Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government’s stakeholder engagement during this initial phase of policy development, when no sites have been identified, was conducted online to enable wide participation. See the answers to S6W-16733 on 28 April 2023 and S6W-17046 on 15 May 2023 for more details of specific engagements. Meetings which took place prior to the launch of the consultation allowed stakeholder feedback to be taken into account as we developed our initial proposals. Meetings held during the consultation period were designed to assist stakeholders, including individuals and businesses, to complete the consultation and answer any questions.

The intention is to undertake in-person sessions during the next phase of the project in relation to the development of site proposals. I, along with other Ministers, will be visiting island and coastal communities around Scotland to hear their views directly before setting out our next steps.

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 shellfish industry is an increasingly important aquaculture and food sector, creating and sustaining employment opportunities in many of Scotland’s remote rural, island and coastal communities and which supplies healthy and delicious Scottish shellfish to domestic and international markets and businesses.

I was pleased to support the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers conference held in Oban last year, in addition to the Shellfish Association of Great Britain conference to provide an update on progress across our priorities in Scotland, which of course is producing substantial amounts of the UK’s shellfish either through wild or farmed stocks. This year’s annual conference will be held in London in June and I was grateful to receive an invite to attend from David Jarrad, Chief Executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain.

Scottish Government officials are currently considering attendance at the event.

The Scottish Government is currently planning to implement provisions from the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 restricting the days when F2 and F3 fireworks can be supplied to and used by the general public, as well as the compensation regulation making powers connected to the restricted days of supply, during the 2024-25 financial year at the earliest.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many GPs are able to send patients directly to diagnostic tests. GPs make appropriate clinical decisions based upon the individual assessment of patients, this includes referrals for diagnostic tests.

I understand, from recent communication with Liberty Steel UK, that the Clydebridge Steelworks site in Cambuslang is not currently operational. The future of the site is an operational matter for Liberty Steel and I further understand that a number of options for the future of the site are being considered.

There are currently no staff employed at the Clydebridge site. Staff from Liberty Steel’s other Scottish facility, Liberty Steel Dalzell in Motherwell, are able to attend the site to attend to any necessary operational matters if required.

Liberty Steel have been working closely with Police Scotland and Securitas to ensure appropriate measures are in place to minimise intrusion and further damage to the Clydebridge site. There are significant security measures in place which are linked up to Securitas offices and security staff at Liberty Steel Dalzell. The Clydebridge facility itself is fully secure and further work has been carried out in reinforcing existing secure entrance points. Mobile security inspections are also being undertaken.

In line with our commitment to bring forward a Circular Economy Bill in this parliamentary year, we will introduce a Bill ahead of summer recess. The Bill will be designed to advance a zero waste and circular economy by increasing reuse and recycling rates, and improving waste and recycling services.

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04293 by Graeme Dey on 25 November 2021, whether it will provide an update on these plans, and whether all planned secondary legislation is now in place.The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibits pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, and gives local authorities the relevant powers to enforce these new provisions. To support these provisions, a suite of regulations is required to bring the new legislation into force. These give local authorities the tools they need to be able to tackle the issues of inconsiderate and obstructive parking.

The first of these regulations regarding the Exemption Order Procedures that local authorities must follow, was laid in Parliament in December 2022. A copy of the legislation can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/360/contents/made.

We have had a long-standing commitment to allow local authorities 12 months from when these regulations come into force to assess their streets and put in place any exemption orders and physical signs and lines before enforcement can go live in late 2023.

In addition we will shortly be launching a public consultation on the Enforcement Procedure Regulations which will define how a local authority can issue a Penalty Charge Notice to someone found to be in contravention of the new national prohibitions for Pavement, Dropped Kerb & Double Parking. The secondary regulations required to ensure local authorities have the powers they need to enforce this will be laid in Parliament later this year.

As previously explained, the business case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt project was delayed while Network Rail took more time than first expected to complete some of its activities. There is also a fundamental need for the business case to fully recognise the emerging plans for the decarbonisation of the Aberdeen to Central Belt route.

The business case has reached an advanced stage of development and will be published when complete.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering its target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032. At least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.

The homes provided through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme take various forms including; new build homes, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes, as identified in Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) prepared annually by local authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16945 on 2 May 2023. 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