Chamber and committees

I have a question, before we leave the discussion of SEPA. I think that the SEPA budget went up by £7 million this year. That is on the back of it coming out of a massive problem with its information technology system, taking on the responsibility of DRS and also taking on the air quality issues. You say that SEPA’s funding is sufficient. Are you confident that the increase will allow it to do all the things that it is being asked to do? There are some concerns about that.

Very real concerns were raised during the passage of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 that any funds generated from the Government for LEZs and improvements within them would go to the councils that had them instead of the dormitory areas outside them, where people would still have to rely on their own transport to get in. I am trying to push for an answer to that question. How much consideration are you giving to those areas, cabinet secretary?

Yes.

That was useful. The issue that Mark Ruskell has raised is something that we can take up with the Minister for Transport when we discuss Scotland’s railways, as I am sure we will in the near future.

I thank the cabinet secretary and her team. Our next step is to produce a short report to Parliament on what we have found in this matter.

That concludes our public meeting today. We now move into private session.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 13th meeting in 2023 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

The first item on the agenda is to decide whether to take agenda items 3 and 4 in private. Under agenda item 3, the committee will consider the evidence that it will hear today on air quality in Scotland and, under agenda item 4, it will consider its work programme. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

The second item on the agenda is an evidence session as part of our consideration of air quality in Scotland.

The committee has a role in scrutinising the Scottish Government’s air quality improvement plan, which was prepared in response to a report by Environmental Standards Scotland that looked at nitrogen dioxide levels. As part of our formal consideration of the improvement plan, the committee also agreed to examine wider issues in relation to air quality policy.

Last week, we held evidence sessions with stakeholders and local authorities. Today, we will continue our evidence taking by hearing from Environmental Standards Scotland to discuss its views on the improvement plan.

I am very pleased to welcome Mark Roberts, who is chief executive of Environmental Standards Scotland, and Jamie McGrandles, who is head of investigations, standards and compliance at Environmental Standards Scotland. Thank you for accepting our invitation to come to the meeting.

Would Mark Roberts like to make a brief opening statement?

I would like to clarify something before I go back to Jackie Dunbar. You were quite gentle on why some councils were further ahead than others. Would it be fair to ask you whether some councils were more ready—that is, they had the facilities and the ability to act already—whereas others were trying to catch up, or have some councils simply applied themselves to the problem more quickly?

I welcome everyone back after that short suspension. We will continue with our evidence taking on air quality improvement with a panel from the Scottish Government.

I am pleased to welcome Màiri McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition—congratulations on your appointment and expanded role, cabinet secretary—who is joined by Andrew Taylor, policy manager, Scottish Government, and Vincent McInally, environment and air quality manager, Transport Scotland. Thank you for accepting our invitation.

Before we go to questions, cabinet secretary, I believe you want to make a brief opening statement.

That is interesting.

Before we go to Gavin Thomson, I see that Gary Fuller has his hand up. I am worried that it might drop off, so I just want him to know that we have noted it.