Chamber and committees

Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long-term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050. However, the number of fatal casualties in 2024 are tracking 21% above the same period in 2023.

The reasons behind this are varied, with speeding and driver frustration being a persistent factor in a number of injury collisions on Scotland’s roads. It is therefore timely that Transport Scotland have undertaken a National Speed Management Review. This review seeks to ensure speed limits on Scotland’s roads are appropriate and help contribute to a reduction in injury and death on our roads.

The review examined a range of approaches, including HGV-specific speed limits, drawing insights from both national and international case studies. This includes the impact of the 50 mph speed limit trial for HGVs on the A9 single carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness. Since this trial there has been improved driver behaviour on this section of the route, a greater compliance with speed limits and a reduction in deaths and serious injuries.

I can therefore announce that a public consultation on proposed changes to speed limits has launched and will be open until Wednesday 5 March 2025. It invites feedback on proposals to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single-carriageways from 40 mph to 50 mph and dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60 mph. Analysis from the review indicates that these changes could significantly reduce injury collisions while maintaining journey times and enhancing journey time reliability.

I urge all elected members to encourage constituents and stakeholders to participate in the consultation at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/national-speed-management-review-consultation/

The Digital Assets in Scots Private Law Expert Reference Group has made its findings and recommendations to the Scottish Government, and a consultation on possible legislative reform was published today, 27 November 2024, with a closing date of 5 February 2025. The consultation seeks views on proposals to provide greater legal certainty on the kinds of digital asset that can be objects of property in Scots private law and some key features as to how they would operate in property law. The consultation can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836910510.

The Scottish Government has provided £168k funding since 2021 to Scottish Agritourism to assist with supporting the delivery of Scotland’s Agritourism Growth Strategy, broken down as follows

2022-23 – £35,000

2023-24 – £35,000

2024-25 – £98,000

The Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out an evaluation of the residential rehabilitation programme. On 13 February 2024 PHS published their baseline report, covering the first two years of the National Mission and a final evaluation report will be published after the National Mission ends in 2026.

I last met with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks on Tuesday 29th October 2024 to discuss the Scottish Consenting Consultation.

Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

I last met with the National Energy Systems Operator on 29 October 2024 to discuss Clean Power 2030.

Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government recognises that career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to health and social care careers, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.

That is why, we are funding a dedicated resource within NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with the aim of widening the pathways into health and social care careers.

The Rural and Island Workforce Recruitment Strategy will focus on a sustained model of direct support and will take cognisance of broader cross-government work such as the exploration of earn as you learn models to provide a long-term, dynamic and connective approach to support employers to recruit successfully.

The Scottish Government conducted an initial survey of residential rehabilitation providers in Scotland and published the results in November 2021. This showed that, at that time, there were 12 reported beds in Highland and 6 in the Western Isles. None were reported in Orkney, Shetland or Grampian.

The draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car use published in 2022 outlines our approach to achieving this. A period of engagement and consultation followed publication, and the analysis and consideration of the consultation responses are shaping the updated route map which will be published in due course.

The route map is co-produced with CoSLA, in recognition of the joint commitment to a just transition to reducing car use and we are continuing to work closely with local and regional partners to update the route map and we will publish it on completion of that engagement.”

We have been engaging with the shareholders of the Grangemouth Refinery business over many years on future options for the site, demonstrated in a track record support for low carbon technologies at the site. Via Scottish Enterprise, since 2021 we have supported a range of studies which explored the feasibility a bio-refinery at Grangemouth, as well as the use of low carbon hydrogen for fuel switching purposes. These studies are predecessors to the Project Willow study, which the business approached the Scottish Government with in early 2024 and is considering the enablers and blockers to deploying a range of low carbon technologies at Grangemouth.