Seòmar agus comataidhean

At 31 March 2021 there were 7816 directly employed staff within the core Scottish Government, however all staff continued to work from home where possible during this time.

The headcount of staff normally based in each Local Authority is in the table below.

As concluded in the South West Scotland Transport Study, a new station at Thornhill was one of the interventions recommended for the next stage of appraisal. This option is one of 58 potential new stations across Scotland that are being appraised as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against the transport outcomes we are seeking, the Transport Planning Objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and impacts based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria, to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to Infrastructure Investment Plan. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on potential new stations such as Thornhill.

The operation of the MV Arrow on the Ullapool – Stornoway route is primarily a consideration for operator under the terms of the Time Charter. The Scottish Government has not requested detailed reports regarding the breakdown of the MV Arrow from either CalMac Ferries Ltd or Seatruck Ferries Ltd but was made aware of the situation as it developed.

The MV Arrow was removed from service on 24 July 2021 due to a fishing net or rope having been caught around the port propeller hub causing damage which required repair. The MV Arrow resumed the Ullapool – Stornoway freight only service on the evening of 3 August 2021.

During the breakdown of the MV Arrow, the MV Loch Seaforth operated her normal timetable, including overnight freight sailings. The costs of repairing the MV Arrow will be met by the vessel owner.

The available information is provided in the following tables which has been produced from the Scottish Government’s criminal proceedings database . The latest available criminal proceedings in Scotland data is to 2019-20.

Number of people convicted in Scottish courts receiving a financial penalty for littering offences (where main crime), 1999-00 to 2019-20.

The Scottish Government’s air quality grant scheme supports local authorities to deliver any measure that could be included in a local authority air quality action plan. Local authorities seeking financial support to use the Place Standard Tool with an air quality focus, can apply for funding under this grant scheme. All applications will be carefully assessed, both within the Scottish Government and independently, for feasibility, cost effectiveness, value for money, potential effects on local air quality/noise and interrelationships with other measures in the action plan.

Reviewing and assessing air quality in the vicinity of schools is the responsibility of the relevant local authorities and can take a variety of forms. The Scottish Government is supportive of such monitoring from a data acquisition perspective, the valuable educational role it can play for pupils and also for awareness-raising in wider citizen science and community engagement projects.

In Chapters 4 and 5 of the recently published strategy ‘Cleaner Air for Scotland – Creating a Better Place for Everyone’, the Scottish Government has outlined its intentions for both air quality data collection and use, and public engagement and behaviour change. Further consideration of the role air quality monitoring near schools can play will be part of these proposals.

SEPA's cyber-attack will not affect SEPA’s ability to deliver the CAFS2 actions assigned to them.

The Scottish Government publishes updates on progress against its peatland restoration targets in its annual Climate Change Plan monitoring reports each May. The latest of these reports was published on 27 May 2021 and it is available at www.gov.scot/publications/climate-change-plan-monitoring-reports-2021-compendium .

In light of the tragic incidents over the weekend of 24 th & 25 th July 2021, the LLTTNPA have held a series of urgent meetings with each of the local authorities, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. These partnership meetings are aimed at reviewing existing water safety measures and identifying any potential further actions to be taken both in the short and the longer term.

The next Scottish Government annual budget review will take place in September 2021 for 2022-2023 period. The review will provide LLTNPA with an opportunity to outline to the Scottish Government their planned and committed expenditure and any additional needs for funding taking into account developments and events over the last 12 months.