 Mae cyfnod gan y prynhau cyngorol honno i ddwylliant familyethol. Mae gyda hynny i ddwyd yn ymddangos cyappaethol a gyda'u cyfnod i ddaw nhw'n fwyllt affreddych'. Rydyn ni'nín heto cymryd yn agniwyr omlifu gyda'r hyn a drwy hyn, Mr Arthur. Mae'n rhaid i ddweud i ddwyngfyrdoedd Aelodau a Blwch yn gyfnod i gyfnod, a ddiwylliant i gael i ddwylliant' ar hwnnw yng ngosidol. The choices we all make now and in the years to come will define that future. Scotland must and will stand up and play its part and make the right choices that are in the public interest for us now and for future generations. The twin global climate and nature crises have focused many of our minds on the quality of our places. We know we have to change the way we plan our future places if we are to respond to those challenges. The coronavirus pandemic has also meant that we all have a much better understanding of our individual needs and our priorities and whether we realise it or not, planning is central to helping us to recover and to deliver the Scotland we want to be. Planning can help us to deliver green energy, restore nature and create a circular economy. It can mean that we are protected from future threats of flooding and coastal vulnerability and it can improve our health and quality of life by delivering homes that meet our lifetime needs, shops and services that we can get to easily and local parks and outdoor spaces that improve our wellbeing. We must think today about the places that we will need tomorrow and we need to plan for that change. We will have to be more decisive and firmer about the development that we do and do not want to see to shape the kind of country that we want Scotland to be. Presiding Officer, I am absolutely delighted that today the Scottish Government has laid in this Parliament Scotland 2045, a draft of Scotland's fourth national planning framework. That signals a turning point for planning. It is much more than a technical or routine update. It is this Parliament's opportunity to be clear about what is needed in shaping Scotland's future. It is our opportunity to lead the transition to stronger, greener, fairer, healthier communities across Scotland. The new national planning framework is part of a much wider planning reform programme, including this Parliament's passing of the Planning Scotland Act 2019. That act has given the NPF a new and hand status as part of the statutory development plan on which all planning decisions must be based. The 2019 act also requires that development plans must work in the long-term public interest. That is what our draft NPF 4 does. Giving such a clear steer will enable Scotland's planning authorities to focus their local development plans on setting out a long-term vision for the future of their places. There will be no need to repeat planning policies over and over again, while retaining scope to tailor local policies to respect local circumstances. That will mean that the planning system is more consistent and predictable, and that the precious time and resources of planning authorities can be deployed effectively towards supporting the delivery of good quality development. I must stress that today is not the beginning for NPF 4. Much has happened already to lead us to this ambitious new direction for planning. I want to pay tribute and say thank you to the many people and organisations from all over Scotland who have engaged enthusiastically with us before and during the pandemic. They have all helped to shape the draft that we have presented today. Our engagement started at the beginning of 2020 with a call for ideas, backed up with an extensive programme of public consultation and involvement, including a Scotland-wide roadshow before the first lockdown. Over the last year, planning authorities have worked creatively with us to help to explore new duties to prepare regional spatial strategies. The outputs from that work have helped to shape the draft NPF 4 national spatial strategy. We can now open up the debate about the contribution of different parts of Scotland to a much wider audience. They have been extensive and detailed conversations about specific parts of the strategy, including the challenge and question of housing numbers and the need to better support nature recovery. We have received an enthusiastic response to our position statement, which we published last November. All of the work means that draft Scotland 2045 is not just the Scottish Government's view of our future, but a collective effort to think about how we need to change. I want to see that collective effort continuing throughout the process of parliamentary scrutiny now ahead of us. We heard during the scrutiny of the 2019 act how many members care a great deal about planning. The draft national planning framework aims to respond to many issues that many members have already told us are important. For example, we have listened to views from members that our planning system needs to do more to improve health and wellbeing. We have looked at how we can best mitigate and adapt to climate change. We are aiming to enable the repopulation of rural Scotland. We have set out how planning can improve biodiversity and protect peatlands. We have brought forward a new approach to planning for housing that will support the delivery of new, good-quality homes that meet all our needs. All of those issues are more featured during the parliamentary scrutiny of the planning bill and are now being addressed in the draft document. The draft national planning framework 4 brings together a new vision for planning, drawing on all that we have heard so far. It sets out a new spatial plan for Scotland in 2045. That is a plan that does