Seòmar agus comataidhean

The annual assessment and reporting of air quality and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) performance is a statutory responsibility of the relevant local authorities.

Glasgow City Council published their most recent annual air quality report in August 2025. The report found that when comparing 2024 with 2022, the last full year before enforcement of the LEZ, locations within the zone experienced an average reduction of the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of 34% whilst locations outside of the zone observed an annual reduction of 21%.

More generally, in 2024, the first full year of Glasgow’s LEZ enforcement, air quality within the whole of the city met all applicable statutory objectives. This is the first time full compliance has been recorded since the Local Air Quality Management process was established under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995.

In addition, in June 2025 an LEZ Update Report produced by Scottish Environment Protection Agency considered air quality in the zone since the introduction of Phase 1 of Glasgow’s LEZ (which applied only to buses from December 2018). This report found that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels on Hope Street (historically the most polluted street in Scotland) fell from 61 µg/m³ in 2018—above the legal limit of 40 µg/m³—to 34 µg/m³ in 2024. Furthermore, tailpipe emissions of particulate matter (PM10) had reduced by over 80%, with CO2 emissions also declining.

The City Council’s for Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh will publish their annual air quality reports in the coming months. However, as enforcement of LEZs in these cities only began in mid-2024, the 2024 air quality data will not fully reflect the impact of LEZs in these cities.

While it is therefore too early to assess the impact of the LEZs in all four of Scotland’s cities, Glasgow’s LEZ demonstrates a clear and direct link between a specific policy intervention and air quality benefits.

The 2025-26 budget provided local government in Scotland with record funding of over £15.1 billion, one of the largest increases in funding in recent times and a real terms increase of 5.5 per cent.

In 2025-26, Glasgow City Council will receive over £1.7 billion to support day to day services, which equates to an extra £86.5 million or an additional 5.3% compared to 2024-25.

However, the Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on road maintenance, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

It is the Scottish Government’s assessment that the Clyde Tunnel does not sufficiently meet the criteria to be incorporated into the strategic motorway and trunk road network and is currently appropriately classified in the hierarchy of Scotland’s roads as a principal “A” class road. Principal A Class roads are best managed locally rather than centrally and function as main roads which distribute traffic to and from the strategic trunk road network.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

This matter is not currently under consideration by the Scottish Government. Any proposal to alter road responsibilities would raise a number of propriety and legal considerations, including the statutory basis for such a change. As the designated roads authority for the Clyde Tunnel, it would be for Glasgow City Council to take the lead in developing any proposal. This would involve engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all implications including legal, operational, and strategic, are fully explored as part of a robust and transparent process.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to the energy sector. We have commissioned and published independent analysis on Scotland’s Energy System and Just Transition, which includes consideration of offshore energy supply chains during the transition.

The regulation of the offshore oil and gas sector, including in relation to decommissioning, are matters currently reserved to the UK Government.

Shipbuilding is a competitive global market and any direct award of a public contract must comply with procurement rules and be capable of withstanding legal challenge.

Ministers will consider future vessel contracts, including those mentioned, from public agencies at an appropriate time and on a case-by-case basis to determine whether any might legally be open to direct award. Under public procurement and subsidy control rules, direct award of public contracts is only possible in strictly limited circumstances.

We are currently considering the business case and next steps in relation to the Lord of the Isles replacement and will confirm these in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39529 on 15 August 2025.

Taking Fergusons into public ownership saved the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde, rescued over 300 jobs and ensured Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa would be delivered in Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to supporting Ferguson Marine to competitively bid for future contracts and to securing a sustainable, long term future for the yard.

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38932 on 22 July 2025. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39145 on 29 July 2025. 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.