Chamber and committees

On 11 January 2023 I visited Aberdeen to attend the opening of the National Subsea centre and for a media round table to discuss the launch of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

On 9 February 2023 the Minister for Just Transition, Employability and Skills visited Opportunity North East and Net Zero Technology Centre to hear updates on projects funded via the Just Transition Fund. The Minister also met with Aberdeen City Council Co-Leaders and Chief Executive to discuss Just Transition in the region.

The Ministerial Population Taskforce continues to meet quarterly to provide oversight and cross-portfolio focus to the addressing of Scotland’s long term demographic challenges, set out in the Population Strategy (2021). The next Taskforce meeting is scheduled to take place on 17 May 2023.

The Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities is produced by CIPFA. The Prudential Code requires a local authority to ensure that the financing of capital expenditure is prudent, affordable and sustainable and refers specifically to the requirement to consider credit agreements and associated financing costs as part of capital investment decisions. CIPFA is an independent organisation and as such the Scottish Government has no authority to propose or decide the content of CIPFA's Codes of Practice.

Our Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps eligible low-income families with expenses associated with pregnancy or with having a new child. Families can use this payment to best meet their needs which could include buying reusable nappies and meeting the costs associated with laundry care. Information on benefits and one-off payments that are available to parents can be found on our ParentClub website.

To further support the affordability and accessibility of reusable nappies, Scotland's Baby Box includes a voucher that offers a free reusable nappy kit, which comprises of a waterproof wrap and five pads. A further discounted package is available should the family wish to continue with reusable nappies.

The Nappy Voucher contained within the Baby Box also signposts families to our ParentClub website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies as well as signposting families on where to seek advice and support with using them. Ready Steady Baby , which is given out at antenatal appointments, also highlights the benefits of reusable nappies.

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14793 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14793 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

While the Scottish Government holds some relevant information relating to tree removal as a result of onshore windfarm developments on Forestry and Land Scotland sites, it does not hold information relating to all onshore windfarms. Further data is held by Local Planning Authorities.

Where trees are proposed to be felled for the purpose of building an onshore wind farm it is most likely that there would be a condition attached to the consent requiring compensatory planting. This is to accord with the Scottish Government’s policy on the control of woodland removal – The Scottish Government's Policy on Control of Woodland Removal (forestry.gov.scot)

The monitoring and enforcing of such conditions are undertaken by the Local Planning Authority.

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'.