not shy away from the sometimes uncomfortable choices that we will need to make about our future. It sets out shared spatial planning principles and proposes 18 national developments that will help to deliver the strategy. It also proposes new and revised national planning policies, which, once approved, can be consistently applied to development proposals across Scotland. In line with the work of Scotland's best-known town planner, Sir Patrick Gettys, our plan considers the importance of folk, work and place. We want to see livable places for people that better support health and wellbeing and are accessible to everyone, productive places that help us to grow a well-being economy and deliver fair work and distinctive places that protect our most cherished buildings and reinvigorating city and town centres. All of that must lead to more sustainable places, in line with our climate ambitions and our commitment to nature recovery. I know that it will take some time to get to grips with the draft framework and the transformational change that it can lead. To help with that today, I want to highlight some of the key changes that we are proposing. A new policy will ensure that planners give significant weight to the global climate emergency in plans and decisions. Policies will also require us to consider how we adapt to the future impacts of climate change, including flood risk, infrastructure resilience, temperature change and coastal vulnerability. Development proposals will be required to contribute to nature recovery and community wealth building. We are proposing to update our policies on green energy and heat networks to enable the delivery of new facilities for a circular economy and to require more sustainable travel. We are promoting the roll-out of 20-minute neighbourhoods so that people have to travel less and benefit from an infrastructure-first approach. That special strategy considers how that can work in practice, including how it will vary between rural and urban areas. New and updated policies are proposing limiting green-fail development and out-of-town retail to ensure that we protect the land that we will need to reach net zero and to make the best use of vacant land and reuse empty buildings. All of that and much more in the draft NPF adds up to a more positive greener future, a future in which our places support people to realise their potential rather than limiting opportunities and reinforcing inequality. People will no doubt have different views on the special strategy and draft policies. That is the nature of planning, but I hope that we can keep in view those shared commitments, those shared outcomes, as we explore the detail over the coming months. The draft NPF 4 will now be before this Parliament for a period of scrutiny lasting up to 120 days. I am pleased to announce that today we are kickstarting an extensive programme of engagement and public consultation running over a similar timeline. It is crucial that we hear from as wide a range of people in the consultation as possible so that their needs are at the heart of our plans for the future. Our people and our society deserve nothing less. I am looking forward to having a wide range, exciting and lively debate about the future development of Scotland to 2045 through Scotland's journey to net zero. To conclude, I hope that all members will embrace this opportunity, but we can work together collectively to consider our draft with open minds and enthusiasm about what we really need from Scotland's planning system in the challenging years ahead. The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions before we will have to move on to the next item of business. It will be helpful if colleagues wish to ask a question, could press their request to speak buttons now or place an R in the chat function if they are joining us online. I thank the minister for advance sight of today's statement. I refer members also to my register of interests, which shows that I am still a councillor at Aberdeen City Council. With the national planning framework for our partnership working will be vital and a key partner in all of this will be local authorities and local planning authorities. One of the main pieces of work that every local authority is focused on at the moment is the development of their local development plans. Those plans are central to the economic and social development of our towns, villages and rural settings, and they are heavily consulted on with local engagement and consultation events. Can the minister comment on how local authorities have been consulted in the development of MPF4? What active engagement is currently on-going with local authorities and how is the Government ensuring that those plans a year or more in the making are workable within the new MPF4? Will the Government financially compensate any local authorities who have to restart their local development plans because of what has been covered today? I thank the member for his question, and he is absolutely right to recognise the fundamental importance of local planning authorities. The end has been the product of over two years of work, two rounds of consultation across portfolio work, right across Government, but consultation and engagement for local authorities has played a key role. On, for example, housing numbers or the emerging and indicative regional spatial strategies, local authorities have been engaged every step of the way. As the member will be aware, they are measures set out, which will be set out regarding transitional arrangements for local development plans, but I want to bring to the member's attention that he will be aware of the provisions of the Planning Act 