Chamber and committees

Historic Environment Scotland has founded a global heritage network on climate change, so perhaps it is more willing to address it than people might perceive.

Thank you very much. That is very much appreciated.

Community organisations and town centre development trusts have told us that they have had difficulties in accessing funding from local government for their projects, but they have been able to bid for funds from national Government. Can you point to anything that is in the budget for the forthcoming year that community organisations will be able to bid for? I am particularly interested in capacity building and revenue for staffing that would help communities with creative projects that can bring people along with them.

No. I am asking about bodies such as community development trusts that are leading projects in their own communities. That might involve housing or working with businesses. Those very localised projects have told us that they struggle to get funding from local authorities, but they have been able to bid for national Government funds, which must be in your portfolio. We would like to know what funds will be available for those community development trusts and others to bid for in future.

That is not just about capital projects. Those people are volunteers, and resources and revenue for staffing can help to deliver projects on the ground. Any project that wants to install heat pumps across a whole town might need town leadership from the community development trust and others. Some projects might be very small, but I know from experience in my own constituency that some could develop into something quite significant.

I have a short follow-up question. Kirstanne Land referred to the national development sites. Are they too restrictive? For example, Nigg port in the Cromarty Firth is not even mentioned.

Good morning. We face a twin crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, so I will focus on the natural resources budget. The allocation is £29.8 million, but that must fund local nature networks, the restoration of Scotland’s rainforests, the commitment to protect 30 per cent of land for nature by 2030—that is a high target—and a nature restoration fund of £13.5 million, which is almost half of that budget. That is in addition to the reform of wildlife management and the development of a new biodiversity strategy.

Those are wide-ranging, multiyear commitments. It would be helpful to the committee if you could provide a breakdown of spend in the natural resources budget in 2022-23. With the importance of the biodiversity crisis, what do you envisage the profile of spend being in that policy area over the next few years?

Thank you. I turn to other witnesses. I want to hear first from Dr Kerr, and then from Elizabeth Leighton, on policy 19. I am interested in the alignment between pursuing net zero and other requirements in relation to NatureScot and Historic Environment Scotland, for example. How can we ensure that NPF4 supports simultaneous assessment by—and, perhaps, early intervention by and work with—Historic Environment Scotland, as already happens in major transport schemes? Should that be applied to energy schemes?

Also on policy 19, how should small-scale renewables schemes be assessed and viewed in designated areas? Should support be given to community-owned projects? How does policy 19 help with that? What improvements are needed to help small-scale renewable projects?

Feel free to comment on anything that you have heard.

Okay. I am happy to pass on my questions to others, but I am interested in the principle of co-ordination with other areas. Do you have any overarching views on that? Other witnesses can pick up the specifics.

Cabinet secretary, you will be aware that we are conducting an inquiry into the scale, shape and importance of local government in delivering net zero. We have heard evidence from local government about how it is working with the private sector and about local authorities’ concerns about their budgets.

Much of your portfolio budget will end up going to local government, and it will probably be used in three different ways. First, local authorities will distribute money on behalf of the Scottish Government. Secondly, they will bid for funds to carry out net zero projects that are directed by the Scottish Government. Thirdly—I am not sure whether this exists—discretionary funding for net zero projects might be given to local authorities to do what they think is best for their area.

I am not suggesting that you can answer this question off the top of your head—although I would welcome it if you can. Can you give us an indication of how much of your budget sits in those three areas? It would be helpful if your officials worked with the committee to get a sense of how much of the budget is going to local government in those ways. Ideally, we would like to know that for the coming year but, if you cannot say that, perhaps you could tell us about the current year. Is that possible? It would involve some work, but it would be helpful because of the importance of local government in meeting net zero targets.

Blackburn, which is in my constituency, is one of the climate towns that you referred to. Thank you.

I ask Kirstanne Land for her views on policy 19.