Chamber and committees

In preparation for the return of rail services to the central Scottish Borders, a new Transport Interchange will be delivered in Galashiels by Scottish Borders Council that will fully integrate train, bus, taxi, car, cycling and pedestrians.

Further information can be found at the following link:

http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/209/regeneration_and_town_centre_management/476/galashiels_inner_relief_road_and_traffic_management/5.

This Government invests around £2 billion each year in colleges and universities. In particular included in that amount is significant and specific funding to support the development in the South of Scotland of the Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels and the Crichton Campus in Dumfries. The priority attached by the college sector to the education and training of women is reflected in a substantially higher number of enrolments by women than by men, and in the majority of learning opportunities being offered on a part-time basis. To better meet the needs of college regions, we asked the Funding Council to consider a number of priorities in applying the additional £61 million funding recently announced.

We have also committed £250,000 over the next two years to CareerWISE Scotland, which was announced at the Women's Employment Summit in September 2012. This will deliver tangible improvements in the position of women in science and engineering careers by seeking to change the actions of schools, teachers and employers. With regard to Modern Apprenticeships in 2011-12, 43% of MA starts were woman compared with 27% in 2008-09. The number of MA starts in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway in 2011-12 has increased to 1357 from previous years.

Future EU climate change policy is a matter for the Member States of the European Union and only as an Independent member state would the Scottish Government be able to directly speak to and have a vote on proposals within the EU negotiations at European Environment Council. The Scottish Government, under current constitutional arrangements, continues to advocate that the EU strengthen its 2020 climate change target as soon as possible and will continue to encourage the UK Government and other member states to argue for increased ambition. At the UNFCCC Conference in Doha in December 2012, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, stated that the EU may be on course to achieve a 27% reduction in emissions, despite the current target of just 20% by 2020.

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment led discussion about emissions reduction, and specifically the draft second report on proposals and policies, at two meetings of the Scottish Cabinet in January 2013.

The Emissions Reduction Programme Board last met on 28 February 2013. The Second Report on Proposals and Policies is, and will continue to be, a key focus for board discussions.

Notes of board meetings, and carbon reduction activity reports outlining activity in the main sectors delivering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, are available on the Scottish Government website.

The draft second report on proposals and policies for meeting Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set out measures in a broad range of sectors across Scotland’s economy. The Scottish Government is considering the recommendations that have been made in relation to all of these sectors as part of Parliament’s scrutiny of the draft report.

A publication date has not yet been set for the final version of the draft second report on proposals and policies. The Scottish Government is working to complete and publish the final report as soon as reasonably practicable taking into account representations made during the Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft report.

The Scottish Government is reviewing the entire draft second report on proposals and policies in light of the recommendations that were made during the 60-day period for Parliamentary consideration. We Will respond to those representations when we publish the final version of the Second Report on Proposals and Policies.

In its policy statement on forestry and woodlands, published in January, Defra said that it plans to establish a new, operationally-independent management body for the public forest estate in England. While these do not have direct impacts on delivery of the Scottish Government’s forestry policy, there may be some administrative and indirect impacts arising from the delays in England. While we are keeping in close touch with developments south of the border, it is still too early to say how the changes in England will affect the Forestry Commission as a whole (including the common services provided from Edinburgh). Forestry Commission Scotland will continue to look for opportunities to work with other parts of the Commission, where this represents the most efficient and effective means of delivery.

A broad range of measures exists to anticipate and regulate interventions to deliver the requirements of Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive. These include the lists of Operations Requiring Consent associated with Sites of Special Scientific Interest (which “underpin” the majority of terrestrial European sites), access legislation and fishery conservation measures. It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage any natural feature by reason of which land is a European site (subject to certain conditions). Scottish Natural Heritage keeps abreast of the status of features on European sites through its programme of Site Condition Monitoring.

For any proposal which falls into the category of being a “plan or project” (as provided by Article 6(3) of the Directive), Scottish competent authorities must execute the procedural requirements of Part IV (or Part IVA for Land Use Plans) of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended).