Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland has contracted Hagar Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to deploy remote sensing equipment on both local and trunk roads in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Remote sensing equipment uses laser spectroscopy to measure the real-world emissions of vehicle exhaust plumes as the vehicles pass underneath.

This equipment has been deployed in the Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Aberdeen City Council and Dundee City Council areas. As the equipment was at times deployed simultaneously in each city, there were up to four of these sensors deployed in each year since 2021.

The deployment of remote sensing equipment in Scotland from 2021-2023 was the most comprehensive use of this equipment by any country in Europe.

HEAT have partnered with the ICCT (International Council for Clean Transportation) and Element Energy to deliver this project.

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

The Scottish Government have agreed the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) budget for 23/24 and SDS have completed contract awards to support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprentice (MA) starts in 23/24. This may include MAs in traditional craft occupations subject to the demand.

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

Local authorities have had the power to charge an empty homes council tax premium of up to 100% since 1 April 2013. The Scottish Government’s statistics show that at September 2022 42,865 homes had been empty for more than 6 months. Of these 27,692 had been empty for over 12 months and of those 20,279 had a council tax discount below 10% or a council tax premium applied.

A further breakdown by local authority for homes empty for more than 12 months is available on the Scottish Government website from 2014 onwards: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-empty-properties-and-second-homes/ .

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22482 on‎ 24 November 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

Pay negotiations are a matter for Scottish Water as the employer and the Trade Unions. They remain underway, with progress being made.

We have consulted on ending the sale of peat in Scotland as per the commitment made in our 2021-22 Programme for Government. We received over 550 responses to the consultation, which are providing valuable insights as to the transitional needs of growers. We are actively collaborating with the horticulture industry to facilitate the transition, with a crucial aspect being the allocation of sufficient time for the industry to identify alternative growing media and methods. It is important to recognise that there is no direct replacement for peat, and growers must proactively adapt to meet their individual needs.

We work closely with the horticulture industry and with research providers to commission and support a number of research projects that will assist transition away from peat. These include:

• a Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Alternatives to Horticultural Peat in Scotland (2019, link );
• an evaluation of alternative growing media for the production of healthy potato mini-tubers (2020, link );
• an analysis of the barriers and Opportunities for Peat Growing Media Supply (2022, link );
• identifying the plant health risks associated with plant waste disposal and peat-free growing media and developing best practice guidance for waste disposal and composting across sectors (2023, link ).

Since publication, the Ministerial Population Taskforce has taken forward a range of priority commitments from the Population Strategy, including the forthcoming Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, Talent Attraction and Migration Service, updating the evidence base on attitudes to family formation, and building new links across government and between stakeholders about issues relating to population and demography.

The Strategy continues to guide our approach to population across Scottish Government, and the purpose of the Taskforce is to drive cross-government delivery from the range of portfolios relevant to the Strategy actions. Minutes from Taskforce meetings, detailing work undertaken, are publicly available on the Scottish Government website.