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The groups and sub-groups named in response to S6W-12330 that have an allocated budget are:

• Scottish Cities Alliance Leadership Group - £196,000 per annum (this is the Scottish Government’s portion of the funding for the Scottish Cities Alliance)
• Scottish City Region and Growth Deal Delivery Board - £261m for 2022-23
• Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services - £300,000 per annum for three years (2021-24)

Further to this, as indicated in the response to S6W-13018 on 22 December 2022, some further groups have been identified following the response to S6W-12330. Of these additional groups, one has an allocated budget:

• Fair Work Convention - £500,000 per annum (the Fair Work Convention are independent, but secretariat support is provided by the Scottish Government)

The other groups and sub-groups named in the previous response do not have allocated budgets. Any incidental costs associated with the running of these groups are covered by the relevant departments’ budgets.

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 .

There are currently a number of Scottish Government working groups that fall under the remit of Net Zero, Energy and Transport. A list of relevant groups has been provided below, set against the remit headings provided.

a)Climate Change

• Peatland Science and Technical Advisory Group (Peatland STAG)
• Analysis of Demand Management Options Steering Group
• National strategy for 20mph Working Group
• Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
• Private Water Supply Working Group
• Soils Working Group
• Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Advisory Group
• Scottish Forestry Customer Reps Group (CRG)
• Scottish Forestry CRG Tree on Farms sub group
• Scottish Forestry CRG Technical sub group
• Scottish Forestry National Stakeholder Group
• Scottish Blue Carbon Forum

b)Environment

• Contaminated Land Advisory Group
• Scottish Noise Mapping Stakeholder Group
• Cleaner Air for Scotland 2:

1. Ministerial Group

2. Delivery Group

3. Public engagement working group

4. Health working group

5. Agriculture and Environment working group

6. Domestic (household) emissions working group

7. Placemaking working group

• Air Quality - LAQM/CAA Review Group
• Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
• Scottish Forestry Phytopthora ramorum review working group
• Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group

c) Land Reform

• The Land Reform Bill Oversight Group

d) Green Skills

• Transport Sector Skills & CESAP Transport Policy Working Group
• Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group

o Education subgroup

o Travel subgroup

o Heat in Buildings subgroup

e) Circular Economy

• Single Use Cups Charge Advisory Group
• Waste Data Strategy Board
• National Flytipping Forum
• Zero Waste & Circular Economy Programme Board
• Food Waste Reduction Programme Board,
• Recycling Improvement Fund Programme Board
• Waste & Resources Sector Forum
• Joint Scottish Government/Local Government Strategic Steering Group on Circular Economy & Waste
• Biodegradable Municipal Waste Landfill Programme Board
• Deposit Return Scheme System Wide Assurance Group
• Deposit Return Scheme Executive Oversight Group
• Deposit Return Scheme Communications and Engagement Group

f) Biodiversity

• Science Advisory Group for Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
• Raptors & Forestry Joint Working Group
• Black Grouse Working Group
• Capercaillie Working Group

Emerging contaminants of concern, including microplastics and Bisphenol A, are continuously being risk assessed by the EU under the Water Framework Directive for inclusion as priority substances. The EU Commission has recently proposed a revised list of priority substances, including Bisphenol A, for further consideration by the Council and the European Parliament. The Scottish Government has made clear its commitment to maintain or exceed environmental standards in place upon EU exit, and to maintain alignment with developing EU standards, as far as possible.

When applications for wind farm developments are submitted to the Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989, the impact on the water environment is assessed within the Environmental Impact Assessment Report submitted with the application. The Scottish Ministers take into account the impacts on the water environment and on granting consent for wind farm development conditions can be attached to the deemed planning permission in relation to water quality and monitoring as required.

Scotland is leading the way on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with more EV chargers per capita than the rest of the UK. The latest figures showing that Scottish electric vehicle drivers benefit from 60 public charge points per 100,000 population. This compares to the UK as a whole at 45.2, England 53, Wales 34.9 and Northern Ireland at 18.4 charge points per 100,000 population.