2019, including provisions for new style local development plans. I will be laying draft regulations on the new style local development plans shortly. Another important issue that I am sure the member will be aware of is the importance of ensuring that our planning authorities are well resourced. I am glad to confirm to the minister that I will be laying regulations on fees towards the end of the year. Ultimately, if we are to make that a reality, we need well-resourced planning authorities. I am committed to making sure that that is the case. We will work collaboratively, constructively with local government, planning authorities and a whole range of stakeholders. I draw the member's attention to the participation statement that we published recently and the programme of engagement that we published today, which gives a view of how broader consultation would be. I take that opportunity to encourage members to engage in their constituencies with their local authorities furlily. I want as many voices as possible to participate in that consultation. That has to be something that we get collective buy-in, because it is going to be setting the planning journey for Scotland to next year in 2045. It is vital that we ensure that we have broadest commitment and engagement possible. I agree that our priorities have to be Covid recovery and delivering on the climate and nature emergencies, but the key message from COP26 is that it is not enough to have the targets that need effective planning and funding for implementation. What new resources will come through NPF4 to enable local authorities to deliver on the infrastructure, for example to make floodplains safe for residents, and to build in adaptation infrastructure, for new investment mentioned in the paper, for example the rapid transit networks and the high-speed rail mentioned in the document NPF4? Will the document rule out fracking proposals given the negative environmental and climate impacts? I have missed the last part of Sarah Boyack's question. Yes, I hear that loud and clear. The minute the member will be aware of the Government's policy and unconventional oil and gas, that remains unchanged. On the broader issue of resourcing, I have already touched on resourcing for planning authorities, with my response to Mr Lumsden. On the delivery of the national planning framework 4, it is important to remember that it is a draft document. We have in part 4 of the document delivering our spatial strategy and when the finalised document is agreed, we will publish a fully worked-up delivery plan, which will be a live document and will be in partnership with other Government strategies as well. I think that the chamber would think presumptuous of me if I published a fully worked-up delivery plan at this particular juncture, but that will help to address a lot of the points that Ms Boyack raised. Of course, what is ultimately reflected in the final NPF4, as I hope will be agreed by Parliament prior to summer recess, will be the product of a consultation and engagement, which is beginning right now. Joe Fitzpatrick, who joins us remotely, will be followed by Tess White. Thank you, Presiding Officer. With many new-build housing developments poorly served by bus services and safe segregated cycle paths, what assurances can the minister provide that the NPF4 will ensure the future housing developments in Dundee and elsewhere are well served by sustainable transport options so that people can walk, feel, cycle or use public transport to access schools, shops and other local services? I thank the member for that question. It is an important question. There are policies specifically on quality housing, which take account of place. There is also policy on sustainable travel, sustainable transport, as well within the document. Of course, there is the national wheeling, cycling and walking network, which is a national development that touches on all the particular issues that the member referred to. More importantly, fundamentally, it is the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods, which is embedded throughout draft NPF4. We are strongly promoting local livability, directing future development to existing city, town and neighbourhood centres and supporting sustainable rural communities. The draft NPF4 clearly advocates limiting out-of-town and greenfield development and making much better use of vacant and derudic land and empty buildings. That will greatly enhance our existing places and communities. That focus on well-planned good-quality homes will bring many benefits for our environment, communities, health and our lifestyles. It will also disincentivise unsustainable travel and in doing so, incentivise sustainable travel. Does the minister recognise the importance of working with commercial partners as part of the transition to greener, fairer and healthier communities in Scotland, such as the partnership between BP and Aberdeen City Council on the low-carbon hydrogen energy hub, which is opposed by the Scottish Government's green coalition partners? In responding to the member, I am going to approach this in an open, constructive and engaging spirit. I think that we all recognise that reaching net zero is going to be a collective and collaborative ever. Government has a role, the private sector has a role, communities have a role to play as well. That is the start of a long period of consultation. I encourage the member to engage with that process constructively, but we are committed to working in partnership to deliver net zero, and it is a constructive process of engagement in partnership. I will certainly be leading on and taking forward the consultation of that document. I