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Published forecast figures on green job numbers are derived from projects where funding from the Green Jobs Fund has already been agreed and, in financial year 2024-25, support will continue for projects where commitments have been contractually agreed.

It is important to recognise that the Green Jobs Fund forms a relatively small part of the Scottish Government’s broader investment in the transition to net zero. This includes many institutions, funding packages and investment vehicles which provide advice, support and financial assistance for businesses at the forefront to building Scotland’s green economy. The forthcoming Green Industrial Strategy will provide further strategic direction on how such investment should be directed in future.

The Scottish Government is looking to launch its consultation on crofting legislative reform in spring this year, as committed to in the Programme for Government 2023-24.

HMP Glasgow will deliver safe and secure accommodation, with maximum possible benefit and opportunity to those who live and work there, as well as the surrounding communities. The new prison will provide a better quality of living environment and enable strong relationships with staff and those in the care of the Scottish Prison Service.

The final design will be concluded in summer 2024, prior to the planned award of the construction contract that is scheduled for autumn 2024. Until the construction contract is signed, time-scales cannot be confirmed.

As shown through the Budget process, the challenging fiscal landscape has necessitated some difficult choices across government. This, alongside the need to strengthen the pipeline of investment, has resulted in the Scottish Government (SG) having to take the very difficult decision to pause the Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) programme.

The SG provided £720k to six local authorities (LAs) in 2021-22 to develop business cases for low carbon projects to test the GGA model and the six projects supported are at varying stages of development. Officials are working with the LAs impacted to explore what alternative funding sources may be available to progress projects where funding exists; including through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund and the Scottish Heat Network Fund.

Additionally, we are building on existing work across Government and recent collaborative efforts across the Government and public sector partners to identify and align investment behind key projects; strengthening relationships at the strategic and operational level to expedite the delivery of major public sector funded infrastructure projects.

We are liaising with the UK Government on its plans for the Green Industries Growth Accelerator to ensure that infrastructure and supply chain for offshore wind are supported via the fund. We are keen to collaborate with the UK Government to ensure GIGA funding is allocated in a way which complements and aligns with Scotland’s energy transition, including our up to £500 million strategic investment over the next five years to help anchor the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. Through the novel work or our Strategic Investment Model, Scotland is well positioned to ensure the ongoing collaboration between governments and industry identifies key shared priorities to unlock infrastructure investment needed to build a thriving renewables industry for Scotland. We expect more details from the UK Government in due course.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on the amount spent by local authorities on taxi journeys for pupils travelling to school.

The Council Tax Freeze that was announced by the First Minister, and accepted by almost all Councils, relates only to the 2024-25 financial year. It will provide certainty to households during a time of economic uncertainty and rising prices.

The funding provided in 2024-25 for the purposes of freezing Council Tax will be baselined into the General Revenue Grant in future years for those councils which freeze their Council Tax.

The Scottish Government received a copy of the EIS report on violence in schools in Aberdeen on 26 February 2024. The First Minister and myself have both read the report.

As shown through the Budget process, the challenging fiscal landscape has necessitated some difficult choices across government. This, alongside the need to strengthen the pipeline of investment, has resulted in the Scottish Government (SG) having to take the very difficult decision to pause the Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) programme.

It takes time to develop infrastructure projects and the six pathfinder projects supported through the GGA were at varying stages of development when the decision to pause the programme was taken. None were at the stage of investment and project delivery and consequently no assessment on return for investment has been undertaken.

Officials are working with the LAs impacted to explore what alternative funding sources may be available to progress projects where funding exists; including through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund and the Scottish Heat Network Fund.

Additionally, we are building on existing work across Government and recent collaborative efforts across the Government and public sector partners to identify and align investment behind key projects; strengthening relationships at the strategic and operational level to expedite the delivery of major public sector funded infrastructure projects.

The statutory minimum walking distances set out in legislation are a long-standing feature of our education system and there are no plans to change them. The Scottish Government published guidance for local authorities regarding home to school transport in 2021.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with representative bodies for local government on education related matters. However, no requests have been made to discuss local authorities’ obligations under section 42 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in the last 12 months. The provision of home to school transport is responsibility of local authorities and decisions about changes to eligibility for free school transport are for local authorities to make, subject to the applicable statutory requirements.