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The Scottish government is committed to supporting the recruitment of more teachers in all local authorities. For example, we are providing £145.5 million in this year's budget to protect increased teacher numbers and support staff.

Local authorities are directly responsible for teacher recruitment, and they have autonomy to provide incentives – as some already do - to attract teachers to their area.

Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education sits with local authorities and schools.

While the Curriculum for Excellence provides the overarching framework and sets out the eight curriculum areas, it is a matter for individual schools and authorities to tailor their detailed curriculum offer.

This provides local authorities and schools with flexibility to tailor provision to best meet the needs of their pupils.

All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), adopted 13 February this year, forms part of the statutory development plan alongside the relevant Local Development Plan (LDP).

NPF4 places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including onshore wind.

NPF4 policy 11 makes clear that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors remain important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation will demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments, including Environmental Impact Assessment where applicable.

NPF4 replaces Scottish Planning Policy (2014) ‘SPP’, including the approach to spatial frameworks for onshore wind previously set out in Table 1 of SPP.

There is no recommended minimum distance between onshore wind turbines and residential properties. Policy 11 of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) makes clear that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation will demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.

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.

We have no current plans to introduce legislation on minimum distances between onshore wind turbines.

There is no minimum distance as such in relation to turbines of specified sizes. Development proposals and any potential impacts are considered on a case-by-case basis. All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), adopted in 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).

The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with industry regarding the proposed reform of the Energy Performance Certificate rating system. Engagement work over the past year has included, but is not limited to, the below events with the highlighted organisations.

Engagement has occurred in previous years. This includes through our earlier consultation in 2021, which incorporated workshop events which were open to stakeholders to attend as well as traditional responses.

We are intending to publish a second consultation containing our final proposals this summer, and will continue to engage with all stakeholders during this process.

The Scottish Government is committed to reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure they drive the energy efficiency improvements we need and to incentivise zero direct emissions heating. In 2021, we consulted on the introduction of a new domestic EPC metric based on a dwelling’s energy use. Following feedback received through consultation, we have undertaken further work to develop options for EPC metrics, and wider reforms. We intend to publish a consultation on our final proposals for EPC reform this summer.

In the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government committed to reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure they drive the energy efficiency improvements we need and to incentivise zero direct emissions heating. The need for this work was recently reemphasised by the Climate Change Committee. The team working on the development of the proposed new energy efficiency ratings system comprises of staff at the following Scottish Government Pay Grades:

1 x C2

1 x C1

2 x B3

1 x B2

This team is overseen by a member of staff at Senior Civil Service grade SCS1. Staff are not working solely on EPC metric development and have other responsibilities.