draw members' attention to my register of interests. I am also a councillor in Aberdeen City Council. I am pleased to see that Aberdeen harbour is one of the proposed national developments included in the draft MPF4. Can the minister outline what role the Scottish Government envisages the harbour will play in the transition to net zero and stimulating economic interest, a big apart investment, in the north-east? Our special strategy is clear that Aberdeen harbour and the north-east of Scotland will play a crucial role in our transition to net zero. MPF4 identifies the on-going redevelopment of Aberdeen harbour as a national development carrying forward an existing national development from MPF3. The draft MPF4 does not, however, cut across on-going consideration of a local development plan, which is addressing wider land-use proposals arising from the energy transition zone. MPF3 had an appointment to town centre first, but I am sure that the minister will accept that the decline of our high streets has continued, in fact, sadly accelerated in recent years. Does he accept that whatever the commitments made in MPF4 on town centres that he referred to in his statement must be backed up by adequate resources? For example, building housing on a brownfield site to get people back living on a town centre is more expensive than putting a square box on a greenfield site. Will those extra costs be reflected in government grants and will they be set up clearly in the delivery plan that he publishes? The member raises an important point. I would refer him to policies 25, 26 and 27 in distinctive places in city, town, commercial and local centres. That sets out the planning aspect. The member will be aware that we have a commitment of £350 million over the course of this parliamentary place-based investment programme. We will be taking forward a review of development obligations as well. Again, we will be looking towards how we can implement the infrastructure-level provisions in the planning act. Further down the line, we will also be looking at the issue of compulsory purchase order and reforming act to bring up to date. There are a number of different components that have to come together to make sure that we have all the levers at disposal to see that regeneration and revitalisation of our town and city centres that the member referred to. As part of the moment that is organised by the Scottish Children's Parliament, I recently met pupils from Forgunden, my primary school in my constituency of Persia, south in Russia. One of the issues that we talked about was using sheep's wool as building insulation. Wool is abundant, it is continuously renewable and it is locally produced. It lasts for decades and at the end of its life can simply be composted. Can the cabinet secretary tell us how NPF4 will ensure that new building standards promote the use of such sustainable materials? I thank the member for bringing the matter to the attention of the Parliament, ensuring that young voices are being heard in the Parliament as well. I would just note that we want our places and their buildings to be resource efficient. That is reflected in the draft framework, because it promotes sustainable building, prioritising reduction and reuse of materials. Something that is in trend is important towards achieving a circular economy. With reference to building standards regulations, mandatory requirements such as the need to limit heat loss from buildings are set on a performance basis. Regulations and supporting guidance define an expected level of performance, but do not prescribe the use of any particular material or solution when demonstrating compliance with standards. Right now homes with gas boilers have been built in my constituency, and persimmon homes have refused to connect new homes in Garbridge to the already operational district heating system 100 metres away. Will the new significant weight for the climate emergency in the framework prevent those kinds of decisions in the future? The member will obviously appreciate that I cannot comment on any individual and specific case, but when he has a chance to look through the document, he will see strong commitments to supporting heat networks and, in general terms, the matters that he raises. I encourage him to look through the document and he will hope to find the answers that he is looking for. Fergus Ewing joins us remotely to be followed by Ann Ann Burgess. Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I ask if the minister can provide reassurance to me and my constituents in Inverness and Nairn that the statement does not and will not in any way, manner or means, delay, detract, diminish or dilute the absolute commitment of the Scottish Government to dual the remaining sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness and the section of the A96 from Inverness to Alldern and to do so as swiftly as possible. Can I thank the member for his question and, as always, for middable and robust defence of his constituents' interests? As Mr Ewing will appreciate, NPF4 is a draft document. We hope to have it adopted by Parliament prior to summer recess, so it is forward-looking and will consider future planning decisions. More generally, the sustainable transport hierarchy from NTS2 applies in rural areas as well as urban draft NPF4 proposes that both rural and urban areas demonstrate how they provide for and prioritise transports in line with the NTS2 hierarchies. Government policy aims to reduce car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030. That is needed to meet ambitious carbon reduction targets in the face of a climate emergency. Draft NPF4 aims to… Excuse me, minister, there