Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. 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 Parliamentary Corporate Body has previously accepted requests to fly the Rainbow flag to mark Edinburgh Pride Day, which usually falls on the last Saturday of June. To date, the SPCB has not received a request to fly the Rainbow flag this year. Other ways events can be marked include Members’ debates and Member-sponsored events.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. 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 .

SSEN have shared with the Scottish Government that they estimate that a volume of approximately 1700 cubic metres of peat has been disturbed. SSEN have suggested that the loss was generally the surface layer of peat in the area. SSEN have confirmed to the Scottish Government that they are working with key stakeholders and environmental specialists to put in place a plan for safe restoration and reinstatement.

SSEN have informed the Scottish Government that the landslide is not connected to the construction of the Viking Wind Farm but took place at SSEN Transmission’s Kergord Substation, which is currently under construction. We understand that there is no impact to the nearby Viking Wind Farm or the Shetland HVDC link.

Every year, the Scottish Government clearly sets out how many bursaries are available. Arrangements for the 2024-25 bursary scheme are currently under consideration by the Teaching Bursary advisory group and will be publicised shortly.

The Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) currently applies to placements of children in foster care and eligible kinship care. Continuing care rates are for each individual local authority to determine.

We are considering a range of issues that impact young people and their carers as young care experienced people prepare to move on from care into adulthood.

We will launch a public consultation in Summer 2024 which will ask for views on the support required to help young people as they move on from care. This will include questions on the improvements which can be made to the provision of Continuing Care.

The Scottish Government committed at the time the Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) was launched to, maintaining the 2023-24 levels of support for the allowances going forward, and to reviewing the funding implications for future years from 2024-25.

We are carefully considering what is affordable for 2024-25 given we have already invested an additional £16 million per year, and the financial challenges facing the whole of the public sector. We plan to make an announcement shortly following discussions with COSLA.

In 2023, 70 bursaries were awarded to individuals wishing to change career and undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).

Since the introduction of the scheme, 659 bursaries have been awarded.

Subsidies can make an invaluable contribution to businesses. However, if they are misused or overused, it can lead to undesirable outcomes. This is why Scottish Government subsidies are allocated in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The OECD themselves highlight this in their analysis, Measuring Industrial Subsidies, from January 2024 as an important key message; “while subsidies can be helpful in addressing emergencies or market failures, they can also undermine fair competition and lead other countries to respond in kind, to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers and governments with fewer resources, and ultimately undermining public support for an integrated global economy”.

It is unhelpful to compare subsidies in the Scottish economy with that in China, which operates a post-communist, state-driven model which is very different than most other economies, with high levels of state intervention in the economy, and currently facing its own significant economic challenges, including high levels of debt in its state-owned enterprises.

The First Minister and I have been clear in our message to businesses in Scotland and potential investors; Scotland is open for business and open for investment and we will do everything we can to ensure that is the case.

We have allocated over £307 million to our enterprise agencies in 2024-25. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise have a key role to play in unlocking the full economic potential of their regions and providing support to businesses - through advice and information, investment and access to business premises. The Scottish National Investment Bank provides long-term investments for businesses, projects and communities, including both debt and equity, and on 20 May I announced a £5 million package of support measures for start-up tech businesses that will create conditions to encourage more investment into Scotland. These measures will form the next step in providing one of the most comprehensive government-backed support networks in Europe.

Glasgow City Council administers and enforces their LEZ and as such receives all penalty charge notice payments. The spending of any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme is a matter for the local authority. These funds can only be used for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives and thus support air quality/climate change emission reduction measures or supporting the operational cost of the scheme.