Chamber and committees

No funding was provided by the Scottish Government directly to the Al-Mahdi Foundation in 2022.

The Scottish Government has not considered expanding the Infrastructure Investment Plan to include any additional projects that were not originally included in the plan.

The Scottish Government has ambitious plans to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys, with record levels of investment over this Parliament and significantly ahead of anywhere else in the UK. Our biggest focus is on delivering physical infrastructure on the ground. But we also have important programmes to support people to change behaviours and choose active travel, and to access a range of bikes, including adapted bikes. At present, and over the course of next year, to make sure that people in Scotland get maximum benefit from that investment, Transport Scotland is transforming the delivery models for active travel interventions across the infrastructure, behaviour change and access to bikes programmes. This will see the end of some long-standing programmes, funded on a year by year basis, and a shift towards funding and control moving to local authorities, as the strategic transport authorities for their area, and regional transport partnerships.

Part of the Active Travel transformation process has involved the Smarter Choices Smarter Places programme closing, but behaviour change projects remain a high priority in our Active Travel programme. We are developing a new system of funding for 2024-25, and Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, and the third sector Active Travel Delivery Partners are all involved in the design of that solution and we continue to see a vital role for our delivery partners in turning our record investment into the transformative change we all want to see.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) for Scotland. Its remit is to promote human rights and, in particular, to encourage best practice in relation to human rights.

The SHRC is statutorily independent and the exercise of its functions is not subject to the direction or control of the Scottish Government. Information about its current programme of work can be sought direct from the SHRC.

The Scottish Government welcomes the SHRC’s investigation and looks forward to the publication of its report.

The Scottish Government is increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m next financial year to £196.6m. This is the first step on the route to investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-2026 we aim to provide an additional £25m to the culture sector. This commitment to additional funding despite the challenging budget situation signals our confidence in the Scottish culture sector.

Through this increased investment we want to drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.

We will continue to work with the culture sector to identify barriers to immediate and long-term recovery. The Scottish Government will also continue to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.

The Scottish Government recognises the emerging seaweed industry is growing in scale and can provide a host of benefits to local communities, the environment, and contribute to the sustainable development of a Blue Economy through production of innovative and low-carbon products.

We commissioned research on ' Understanding the potential scale for seaweed-based industries in Scotland ', which was published in February 2022. This report explores the key areas of growth potential for the seaweed sector and the wider economic and social impacts of possible growth scenarios. As a result of this report, and to ensure that the seaweed sector in Scotland develops sustainably, the Scottish Government is funding, in partnership with Crown Estate Scotland, a 3-year business development manager position at the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association to support the growth ambitions of the Scottish seaweed sector.

The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to our Public Health agenda as well as the range of priority actions that we have set out in relation to various health harming products, including tobacco, alcohol and less healthy food.

We know people living in poverty have poorer health outcomes and are at a higher risk of NCDs. In 2022-23, we invested an estimated £3 billion across a range of programmes targeted at low income households - with £1.25 billion directly benefitting children. This includes over £213 million on the Scottish Child Payment, over £169 million on School Meals, and £33.5 million Whole Family Wellbeing Funding.

In addition, we recently consulted on increasing the current rate of Minimum Unit Price from 50 pence per unit to 65 pence. We have consulted as part of a UK-wide consultation on raising the age of smoking and further restrictions on vapes. We are also committed to legislation to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink where they are sold to the public. Our new and ambitious Cancer Strategy and Cancer Action Plan for Scotland was published in June 2023, which outlines 11 ambitions and 8 outcomes.

Arrangements for the 2024 round of the Agri-environment Climate Scheme (AECS) are being finalised following the UK Government’s very disappointing Autumn Statement. An announcement on this matter will be made shortly when AECS 2024 opens for applications.

National Planning Policy 5d) makes clear that, where development on peatland, carbon-rich soils or priority peatland habitat is proposed, a detailed site specific assessment will be required to identify: i) the baseline depth, habitat condition, quality and stability of carbon rich soils; ii) the likely effects of the development on peatland, including on soil disturbance; and, iii) the likely net effects of the development on climate emissions and loss of carbon.

Through our Onshore Wind Policy Statement 2022, we have committed to assess the operation of, and if necessary update or replace, the carbon calculator. Whilst the review is ongoing, the existing carbon calculator, in its current form, can continue to be used by applicants and decision makers to support the carbon assessment of wind farm developments.

This has been the most challenging budget for Scotland since devolution. The UK Government’s Autumn Statement was very disappointing and cut the Scottish Government’s capital allocation by over 10%. This means the Scottish Government faces tough choices on where to allocate the budget available. Previously, budget allocations for Agricultural Transformation Fund (ATF) were allocated to the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) 2022, to support the purchase of low emission slurry spreading equipment and slurry store covers and to the Agri-environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in 2023 to support the extension nationally of the slurry storage option. In the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, the demand for support through the Sustainable Agriculture Grant Scheme (SACGS) was around £3m and £2m respectively, which was lower than anticipated and, subsequently, the budget for both years was under-committed. Given this position, it is anticipated that the proposed budget of £3m for financial year 2024-25 should be sufficient to cover demand for slurry storage options, accordingly, there should be no impact on farmers and crofters who wish to apply for installing or upgrading slurry storage facilities.