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This information is not held centrally and is a matter for the Care Inspectorate.

The Scottish Government lead a number of working groups that fall under the remit of transport. The groups are appointed to study and report on a particular question or make recommendations based on its findings hence the longevity of each group will vary. The following non-exhaustive list includes currently active transport groups managed by the Scottish Government, but it does not include all of the transport groups that we engage with.

National Transport Strategy Delivery Board

National Transport Strategy Business Group

Analysis of Demand Management Options Steering Group

Transport Governance and Collaboration Working Group

Forth Bridges Forum

LEZ Leadership Group

LEZ Communications Group

LEZ Consistency Group

LEZ Enforcement Group

Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Working Group

Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Peer Review Group

A83 Taskforce Group

A9 Road Safety Group

Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board

Road Safety Operational Partnership Group

Motorcycle safety group

Three Local Partnership Forums for Road Safety across Scotland (east, west and north)

Road Safety Scotland Learning Advisory Group

Road Safety Scotland Publicity Advisory Group

The Parking Standards Advisory Group

The Traffic Regulation Order Review Group

Scottish Road Research Board

National strategy for 20mph Working Group

Road Traffic Fatality Working Group

Transport Scotland Pavement Forum

Scottish Traffic Signs Working Group

Roads for All forum

Vulnerable Locations Operations Group

Zero Emission Truck Taskforce

Bus Taskforce:

• Driver Shortage subgroup
• Patronage Growth subgroup
• Community Engagement subgroup

Mobility as a Service Working Group

Operator Smart Steering Group

Active Travel Delivery Partners’ Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group

Accessible Travel Steering Group

Accessible Travel Framework Impact Evaluation Project Working Group

Scottish Freight and Logistics Advisory Group (ScotFLAG)

Ardrossan Task Force

Edinburgh Waverley Station Masterplan Steering Group

Edinburgh Waverley Station Masterplan Working Group

Perth Station Masterplan Steering Group

Perth Station Masterplan Working Group

Inverness Station Masterplan Steering Group

Inverness Station Masterplan Working Group

Sustainable Travel to Station Steering Group

Sustainable Travel to Station Working Group

The Aberdeen to Central Belt Key Stakeholder Group

The Scottish Government works with a variety of stakeholders, who support and shape work on the just transition, net zero and energy. The input from our stakeholders is invaluable and plays a vital role in helping deliver a just energy transition to net zero.

The number and makeup of these working groups varies in line with government priorities. Examples of working groups which fall under the remit of just transition, net zero or energy include:

• The Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB)
• The Scottish Energy Networks Strategic Leadership Group
• The Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership Group
• Energy Consumers Commission
• Just Transition Commission
  

The Scottish Government recognises that, despite declining cash usage across the country, any reduction in a local area’s ATMs will add to the uncertainty that a community faces on their ability to easily access cash and other banking services.

Whilst the Scottish Government hasn’t undertaken specific economic analysis of declining ATM’s in Lanarkshire, we have, with the limited powers available, delivered reliefs for ATM sites in Scotland to improve their commercial viability. This includes ensuring sites in rural areas are exempt from business rates where the building is used only for the ATM and, more widely, there is 100% rates relief available to ATM sites through the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Ultimately, however, the regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and Scottish Ministers cannot intervene in the commercial decisions made by financial services firms to remove ATM’s.

We welcome the provisions around protecting access to cash in the Financial Services and Markets Bill introduced to the UK Parliament this year and we support industry initiatives, including the work of the Post Office and UK Finance’s Cash Action Group, that are aimed at improving access to cash across the country. Through the industries work, local communities can now apply to have their cash access independently reviewed and have new ATMs, or other services, installed should the current cash access be deemed poor. My officials will provide further detail to your office on how communities in your region can apply for these reviews.

The Scottish Government will continue to work constructively with the UK Government on ensuring access to cash is protected for those who need it in Scotland and, through our regular engagement with the financial services industry, we will urge banks and ATM providers to listen to, and address, the very real concerns customers have on accessing cash in their local communities.

