowers the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a devolved tax to replace the UK Aggregates Levy. This is an environmental tax that aims to reduce extraction of primary – fresh or new – aggregate, mainly crushed rock, gravel and sand, used as bulk fill in construction.

The guidance on the pharmacological and psychological management of benzodiazepine dependency published by the Drug deaths Taskforce has now been endorsed as the most up-to-date guidance available and will be updated following further research currently being undertaken and following engagement with prescribers.

The ScotRail Passenger Assist Service is available at all stations in Scotland, whether stations are staffed or unstaffed for all or part of the day. The ScotRail website provides details on how Passenger Assist can be requested and obtained.

Details can be found via the following link:- Accessible travel | ScotRail .

All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Currently, Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) outlines that development plans should set out the criteria that will be considered in deciding all applications for wind farms of different scales – taking account of the considerations set out at paragraph 169 of SPP which include landscape and visual impacts.

The Revised Draft National Planning Framework (NPF4) makes clear the Scottish Government’s support for onshore wind energy other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas. Criteria for assessing proposals are included in draft policy 11, and impacts on communities, nature and other receptors, including significant landscape and visual impacts, remain important considerations in the decision-making process.

I published and laid the Revised Draft NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament on 8 November 2022 for Parliament’s consideration and approval. If approved and adopted, NPF4 will form part of the statutory development plan and will replace SPP.