Chamber and committees

The use of stop and search is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Officers do an outstanding job to keep communities safe, as shown by the decrease in recorded crime of almost half since 1991 and by the significant progress that has been made in reducing violent crime over the long term.

Onshore wind is Scotland’s largest source of renewable electricity and will remain central to delivering net zero by 2045.

Building on our ambition for a minimum of 20GW by 2030, deployment beyond that point will be shaped by range of factors, many reserved to the UK Government. These factors including future route to market arrangements, network planning and connections reform, and the co-commissioned Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP).

The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to take all steps necessary for Scotland’s onshore wind resource to be used to its full potential.

The process for the development and approval of the SSEP is set out in the Commissioning letter and the SSEP methodology both of which are publicly available. The decision on the initial pathway for the SSEP will be made by the Secretary of State in autumn 2026, following input from Scottish and Welsh Governments. The finalised Pathway Options Report prepared by NESO will be issued to UK, Scottish and Welsh Government at the end of August. It is expected that the chosen pathway will go out for public consultation in early 2027 with the final SSEP agreed in Autumn 2027.

Following the successful introduction of the Bus Fare Cap Pilot across the Highlands and Islands earlier this year, work is ongoing with partners, including operators, to progress a £2 bus fare cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde within the first 100 days of this government.

We are also committed to bringing forward legislation for a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland by the end of this parliament, building on the evidence from the current pilot.

There are a range of criminal offences that may be used to prosecute someone who disseminates false information either intending to stir up conflict, hostility or disorder or reckless as to whether their behaviour is likely to have that effect. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the particular case, these may include the common law offence of breach of the peace, the offence of threatening or abusive behaviour at section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and, where the information is disseminated using the internet or a mobile phone, communications offences at section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Where a person communicates a message which is threatening, abusive or insulting and either intends or is likely to stir up hatred against a group defined by reference to their race, or communicates a message that is threatening or abusive and intends to stir up hatred against a group defined by reference to their religion, sexual orientation, age, transgender identity, variations in sex characteristics or disability, the offences of stirring up hatred at section 4 of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 may be relevant.

Decisions about whether a person's behaviour would amount to any of these laws is a matter for Police Scotland, COPFS and, ultimately, the court, to determine in any given case.

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to reform the law in this area but we keep the law under continual review to ensure it is effective.

I refer the Member to answers to the previous Parliamentary Questions: S6W-35719 published on 26 March 2025, and S6O-03838 published on 10 October 2024. All answers to Parliamentary Questions are available on the Scottish Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01172 on 10 July 2026. 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.

Heat in Buildings is allocated £302.5m capital in the 2026-27 Scottish Budget, which includes funding for Scotland’s Heat Network Fund. This budget provides flexibility across schemes, and spending via Scotland’s Heat Network Fund is dependent on there being demand from projects that meet essential criteria and represent good value for money.

The Scottish Government is providing long term funding to support local authorities to develop and deliver their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) with funding committed for each local authority of £75,000 per year until 2027-28.

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies(LHEES) support local authorities to take a strategic approach to the delivery of heat networks. The Scottish Government has reviewed all 32 LHEES and found that all local authorities have assessed the potential for heat networks and identified any potential heat network zones in their LHEES. Where appropriate, local authorities have also identified actions to support heat network delivery in their LHEES delivery plans.