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The Scottish Government is committed to managing the risks and capturing the opportunities of the transition for the transport sector. That is why today we are launching a consultation on a draft Transport Just Transition Plan, which sets out a vision for a just transition for the sector.

Transport remains Scotland’s largest source of emissions, so it is critical that we make progress on reducing its emissions in a way that is fair and just. The draft Plan sets out how we will do that and draws out key messages addressed to different groups: people and communities; workers; and businesses and organisations.

It recognises the inequalities that affect people’s use of transport, including the fact that many of our rural communities are especially reliant on car use. It also sets out evidence suggesting that there will be no major sector-wide job losses - though the job mix will change - and it highlights the opportunity that the transition presents to address challenges such as upskilling and improving diversity. For businesses and organisations, the most pressing need for action will be to support the transition of road transport, focused on the transition of Heavy-Duty Vehicles and the financing this will require.

The draft Plan outlines the key actions that the Scottish Government is taking to address the challenges and opportunities of the transition. This includes delivering car use reduction interventions, supporting growth by encouraging demand for zero emission HGVs, and a focus on green transport skills. The Plan highlights our ambition to develop a transport sector that is more sustainable, safe and inclusive, and to create a healthier and fairer Scotland for communities, businesses and workers.

The consultation on the draft Plan is an opportunity to seek views on how we can continue to develop our overall approach – ensuring that communities, workers and businesses have an opportunity to shape our future policy. The responses to this consultation will inform our future approach – including the analysis and policies that will be set out in Scotland’s next Climate Change Plan.

The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement and dialogue with representatives of the hospitality sector including through the New Deal for Business consultative sub-group on Non-Domestic Rates and regular roundtable meetings with Ministers.

The valuation of all non-domestic property is a matter for the Scottish Assessors who are independent of local and Scottish Government.

While Scottish Government core corporately managed systems have had no cyber security breaches, on two occasions since 2021 locally managed services suffered (minor) attacks which were successfully remediated with no data loss or further service disruption.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The estimated cost for the Throughcare Support Service in 2018-19 was £1,932,654.

Regardless of the technology used to produce food, the food business operator must abide by the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law and the hygiene requirements, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs of animal origin. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provides guidance on the general food safety and hygiene requirements, which includes the need for a food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles, guidance on the specific rules covering products of animal origin, if they apply depending on the nature of the food. Also, if the food falls within one of the Regulated Products categories, then there is free online guidance to support businesses in applying for the appropriate type of authorisation.

Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost.

The Parliament seeks to engage with other legislatures, inter-parliamentary bodies and international organisations in line with the SPCB’s International Strategy. This engagement is kept under regular review, with the Parliament’s International Relations Office providing six-monthly updates to the SPCB. Invitations to any event are a matter for the organisers. The International Relations Office constantly reviews opportunities for the Parliament to develop its engagement and maintains contact with event organisers, including of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, and will seek involvement for the Parliament where appropriate.

The Scottish Government has no powers over the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS).

Ofgem and Energy UK are leading a cross-industry response to the RTS switch-off, which includes a public awareness campaign, which we welcome. However, with under five months till the switch-off on 30 June 2025, and no clear Plan B, the UK Government must use its powers to direct urgent and proportionate action.

In January, I wrote to the UK Minister for Energy Consumers to request that Ofgem include RTS related obligations in licence conditions for both suppliers and the Data Communications Company (DCC) who run the smart meter network. This change would compel both to use every tool available to ensure that households and businesses in Scotland and across Britain do not suffer detriment as a result of the RTS switch off.

However, the Scottish Government remains concerned at the rate of progress. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on a frequent and sustained basis to ensure that Scottish communities are not caused any detriment as a result of poor smart-meter accessibility and the RTS switch-off. This includes offering to convene a jointly-chaired roundtable on energy consumer issues and participation in the Ofgem-led RTS communications working group, which brings together consumer organisations, government and industry.

Any consumers experiencing difficulties with their supplier can contact Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). Funded by the Scottish Government, ADS runs the free national energy advice service and can be contacted on 0808 196 8660 or at energyadvice.scot.

The Scottish Government currently provides over £3.4 million total in annual funding for the provision of voluntary throughcare to Shine and New Routes Public Social Partnerships (PSPs).

Emergency release regulations have been utilised twice within the last five years (May 2020 & June/July 2024), and on both occasions the same conditions of release were applied for individuals granted emergency early release, as would have been applied at their original scheduled liberation date.

The individuals released in both emergency early release processes were serving short-term prison sentences, and were approaching the end of those short-term sentences. Individuals serving short-term sentences are not routinely subject to additional monitoring of any kind following their release from custody at their earliest date of liberation, and therefore were not subject to such monitoring as part of the two early release processes.

Individuals whose sentence included orders requiring post-release supervision and monitoring requirements were automatically excluded from early release on both occasions.