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The member will be aware in March of this year the previous Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care approved the plan for integrated maternity services across the North of Scotland with consultant-led obstetric services at Dr Gray’s Hospital, supporting this with initial investment of up to £6.6m. NHS Grampian and NHS Highland are moving forward with implementation, including progressing local recruitment and marketing, and progressing the NHS Highland Business Case for Raigmore redevelopment. I mentioned in the Chamber on the 31 st May I was expecting to have the revised NHS Highland Business Case which I have now received. I will be considering this carefully and seeking views from the External Assurance panel led by Prof Linda de Caestecker. I have already received specific questions from the Keep MUM campaign group and my officials will be following up on these points.

As advertised on the Traffic Scotland website a single lane closure and 50mph speed restriction was in place in both directions on the dual carriageway section of the A9 between Kincraig and Dalraddy between 7:00am on 12 June and 12:00pm on 16 June 2023. The traffic restrictions were required to ensure the safety of road users and road workers whilst maintenance works, including repairs to surfacing, structures and roadside infrastructure as well as landscape maintenance, were undertaken by the Contractor responsible for the A9 Dualling: Kincraig to Dalraddy contract.

Due to the scope and timeframe of the question, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as this data is not available from a single source.

HM Treasury budgeting rules, with which the Scottish Government must comply, are very clear that it is not possible to use capital budgets to support current spending. All the capital budget will be used to support capital spending in the 2023-24 financial year.

My officials in Scottish Enterprise remain in regular contact with the Joint Administrators, Interpath Advisory, and are working with them to consider all viable options for the Stoneywood site in Aberdeen.

The administration process continues to progress, and I understand the Stoneywood site continues to be marketed by the Joint Administrators.

The Scottish Government is aware of the shortage of drivers for buses, which is exacerbated by BREXIT preventing people from the EU coming here to work freely. We are working with bus operators and key industry stakeholders through the Bus Taskforce – while recognising that many of the levers are reserved to the UK Government.

As the Scottish Government is not required to hold information on operational matters related to Scottish Water, I again refer the member to the published data available on Scottish Water’s website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/help-and-resources/document-hub/key-publications/urban-waters-improvements and https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflow-Spill-Data . Should the member wish further information on this data, he may wish to contact Scottish Water directly.

As environmental regulator, it is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to monitor, classify, protect and improve water quality at designated bathing waters. SEPA assesses the water quality of Peterhead (Lido) as “excellent” and further information is available on its website at https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/39944/peterhead-lido-bathing-water-profile.pdf .

I again refer the member to the answer to S6O-02060 for further information on wider measures to improve Scotland’s water environment. On 23 March 2023. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: Meeting of the Parliament: 23/03/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

A Scottish Government Planning Factsheet issued in 2014 to support the Scottish Planning Policy recognised that separation distance is a design matter dependent on a range of criteria.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), adopted on 13th February this year, forms part of the statutory development plan alongside the relevant Local Development Plan. Part 2 of NPF4 sets out the policy framework for use in the determination of planning applications. Matters concerning project design and mitigation are set out in policy 11(e). In the NPF4 Delivery Programme, we have given our commitment to progress work on a new suite of guidance and advice that will support activity to deliver the policy intent of NPF4. We will do this alongside careful monitoring of the implementation of policies.

‎To support delivery of NPF4, previously published planning guidance and advice will be revisited over time to establish whether it should be retained, removed or updated.

There are currently three stakeholder groups that are chaired by the Scottish Government, these are; Deposit Return Scheme - Retailers Sector Group Meeting, Deposit Return Scheme - Hospitality Sector Group Meeting, and Deposit Return Scheme - Producer Sector Group Meeting. There are also plans for a separate Local Authority stakeholder group which have been delayed by recent developments.

These groups provide a platform for communication and discussion for stakeholders and maintain relationships to ensure transparent communication and that all stakeholders are inputting into the process.

Decisions remain with organisations that are best placed to make them e.g. if SEPA are responsible they will have their own decision-making process and this will be respected.

The data referred to was provided by Zero Waste Scotland, drawing on data made available by WRAP.

WRAP has advised Zero Waste Scotland that the data is drawn from a range of initial efficiency studies undertaken to support the UK wide consultation on packaging extended producer responsibility. Queries on the data and publication status, and any subsequent research, should be directed to WRAP.