A) Scottish Government only holds information on charge points registered on the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network, we do not hold charge point information for the wider public charging network run by commercial operators. The total number of publicly available charge points registered on the CPS network broken down by Local Authority area in the Highlands and Islands region is shown below. These charge points are owned by councils, other public bodies, charities and businesses who received grant funding from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government constantly reviews its policies to provide an open and transparent government approach to how its information is managed. We are committed to being open and transparent as set out in The Open Government Action Plan and on the Scottish Government website.

We allow the installation of mobile messaging applications on business mobile devices to support the business of the Scottish Government. Installation of such applications is covered by the Scottish Government's IT Code of Conduct and Mobile Services Employee Agreement.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining complete and comprehensive records of key conversations and decisions in line with the Scottish Government Corporate Records Management Policy.

The service continuity plan for the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown route is currently being developed by CalMac which will include a revised temporary ferry timetable between Troon and Brodick and a shuttle bus service between Troon Harbour, Troon Rail Station and Ardrossan. Timetable options were shared with the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee and wider communities as part of a public consultation exercise undertaken in August and September 2022. CalMac are reviewing the feedback with a report expected to be published in the coming weeks. The revised temporary Troon timetable is expected to be finalised in the new year, to ensure continuity of service for passengers.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with COSLA regarding the expansion of free school meals.

As part of our planning with local authorities for free school meal expansion, we will consider the arrangements to pilot universal free school meals in secondary schools.

The 2023-24 budget has made provision for £185.8 million to be allocated to local authorities for free school meals.

All food and drink served in education authority and grant aided schools must meet the standards set out in the 'Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020' to ensure that pupils receive a balanced and nutritious meal that supports healthy growth and development.

The Scottish Government recognises that, despite declining cash usage across the country, any reduction in a local area’s ATMs will add to the uncertainty that a community faces on their ability to easily access cash and other banking services.

Whilst the Scottish Government hasn’t undertaken specific economic analysis of declining ATM’s in Lanarkshire, we have, with the limited powers available, delivered reliefs for ATM sites in Scotland to improve their commercial viability. This includes ensuring sites in rural areas are exempt from business rates where the building is used only for the ATM and, more widely, there is 100% rates relief available to ATM sites through the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Ultimately, however, the regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and Scottish Ministers cannot intervene in the commercial decisions made by financial services firms to remove ATM’s.

We welcome the provisions around protecting access to cash in the Financial Services and Markets Bill introduced to the UK Parliament this year and we support industry initiatives, including the work of the Post Office and UK Finance’s Cash Action Group, that are aimed at improving access to cash across the country. Through the industries work, local communities can now apply to have their cash access independently reviewed and have new ATMs, or other services, installed should the current cash access be deemed poor. My officials will provide further detail to your office on how communities in your region can apply for these reviews.

The Scottish Government will continue to work constructively with the UK Government on ensuring access to cash is protected for those who need it in Scotland and, through our regular engagement with the financial services industry, we will urge banks and ATM providers to listen to, and address, the very real concerns customers have on accessing cash in their local communities.

The Puppy Trade Working Group (PTWG), of which the Scottish Government is a member, seeks to disrupt the unlicensed puppy trade, including online sales of low welfare puppies. We work closely with other members of the PTWG, which includes Gumtree and Pets4Homes, to address the advertising of illegally bred puppies on online platforms. As a consequence of this collaborative working, Gumtree and Pets4Homes continue to adapt their advertising practices in order to address online selling by unscrupulous breeders.

At this time Facebook are not members of the PTWG. The PTWG and the Scottish SPCA continue to seek to engage with Facebook on this matter.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Police Scotland on the threats from organised crime, including criminal activities associated with the illegal puppy trade. While it would not be appropriate to comment on the detail of those discussions, we know that Police Scotland continue to work in partnership with the Scottish SPCA to disrupt the activities of those involved in this abhorrent trade.