Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the question S6W-16845 on 25 April 2023 which details how we arrived at our restoration targets. We are currently reviewing the proposals put forward in the Climate Change Committee’s Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland: 2022 Report to Parliament and will publish our response in due course.

Annual budgets are allocated and approved based on delivery forecasts and budget requirements from our delivery partners. The pipeline of work changes from year to year and so, therefore, does our allocated budget. We allocated around £20 million, £23 million and £23.7 million in funding in the years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively. There has been underspend in each of these years due to a range of factors including a reduction in the number of hectares delivered and over-estimation of capital required.

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

This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information is not held centrally.

Information on average student loan debt is published, in table 5, by the Student Loans Company.

Student Loans in Scotland: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Scottish Government sets Statutory Guidance for the Scottish Welfare Fund, outlining the responsibilities for Local Authorities in their administration of the Fund and making clear guidance available on how to apply for a grant. Local Authorities are required to ensure that other services which have contact with people in crisis have up to date information about the Fund, including promotional posters and leaflets. At a national level, the Scottish Government continues to signpost the Scottish Welfare Fund, including through our cost-of-living campaign website.

The Independent Review into the Scottish Welfare Fund was published on 24 March 2023. As set out in answer S6W-16168 on 24 March 2023, the Scottish Government is working to publish an Action Plan by the end of Spring 2023. The Action Plan will set out policy improvements that the Scottish Government will deliver with Local Authorities and wider stakeholders, including on improving clarity and consistency of communication and promotion.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission are responsible for producing independent forecasts of Scottish Income Tax for the Scottish Budget. Their most recent forecasts published in December 2022 does not include a breakdown of this forecast in terms of revenue raised by taxpayers at their highest marginal rate.

The Scottish Government estimates that the Income Tax policy changes announced, for 2023-24 alone, will add £519 million to the Scottish Budget.

Transport Scotland officials have liaised with Argyll and Bute council and Police Scotland regarding the road safety performance of the A815.

As a Police investigation into a recent road traffic collision is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.

Argyll and Bute council are responsible for local roads in their council area. For any further information about road casualties on the council’s local roads please contact: Hugh.O'Neill@argyll-bute.gov.uk or Stuart.Watson@argyll-bute.gov.uk who will be able to help you further.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17446 on 9 May 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at the https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

As set out in my response to PQ S6W-16276 on 6 April 2023, Transport Scotland intend to publish the Outline Business Case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Rail Enhancement Project later in the year. This will provide the requested details of the specific infrastructure upgrades and their contributions to journey time savings.

In the meantime, Transport Scotland has been updating key stakeholders on the progress of the design of this project.

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

Last year the Scottish Government announced the £60 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund that aims to draw commercial investment in the public charging network across all parts of Scotland. Transport Scotland has already provided funding to Scotland’s local authorities to help them to work together to establish electric vehicle charging strategies and infrastructure expansion plans. These plans are identifying local and regional charge point needs and locations, the investment requirements, as well as the best approaches to delivering collaborative investments with commercial charge point operators. Opportunities to consider the installation of lamppost charge points, or other appropriate solutions, as part of their approach, will fall to local authorities.

A final draft of the updated version of Planning with People: Community engagement and participation guidance published in April 2023 was shared with Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement in February 2023. The guidance is co-written with COSLA, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland were involved in the process.

As is stated in the updated version of Planning with People, the established principles and requirements for major service change decision-making process for NHS Boards, remain unchanged from those outlined in CEL 4 (2010).