Chamber and committees

In 2021, through the first phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB), the Scottish Government supported operators to acquire 276 zero-emission buses and their supporting infrastructure, with awards of £62 million. This hugely successful grant programme brought the number of zero-emission buses in Scotland supported by the Scottish Government to 548. These vehicles have been brought in to service across the country, including in the mid Scotland and Fife region with the recent fleets of zero-emission buses being brought into service in Perth and Dunfermline.

Through the opening of the second phase of ScotZEB, the Scottish Government has made up to £58 million available to further support the bus sector to decarbonise. This is in addition to the £113 million already invested through ScotZEB 1 and its predecessor the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), meeting our commitment to invest £120 million into zero-emission buses; taking us closer to realising a fully decarbonised future for Scotland’s bus fleet and supporting the Scottish supply chain. Currently Scotland has around double the proportion of its fleet running on zero-emissions, compared to the proportion in England, and ScotZEB 2 will allow Scotland to continue to be a leading example of bus decarbonisation.

We have always been clear that the bus decarbonisation target was an ambitious target that the Scottish Government could not meet alone. We all have to play our part in the collective endeavour to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change. The launch of ScotZEB 2 is the next phase of the Government’s contribution, to encourage collaborative proposals and bring about necessary change in the market, and deliver a Just Transition to net zero for the bus and coach sector. We will continue to challenge the bus sector to deliver excellence for Scotland, and by working in partnership with private financiers, manufacturers, SMEs and community operators, I have every confidence that Scotland’s bus sector will rise to this challenge. The role of the Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce has been crucial in bringing key players in the sector together to tackle the shared barriers in the way of decarbonisation, which is why I am happy to confirm that the Taskforce has reconvened after the launch of ScotZEB 2.

The Scottish Government expects the bus sector to deliver highly transformational projects, with Government support, to deliver rapid change to the bus market in Scotland, making zero-emission vehicles the default choice for operators. Scotland is the perfect place for innovative financiers and technology start-ups to invest in a zero-emission future. The Scottish Government is putting policies in place which will support these businesses to transition at pace to zero-emissions; grow our green wellbeing economy; provide opportunities for good, green jobs in Scotland; and better, healthier communities.

Positive progress continues to be made with the electrification of the Glasgow to Barrhead Route and with plans for the electrification of the East Kilbride route now at an advanced stage. Plans for further electrification continue to be developed across the rail network in Scotland including Fife and the Borders.

The Scottish Government has been clear about the extent of the financial pressures the public sector as a whole is facing. The Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan is planned as a dynamic document, with a refresh of the Plan scheduled for later in 2023. The refresh will ensure Transport Scotland continue to prioritise the right projects, in the right place, and at the right time in line with available budgets.

Despite this, significant investment is also under way across Scotland in the form of new feeder stations required to provide the power needed to support the electrification of the network across Scotland.

Decarbonisation of Fife rail services was not planned to complete by 2024. Development work for future electrification in Fife is currently underway. Some advance work is being carried out between Haymarket to Dalmeny to facilitate the future electrification of Fife.

The timescale for decarbonisation of the Fife Circle route will be considered through the Final Business Case submission of the project and as part of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan refresh scheduled for later in 2023.

The Scottish Government has authorised the investment of c.£30m for a new feeder station at Thornton in Fife. This will provide power to the planned electrification. This feeder station is scheduled to be operational in 2026.

As outlined in the Scottish Budget 2023-24, the Scottish Government remains committed to introducing Air Departure Tax when a solution to the Highlands and Islands exemption issue has been found. The Scottish Government is carefully considering the implications for this of the UK subsidy control regime that was introduced by the UK Government in January 2023.

Until Air Departure Tax is introduced, the UK Government will maintain the application of Air Passenger Duty in Scotland.

We will review Air Passenger Duty rates and bands ahead of the introduction of the devolved Air Departure Tax to ensure that our policy aligns with our climate change goals, including the possibility of a higher tax for more polluting aircraft, while maintaining our commitment to retain the Highlands and Islands exemption.

The following 24 local authorities have submitted their road assessment;

1. Highland Council

2. Angus Council

3. Orkney Council

4. Renfrewshire Council

5. Dumfries and Galloway Council

6. Fife Council

7. Dundee City Council

8. City of Edinburgh Council

9. Scottish Borders Council

10. West Lothian Council

11. Moray Council

12. North Ayrshire Council

13. Inverclyde Council

14. Aberdeenshire Council

15. East Renfrewshire Council

16. West Dunbartonshire Council

17. Perth and Kinross Council

18. Falkirk Council

19. Stirling Council

20. Argyll and Bute Council

21. Aberdeen City Council (partial)

22. North Lanarkshire Council

23. East Lothian Council

24. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

The Scottish Government is engaging with the remaining local authorities to ensure a completed road assessment is received.

Local authorities are required to publish an annual report on the operation and effectiveness of their LEZ scheme, and submit to a copy of the report to the Scottish Ministers for review.

Emissions from private jets departing from Scotland’s airports are captured in Scottish source emissions as reported in ‘Scottish greenhouse gas statistics’, the most recent version of which covers 2021 and was published in June 2023. Estimated emissions from aviation are based on data provided by the CAA and, for overseas territories, the UK Department for Transport.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19190 on 27 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

My officials will meet with Police Scotland on 20 July to discuss the next steps.

Secondary legislation on the establishment of The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB) came into force in May 2023 and as such recruitment for board members is now underway, with a proposal to undertake the inaugural meeting by the end of the year. The board will advise on a national technological standard for smart ticketing, to be used in ticketing schemes and to help improve the interoperability of smart ticketing in Scotland, setting the foundation for better integration. It will also advise Scottish Ministers on the strategic direction for smart ticketing to improve passenger’s experience and help boost use of sustainable public transport modes.

Additionally, via our £1.1m Smart Pay Grant Fund, we have supported bus operators to accept contactless payment so this is now available on around 98% of buses. We have also made ITSO smartcards interoperable so you only need one smartcard for various operators’ commercial smart tickets, as well as our own concessionary bus travel schemes, simplifying access to smart travel. We have commenced a feasibility study to consider the different ‘smart’ platforms that could be used for the national concessionary travel scheme, including mobile, contactless, and ’blended’ smart device solutions.

We are refreshing the 2018 Smart Delivery Strategy, which will outline the programme of work and strategy for the next 5-10 years for smart and integrated ticketing in Scotland. This is being informed by a public survey, which ran between March 2023 and May 2023, plus engagement with operators and local transport authorities.

The Scottish Government has today published the new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, which is available at: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781805251545 .

The Strategy sets out a refreshed approach to tackling litter and flytipping in order to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment, ensure safer and cleaner communities and contribute to a thriving circular economy for Scotland. It sets out how national and local government, business, third sector, communities and individuals can work together to support behaviour change, improve infrastructure and strengthen enforcement.

The strategy is accompanied by an action plan outlining priority activity for the first year of implementation. Actions for 2023-24 include measures to strengthen enforcement (including raising fixed penalty notices for flytipping to £500), support private landowners, improve data collection, engage communities and influence behaviours.

Actions will be reviewed and refreshed on an annual basis over the six-year lifespan of the Strategy to ensure these are adapted to suit a changing external environment and are informed by emerging insights and wider action to accelerate Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.