Chamber and committees

Our nursery staff provide an important and valuable service. If the roll-out of free early learning and childcare has resulted in more children than before accessing early learning, can the minister inform me what support is in place for the staff and management of both private and council nurseries, to ensure that they can continue to provide a robust service?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding free early learning and childcare provision for all one and two-year-olds. (S6O-00751)

Thank you, Presiding Officer—third time lucky.

I appreciate the concerns that the unions might have about how the public sector pay policy could have an impact on pay increases this year, but will the minister provide more information on the potential additional benefits that the public sector pay policy will have for rail workers, as we bring Scotland’s railway into public ownership?

Thank you. I have no further questions, so I will pass back to the convener.

It is important that we get this right, so I appreciate all your comments on the matter.

To round off, I have a question for all the witnesses. Are there any other specific transport-related improvements that could be made to the draft NPF4 that have not already been highlighted?

Paul White has responded last quite a few times, so I will bring him in first.

In relation to the “additional public benefits” that are mentioned in policy 34(c), are you saying that you would rather see the policy strengthened so that woodland is protected? Are you saying that that is the most important thing as far as you are concerned?

Good morning. I am interested in the discussion on the importance of equality issues. Some of the issues that I want to raise have been touched on in response to my colleague Jackie Dunbar’s question, but I want to expand on it.

Obviously, 20-minute neighbourhoods can mean very different things for different people, and I understand the sentiment that we need to reaffirm what a 20-minute neighbourhood is. I think that Dr Brown stated that it is not just about being able to nip out for a coffee but is about enabling people to meet the majority of their daily needs. The needs of a young person can be very different to the needs of a pregnant woman, an elderly person or a parent with young children. Outwith physical or mobility issues, the needs of families on low incomes also need to be recognised.

People have a range of needs. That relates to infrastructure and services, but transport is key. To ensure that 20-minute neighbourhoods are accessible for all, how can the needs be highlighted more and incorporated into planning, especially in rural areas? We touched on difficulties in that earlier.

I direct the question first to Dr Brown.

Yes. I am sorry. I realise that it was quite a long question.

I am not sure whether I came across right there. Policy 34(c) says that there are “additional public benefits” that would justify the removal of woodland. Are you saying that you would like the policy to be strengthened so that the removal of woodland would not be possible or would be an absolute last option?

That is no problem at all.

Iain, do you have anything to add?