Local authorities have responsibility for delivering local economic development and local regeneration and are best placed to develop the right partnerships and identify suitable funding to support town centres and high streets including in the South of Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of how challenging the current economic climate is for businesses and communities in town centres and the issues around out-of-town shopping. We are committed to continue to working in partnership with local government, business, third sector and community partners to repurpose and revitalise town centres.

The Scottish Government has long-term funding and a strong framework with clear priorities and actions to help support local government and other partners to develop town centres in accordance with the needs of their own communities. This includes the Town Centre Action Plan 2, the Retail Strategy, and subject to parliamentary approval, and subsequent adoption by the Scottish Ministers, the National Planning Framework 4.

These recognise the critical importance of planning with and for communities and in diversifying the offer within town centres, to help them thrive, improve their resilience and anticipate continuing societal, environmental and economic change. The draft NPF4 recognises that our cities and towns are a national asset and strengthens support for development in centres to be considered first, while limiting out-of-town retail development. Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation contains bold and ambitious actions - within the powers currently available to us – and is a route to a strong, inclusive economy with good, secure and well-paid jobs and growing businesses.

The Government has committed in the recent budget to continue to deliver the Place-Based Investment Programme, which aims to accelerate ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action and community wealth building and the complimentary Vacant and Derelict land Programme. In addition, as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and recognising the importance of our smaller rural market and coastal towns to the local economy, the Scottish Government is committing up to £20 million in the South of Scotland.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with COSLA regarding the expansion of free school meals.

As part of our planning with local authorities for free school meal expansion, we will consider the arrangements to pilot universal free school meals in secondary schools.

Organisations which develop and install wind projects should always allow for a sinking fund for repair and maintenance costs, or take out insurance for repairs, maintenance, breakdown and loss of earnings.

Our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) does not provide funding for continued maintenance of wind turbines. However, it has provided ad hoc support to communities looking to repair small scale wind turbines.

Local Energy Scotland has delivered CARES on our behalf since 2013. Since then, CARES has offered approximately £128,000 in funding support towards the repair of community-owned wind turbines, including associated viability studies. This is as follows;

2014: £12,362;

2016: £16,189;

2018: £20,000;

2019: £41,472;

2020: £14,375;

2021: £24,000.

The service continuity plan for the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown route is currently being developed by CalMac which will include a revised temporary ferry timetable between Troon and Brodick and a shuttle bus service between Troon Harbour, Troon Rail Station and Ardrossan. Timetable options were shared with the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee and wider communities as part of a public consultation exercise undertaken in August and September 2022. CalMac are reviewing the feedback with a report expected to be published in the coming weeks. The revised temporary Troon timetable is expected to be finalised in the new year, to ensure continuity of service for passengers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12989 on 22 December 2022, it is the responsibility of the wind farm operator to properly maintain their wind turbines, in accordance with their planning permission and any conditions imposed. The Scottish Government is not responsible for taking action in this area.

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 .

Thank you for your question. The criteria for emergency workers differ from that of the public. For emergency workers, the criteria are:

The individual (or team) acted beyond the normal expectation of them and made a deliberate decision to do so in the knowledge of the dangers / risks involved e.g., where the incident escalated unexpectedly beyond the initial assessment and the individual had to adapt their training or improvise to achieve the desired outcome.

The individual (or team) displayed outstanding bravery in the knowledge of significant risk or danger to their own life whilst protecting or attempting to protect another person. Consideration of the UK Gallantry Award System may also come into play in these situations.

The individual (or team) showed personal courage in the face of violent or unpredictable circumstances.

Where the individual (or team) made a significant contribution to reducing risk to the public and preventing future deaths or injuries.

Where an individual or team has gone beyond the expected contribution to their service and has through determination, innovation and persistent effort overcome obstacles resulting in a quantifiable contribution to public safety.