Chamber and committees

We are committed to the largest road investment programme that Scotland has ever seen. By the end of this financial year (2016-17), we will have spent over £8 billion on our Motorways and Trunk Road Network since 2007, to ensure the strategic road network is safe, available for use, efficient, well maintained and allows effective movement of people, goods and services around and to and from Scotland.

On-Going Schemes

Since 2007, the Scottish Government has invested in a number of major roads projects, including:

In addition, the Scottish Government continues to progress the design and development of a number of schemes including the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement and the A90/A96 Haudagain Junction Improvement.

A breakdown by road and local authority area is not possible for incomplete schemes as some of the investments are of a national nature (e.g. Forth Replacement Crossing) and others span a number of local authority areas. However, analysis of spend by year, since 2007-08 can be seen in the following table.

Figures from 2011-12 onwards exclude Cost of Capital which was abolished. Cost of Capital Figures from 2007-08 to 2010-11 are £517.8m, £546.5m, £595.5m and £649.1m respectively.

[1] Figures taken from respective January Scottish Budget Bills.

Completed Schemes

Maintenance Investment

The following table for maintenance investment provides spend figures by route and by year for Trunk Road Operating Company expenditure, including structural maintenance, minor improvements, routine maintenance, strategic road safety, bridges and structures and winter service.In addition the table includes expenditure in respect of PFI payments for the M74, M77, and M80 Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) schemes, Scottish Safety Camera Parnership, Forth Estuary Transport Authority (up to June 2015), Tay Road Bridge Joint Board and Traffic Scotland.

1. Figures for spend per route include structural maintenance spend, minor improvements, route maintenance, strategic road safety, bridges and structures and winter service

2. 3. PFI payments and Other payments (e.g. safety camera partnership, Forth Estuary Transport Authority/Tay Road Bridge Joint Board and Traffic Scotland service) are not route specific but are included for completeness

The UK Government has informed the Scottish Government that, subsequent to the commencement, from midnight on Friday 21 April 2017, of the 'election period' and the application of General Election guidance, it does not intend to agree nor bring into effect a new UK Fisheries Concordat prior to the Election scheduled to take place on Thursday 8 June.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of tourism to the economy of the North East of Scotland and other rural areas. Its development is supported through the work of a range of public bodies, for example, VisitScotland's national and international marketing campaigns; business and destination support from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, training and development through Skills Development Scotland; promotion and protection of cultural heritage and historic properties through Historic Environment Scotland, and promotion and enhancement of the natural environment through Scottish Natural Heritage.

Scottish Ministers propose to establish an independent review of the regulation of legal services. The purpose of the review will be to make independent recommendations to reform and modernise the statutory framework for the regulation of legal services and complaints handling. The review is intended to ensure a proportionate approach to regulation that supports growth in the legal services sector. It should also place consumer interests firmly at the heart of any system of regulation, including the competitive provision of legal services. The review will focus on the current regulatory framework, the complaints and redress process for providers of legal services including solicitors and advocates, and ongoing market issues such as investigating the benefits of regulating firms as well as individual solicitors.

Key stakeholders including the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and the Scottish Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal have previously produced policy papers calling for change to the current system including reviewing the complexity of current processes. The Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 (“the 1980 Act”) forms the bedrock legislation underpinning the regulation of legal services in Scotland. It sets out how the Law Society of Scotland regulates solicitors. Some ‘legal’ matters such as will writing and other issues may be handled by unregulated firms or persons. Additionally claims management companies are unregulated in Scotland. The review will be able to investigate all of these areas.

The independent Chair of the review is Esther Roberton, current Chair of NHS 24. Ms Roberton has extensive senior leadership experience in the NHS and other areas of public life. She is also currently a Board member of the Scottish Ambulance Service (2014-18). She was Chairman of SACRO (2010-2014) and until recently also sat on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Audit and Risk Committee (COPFS ARC).

The Scottish Ministers expect that the review panel will undertake stakeholder engagement with the full range of stakeholders with an interest in its work and will gather evidence and have due regard to relevant research and previous reviews into the regulation of legal services where appropriate.