is a bit too much chuntering for my sedentary position. Just to conclude, draft NPF4 aims to plan future development in a way that helps us to achieve zero-carbon living. It looks to minimise the need to travel by unsustainable modes, for example, through the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods where those are achievable. However, there will be those who continue to rely on a car. An NPF4 aims to support and re-roll out of electric vehicle infrastructure, which, to ensure something very soon, will warmly welcome. I thank the minister for advance copy of his statement. The new national planning framework demonstrates an important shift towards a plan-led system that helps communities and nature to thrive whilst aligning with Scotland's climate targets. That shows the value of greens in government. It paves the way for a massive expansion in renewable energy and active travel, as well as channeling the £55 million nature restoration funding announced on Saturday. I particularly welcome that shift in focus towards communities, 20-minute neighbourhoods and town centres that will work for people, not traffic jams. What insurance can the minister provide that the huge ambition and scale in tripling the budget for walking and cycling to at least £320 million or 10 per cent of the total transport budget will not just be focused on the central belt but will benefit communities across Scotland? My question is to you. I appreciate that it is not for me, perhaps, as it is not being transport minister, to comment on those specific matters, but this is a national planning framework that applies to all of Scotland. I can assure the member that it will apply to all of Scotland in the fullest way. A key aspect of that is recognising that certain commitments and certain policies will apply differently depending on locality, an obvious one being 20-minute neighbourhoods. In urban centres, where we have high population density, a 20-minute neighbourhood will be quite different, and a 20-minute neighbourhood might be one of a more rural island communities. That is, again, one of the areas that we are very keen to hear response and feedback on through this consultation process. I would encourage a member to respond to the consultation and to encourage all of the stakeholders that she engages with to respond to the consultation. When a minister does not want to answer a question, he simply reverts to reading his civil service briefing. I think that we have had an object lesson in that from the minister today, but this statement is lots of buzzwords and fuzzy ideas. It is pretty much what we have come to expect from the SNP Government, frankly. The minister is fair enough, and frank enough, to admit that we are years away from action. Will the minister say what the Government is going to do now in respect to town centres, many of which are in need of urgent action? Not just words, not just buzzwords, especially after the last 18 months in which have resulted in shock vacancies being at a six-year high. What will that statement do now to convert derelict and abandoned brownfield sites into usable spaces? I will keep this terse, and I am not going to get drawn into a political bunfight because this is a positive day for planning. I hope that the member will reflect on his comments, because this is not just the result of the work of the Government. There has been a huge process of engagement with the planning profession and stakeholders right across Scotland. I would encourage the member to take the dime to digest this document to fully consider it before coming to any hasty conclusions, because the document also reflects the provisions of the Planning Act 2019, which I appreciate that he was not in this place when it was passed, but it was something that his party supported. Indeed, it worked on and engaged on constructively, so I would encourage the member to fully digest the document. Specifically on matters around town centres, I already referred to the £350 million of the playspace investment programme. We have the £55 million of the Scotland Loves Local campaign. We have the Scotland Loves Local fund. We have the Scotland Loves Local gift cards. I will also soon be publishing a retail strategy. Retail is a key action in town centres. There is a range of the work that the Government is undertaking now, but, in case that it escapes the member's attention, it is about Scotland's national planning framework. It is a long-term strategic document until 2045. If the approach seeks it with a broader perspective, you will find a lot on it that you can agree with. Minister, in light of the focus on sustainability and tackling climate change in the draft, have you considered supporting renewable energy developments that will ensure the case for an interconnector for Orkney? For her question, as she will appreciate, I cannot comment on any live planning applications. However, the special strategy recognises the exceptional opportunities for our islands and coasts in transitioning to net zero, supporting development that contributes to the blue economy, and energy innovation and investment is an important part of that. The draft NPF also proposes an updated national development that would establish a need for strategic renewable energy generation and grid connections throughout Scotland. I very much enjoyed the minister's response to Fergus Ewing's deadpan face as he didn't receive an answer. Will the A96 be dualled in full as planned? There is no change to the Government's policy. That concludes the item of business. We will move shortly to the next item of business. I will allow a little time for front ventures to take their positions.