As operator, CalMac have estimated 44tonnes (this equates to two HGV tankers) of LNG per week during vessel operation. However this is being reviewed as part of the network trials which are currently being undertaken.

SEPA are responsible for flood forecasting and warning in Scotland and continually develop this service. They work in partnership with the Met Office to forecast for flooding and operate Floodline in Scotland to warn emergency responders, and the public, when flooding is likely.

The Scottish Government collaborates with and funds academics and research institutions through its Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Strategic Research Programme (SRP) 2022-2027. There are mechanisms within the programme used specifically for work on flood resilience. For example, the CREW Centre of Expertise for Waters provides the Scottish Government and its agencies access to water related (including flooding) expertise from Scottish Higher Education Institutes and Research Institutes. Recent CREW research commissions include work on is on improving flood forecasting in catchments influenced by reservoirs. The SRP also funds longer term strategic research including a five year research project on nature-based solutions at the James Hutton Institute.

In 2024, the Scottish Government France Office continued to take forward the objectives of the Scottish Government’s International Strategy [Scotland's International Strategy - gov.scot] in bringing benefits to Scotland under our key themes of Economy, Trade and Investment; Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy; and Reputation, Influence and Relationships.

Some examples from 2024 include:

To support Economy, Trade and Investment, the Scottish Government and SDI France jointly organised a Saint Andrew’s Day showcase event at the British Embassy and supported a Ministerial-led delegation of Scottish meat producers led by Quality Meat Scotland at the Salon International de l’Agroalimentaire to showcase Scottish products.

To support Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy, we continued to engage with French partners to promote green energy including at the Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Conference (FOWT) in Marseille, with a range of potential investors in the offshore wind sector in Paris and with a delegation of Scottish companies at Hyvolution.

To support Reputation, Influence and Relationships, we continued to work with the Brittany Region with our MoU, with UK delegations of multilateral organisations (UNESCO and OECD), and numerous Scottish diaspora organisations (under our Scottish Connections Framework). We also supported a range of cultural events such as the Interceltique Festival in Lorient, and worked with the UK Embassy on remembrance events and ceremonies.

Examples of our international network’s work from last business year can be found here: International network: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot

The Scottish Government international network offices complement the work of trade specialists in Scottish Development International (SDI) in supporting Scotland’s export industries, as well as working alongside UK officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for Business and Trade. This includes supporting introductions to market opportunities through trade missions and exhibitions, advising on and addressing market access barriers including regulatory issues, and undertaking government-to-government and government-to-business engagement to promote Scotland’s interests. This economic diplomacy activity contributes to Scotland’s export performance measured quantitatively in figures produced by SDI. The Scottish Government’s annual report on the international network supplements this with qualitative reporting on the contribution made by these teams to delivering priorities identified in Scotland’s International Strategy.

Details of decarbonisation of the Scottish rail network will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32614 on 14 January 2025. 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 budget allocated to each of Scottish Government’s nine international offices is published in the Level 4 budget tables for the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26, and these figures are available at the following URL:

Our fourth National Planning Framework (NEF) is a long-term plan looking to 2045 that guides spatial development, sets out national planning policies, designates national developments and highlights regional spatial priorities.

Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans, which will be to take forward NPF4 in a way which responds to local challenges and opportunities. NPF4 Policy 22, flood risk and water management, sets out the need to strengthen resilience to flood risk by promoting avoidance as a first principle and reducing the vulnerability of existing and future development to flooding. NPF4 Policy 22 exception iv states that redevelopment of previously used sites in built up areas will only be supported where the LDP has identified a need to bring these into positive use and where proposals demonstrate that long-term safety and resilience can be secured in accordance with relevant SEPA advice.

Consultation for railway electrification projects with affected communities is undertaken by Network Rail as the infrastructure owner and operator, and by ScotRail as the provider of services.

The international and European relations budget principally comprises the International Development Fund, the budget lines for the international network offices, an advice and policy budget which includes operational costs for the Directorate for Culture and External Affairs, and funding in support of the Brand Scotland Partnership.

In terms of our international development work, we believe Scotland should play its part in tackling global challenges like climate change, pandemics, poverty, injustice and inequality, all of which remind us of our global interconnectedness and the need for the Global South and North to work together. Supporting international development and humanitarian action is one of the most important ways Scotland can be a good global citizen and our financial investment in our international development partner countries, and for humanitarian crises is a key part of this.

Other international activity, including the work of the international network offices, is directed according to priorities established in Scotland’s International Strategy. We will report on delivery of the actions identified in that strategy in an annual report for 2024-25 onwards, which we intend to publish by the end of 2025.

Evaluating Scotland’s nation brand is a multi-faceted process. Marketing and communications activity, policies, legislation, experiences of those who come to Scotland and marketing activity beyond Brand Scotland all play a critical role in enhancing Scotland’s reputation.

Since 2008, the Nations Brand Index (NBI) has been used to measure Scotland’s reputation internationally. In addition, we measure the effectiveness of communications and marketing campaigns against SMART communications objectives, to be delivered among our core target audience in priority markets (Germany, France, USA) against a specific timescale. This includes a bespoke brand tracker in key markets and a range of additional KPIs, partner conversions, social media metrics and website analytics tracked on a monthly and annual basis.