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We have no plans to carry out a retrospective environmental impact study on this Order. A screening report to consider environmental impacts was completed and concluded that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this proposal. Prior notification is a tool for Local Authorities to screen individual permitted development rights for environmental effects. Permitted development rights are withdrawn where an environmental impact assessment is required and changes must be dealt with through planning permission.

A screening report in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 was undertaken. This outlined that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this amendment Order. Consultation took place with local planning authorities and Strategic Environmental Assessment consultees, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Nature Scot and Historic Scotland. Permitted development rights do not allow for increases in biomass, that process is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Increases in fish farm biomass require an application to be submitted by the operator to vary the CAR licence. As part of the determination undertaken by SEPA the application would be advertised for consultation.

We are delighted that COP26 is happening in Scotland and are working closely with the UK Government, Glasgow City Council, Public Health bodies and the UN to deliver a safe, successful and in-person conference in November. We recognise the significant challenges to public health alongside the urgent need to agree action to tackle climate change and are exploring all possible COVID security measures. Vaccination and test and protect will be key and we are involved in planning for these measures and all relevant aspects of event delivery.

The Scottish Government’s COP26 programme will focus on key themes of a just transition and people, demonstrate the actions Scotland is taking to a Net Zero future and support the global outcomes of the Summit. We are partnering with a range of organisations to engage people with COP26 and climate change. This includes the recently announced youth climate programme, delivered in partnership with Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Youth Link Scotland, which will deliver a programme of events putting the voices of young people in Scotland at the heart of the climate conversation during COP26.

We do not capture data on the profession of travellers entering Managed Isolation.

In certain circumstances, seafarers and offshore workers can be exempt from entering Managed Isolation. Sectoral exemptions are set out in the International Travel (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

Scottish Government officials met with representatives of the independent brewing sector on 2 July 2021. We will consider their views alongside the findings of the Gateway Review into Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

Travel for non-essential purposes has been permitted since 17 May following the introduction of the traffic light system. This meant that only those returning to Scotland after having been in a red list country in the previous 10 days had to enter managed isolation - those coming to Scotland after being in an amber list country must self-isolate at home instead. This is also applicable to seafarers and offshore workers coming back to Scotland for leave. After assessing a range of criteria including numbers of relevant individuals and risks posed by travelling from a red-list country for non-essential activity, it has not been deemed appropriate to permit an exemption for seafarers or offshore workers travelling for the purposes of leave if they have been to a red list country in the previous 10 days.

The speed at which the Delta variant has become prominent throughout the UK following introduction from international travel serves as a reminder of the need for appropriate travel restrictions at this time and to limit the risk of importation of variants of concern wherever possible. We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it.

Under the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People, a holder of a +1 National Entitlement Card is entitled to free bus travel for themselves and a companion travelling together with them for the same journey on local registered and long distance scheduled bus journeys throughout Scotland. Booking arrangements generally only apply to longer distance scheduled bus services and are the responsibility of the bus operator.

As of June 2021, there are 114,738 registered companion (+1) cardholders eligible to access the Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People (the Scheme).

The Scheme is administered by Transport Scotland on behalf on the Scottish Government. In 2019-20 the cost of the Scheme was around £215 million. We have used figures for 2019-20 as this is the most recent pre-covid financial year where typical journey numbers have been undertaken.

Under the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People, a holder of a +1 National Entitlement Card is entitled to free bus travel for themselves and a companion travelling together with them for the same journey on local registered and long distance scheduled bus journeys throughout Scotland.

Local authorities have discretion to provide local non-bus travel concessions for their residents. Public Transport operators may also provide travel concessions on their services for certain groups of people as part of their own commercial operations. The extent and level of any concessions offered are for individual local authorities and public transport operators to determine.

Government budgets achieve multiple overlapping objectives and so it is not possible to distinguish environmental spending that does and does not alleviate climate change. A wide range of Scottish Government budgets directly address environmental problems. In 2021-22 spending on Environmental Services is £196 million. A number of other budget lines also have a direct impact on environmental outcomes including, but not limited to, Rural Economy Agri Environment Measures (£34.2 million) and Green Schemes (£142 million), Forestry (£70.6 million), and Active Travel (£115 million) in 2021-22.

Taking a more expansive view of spending on environmental measures. The Scottish Government publication Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland provides estimates of overall spending by the Scottish Government, Local Authorities and Public Corporations on different categories of spend. It reports that these bodies spent £1,078 million on ‘environmental protection’ in 2019-20.