Chamber and committees

Since the launch of the £2 bus fare cap pilot in the Highlands and Islands in January 2026, the Scottish Government has received claims relating to 280,907 passenger journeys, with total reimbursement claims of £2,045,740.90 made by participating bus operators. The number of journeys and the value of claims may not align due to the claim validation process.

It is not yet possible to determine the number of additional passenger journeys generated by the scheme, however, the Scottish Government will work with participating operators over the summer to assess the impact of the pilot against comparable baseline data.

All figures are correct as of 2 June 2026.

The Contracts for Difference scheme is currently reserved to the UK Government. Any future changes to market arrangements will require careful design to support the continued delivery of Scotland’s offshore wind project pipeline and deliver savings for consumers.

The Scottish Government has no evidence that 20 mph speed limits increase fuel consumption. Evidence from Scotland and internationally shows that 20 mph speed limits reduce vehicle speeds. Lower, more consistent speeds can reduce harsh acceleration and braking which can lead to a range of benefits, including smoother traffic flows and a reduction in vehicle emissions.

These matters will be taken forward as part of the Government’s wider commitment to public sector reform and Parliament will be updated on any actions in the normal fashion.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads and associated infrastructure in their area. The Scottish Government does not make assessments on local authority inspection procedures or hold details of any lapsed inspections or assessments of their infrastructure.

The vast majority of funding (97.9% in 2026-27) continues to be provided to councils by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. This is set out in the final Annex of the relevant Local Government Finance Circular, for example, Annex K of Local Government Finance Circular No. 2/2026.

It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and a number of national priorities agreed with COSLA. Many of those nationally agreed priorities entail additional funding being provided in-year by the relevant portfolio. In-year transfers are set out in the relevant chapter of the Scottish Budget, for example, Table 4.15 of the Scottish Budget 2026-27.

Work continues with COSLA and local government partners to reduce ring fencing and in-year transfers where possible and over £2.3 billion of previously ring-fenced funding and in-year transfers has been consolidated into the General Revenue Grant, since 2023.

The total funding provided to local government and the amount that was formally ringfenced and allocated as in-year transfers is set out in the following table, as requested.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the need to tackle drug supply and organised crime groups. Police Scotland works with agencies in Scotland, the UK and internationally to take illegal substances, including synthetic opioids, off Scotland’s streets, and to dismantle the groups responsible and hold them to account. They continue to have notable success with the number of senior organised crime group members in prison indicative of operational success.

Our Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan, Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery aims to prevent harm from alcohol and drugs, promote recovery and save lives. Grounded in human rights, the Plan sets out a clear long term direction for addressing alcohol and drug harms through a public health, evidence informed approach. The Plan builds on the progress made throughout the National Mission, and sets out a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, whilst continuing to support vital harm reduction measures and improving treatment and care pathways to support long term recovery.

In light of the changing drug trends and emerging threats, the Plan commits to strengthening surveillance and early response measures, and expanding the approach of what has been achieved through the Medication Assisted Treatment standards (currently primarily for opioid use) to cover all substances including alcohol.

Since 1 January 2021, a total of 15 planning appeals for renewable energy developments in the rest of Scotland have been allowed and 11 have been dismissed.

The breakdown of that total by year and by planning authority are set out in the following table. The information includes appeals dismissed for context.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including new and replacement transmission and distribution infrastructure, whilst ensuring that potential impacts on our communities and natural assets, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process.

The Non-Domestic Rates (Liability for Unoccupied Properties) (Scotland) Act 2026 (the Act) clarified the legal basis for local authorities to levy rates on the owners of unoccupied properties, subject to any reliefs that local authorities may choose to put in place, with retrospective effect from 1 April 2023. The Act gives effect to the original policy intention and the system as understood by local authorities and ratepayers, and applied by local authorities.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on any claims for refunds received by local authorities. This matter has not however been raised specifically by local government with the Scottish Government.