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Oil & gas, and wider energy policy is reserved to UK Government, including the licensing of exploration and extraction of offshore reserves. While tax and regulation powers over offshore oil and gas are reserved to Westminster, any Scottish Government support for the oil and gas sector in the North sea will be conditional upon the industry contributing to a sustainable, secure and inclusive energy transition.

We are wholly committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change by 2045, and to ensuring we do it in a way that is just and leaves no-one behind.

T he IPCC’s recent scientific report only serves to underline how important it is that we take significant, near-term action in response to the climate emergency - for this and future generations. That is why the First Minister has called on the UK Government, who have the power to act in this instance, to urgently re-assess all approved oil licenses where drilling has not yet commenced against our climate commitments.

The oil and gas sector has a positive role to play in our journey to net zero. Indeed, we are clear that the North Sea has a vibrant future in renewable energy, hydrogen, and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage. Meeting our climate obligations while ensuring a secure energy supply and supporting our highly skilled workforce to transition to the green jobs of the future must all go hand in hand. We will continue to work closely with industry, trade unions, communities and workers to ensure the right skills and training are in place to protect and create jobs as we become a net-zero economy.

The Short-Term lets control Areas legislation applies to changes of use from a dwellinghouse to a short-term let property. As such specifically designed and purpose built student accommodation will generally not be affected by the legislation, however the reference to student accommodation was included for the avoidance of doubt and to ensure future compatibility with proposed legislation relating to the licensing of short-term let properties.

As with any other change of use, it would be for the relevant planning authority to consider whether any change of use from student accommodation to short-term lets was a material change of use in planning terms and required planning consent. It would also be for the planning authority to consider enforcement action in any case where a change of use occurred without the appropriate planning consent.

Transport Scotland is an executive agency within the Scottish Government. This report, informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, which we have jointly developed and published with the Scottish Futures Trust, sets out the opportunities to support the growth and development of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Scotland. I fully endorse the report as reflected in my comments in the news release that accompanied its publication on 24 July.

Scotland’s devolved statutory climate targets are based on reporting through the Scottish component of the UK greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which is compiled in line with UN scientific reporting guidelines. Within the UK-wide inventory, emissions arising from the combustion of fossil fuel products are counted against the relevant nation, but those emissions arising directly from offshore oil & gas activity are not allocated to individual devolved administrations.

The First Minister’s recent letter to the UK Prime Minister sets out that the international picture is also vitally important, in particular the leadership role that governments such as Scotland and the UK offer. At a global scale, the scientific evidence provided by the IPCC clearly indicates that it is crucial that countries across the world must takes this opportunity to significantly raise global climate action and ambition if the goals of the Paris Agreement are to be met.

In terms of action to reduce emissions across all parts of Scotland’s economy as part of a just transition to net-zero by 2045, the Scottish Government’s updated Climate Change Plan (published in December 2020) sets out a comprehensive package of policies and proposals to deliver on this ambition over the period to 2032. We are focussed on implementing these policies.

The Scottish Government will provide funding to support the chartering the MV Arrow by CalMac Ferries Ltd to assist the resilience on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network. The cost of the current time charter negotiated between CalMac Ferries Ltd and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is £588,000 excluding fuel and harbour dues.

The Scottish Government has made no assessment of the additional cost to CalMac Ferries Ltd for chartering the MV arrow in line with collective bargaining agreements. The crew of the MV Arrow are employed by Seatruck Ltd, who own the vessel and terms and conditions are a matter for that company.

As per the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance, it is the responsibility of the developer to submit a business case to Transport Scotland for consideration. This will ensure the evidenced based transport challenges are appropriately addressed for the village of Winchburgh and beyond. Transport Scotland is available to offer support and guidance on the business case process.

Scottish Government has a long standing commitment supporting local communities to become more resilient, sustainable, empowered and grow local wellbeing inclusive economies. This is delivered through a range of well-established programmes and funds that include the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and sponsorship of the Community Ownership Support Service.

The First Minister announced that Kathleen Jamie is to be Scotland’s next Makar at an event at the Scottish Poetry Library on 18 August and issued a news release which sets out all the details. This is available at: New Scots Makar - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government funds Screen Scotland, the dedicated public sector agency for the film and television industry in Scotland, which was formed in 2018 and sits within Creative Scotland. Screen Scotland supports the development and growth of the film and television sector in Scotland through increased support for film and television production, an increase in specialist staff and further investment in skills, facilities, festivals, audiences and education.

Working with Screen Scotland the Scottish Government has facilitated the delivery of studio facilities in Scotland, most recently the First Stage Studio in Leith and Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Amazon’s The Rig recently concluding filming in the Leith facility and Amazon’s Anansi Boys will commence pre-production in the same space in the next few months while Good Omens 2 , also from Amazon, will begin production in Scotland this autumn.

Having secured those projects for Scotland, Screen Scotland has ensured they work wherever possible with Scotland’s highly respected freelance and self-employed crew base and facilities providers and maximised training opportunities on the productions. The significant positive step change in production activity across Scotland in the last 18 months has been welcomed by this crew base, who are experiencing unprecedented levels of demand for their services.

As part of the training requirements that complement any successful funding award, Screen Scotland advocates for and supports a range of training initiatives, including a minimum number of trainees on a production, outreach programmes and also supporting local freelance and self-employed crew to be promoted into more senior positions or to work closely with international Head of Departments to learn from their experience.

The work of Screen Scotland’s Screen Commission is also vital in securing opportunities for Scotland-based self-employed and freelance crew and facilities on international projects. Whether a project accesses Production Growth Fund support or not the Screen Commission can support exploratory recce and budgeting costs. This allows international producers to access funding for Scotland-based location scouts and local Line Producers to develop draft budgets for projects exploring the possibility of filming within Scotland. Line Producers are a key member of each production as they negotiate with suppliers and hire the crew. This gives our Scotland-based line producers an opportunity to advocate for local freelance and self-employed crew at a very early stage. Screen Scotland provides details of all freelance and self-employed crew and facilities providers who have agreed to have their details shared to incoming productions.

The First Minister announced that Kathleen Jamie is to be Scotland’s next Makar at an event at the Scottish Poetry Library on 18 August.

The news release provides the details of this appointment. This is available at: New Scots Makar - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Following Jackie Kay’s departure from the role in March 2021 an Expert Panel was convened to consider nominations for the next Makar. They met a number of times to consider potential candidates against the role description, they compiled a confidential shortlist of potential candidates and agreed upon a recommendation which was put to the First Minister for endorsement. The First Minister accepted that recommendation.

Collectively the Expert Panel bring a wide range of skills in poetry, including in the use of the Gaelic and Scots languages, and in the way it is communicated to audiences.

The Expert Panel comprises:

David Seers, Head of Sponsorship & Funding Team, Culture & Historic Environment Division, Scottish Government, (Chair)

Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing, Creative Scotland

Jackie Cromarty, Associate Director of External Relations, National Library of Scotland

Dr David Goldie, President, Association for Scottish Literary Studies

Peggy Hughes, Chair, Literature Alliance Scotland

Eleanor Livingstone, Former Festival Director, StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival

Marjorie Lotfi, Poet, Director of Open Book and Chair of Board of Trustees, Wigtown Book Festival

Dr Robyn Marsack, Independent Advisor, Editor, Director of the Scottish Poetry Library 2000-2016

Dr Peter Mackay, Lecturer in English, University of St Andrews and poet who writes in Gaelic

Michael Pedersen, Poet and Poetry Programmer, Neu Reekie