Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28357 on 23 July 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 

The Scottish Government has been made aware of the ongoing commercial acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems by The Boeing Company, including the agreement Airbus has entered into in relation to a potential acquisition of some activities currently performed for Airbus.

In October 2023, communities were invited to explore and develop proposals for their local area to be considered for designation as Scotland’s next National Park. The nomination phase closed on 29 February and nominations were received from Galloway, Loch Awe, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.

The appraisal process concluded in May and the appraisal panel’s report has been published on our website: Scotland's New National Park Appraisal Panel: final report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . On 22 July 2024, I announced that Galloway has been confirmed as the proposed location for Scotland’s next National Park. A Reporter process will now be undertaken by NatureScot to consider this proposal. That process will include extensive public consultation and engagement with local communities, stakeholders, businesses, landowners and managers and public bodies to discuss, test and further shape and refine the National Park proposal.

I have written to all nominating groups to offer meetings with Scottish Government officials to discuss the outcome of this process and any reflections they may wish to share following its conclusion.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, I would like to offer our thanks for the considerable time, effort and commitment that all the nominating groups and members of these local communities have invested in exploring and developing their nominations.

Business cases for new train fleets for ScotRail are undertaken by ScotRail on a fleet by fleet basis as necessitated by renewal requirements. Such business cases include analysis of the socio-economic case for renewal.

Scottish Government considers industry involvement a vital component in preventing the spread of Ips typographus into or within Scotland.

Regular updates on surveillance and discussions are held with industry representatives from the nursery sector, growers and processing sector through the scheduled Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group and the Sottish forest and Timber Technologies Industry Leadership Group. Scottish Government is also involved in wider GB discussions with the forestry sector through the GB Incident Management team and Lead Government Department management groups overseeing the outbreak in SE England.

Launched in 2022, the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) is supporting projects under the themes of renewable hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and distribution, and integration of hydrogen into our energy system. All applications for HIS funding were subject to a thorough assessment against a range of criteria, including alignment with our Hydrogen Action Plan.

Glasgow Airport Ltd. applied for funding to support a study to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub at the airport. The application demonstrated several positive aspects, such as use of local wastewater treatment effluent as feedstock to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, deployment of novel storage and distribution technologies, and the intent to explore scalability and replicability. A HIS grant of £150,000 was awarded in May 2023: work began in summer 2023, with the project involving a consortium of partners.

The project did not involve Aberdeen Airport. However, the Scottish Government has separately, via the Energy Transition Fund, helped to fund the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, a strategic programme that aims to accelerate the hydrogen economy in the city with an initial focus on the use of hydrogen for road transport.

Of the 1,050 enquiries now received by the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) since 2019, a total of 35 have been formally matched by the service.

In addition to these matches, the service has supported, and continues to actively support, the exploration and facilitation of a further 263 potential joint venture agreements. This engagement includes the provision of impartial advice by Land Matching Service advisers to encourage successful future matches and provides quality, impartial, future-proof advice on next steps for customers to take.

A further 537, which are largely seeking land, are on the service’s database and are routinely reviewed when opportunities arise. 215 have engaged with the service, registered interest, but ultimately decided not to pursue their enquiry with the service.

In May 2023, Glasgow Airport Ltd. were awarded a grant of £150,000 from the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub at Glasgow Airport. Work on the project, which involves a consortium of partners based in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, began in summer 2023.

The surveillance network that has been established as per the answer to S6W-01580 has been expanded to include additional pheromone lure traps and ground surveys in Scotland. Communications and discussions with the forestry sector in Scotland are also increasing to encourage the sector to manage their forests in a way to reduce the risk of infection. This includes leading presentations, through the Institute of Chartered Foresters, to highlight the driving factors and potential impacts of a major infestation. Joint communications with Defra for North England and Scotland are being planned to ensure a collective sharing of knowledge across the border region to help prevent spread further north.

Scottish Child Payment is delivered under Section 79 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which enables Scottish Ministers to top-up a qualifying reserved benefit, such as Universal Credit. Students in receipt of the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary may therefore be eligible for Scottish Child Payment if they are in receipt of such a qualifying benefit.

Student nurses and midwives in Scotland continue to receive a high level of support including, where they are eligible, our non-means tested, non-repayable annual bursary of £10,000, plus associated allowances.

The Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary.