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Through Scottish Government’s commitment of £36 Million over this parliamentary term, The Climate Justice Fund [CJF] continues to focus on supporting communities being impacted first and worst by the climate crisis.

£7 Million of this has been committed to be spent on Loss and Damage over this parliament (to March 31 2026). £1.7 Million has already been delivered through grants. For details of expenditure I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13351 on 10 January 2023. In addition, once the selection process and delivery mechanism for the £5 Million funding for non-economic loss and damage is finalised, initiatives can begin to be funded through this programme on the otherwise underfunded and undervalued area of addressing non-economic and slow-onset loss and damage.

Scottish Government is expanding its Human Rights Defendership Fellowship programme to include two £50,000 Gender and Environment fellowships. The fellowship will allow human rights defenders from other countries to spend several months in Scotland to develop their work, skills and extend their networks in a safe place.

A further £24 Million will be awarded through the Climate Just Communities programme over three years. This will be split across Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia to build more inclusive communities that are resilient to the material and social effects of climate change.

Officials are developing options for Cabinet Secretary consideration for allocation of the as yet uncommitted funding.

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

The Scottish Government has engaged Cosla, setting out its position on tariffs for the use of public charge points, a significant proportion of which are owned by Local Authorities. It is important that tariffs are structured to avoid unduly subsidising those who can afford to pay, support infrastructure maintenance and create the conditions that will be attractive for the future private investment that will be needed to grow the network. As highlighted in a market insights report (Opportunity Through Tariffs to Encourage Private Investment in EV Infrastructure Across Scotland) published by Scottish Futures Trust last November, adoption of such pricing regimes does not preclude local authorities from introducing flexible and off-peak pricing structures to enable more affordable charging.

As energy market policy remains reserved to UK government, the Scottish Government cannot take all of the action it would like to in order to support Scottish consumers. We welcome the intention set out by UK government to consult on how to rebalance the price of gas and electricity. The UK government’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements presents an opportunity to reflect on the structure of the wholesale electricity market and consider what can be done to ensure it serves the best interests of consumers and delivers net zero. However, this review will take time, so the UK government must also work to identify short-term opportunities to support bill payers today.

The total cost of consultants working on the National Care Service to date is £2,014,000.00.

The SPCB provides a range of benefits to support the physical health and wellbeing of MSPs, MSP staff and SPCB employees.  This includes the provision of a free on-site gym, corporate gym membership discounts and the cycle to work scheme.  

The Healthy Living Scheme, which reimburses costs associated with physical activity, is currently open to SPCB staff.  Members can however choose to utilise their own Staff Cost Provision Budget to replicate this scheme for their own employees.     

The SPCB recently implemented a new Employee Assistance Programme which is delivered by Spectrum Life.  One of the benefits of this new service is that it provides all staff, including MSP staff, with free access to an online wellbeing platform as well as an app which includes:

• fitness programmes
• nutrition guides and recipes
• on-demand e-learning webinar across multiple wellbeing topics
• self-guided meditation; and
• wellbeing podcasts
  

The SPCB also provides a range of measures to support financial wellbeing.  Examples of this include membership of the Capital Credit Union and regular pension webinars.   

The SPCB takes very seriously its responsibility to support the wellbeing of staff (both those employed by the SPCB and those employed by Members).  The Positive About Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy sets out the SPCB’s aim to support a workplace environment that promotes good mental health and wellbeing of all colleagues.

The Scottish Government unequivocally condemns any form of hate crime. The latest figures from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are a reminder to redouble our efforts to tackle hate and confront prejudice wherever it occurs. We are resolute in our commitment to tackling all incidents of hate crime and we encourage everyone who experiences or witnesses hate crime to report it directly to the police or by using a third party reporting centre.

In March, we published a new Hate Crime Strategy which sets out our vision for a Scotland where everyone lives free from hatred and prejudice, and where our communities are empowered, inclusive and safe. The strategy makes a number of commitments including ensuring improved support for victims of hate crime, improving data and evidence on hate crime and developing effective approaches to preventing hate crime. It will also support implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.

A delivery plan, setting out our immediate and longer term activity, will be published later this year.

The Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) will replace the Ferries Plan but be broader in scope, taking account of aviation, ferries and fixed links, as well as onward and connecting travel issues. The ICP will consist of several delivery plans with a short strategic document setting out the Government’s strategic objectives and policies for island connectivity, based on supporting delivery of the National Transport Strategy (NTS2) and the National Islands Plan, and be informed by the outcomes of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2.

It is envisaged that the strategic ICP document will set a vision and outline good practice for delivery of ferry services in Scotland which will support local authorities in the preparation of any delivery plans they require for their areas of responsibility.

The responsibility for the ferry and terminal replacement programme for inter-island ferries, is wholly a matter for the local authority that run those services. The Scottish Government continues to engage regarding these matters, including through the Orkney and Shetland Islands Councils' Ferry Replacement Task Forces.

As part of the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan set out in February 2021, £580 million was secured to fund a series of vessel and port projects from April 2021 to March 2026. Beyond this, and as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, the Long-Term Plan for Vessels and Ports is focusing on the key current challenges of replacing or renewing vessel and port assets and increasing the resilience of ferry services and ferry fleets across both the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles networks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16521 on 27 April 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

Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan (NWSP) published in 2014, and updated in 2020, sets out how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), is monitoring current water levels carefully across Scotland, collating information on the abstractions, and recording feedback on the impact of likely suspensions on business.

In June 2023, SEPA published guidance which clarifies how suspensions will be implemented. If the dry weather continues it may be necessary to reduce or suspend abstractions licences to protect the environment.

Public Water Supplies are largely operating normally and there is no immediate need for water restrictions. Investment in resilience measures over many years means that Scottish Water is able to maintain supplies during prolonged dry periods to all parts of Scotland. There have been challenges in smaller supplies particularly in rural areas and the Scottish Government and Scottish Water are monitoring the situation very carefully.

The Minister does not sit on the stakeholder groups however the Minister does receive updates from the groups.

The Minister chairs the Ministerial Strategy Assurance Group, referred to in answers to questions S6W-18537, S6W-18540 and S6W-18541 on 15 June 2023. The Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group’s purpose is to discuss issues which may need escalated following discussions at the stakeholder groups. The Ministerial Strategic Assurance Groups includes representatives who sit on the individual stakeholder groups to ensure these discussions are joined up.

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