The remit for the Independent Review of the Regulation of Legal Services will be to review the regulation of legal services in Scotland and in undertaking this review, to:

• consider what regulatory framework would best promote competition, innovation and the public and consumer interest in an efficient, effective and independent legal sector;

• recommend a framework which will protect the public and consumer interest, promote the principles of accountability, consistency, flexibility, transparency, cost-effectiveness and proportionality;

• ensure that the regulatory framework retains the confidence of the profession and the general public;

• undertake specific research into the extent of the unregulated legal services market in Scotland and investigate any impacts on consumers, as well as developing a better understanding of the structure of the legal services market.

The review panel have confirmed their participation as follows:

• Christine McLintock - Immediate Past President Law Society of Scotland

• Alistair Morris - Chief Executive - Management Board, Pagan Osborne (Law Society of Scotland)

• Laura Dunlop QC- Hastie Stables (Faculty of Advocates)

• Derek Ogg QC - MacKinnon Advocates (Faculty of Advocates)

• Neil Stevenson – Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

• Nicholas Whyte – Chair of Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal

• Ray Macfarlane – Chair of the Scottish Legal Aid Board

• Jim Martin – outgoing Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

• Dr Dame Denise Coia – Chair of Healthcare Improvement Scotland

• Prof Russel Griggs - Chair of the Scottish Government’s Independent Regulatory Review Group

• Prof Lorne Crerar - Chairman, Harper Macleod LLP

• Trisha McAuley - McAuley Policy and Management

The independent Chair will lead the review and it is intended that it reports to Ministers within 15 months. The outputs will inform future reforms of the regulatory system for legal services.

Since ScotRail implemented its Performance Improvement Plan in September performance has improved over the next five consecutive periods, with PPM last period (12) at 93.2% and MAA at 90.3% - MAA up by 0.7% since the improvement plan process. ScotRail has therefore reached the MAA target of 90.3% which contractually removes the requirement for an Improvement Plan.

To date 125 from the 305 initiatives have been delivered. Transport Scotland and the ScotRail Alliance will continue to work together to maintain this upward trend and ensure the Performance Improvement Plan initiatives remain in place to deliver even more improvement over the coming months.

ScotRail’s performance has increased from 83.0% PPM for the full year in 2004-2005 to 90.1% PPM up to period 12 2016-2017, 7.1% improvement.

SSE has said it will be reviewing future options for Peterhead over the coming months and will engage with all stakeholders. During the review the current operations at the station, and the workforce of 90 personnel will not be affected. We are very mindful of the need to ensure a sustainable future for the plant and all whose livelihoods depend upon it.

Peterhead also has great potential to demonstrate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and we deeply regret the withdrawal of support for CCS at Peterhead by the UK Government in 2015. Such an investment could provide considerable employment opportunities locally.

Scottish Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of SSE. We will work closely with them as they undertake their review and will explore all options for Peterhead to continue to fulfil a valuable role as an employer and an important component of the Scottish and GB electricity system.

The Scottish Government has been working with all parts of the fishing industry in Scotland, onshore and offshore, to encourage a voluntary increase in landings of sea fish, and particularly pelagic sea fish, into Scotland. The Government sought a voluntary increase in landings of mackerel into Scotland during the recently completed winter fishing season.

There was unfortunately very little progress in this fishing season and the proportions of pelagic fish landed into Scotland and overseas have remained broadly the same as in recent years, with just over half of the fish landed by Scottish vessels landed overseas.

As a result the Government is now considering what further steps might be appropriate to establish a Scottish landings target for Scottish fishing vessels, and in this is consulting with a wide range of relevant representatives.

The Government considers that a Scottish landings target, successfully established and leading to increased landings into Scotland, will help to maintain and potentially to increase employment and connected economic activity in coastal and island communities in Scotland.

Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges for each generator and generation zone are published by National Grid on their website at: http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry-information/System-charges/Electricity-transmission/Approval-conditions/Condition-5/

Charges for generators in East Aberdeenshire are among the highest in GB.

It is estimated that Peterhead (zone 2) would pay generation transmissions charges of £19.60 per kilowatt in 2017-18. In contrast, a gas fired power station in Kent (zone 24) would be paid £1.75 per kilowatt. Clearly this places Peterhead at a disadvantage in any auction model. We strongly urge National Grid and UK Ministers to adopt a charging methodology that allows Peterhead and potential future thermal generation in Scotland to compete.

Scottish Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of SSE. We will work closely with SSE as they undertake their review over the coming months and will explore all options for Peterhead to continue providing reliable power for many years to come.