Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s intervention in March 2016 was designed to ensure that steel communities in Scotland had a future. The benefits of the intervention are manifest in the high-quality steel products that continue to be produced in Lanarkshire, the skilled employment retained and the economic multiplier effects that accrue via ongoing payments to suppliers and the circulation of income through the local economy. Tata Steel, Liberty House and the Scottish Government were all aligned in agreeing a transaction that secured the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal, and the selected structure was the best available means to deliver this.

The three parties to the sale and purchase of the Lanarkshire steelworks on 2016 – Tata Steel, Liberty House and the Scottish Government – were all aligned in agreeing a transaction that secured the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal, and the selected structure was the best available means to deliver this. Following negotiation the particular commercial requirements of each party are captured in the transaction documentation.

Yes. Scottish Government officials are engaged with partners in Highlands and Islands Enterprise to discuss this opportunity.

In October 2021 the Scottish Government piloted a fund of up to £10,000 for organisations across Scotland to support additional activity to tackle inequalities and prejudice in line with the goals and outcomes of Black History Month. Organisations could apply for small grants in an open competition.

The Scottish Government received six applications to this fund, and following assessment of the bids against the aims and criteria for the fund, made two grants totalling £2,000 to Scoutable United and Economic Lead for projects to provide and promote opportunities for people from minority ethnic communities to participate in sport, and for women to participate in decision-making at Board level, increasing diversity in decision-making.

The rest of the funding was subsequently allocated to other organisations and projects working to tackle discrimination and advance race equality, such as supporting staff training and development (Intercultural Youth Scotland), and work with young people in the Gypsy/Traveller community to develop skills for life, training and work (Article 12).

Two applications met the aims and criteria of the fund.

Scoutable United received £1,000 to provide and promote equal opportunities for people from minority ethnic communities to participate in football. The funding was utilised to secure training facilities and organise games, and to invest in equipment such as training bibs, cones and footballs. This aimed to increase the number of people participating in the sport and to provide a platform to demonstrate talent, increasing representation and encouraging active lifestyles.

Economic Lead received £1,000 to organise workshops for minority ethnic women to increase their ability and confidence to participate on Boards and in strategic groups, and to establish a peer support network. This aimed to support an increase in representation by minority ethnic women and boost diversity in decision-making within the public and third sectors.

We are currently reviewing all of our budgets for promoting Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights, in the light of the constraints imposed by the Resource Spending Review. We have no current plans to provide a Black History Month Fund for 2022, but across Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights we have a budget allocation of £46.9m. A significant portion of this will be dedicated to promoting race equality through a range of means, including supporting the capacity of race equality organisations, which are well placed to mark and celebrate BHM in a range of ways.

When displaced people from Ukraine arrive at Scotland’s Ukraine Welcome Hubs, they are given an immediate warm welcome to Scotland and immediate support in a safe and secure space. If those from Ukraine need temporary accommodation they will be placed in a hotel or similar accommodation where they can stay until they can move into longer term accommodation.

Some people may choose to rent privately, while others can use the national matching service, delivered by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government, which will seek to match them with an appropriately sized and located Scottish household under the super sponsor scheme. This matching service is working hard to find longer-term accommodation for all those in hotels or similar temporary accommodation.

We are taking actions to accelerate matching to the levels needed to move those from Ukraine out of temporary accommodation as soon as possible, including enhancing teams to boost capacity.

The Scottish Government has committed £11.2 million to increase capacity of resettlement teams, support refurbishment of properties, help integration and enhance the pace of checks.

Safeguarding the health of displaced people on the M/S Victoria I passenger ship is our priority, as it is in other temporary accommodation such as hotels. We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID in Scotland and we are liaising closely with Public Health colleagues to monitor any risks of contracting COVID within the passenger ship.

Displaced people from Ukraine can also ask for a free COVID-19 vaccination from the NHS after arrival, if they choose to be vaccinated.

The ship has a policy for common infectious diseases including COVID-19, with safeguards in place and crew appropriately trained. The NHS is servicing the vessel with a medic and staff throughout the week, providing medical care for both Ukrainian guests and crew. COVID-19 isolation rooms have been identified and set aside if needed, and the ship has a full protocol on board just for COVID-19, which includes self-isolation, testing and doctor well-being checks.

Doctors aboard the ship are obligated to report any cases of infectious disease to the NHS, and Tallink, the ship’s operator, is also responsible for reporting COVID-19 cases that are detected by the ship’s on-board team to the NHS.

There are a few cases where different households are sharing rooms aboard the ship, however only those who have chosen to do so.

Every effort will be made to ensure that guests on board have access to appropriate support services, including healthcare, and staff at temporary welcome accommodation advise displaced people on how to register with a GP.

When displaced people from Ukraine arrive at Scotland’s Ukraine Welcome Hubs, they are given an immediate warm welcome to Scotland and immediate support in a safe and secure space. If those from Ukraine need temporary accommodation they will be placed in a hotel or similar accommodation where they can stay until they can move into longer term accommodation.

Some people may choose to rent privately, while others can use the national matching service, delivered by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government, which will seek to match them with an appropriately sized and located Scottish household under the super sponsor scheme. This matching service is working hard to find longer-term accommodation for all those in hotels or similar temporary accommodation.

We are taking actions to accelerate matching to the levels needed to move those from Ukraine out of temporary accommodation as soon as possible, including enhancing teams to boost capacity.

The Scottish Government has committed £11.2 million to increase capacity of resettlement teams, support refurbishment of properties, help integration and enhance the pace of checks.

The police investigation is ongoing and direction of that investigation is provided by lawyers in the Specialist Casework Division in Crown Office.

The Crown does not routinely collate the total costs associated with investigating individual cases and thus does not hold the information requested.