Chamber and committees

The decision to proceed with the single track electrification option and a demand led infrastructure specification from Outline Business Case to Final Business Case was arrived at following an extensive joint railway industry business case development process in line with Scottish Government appraisal guidance.

It was a recommendation based on the evidence presented in the Outline Business Case. The final decision was endorsed by Transport Scotland’s investment decision makers on 7 September 2021.

The decision to deliver the full electrification of the single track option between East Kilbride and Busby does not impact on the redevelopment of (i) East Kilbride and (ii) Hairmyres railway station. The project will deliver enhanced station facilities at East Kilbride and the construction of the new Hairmyres station with the enhanced facilities will be transformational in providing an active travel hub for passengers along this vital route.

This project will deliver for local communities with much needed accessibility improvements at key stations along the length of the route and the full electrification of the corridor will deliver a step change in capacity by using greener trains. Should passenger demand levels increase post Covid-19, this demand can be met by using increased train capacity rather than providing additional services.

The Scottish Government published its Draft Hydrogen Action Plan for consultation today. This follows the publication of the Hydrogen Policy Statement in December 2020 which outlined the Scottish Government’s policy position on hydrogen and our vision for Scotland to become a Hydrogen Nation.

Draft Hydrogen Action Plan

This Draft Hydrogen Action Plan sets out what the Scottish Government will do and how we will work with others over the next five years to support the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland which will further our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our energy system, industry, homes and transport, while ensuring a just transition to net zero.

We are seeking views on the Draft Hydrogen Action Plan and the accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment and Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. Responses are invited by 19 January 2022 and can be submitted at the Scottish Government's consultation platform, Citizen Space:

Hydrogen Action Plan consultation platform

The Scottish Government will review responses to the consultation to inform development of the final version of the Hydrogen Action Plan.

Section 36 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 requires Scottish Ministers to review the Strategy within three years of its publication and following that review, publish a report on the review. The Scottish Government published a review of the Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy in May 2020 in line with this requirement.

We have identified a low representation of UK nationals in referrals from Scotland to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) when compared to the rest of the UK in our annual trafficking and exploitation progress reports, although there was an increase in 2020.

The NRM toolkit for First Responders launched earlier this year aims to improve the formal identification of victims in Scotland and is clear that anyone can be a victim of human trafficking and exploitation, including UK nationals. We are establishing a working group to consider the quality and availability of training and awareness raising resources, which will also consider whether additional resources are needed on the issues relating to UK nationals.

Potential victims of human trafficking can present or be recovered in a wide range of situations. First Responder organisations such as Police Scotland, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, Border Force, local authorities, the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) and Migrant Help can identify and refer potential victims to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The NRM is the UK-wide system for identifying victims of trafficking and is operated by the Single Competent Authority (SCA) within the Home Office. Adults must provide informed consent to enter this process.

In June 2021, the Home Office launched a series of 12 month pilots to test devolving the responsibility to make NRM decisions for child victims of trafficking from the Home Office to local authorities. Glasgow City Council is one of ten pilot sites and the pilot has been underpinned by Scotland-specific guidance . The pilot will be subject to an evaluation by the Home Office which the Scottish Government will consider for any future policy development.

A range of training and awareness raising resources have been developed to increase the likelihood of victims being identified. In March this year, we launched a NRM toolkit for First Responders which aims to improve the formal identification of victims and we are establishing a working group to ensure the ongoing consideration of the quality and availability of training and awareness raising resources.

The Scottish Government’s National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 provides practitioners with information on identifying and responding to concerns about children or young people who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect, including child victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

Migrant Help and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) were awarded a combined £1,484,606 for the current financial year to support adult victims of human trafficking and exploitation across Scotland. Support can include accommodation, assistance with day to day living, medical advice and treatment, language translation and interpretation, counselling, legal advice, help accessing other services and, if the victim wishes, repatriation.

Both Migrant Help and TARA maintain crisis accommodation which is available to potential victims of trafficking and exploitation.

The Scottish Government works with communities and the local authority in Glasgow, and across Scotland, to support our just transition to net zero emissions in a number of ways. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Committing £1.3 million of grant funding to 8 Climate Challenge Fund projects in the Glasgow area. The Climate Challenge Fund supports communities across Scotland to take action on climate change and make the move to low carbon living. The Glasgow projects cover a range of themes including helping communities to reduce their reliance on car travel, cut waste, grow local food, improve household energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.
• Commissioning a study, as part of the Clyde Mission, into climate adaptation pathways along the tidal reach of the River Clyde. That study will conclude in early 2022.
• Supporting the installation of a river source heat pump at a community hub in Govan, through the Clyde Mission Fund. A further £25m will be allocated to riverside heat decarbonisation projects along the Clyde in the current Parliamentary term.
• Awarding a £128,000 grant, through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, to Southside Housing Association. The project is applying Passivhaus (Enerphit) principles to the retrofit of eight pre 1919 sandstone tenements in the south side of Glasgow.
• Providing £4.5 million of grant funding from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme to the NG Homes Air Source Heat Pump Project in Springburn, which will reduce emissions and heating bills for nearly 600 homes.
• Investing over £60 million in active travel routes in Glasgow through the Scottish Government funded Places For Everyone Programme including projects such as Glasgow Avenues Plus and the South City Way. These will contribute towards tackling climate change by supporting a modal shift away from cars and towards walking, wheeling and cycling.
• The Early Learning and Childcare 1140 hours expansion is driving Glasgow City Council’s construction of four new nurseries, which will incorporate innovative green technologies, including receiving their hot water and heating from electricity, to help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. The inclusion of sustainable solutions – is being delivered through match-funding from the Scottish Government’s ‘low carbon infrastructure transition programme’ (LCITP).

The decision to proceed to Final Business Case with full electrification with single track option of the East Kilbride to Busby route was made collaboratively with Network Rail and considering evidence from rail industry partners, as part of the rail projects pipeline business case development process.

The Final Business Case development work will now assess how the existing infrastructure can be optimised to support a more resilient timetable and how the electrification of passengers services along the route can be achieved. This is a key stage in ensuring a robust business case which would underpin any future investment decision by the Scottish Government.

The Victim Centred Approach Fund, which includes funding to support adult victims of human trafficking and exploitation, opened for applications on 18 October 2021. Information on the application process, including timelines, can be found at Victim Centred Approach Fund - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .