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Planning legislation requires that any particular planning application is timeously determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration relevant planning considerations of the individual application. This is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority in the first instance. It is a matter for the applicant to decide when any application is submitted. Where planning permission is granted, it is then a matter for the applicant to decide whether, and when, to implement that permission before it expires.

A grant of planning permission that enables grid connection for future possible renewable energy proposals does not affect the consideration of separate applications for those renewable energy developments.

The need for an Environmental Impact Assessment would be dependent upon the site and whether there is any material change of use with regards to existing permissions. Ultimately, that is a local planning matter and determining whether the operator requires further planning permission is for the relevant planning authority to consider.

There is currently no direct funding available to egg producers in Scotland. Pressures on the Scottish budget, brought about by global inflationary trends and exacerbated by the previous UK Government’s decisions means that we are unable to commit to possible future support at this time.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the health and welfare of all animals in Scotland and that is why we recently met our 2023-2024 Programme for Government to consult on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens, and published a call for evidence for phasing out the use of cages for gamebirds and quail. We will continue to engage with the industry and stakeholders before making any decisions on how to proceed in order to maintain egg production in Scotland while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.

The decision to grant planning permission for an extension to an existing substation at Bearholm near Moffat was made by the relevant planning authority, Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Planning authorities are required to determine any valid application submitted to them in accordance with the relevant local development plan and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) unless there are material considerations which justify a departure from the plan. The decision notice of the authority is required to include the reasons for the decision. In addition, as part of the decision-making process the authority is required to produce a report setting out their consideration of the application and the material considerations taken into account. The decision notice and report are published on the planning authority’s website.

Applications for consent for the Rivox Wind Energy Hub and Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm projects are currently with the Scottish Ministers for determination under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Ministers have now made a decision on the final budget to support the Strengthening Communities Programme for 2024-25. The decision has been communicated through the delivery partners, including the Development Trusts Association Scotland, in order to advise all the community anchor organisations involved.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water has advised that investigations have been on-going into reports of sewage leaking to a nearby water channel in the area; these investigations have included camera surveys and extensive dye testing of a nearby sewer pipeline. A fault has been identified and a repair made in a buried manhole chamber. Scottish Water has advised that they are continuing to monitor this area and remain in communication with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

I refer the member to answer to question: S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.

Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.

I am delighted to confirm that this financial year, up to £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.

This investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Yes – this funding is specifically for the provision of diabetes technologies and will be managed by a central team. A small part of this investment will cover costs of infrastructure to enable delivery at scale.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Ambulance Service publish their weekly performance statistics, which can be found here - .

The Scottish Government recognises that cyber resilience is paramount for the delivery of secure digital public services, and it works closely with the Scottish public sector to strengthen its cyber security posture through the implementation of The Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland.

Staying ahead of cyber criminals is an ongoing battle; as technologies evolve, so do their tactics. Public bodies are responsible for their own cyber resilience and security arrangements and must continually adapt to emerging threats.

The Scottish Government supports public sector bodies to help strengthen their cyber resilience and address areas for improvement. This includes embedding robust security standards, controls and governance, maintaining and regularly testing incident response plans, training staff and learning lessons identified from incidents.

Additionally, the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre plays a key role in coordinating effective multi-agency response to incidents which impact on the public sector.