The Scottish Government is refreshing its Smart Delivery Strategy, outlining its programme of work and strategy for enhancing smart, integrated ticketing and payments, and digital travel data over the next 5-10 years.

The strategy is being developed through a collaborative process with stakeholders and the public and is currently taking into account the development of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board’s first work programme. The strategy is also taking into account the significant progress and technological development of smart ticketing since the previous publication in 2018, including the increased use of digital platforms and contactless payment across the network, reflecting the public’s increasing desire for contactless and digital payments and ticketing.

Following publication of the Fair Fares Review and announcement of the Scottish Government’s intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport, the strategy will progress through the finalisation and approval process to be published in 2024.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of soil biodiversity including earthworm populations which bring multiple benefits to both Scotland’s ecosystems and natural environment as well as food production.

We are taking steps to protect the health of our soils and thereby protect and conserve earthworms in Scotland. In the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, one of the four Objectives is ‘the adoption and use of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices’, and the Bill states that Scottish Ministers must prepare and publish a Code of Practice providing guidance on sustainable and regenerative agriculture. With actions to promote soil health being the cornerstone of regenerative agriculture, the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill shows the Scottish Governments clear commitment to soil health.

Further to this, the Agricultural Reform List of Measures published in 2023, were drafted to meet Outcomes that included; improving soil biodiversity, and increase soil carbon/organic matter content. This List of Measures gives an indication of the type of soil health measures that are being developed through the Agricultural Reform Programme that will directly benefit earthworms in Scotland. Support is available to farmers and crofters as part of Preparing for Sustainable Farming?(PSF) which is helping businesses prepare for changes with support for conducting soil sampling and analysis.

The Scottish Government and its partners have regular engagement with the UK Government to ensure a strategic approach and alignment of activity around Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

We welcome the recommendations from the Harrington Review to increase investment and expansion of the Office for Investment (OFI) and to improve collaboration and understanding of investment strengths between the UK Government and Devolved Administrations through the appointment of regional specialists. We have been engaging with the UK Government on the Review and Scottish Development International now has a dedicated resource in place at the OFI to support collaboration around attracting further investment opportunities to Scotland.

Scotland has a strong record in attracting FDI and our Inward Investment Plan is key to supporting Scotland’s growth clusters. EY’s independent Annual Attractiveness Survey 2023 shows that Scotland has been the most attractive investment location outside of London for the last eight years.

The Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in our capital budget. The flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on our capital infrastructure commitments. Based on the latest forecasts following the UK Spring Statement, our block grant for capital is now expected to reduce by 8.7% by 2027-28 – a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion.

Development of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) delivery plan is underway, including Recommendation 14 – that bus priority interventions are implemented within Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the 45 STPR2 recommendations.

This is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. This exercise will allow for the timeline for the publication to be confirmed and identify any further statutory requirements, which of course, Parliament will be informed of at the earliest opportunity. Thereafter, we will be able to advise with more certainty on the potential implementation of motorway bus lanes around Glasgow and the associated timelines.

Despite the powers to mandate community benefits being reserved to the UK Government, through our voluntary approach - supported by our Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments - over £26 million of community benefits have been offered to Scottish communities in the last 12 months.

As part of the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, the sector committed to meet or exceed our Good Practice Principles, which is an important milestone in our work to ensure these principles are universally adopted by developers.

We are currently reviewing our Good Practice Principles for Offshore Renewables, ahead of public consultation in 2024.

The second Strategic Transport Projects Review recommends that bus priority interventions are implemented within Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest and that bus priority measures continue to be identified and implemented on the trunk road and motorway network.

In the case of the trunk road and motorway network, Transport Scotland will progress its plans for the M8, M77 and M80, building on the earlier appraisal and business case work. This will be informed by new post COVID traffic data analysis and will reflect the latest policy landscape which continues to evolve. All of this work is aimed at ensuring that these important changes are fully captured in the development of a robust business case.

In terms of stakeholder interest, Transport Scotland will continue work with Glasgow City Council and partners to identify the schemes which could be supported in the future. This is as part of achieving the Council’s wider aspirations for the M8 around the City Centre and an integrated approach to bus service improvement.

As set out in my answer S6W-26968 on 25 April 2024, the information requested on how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons were employed by NHS Lanarkshire in 2019 is not centrally available.

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 .

As set out in answer S6W-26679 on 23 April 2024, excessively long waits are, of course, unacceptable. We are working hard to drive down the longest waits, which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic, to ensure all people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible. 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 .

The commitments set out in our £1bn NHS Recovery Plan support an increase in inpatient, day-case, and outpatient activity through the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care, and NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with Health Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign.

CfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for General Surgery which is currently focused on Inguinal Hernia, Biliary Disease, and Emergency Laparoscopic and Laparotomy Scottish Audit (ELLSA) pathways.

SDGs promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes and have supported several new and innovative pathway developments, many of which are now being successfully scaled up across Scotland, including Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT).

The NHS Golden Jubilee also continues to provide Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, with capacity for key elective services, such as General Surgery, with patients treated on the basis of their clinical priority and length of wait.