Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the substantial challenges that Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost crisis have presented to self-employed people and freelancers in the creative industries, including the literature, languages and publishing sectors.

The Scottish Government’s vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025. We want fair work to be the norm for workers and employers in workplaces across Scotland – in all types and sizes of organisation and in all locations.

The Scottish Government will consider the report in parallel with the Culture Radar review of Fair Work within the sector, commissioned by Creative Scotland on behalf of Scottish Government. This review has now concluded and Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations. We will also review the findings of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s recently published ‘Good Work Review’, an independent review of working conditions in the creative sector.

Officials continue to meet regularly with the STUC and affiliate unions representatives of the cultural sector to discuss key issues impacting workers in the culture sector, including issues around freelancers and Fair Work.

The Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics quantify emissions from fishing vessels at sea. This is an estimate based on activity data and statistical modelling. In 2020, the latest year available, these were 0.3 mega tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). Marine Scotland Directorate, through ClimateXChange, commissioned research to obtain improved estimates of emissions from fishing vessels at sea. The full report can be accessed at https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/assessing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-scotland-s-fishing-fleet/ .

As detailed in in response to S6W-12151 on 24 November 2022, the UK Climate Change Committee briefing on blue carbon , published in March 2022, recognised the challenges in estimating the climate change impact of fishing through disturbance to sea floor sediments and the current, significant evidence gaps. The briefing concluded that fundamental scientific uncertainties currently prevent accurate quantification of this effect. This has been an area of focus for the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum since its establishment in 2018, and we continue to develop our approaches to better understand the interaction. The latest research suggests that any disturbance of blue carbon by fisheries is not uniform, dependant on a number of factors and the consequences for blue carbon disturbed remain unknown.

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

Surveys have shown us the extent of asbestos in the NHS estate. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance states that it is safe for asbestos to remain in place if it is in good condition, well-protected and unlikely to be disturbed. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate. Ideally, all asbestos would be removed from NHS buildings immediately. However, the removal of asbestos is disruptive and can increase the risk of exposure to disturbed fibres. It is therefore not sensible or proportionate to remove asbestos in an active clinical setting if it does not pose a risk to staff and patients. The Scottish Government is doubling its health infrastructure maintenance budget. That money can be used by health boards to remove asbestos where necessary or when the opportunity to do so arises.

Data around the number of people taking up interim care placements procured using the additional funding offer announced in January 2023 is published weekly on a Thursday at Interim care placement uptake - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The data is currently not available broken down by NHS board.

We are committed to supporting our prisons to be health promoting opportunities where the healthcare provided is at least equal to that offered in the community.

We have been working with the Scottish Prison Service and NHS Boards, through the National Prison Care Network (NPrCN), to address the issues highlighted by the recommendations of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland’s review. This work is also taking into account the studies into the health needs of prisoners commissioned by the Scottish Government that were published in September 2022.

As part of this, we are bringing together senior leaders from across the Scottish Government health and justice portfolios, the Scottish Prison Service, and NHS Boards to provide additional collaborative and strategic oversight, to support the delivery of priority improvements.

We will continue to support delivery partners in the consideration and implementation of these recommendations. This includes ongoing engagement with the Scottish Prison Service on the development of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government as part of the forthcoming Fiscal Framework Review. The scope and timings of the review are subject to agreement with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The review must ensure the Scottish Government and Parliament has the necessary powers to manage the risks we face within our devolved responsibilities, and to support economic recovery.

(a) The current outbreak season started on 1 October 2022. As of 17 February 2023, 12 wild birds in Moray were tested for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) under the GB dead wild bird surveillance scheme. Of these, 10 were positive and consisted of one Pink footed goose, four Herring gulls and five gulls for which the species could not be specified. The two birds that tested negative were a Kestrel and a Cormorant.

(b) HPAI was confirmed at a premises in Forres, Moray, on 14 December 2022. Within the Protection Zone around the infected premises near Forres two veterinary surveillance visits were made. Both were to the same premises and sampling was carried out. On each occasion, 14 ducks were sampled, giving a total of 28 samples which all tested negative for HPAI.

The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) (most recently published in 2021) ( The Scottish Government's Medium Term Financial Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ) sets out the revenue finance models available to the Scottish Government. The mutual investment model (MIM) is considered alongside a range of financing approaches including capital grant, capital borrowing, financial transactions and other forms of finance when determining how to finance projects. The approaches are regularly reviewed to ensure the best value for money.

As the first mission orientated investment bank in the UK, the Scottish National Investment Bank was established to respond to the need for long term ‘patient’ capital investment in Scotland. This means support for innovation and the creation of new markets where private investors are not yet ready to act.

The Missions, which were agreed across Parliament, are designed to steer the activity of the Bank into areas facing considerable challenge. The missions for the Bank are:

• Achieving a Just Transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2045
• Extending equality of opportunity through improving places by 2040
• Harnessing innovation to enable our people to flourish by 2040

As the Bank operates independently, how they set out their investment strategy in order to achieve these missions is a matter for the Bank to decide.

To highlight an individual investment as an example, in January 2022 the Bank invested £35 million into the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour. This expansion allowed greater land and water access for offshore wind developers. The increased capacity will also play a vital role delivering the supply chain benefits of the ScotWind leasing round, supporting the Bank’s mission to achieve a just transition to net zero.

The following figures are correct as at December 2022, when the last Recycling Improvement Fund Board was convened.