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The independent reporter was required to make their decision on the planning merits of the case and in overall accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicated otherwise. The reporter concluded that the main issues in this case were the principle of the development and its potential benefits; the landscape and visual impact of the proposal; and its ecological impact. The reporter took full account of all submissions made by parties, including those from North Ayrshire Council and views expressed by members of the local community, consultees and other third parties with an interest in the proposal. A site inspection took place on 13 October 2023.

Ministers are considering the implications and options for delivery of the regeneration budget in 2024-2025 and we have yet to make decisions on a future application round for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

HM Treasury’s costing for the NHS productivity plan shows funding starting in 2025-26. Therefore no consequentials are expected in 2024-25 in relation to the plan, and the position is only expected to become clear at the next UK spending review.

The Health consequentials of £237 million for 2024-25 arising from the Chancellor’s Spring Statement are less than the £470 million in-year Health funding received for 2023-24 and less than is needed given the pressures faced.

While we are considering the outcome of the UK budget and what it means for NHS Scotland we are committed to passing on frontline health consequentials and have indeed gone further than consequentials in our investment in this budget.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) training procedures are an operational matter for the service to consider. SFRS consults both internal and external subject matter experts to ensure that all latest technologies, developments, lessons learned, and health and safety events are captured to ensure firefighter and public safety.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is delivered through a two-stage application and assessment process for each funding round. All applications are assessed by the independent Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Investment Panel against the fund’s criteria set jointly with COSLA. Only those applications assessed as successful by the panel at stage 1 are invited to submit a full stage 2 application. The panel makes final recommendations to the Scottish Government and COSLA on stage 2 applications to be funded.

Scottish Government monitored the delivery and spend of the grants for computing science hardware for schools. An evaluation of this work as well as wider computing science policy is underway and further updates will be publicised in due course.

The Scottish Government can confirm that no secondary schools were unsuccessful in their applications for grants from the investment in computing science hardware. However, some schools opted not to take up the offer.

Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) through policy 4 (Natural Places) sets out to protect, restore and enhance natural assets making best use of nature-based solutions. Policy 4 (d) states that development proposals that affect a site designated as a local nature conservation site or landscape area in the Local Development Plan will only be supported in limited circumstances. This includes where such development will not have significant adverse effects on the integrity of the area or the qualities for which it has been identified; or where any significant adverse effects on the integrity of the area are clearly outweighed by social, environmental or economic benefits of at least local importance.

All NPF4 policies must be read and applied as a whole and it will be for the decision maker to determine what weight to attach to policies on a case by case basis.

Data on the full-time equivalent number of pupil support assistants from the September 2023 school staff census will be published on 19 March 2024. Data for 2024 will be collected in September 2024 and published in Spring 2025.

We take online safety very seriously and our expectation is that online service providers will act responsibly.

Though regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to securing the online safety of our children and young people. That is why the First Minister urged the UK Government to include additional measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 to protect children and vulnerable adults online and go further to encourage tech firms to design out illegal and harmful material.