Chamber and committees

Andrew Taylor, your name was mentioned. Do you want to come in?

I have just one brief question. I would like to go back to CAFS2. One of the things that we heard about in the earlier session was the linkages between CAFS2 and other policy documents, reports and suggestions for improvement. What we heard—we were also told this by stakeholders last week—is that, although there are good linkages with things such as NPF4, the linkages with, for example, Transport Scotland policies might not be quite so robust. The question that is begged is how the Scottish Government will ensure that the policies and actions in CAFS2 are aligned with other policies and strategies, such as the climate change plans and those of Transport Scotland?

Yes. If we are finished in the substantive session, can I go back to a couple of points that you made back at the start and put a direct question? In your view, given what you have recommended and what you have looked at, do local authorities have sufficient funding to effectively monitor air quality?

Thank you. I was going to move to Craig McLaren, but Stuart Hay would like to come back in.

Good morning. I want to move the topic on to the “Cleaner Air for Scotland 2: Towards a Better Place for Everyone” strategy, and I will direct the question first to Stuart Hay.

The Scottish Government published the strategy, which sets out various policy commitments on air quality, in July 2021. The ESS investigation suggests that it is somewhat flawed in its timescales, that its modelling is insufficiently detailed and that it might need to be revised. Do you agree with that? More widely, can CAFS2, as drafted, deliver compliance? If not, what needs to be revised?

I am grateful for that response. Shauna Clarke, do you have anything to add?

I am grateful to all of you.

You were sitting at the back of the room during the earlier session, so you will have heard me talk about the cleaner air for Scotland 2 strategy. Kenny Bisset, I will come to you first. What role—and how great a role—will local authorities play in delivering the policies under that strategy?

I am grateful, Kenny. Thank you.

Shauna Clarke, I would like to offer you the same question. What role—and how great a role—do local authorities play in delivering CAFS2?

Craig McLaren, you have heard the previous answers, particularly around the lack of alignment to wider transport policy. That begs the question: is CAFS2 sufficiently aligned to wider Government policy in relation to things such as the national planning framework 4? If not, given recent developments, what can be done?