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The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Ambulance Service, which holds the licence for the GoodSAM app in Scotland may be able to provide this information.

Since 2020, the Scottish Government has awarded over £150 million to support the bus sector transition to zero-emission fleets. This is comprised of:

• £50 million through the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) to deliver 272 ultra-low emission buses and associated infrastructure.
• £62 million through the first phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB1) supporting delivery of 276 zero-emission buses and associated infrastructure.
• £368,000 through the Market Transition Scheme to help SME operators plan their transition to zero-emission fleets; and,
• £41.7 million through ScotZEB2 to support delivery of around 252 zero-emission buses and associated infrastructure

Up to £45 million through ScotZEB3 has been made available over the next two financial years to continue this progress and support the sector ahead of new zero-emission requirements under the UK Bus Services Act 2025.

In addition, the Scottish Government is supporting a just transition through targeted investment in workforce skills, including £400,000 through the Zero Emission HDV Skills Challenge Fund to help operators and supply-chain staff prepare for zero-emission technologies.

We are also supporting community-based transport providers through the Plugged-in Communities fund, which has made £4 million available in its latest round, building on over £4.2 million already awarded to support zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure for community operators.

Since the launch of Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in March 2022,45% of new applications have been approved–slightly higher than the 44% of new applications awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales over the same period.

Scottish domiciled students studying higher education courses in the rest of the UK can access a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 (rising to £9,790 in academic year 2026-27) a year to cover their tuition fee costs. These students are also eligible to receive the same living cost support package that Scottish domiciled students studying in Scotland can access. This provides a maximum support of £11,400 through a combination of bursaries and student loans for the most vulnerable students. Full details of the funding available can be found on the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) website - Undergrad Funding - SAAS - Higher Education - Student Loan - Bursary.

The Scottish Government does not generally provide support for Scottish domiciled students studying outside of the UK. However, Scottish domiciled students who study abroad for a year as part of their degree are eligible to access the same living cost support package as students studying in Scotland. Eligible students can also apply for the Study Abroad Grant if the study abroad year is a compulsory part of the course. Further information on this can be found on the SAAS website - Study Abroad Grant.

The Scottish Government confirmed to the higher education sector in November 2025 that tuition fee loans available to Scottish domiciled student studying in the rest of the UK would increase to match the maximum rate of tuition fees announced by the UK Government. This will take effect from the start of the 2026-27 academic year to align with the increase in tuition fees for students in England that are set by the UK Government. A further increase to the tuition fee loans for Scottish domiciled students will also be introduced for the start of the 2027-28 academic year for the same reason.

Scottish domiciled students studying in the rest of the UK are entitled to the same package of living cost support available to students studying at Scottish higher education institutions. This provides a maximum support of £11,400 through a combination of bursaries and student loans for the most vulnerable students. This includes a £2,400 uplift in the form of a Special Support Loan that was introduced for the start of the 2024-25 academic year. Full details of the funding available can be found on the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) website - Undergrad Funding - SAAS - Higher Education - Student Loan - Bursary.

Whilst universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government expects staff and trade unions to be consulted meaningfully on the potential impact of any cost-saving measures - in line with Fair Work principles. In line with its statutory responsibilities, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will continue to offer appropriate support as universities develop their own cost-saving measures, and advise the Scottish Government regarding any financial or governance concerns.

The Scottish Government cannot compel universities to commit to no compulsory redundancies, however our clear expectation is that they are only considered as a last resort, after all other cost-saving measures have been fully explored.

Implementation of Fair Work First must be the guiding criteria to promote fairer work practices for staff within the university sector. Universities in receipt of government funding through the SFC are currently expected to meet two mandatory Fair Work First criteria (payment of at least the real Living Wage; and provision of appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, such as trade union recognition), while being encouraged to meet all other non-mandatory Fair Work First criteria. From April 2027, universities will be expected to adopt all Fair Work First criteria, and the SFC will look to include these as a condition of grant. Further details are set out in my answer to question S6W-42976 on 13 January 2026.

I also expect universities to take appropriate steps to support and promote staff wellbeing, and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing health and safety requirements at UK workplaces, including universities.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that universities play in Scotland’s economy and wider society, which is why we are investing over £1.4 billion in the university sector in 2026-27. This includes a combined increase of over £55m in resource and capital funding via the SFC, equivalent to a 5% uplift on last year’s budget.

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 Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) contributes to Scotland's Net Zero transport targets by supporting the bus sector to transition to zero emissions. To date, £104 million has been awarded through ScotZEB to support delivery of 528 zero-emission buses and associated charging infrastructure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality across Scotland. A further £45 million is being invested through the third and final phase of the scheme (ScotZEB3) over the next two financial years.

Through encouraging investment, building skills, and providing long-term certainty to operators, ScotZEB supports immediate emission-reduction milestones and the broader shift to a cleaner, more sustainable public transport system.

The strategy will set out what women and girls told us is needed for a gender equal Scotland. The vision and goals cover a wider range of issues, therefore we need to engage widely with the public sector to ensure they are ready to help us meet its ambitions. The additional time will allow us to build support and lay the foundations for effective and sustainable delivery.

The strategy will set out what women and girls told us is needed for a gender equal Scotland. The vision and goals cover a wider range of issues, therefore we need to engage widely with the public sector to ensure they are ready to help us meet its ambitions. The additional time will allow us to build support and lay the foundations for effective and sustainable delivery.

We are grateful to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls and their Empowering Women Panel for their dedication and invaluable insights as we have worked in partnership to develop an Equality Strategy for Women and Girls. Subject to the outcome of the Scottish Parliament election, we are committed to publishing this strategy early in the next administration.

The ScotZEB3 competitive funding round closed on 26 February with applications currently under consideration. Funding under ScotZEB3 is not
pre-allocated to specific operators or regions. All applications are being assessed by an independent evaluation panel against the published criteria, with Ministers making final funding decisions. The outcome of the funding round will be announced in due course, once the decision-making process is complete.