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Where a planning authority objects to an application made under the Electricity Act 1989 and that objection is not withdrawn, the Scottish Ministers must appoint a reporter to examine the application. Before determining whether to give consent, the Scottish Ministers must consider the objection and the reporter’s report.

The proposed reforms will instead introduce a more proportionate approach, tailored to individual development proposals and the circumstances relating to objections. This would align with established planning appeals processes in Scotland, and reduce the time taken to determine applications.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35885 on 1 April 2025. 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

Since the publication of the 2020 report by the RSE Scotland's artificial intelligence strategy - Royal Society of Edinburgh : Royal Society of Edinburgh I have commissioned an independent review into the opportunities for AI which was published last year AI+Independent+Review+-+Call+for+Views+-+Initial+Report+-+Advancing+AI+for+Scotland+-+Reformatted+-+January+2024.pdf.

We have been continuously engaging with the UK Government to advocate that their approach to the regulation of AI considers the interests of the citizens and businesses of Scotland. We continue to provide AI support to business through our enterprise agencies and the AI Alliance, our delivery body for Scotland’s AI Strategy. They have recently relaunched the AI Playbook Guidance on AI Adoption Including Information on AI Policies — Scottish AI Playbook which is a one-stop shop for supporting businesses with AI adoption. The playbook also includes information on legal and regulatory provisions relating to the development and use of AI systems.

At permission stage of the statutory appeals process, it will continue to be the case that any applicant who demonstrates sufficient interest and that their claim has a reasonable prospect of success can bring a challenge on decisions for onshore electricity consents.

As noted in my previous response on 6 January 2025 (S6W-32278 on 6 January 2025),applicants already have to agree to specific terms and conditions when signing up for the scheme, however we are working to strengthen these through changes to application forms to specify expected standards of behaviour when travelling and development of a behaviour code linked to operator’s conditions of carriage and existing legal protections.

We are exploring the legal means to suspend access to concessionary travel for perpetrators of persistent antisocial behaviour of any age, and this will inform development timescales. The National Concessionary Travel Schemes in Scotland are provided on a universal statutory basis, therefore detailed and thorough consideration of any process and penalty must be undertaken to ensure consistency and fairness.

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

Freight capacity is usually measured in the number of available paths, i.e. the number of freight trains it is possible for infrastructure to accommodate alongside passenger trains. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35073 on 4 March 2025. 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

Since 2019, the Scottish Government has been supporting the sport sector to offer free period products; reducing stigma and addressing overarching gender equality.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30734 on 11 November 2024. 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

In addition to the information provided in answer S6W-30734, sportscotland’s Working with Female Athletes learning platform on Brightspace has recently been updated to include additional e-learning resources. This includes Sport Wales’ e-learning module on the menstrual cycle in sport. Resources are available for all and are free of charge.

We firmly believe there is no contradiction between high quality food production and producing it in a way that delivers for the climate and nature and it is important that we do not offshore our emissions as we work towards net zero.

We are supporting our farmers and crofters to improve their efficiency, thereby improving their productivity and profitability and reducing their emissions. We also recognise that agriculture and food production relies on natural processes and will always cause some degree of emissions.

The Whole Farm Plan will help farmers and crofters measure their businesses’ impact and find ways to become more efficient and to cut emissions. We continue to explore new, innovative ways to help mitigate emissions from agriculture, measure and build carbon sequestration, while continuing to produce high quality food and improve biodiversity.

We are also helping to reduce emissions from farming through measures such as the reform of the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme and are looking at a potential pilot scheme on how support payments could encourage the uptake of methane suppressing feed products.

In February, the First Minister announced that around £14 million will be allocated to delivering the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS). FFIS will offer flexible support for capital items that can be used to improve efficiency or support nature and climate-friendly farming.

We will bring forward a draft Climate Change Plan in the coming year that will set out policies and proposals for how our agriculture sector will continue to play its part in meeting our ambitious net zero national target by 2045.

We must also recognise the risks to our farmers and crofters of being undercut by imported goods with lower production standards as a result of the previous UK Government’s post-Brexit trade deals. Scotland wants to trade based on its high regulatory standards to protect consumers and enable producers to champion Scottish provenance. Scotland’s Vision for Trade sets out five key principles that should underpin Scotland’s trading and investing relationships, which include Sustainability and Net Zero. In line with those principles, our asks of UK Government include committing to regulating in line with the precautionary principle, to prevent environmental harm and maintain high regulatory standards in food safety, animal welfare and climate. We continually urge the UK Government to reflect those priorities through all UK Free Trade Agreements and other trade negotiations.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to delivering net zero by 2045. Our pathway to net zero must recognise that agriculture and food production relies on natural processes and will always cause some degree of emissions. We have no policy to reduce livestock numbers. Instead, we are committed to supporting the sector to enhance productivity and resilience while reducing emissions intensity

The Scottish Government has allocated the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service £412.2 million for 2025-26 to ensure it is properly resourced to keep Scotland safe and provide all of its statutory functions. The budget for 2025-26 is £18.8m higher than 2024-25 and while clearly decisions on how its budget is spent are a matter for the SFRS Board and Chief Fire Officer, SFRS continue to respond to every emergency incident with the appropriate level of resources.

SFRS continually review and develop its operational response to any new and emerging technology or site to keep communities safe and ensure the highest level of preparedness.