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I look forward to launching the public consultation of the draft Long-term Plan for Vessels and Ports on the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles Networks (2023 – 2045) in April. An advance copy of the draft Plan was sent to key stakeholders, for initial comments, and published on the Transport Scotland website on 30 December 2022.

www.transport.gov.scot/publication/draft-for-consultation-long-term-plan-for-vessels-and-ports-on-the-clyde-hebrides-and-northern-isles-networks-2023-2045-islands-connectivity-plan

The Scottish Government has provided funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to administer the Low Carbon Transport Loan each year since 2011. The administrative costs including staffing costs in each year are set out in the following table alongside the value of funds that EST distributed, and the associated deliverables.

The administration and staffing costs cover loans for new and used vehicles to individuals and to businesses. Separate administration and staffing costs for different types of loans are not available.

There have been no such meetings with Pentland Ferries on this matter. Any discussions regarding the chartering of vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract would be a matter for the operator CalMac Ferries Limited. However, the Minister for Transport met with Pentland Ferries 20 December 2022 for general discussion on the MV Pentalina Charter with Transport Scotland officials present in a supporting role.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15055 on 21 March 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

The Scottish Government has provided funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to administer the Plugged-in Communities Grant Fund each year since 2020. The administrative costs, which include staffing costs in each year, are set out below alongside the value of funds that EST distributed and the associated deliverables.

The Scottish Government is providing £50,000 in grant funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to administer the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme in the 2022-23 financial year. The administrative costs, inclusive of EST staffing, are set out in the following table alongside the value of funds that EST are distributing and the outputs achieved.

The Scottish Government plans to carry out a further Gateway Review during week commencing 13 March 2023, in line with the last Assurance of Action Plan report’s recommendations for a review to take place in February 2023, or close to that date. The Scottish Government will consider carefully the recommendations from this review, and will share these and its response with the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in due course.

Transport Scotland’s primary engagement with consultants was via the appointments made to provide support on the delivery of the A9 Dualling programme. Under those various appointments the views of a number of consultants have informed the identification and assessment of factors that could affect delivery of the programme, undertaken as part of Transport Scotland’s normal risk management practices. That process of identification and assessment was also informed by discussions with consultants and contractors via regular meetings held with the Association of Consulting Engineers and The Civil Engineering Contractors Association respectively.

Arising from its ongoing work to determine the optimal procurement approach to the remainder of the programme, Transport Scotland concluded in late 2022 that the completion date of 2025 could not be achieved and should no longer apply to the A9 Dualling programme. I was informed on 7 December 2022 of Transport Scotland’s view that the published completion date of 2025 for the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness should no longer apply.

A statement to Parliament on the next steps for the Programme required to take account of the outcome of the ongoing Tomatin to Moy project procurement. The decision on that procurement was made on 3 February 2023 and the bidder was informed on 8 February, prior to the statement to Parliament on the same day.

If the Ministry of Defence objects to an application for consent for a wind farm which impacts on the Eskdalemuir seismic array, then the Scottish Government would not proceed to consent the application unless that objection is withdrawn.

In cases where further information is provided by an applicant or changes are made to a proposal to overcome an objection, there will be further consultation to establish if the Ministry of Defence are content to remove their safeguarding objection.