We support a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector. The judgements and issues our view on future licencing of oil and gas are informed and influenced by recent developments in the UK Government’s energy policy and court decisions. This is a rapidly changing landscape, and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.

We continue to call on UK Government to also listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition. We also continue to monitor evidence and information on the energy transition and fuel security from a range of sources.

Transport Scotland has developed an Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (ACCAR), which provides a strategic overview of our approach primarily on infrastructure and services directly under Transport Scotland control. A key deliverable of this work is the development of a Trunk Road Adaptation Plan, based on a climate vulnerability and risk assessment using the latest UK climate projections. The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will be published in 2025. It includes key interventions and recommendations for further adapting the Trunk Road Network. There will be a focus on risks associated with increased surface water flooding, river flooding, river scour and landslides.

The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will complement the work of our roads Vulnerable Locations Operational Group (VLOG), which was established in 2021 in line with the commitments set out in the National Transport Strategy Delivery Plan 2020 – 2022 with an initial focus on delivering short-term cost-effective actions, whilst developing a move to a long-term proactive approach, including a dedicated budget for climate change adaptation.

The VLOG has targeted resource on early flood level warning systems around A90 river crossings and undertaken specific bridge scour assessments and inspections to national standards to enable resources to be focused on potential future risk areas

Scottish Ministers have a duty of care to ensure its structures are safe for public use. Our maintenance, strengthening and replacement programmes ensure that all structures and their elements are routinely inspected to determine they are fit for use as well as to implement measures to mitigate any impact to the network.

The prioritisation of bridges and structures maintenance follows a Value Management Risk Approach using the following four criteria:

1.Safety – the overall effects on the end user, including fatalities and injuries that would be caused by a failure.

2.Functionality – the impact of a loss or reduction in service. This may be considered at route, structure or component level.

3.Environment – Environmental impacts, such as pollution caused through traffic delay, the sensitivity of the route/area, etc.

4.Sustainability – of both expenditure and workload, where the aim is to reach a state of steady expenditure and workload, avoiding the build-up of a backlog of unavoidable, essential work by doing effective, targeted preventative maintenance.

Our Operating Companies develop a 1 and 3 year programmes of bridge maintenance works, which are reviewed by Transport Scotland. Maintenance works are programmed based on priority . Structural Reviews are also carried out in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges standard CS 451, which determines the requirement for any structure assessment, and these are included in the 1 and 3 year programmes.

Refurbishment and upgrades to the A90 Kingsway, Dundee Strathmartine and Old Glamis footbridges are planned for the 2025-26 financial year.

These works are currently at the tendering stage so a detailed construction programme is unavailable. Preparatory works have commenced on site with temporary pedestrian crossings being installed prior to the footbridges being removed from site for refurbishment/upgrade.

Safety concerns are recorded as defects and addressed in accordance with contractual requirements and timescales.

Safety defects and remedial actions on the A90 over the last five years are detailed below:

• A90 840 Portlethan Overbridge – Damaged parapet mesh. Parapet mesh was replaced.
• A90 630 Stracathro Overbridge - Damage to Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) post. VRS post replaced.
• A90 310 Kings Cross West Overbridge – Plugged drain. Drain cleared.

There are currently 36 operational Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Scotland. A full list can be found on the Scotland’s Improvement Districts (SIDs) website - Who they are - Scotland's Improvement Districts

Information on the amount raised through Business Improvement District (BID) levies are not held by the Scottish Government.

Local authorities are responsible for administering and collecting the levy on behalf of the BID and would be responsible for providing this information.

Scotland’s Improvement District (SIDs) have estimated that the annual levy for the combined 36 BIDs in Scotland is £6.4m. This figure is based on data from operational Scottish BID surveys and information provided in the BIDs Business Plans. The amount collected may, however, be lower depending on collection rates.

There are seven emergency telephones installed on the A90 north of Dundee and two on other sections of the A90.

In the past five years 51 calls have been received on the emergency telephones on the A90 north of Dundee.

All emergency telephones on the Scottish Trunk Road Network, including on the A90, are inspected and tested every three months.