That's all from Holyrood Live this week!

Local politicians will need to be "very brave" and have "vision" to introduce a workplace parking tax, MSPs have heard.

The Scottish government has pledged to support a Green proposal to give councils the power to levy a charge on parking spaces to reduce congestion.

Witnesses from Nottingham, the only council in the UK with a scheme of this sort, spoke positively of its impact.

But they told MSPs that it was "not easy", saying that "strong political leadership" was "absolutely essential".

However, one SNP committee member, Richard Lyle, spoke out repeatedly against the levy during the meeting, saying it was "an unfair tax on myself and other people as a motorist",

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop says local radio plays a valuable role in Scotland's culture.

"More Scots listen to commercial radio than BBC stations," she adds.

The Scottish government is disappointed with Ofcom's decision to permit a reduction in local radio programming in Scotland says Ms Hyslop.

The culture secretary is also disappointed at the failure to maintain a distinct character between east and west in Scotland.

She argues through these decisions Ofcom has opened the door to change but not change we welcome.

Image source, bbc

Ofcom, external apologised to MSPs for not notifying the Scottish Parliament of its consultation on changes to the regulations for local radio.

The broadcasting watchdog was giving evidence to the culture committee last week (refresh this link a couple of times).

Committee convener Joan McAlpine argued latest change from Ofcom will make commercial radio even less local.

Image source, bbc

Ms McAlpine also asked about the localness consultation undertaken by Ofcom, external, where a majority of the respondents were against the proposals, with only the big players like Bauer backing it.

Neil Stock from Ofcom explained the responses to the consultation were only one of the pieces of evidence that was considered, citing research the organisation undertook.

The committee also heard from Bauer and DC Thomson (Refresh this link a couple of times).

Image source, Capital FM

The latest review of Ofcom's guidance for local radio has meant fewer locally-produced programmes have to be aired.

FM stations which provide at least hourly peak-time local news now only have to have six hours of local programmes between 6am and 7pm, down from 10 hours under the previous guidelines.

And those which provide local news hourly any time between 6am and 7pm only need to have three hours, down from seven.

Ofcom said the alterations were due to changes in competition and listening habits across the radio sector.

Global media has announced it will launch UK-wide national breakfast shows on Capital, Heart and Smooth radio.

Global say they will be creating the three largest commercial radio breakfast shows in the UK, with 4.8m, 3.7m and 2.7m listeners respectively each week.

But it means a reduction in locally produced programmes, with more than 100 jobs at risk due to the changes.

Ofcom has approved the move following a change in guidelines, external for local radio.

Image source, Getty Images

What does this mean for Scotland?

• Capital London's breakfast show will replace 14 breakfast programmes on the Capital network in England, Scotland and Wales
• Heart will have a single breakfast show across England, Scotland and Wales instead of the current line-up of 22 breakfast shows
• Smooth will create a new national breakfast show replacing breakfast programmes in East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, Lake District, North East, Scotland and Wales

Read more here.

SNP MSP George Adam expresses concern that Ofcom is "attacking Scottish commercial radio" by creating a duopoly between Global and Bauer radio using local radio licences.

Doing this means local news, local music and local presenters are squeezed he warns.

Mr Adam says many of the biggest operators run the local multiplex and essentially set the cost for other stations wanting to use that multiplex.

Only one FM licence has been given out by Ofcom in the past ten years, he highlights, which means some stations cannot expand.

We have to make sure we still have our voice on radio, he concludes.

Image source, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

SNP MSP George Adam leads a member's debate expressing concern about changes to commercial local radio.

Mr Adam says OFCOM's changes put pressure on local radio station content and news and its remit has been questions.

He's calling for a review of the changes to local radio regulation.

SNP MSP Bob Doris says he is seeking a meeting with the payment systems regulator to call for charges to be eliminated.

The first minister highlights that Digital Economy Minister Kate Forbes met with the regulator in December and urges it to use its powers on this.

SNP MSP John Mason asks if the first minister agrees that it is even worse when the ATM is removed altogether.

The first minister replies there is an ongoing dialogue with banks and she adds she will continue to press the UK government to do the same.

Tory MSP Dean Lockhart asks why Scotland is the only part of the UK that has business rates on post office ATMs

Ms Sturgeon explains this issue has been raised by the post offices and adds she has undertaken to look into it.

The first minister says the ability to freely access cash is vital, especially for small businesses and vulnerable communities.

She says the government is calling for a regulator solely responsible for cash infrastructure.

Ms McNeill says 2.75 million people rely wholly on cash and warns about the impact ATM charges will have on the poorest communities.

I am happy to cooperate on a cross party basis on this issue, replies the first minister, and highlights support for the Which? campaign on this.

Image source, Getty Images

Free-to-use cash machines have been disappearing at a rapid rate across the UK, according to a study by Which?

Nearly 1,700 machines started charging for withdrawals in the first three months of the year, with the majority starting to charge in March, according to the consumer lobby group.

Cardtronics, which runs most of those, and fellow provider NoteMachine are both likely to charge at more machines.

That could mean the country losing 13% of its free ATMs in only a few months.

The changes come after a reduction in the fee operators receive from banks each time an ATM is used.

Read more here.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill ask what the Scottish government's response is to reports that around one in five of Scotland's free-to-use ATMs are expected to introduce charges to customers in the next 12 months

The first minister says the Scottish government doubled the active travel budget.

Ms Hamilton says this is Walk to School Week but less than half of pupils do so.

The Tory MSP asks for air quality monitors to be considered.

We will continue to take action to improve air quality replies the first minister.

Ms Sturgeon says that is not helped by knee jerk opposition to policies like the Workplace Parking Levy.

Image source, bbc

According to Transport Scotland:

The Scottish government doubled the already record level of investment in walking and cycling from £39.2 million in 2017-18 to £80 million per year in 2018-19.

Much of this budget is allocated to its active travel delivery partners who work across Scotland to deliver projects that will get more people walking and cycling for shorter everyday journeys.

They in turn distribute much of this funding to local authorities, community groups, third sector groups and others.

View Transport Scotland's budget allocation breakdown, external for full details.

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton asks what action the Scottish government is taking to promote active travel.

Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnstone asks why financial service apprenticeships are not more widely available.

Ms Sturgeon says there is a lot of work going on to build the skills base.

She says the biggest concern about the recruitment of skills is the ending of the freedom of movement, however, saying the system of migration must allow us to attract people from abroad.

Ms Sturgeon warmly welcomes the announcement.

Mr Macdonald asks how the first minister will seek to capitalise on this and get more jobs for Edinburgh.

There's no doubt Brexit is a severe threat to jobs replies the fist minister.