Chamber and committees

In 2020, the National Infrastructure Commission published a study into resilience, which made key recommendations, such as Government setting resilience standards every five years, and referred to the need for infrastructure operators to carry out regular stress tests and have long-term resilience strategies in place.

I appreciate that we have had a spate of storms recently, but there is a need for long-term planning for such events. Will the minister outline whether the Scottish Government supports the NIC’s recommendations? If so, how is it engaging with the United Kingdom Government on the development of a national resilience strategy?

I want to raise a couple of issues and ask whether they could be included in the letter to the Scottish Government.

I understand that it was scallop divers who identified the site originally, which would have been verified later on. However, following that, diving, reel fishing and trawling are all included in the ban from the area. It would be good to get a bit of information on the evidence base for that. I understand that it is based on NatureScot’s advice, which stated that flapper skate eggs are sensitive to a number of activities. The list of activities mentions diver egg collection but it does not mention diving for scallops. I am concerned that there is a difference in sensitivity with regard to different activities but that they have all been categorised in the same way.

I understand that the committee in the previous parliamentary session—the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee—wrote to the minister in March last year, when the first instrument on the extension of the MPA at the site was laid. The letter in response from the minister said that part of the process to consider the need for permanent protection at the site would involve a socioeconomic assessment and public consultation, which do not seem to be happening until later on this year.

I know that it is emergency legislation, but it has been almost a year since the first instrument was passed. There is a question about why more has not been done to gather the necessary evidence in the interim period.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the United Kingdom Government regarding the resettlement scheme for Afghan refugees who may be resettled in Scotland. (S6O-00647)

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees can only register Afghan citizens as refugees or asylum seekers once they are outside Afghanistan and in another country. However, there are still those in Afghanistan who remain at severe risk from the Taliban, especially if they are caught trying to travel to Iran or Pakistan to seek asylum through the UNHCR. Will the Scottish Government push the UK Government to clarify which safe routes will be available through the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, particularly for those who would be at risk if they travelled to another country to seek asylum?

Last year, there were more than 27,000 households in Scotland assessed as being homeless, while 47,000 homes, valued at £8 billion, lay empty, including in rural areas. Compulsory purchase powers are no use to councils without fair funding.

I welcome the Scottish Government’s “Housing to 2040” proposal to establish a new fund to enable local authorities to bring empty homes back into residential use. Can the minister confirm by what date the fund will be ready to receive applications from councils, and how much it will make available in its first year of operation?

The provision of GP services in Aberdeen is coming under increasing strain due to six of the city’s publicly run medical practices being put out to tender for private contract. I understand that the Scottish ministers are unable to intervene in the arrangements for individual practices, but the cabinet secretary has already informed me that he expects satisfactory systems to be in place for the benefit of all patients.

Given that an external investigation has upheld complaints from campaigners about the tendering process for Old Aberdeen medical practice, will the cabinet secretary now ask the health and social care partnership to pause the tendering process so that a full and independent review of it can be undertaken?

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the provision of GP services in the north-east. (S6O-00616)

Thank you for going into that.

My next question is about the Marine Scotland budget. It looks as though that has grown by around 45 per cent since last year’s budget. Targets have been missed or pushed back for important policies such as the marine protected areas network, which was due in 2015, and for ensuring good environmental status and ending wasteful practices such as discarding. Has the additional funding that Marine Scotland received in previous budgets been appropriately spent?

Ambitious commitments are definitely important, but the most important thing is that they are actually met and delivered. I hope that we can look forward to that.

My final question is on the marine fund Scotland, which I believe is £14.5 million. Around the world, in the wake of the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—the environment and sustainability are increasingly being seen as important, and citizens and campaigners are calling for them to be prioritised. However, funds are being targeted at things such as getting larger trawlers in order to be more energy efficient, or getting more efficient nets, rather than looking at moving away from unsustainable practices such as dredging and trawling.

Will there be conditions attached to the £14.5 million for the marine fund Scotland to ensure that there is a drive to use more sustainable measures in fishing?

My first question relates to fisheries. The cabinet secretary will be aware that the EU has taken action to put an end to the practice of discarding in fisheries. I understand that it is the Scottish Government’s stated position that it wishes to rejoin the EU. Is the Scottish Government committed to a discard ban? If it is, what steps is it taking to introduce such a ban?