Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government funds Screen Scotland, the dedicated public sector agency for the film and television industry in Scotland, which was formed in 2018 and sits within Creative Scotland. Screen Scotland supports the development and growth of the film and television sector in Scotland through increased support for film and television production, an increase in specialist staff and further investment in skills, facilities, festivals, audiences and education.

Working with Screen Scotland the Scottish Government has facilitated the delivery of studio facilities in Scotland, most recently the First Stage Studio in Leith and Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Amazon’s The Rig recently concluding filming in the Leith facility and Amazon’s Anansi Boys will commence pre-production in the same space in the next few months while Good Omens 2 , also from Amazon, will begin production in Scotland this autumn.

Having secured those projects for Scotland, Screen Scotland has ensured they work wherever possible with Scotland’s highly respected freelance and self-employed crew base and facilities providers and maximised training opportunities on the productions. The significant positive step change in production activity across Scotland in the last 18 months has been welcomed by this crew base, who are experiencing unprecedented levels of demand for their services.

As part of the training requirements that complement any successful funding award, Screen Scotland advocates for and supports a range of training initiatives, including a minimum number of trainees on a production, outreach programmes and also supporting local freelance and self-employed crew to be promoted into more senior positions or to work closely with international Head of Departments to learn from their experience.

The work of Screen Scotland’s Screen Commission is also vital in securing opportunities for Scotland-based self-employed and freelance crew and facilities on international projects. Whether a project accesses Production Growth Fund support or not the Screen Commission can support exploratory recce and budgeting costs. This allows international producers to access funding for Scotland-based location scouts and local Line Producers to develop draft budgets for projects exploring the possibility of filming within Scotland. Line Producers are a key member of each production as they negotiate with suppliers and hire the crew. This gives our Scotland-based line producers an opportunity to advocate for local freelance and self-employed crew at a very early stage. Screen Scotland provides details of all freelance and self-employed crew and facilities providers who have agreed to have their details shared to incoming productions.

In keeping with past practice the Scottish Government has no plans to publish the names of the poets on the confidential shortlist for this role.

This protects those poets who, once nominated by the expert panel, were asked and agreed, to take part in this process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01865 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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

Our Energy Strategy, published in 2017, reiterated the Scottish Government’s continued opposition to new nuclear stations based on current technologies, and our determination instead to continue developing Scotland’s huge renewable resource while also promoting storage and energy efficiency.

The Strategy made clear our awareness of new technologies, such as Small Modular Reactors, and our duty to assess them as required. In the meantime, however, this particular technology remains unproven, and there are no plans or propositions for its development in Scotland.

I can confirm that the central planning assumption is that an examination diet for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be held in session 2021-2022.

My decision has been informed by the views of stakeholders, including the National Qualifications Group, and by public health advice.

Assessment modifications across National courses for the next academic session have already been confirmed by the SQA. These modifications reduce the expected course content compared to a normal year, in recognition of the disruption learners have experienced. Fairness for learners sitting exams in 2022 is a central concern for me. We will set out details on further support available for learners in September.

I can also confirm that careful contingency planning has taken place to ensure there is sufficient flexibility to respond to two key scenarios that might be faced as a result of the pandemic. First, in circumstances were there was further significant disruption to learning and teaching, a further round of modifications would be introduced in order to ease assessment. Second, should public health conditions do not allow for the holding of an examination diet in Spring 2022, awarding would be made on teachers’ judgements based on normal in–year assessment.

These contingencies offer stability for teachers and learners in the coming academic session and will allow their focus to be on normal practices in teaching, learning and assessment. More detailed guidance will be issued by the SQA at the earliest opportunity.

The Scottish Government’s view is that the New Plan for Immigration and the Nationality and Borders Bill will not achieve the change that is needed or result in systems that are effective, efficient and deliver for people who are often vulnerable and highly traumatised.

The First Minister wrote to the Home Secretary on 26 July setting out our concerns and we have had frequent and ongoing communication with the UK Government on the Nationality and Borders Bill following its publication.

Support and assistance to victims of human trafficking is within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. Section 9 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 requires the Scottish Ministers to secure support and assistance to adult victims of human trafficking in certain circumstances. Support for victims of human trafficking or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour was placed on a statutory footing on 1 April 2018 through the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 (Support for Victims) Regulations 2018 and defines the relevant period for such support to be the earlier of 90 days or the date on which there is a conclusive determination that the adult is or is not a victim of an offence of human trafficking or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01865 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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

Oil & gas, and wider energy policy is reserved to UK Government, including the licensing of exploration and extraction of offshore reserves. UK Government did not consult with Scottish Government prior to issuing the licence for Cambo. On the 12 August, the First Minister wrote to the UK Government, making our position clear that the UK Government to reassess oil and gas licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced. This would include the proposed Cambo Field. There was a further call for a four nations summit to be convened in order to discuss how we can work together, both in the run up to COP26 and beyond, to ensure that we provide clear leadership to ensure a just transition to net zero that does not repeat the mistakes of the past.

The Scottish Government has offered to work with the UK Government on a revised licence process – to ensure that licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced are now reassessed in light of the global climate emergency which all of us now face. As part of this process, we would expect to see robust analysis of the climate impacts of the developments.

The Scottish Strategic Rail Study, published in 2003 by the Scottish Executive, was undertaken with the purpose of identifying the costs and benefits of potential improvements to passenger rail services in Central and North East Scotland and to outline the strategic priorities for the railways in these parts of the country.

The first Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR1), completed in 2008, covered all parts of the rail network in Scotland. Given the corridor, strategic node and urban network approach used for STPR1 the most relevant details related to the locations noted in the question are contained within the Glasgow urban network section of the review, with cross reference to Corridor 7 - Glasgow to Oban / Fort William and Western Isles; Corridor 15 - Glasgow to Stranraer and South West and Corridor 17 - Glasgow to Inverclyde and Islands. Full details of the appraisal are available here: Strategic Transport Projects Review .

Work on the second Strategic Transport Projects Review is currently on-going and is due to report later this year. This review has taken a regional approach to the appraisal process with the most relevant reports that cover the routes noted in the question identified below:

National Case for Change – Main Report: Initial appraisal: Case for Change - National - STPR2 (transport.gov.scot)

Glasgow City Region: Initial appraisal: Case for Change - Glasgow City Region - STPR2 (transport.gov.scot)

Ayrshire and Arran Region: Initial appraisal: Case for Change - Ayrshire and Arran - STPR2 (transport.gov.scot)

All rail based options (approximately 200) that have emerged from the sifting exercise undertaken as part of the development of the Initial Appraisal: Case for Change element of the review are now subject to more detailed appraisal. The draft recommendations from the review together with the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Statutory Impact Assessments will be published later this year.

The Scottish Government is aware of appraisal work relevant to the named corridors, that has been undertaken or ongoing by other parties:

• Scottish Planning Assessment (which informed the Route Utilisation Study), August 2006, Network Rail
• Route Utilisation Study, March 2007, Network Rail
• Scotland Route Study, 2016, Network Rail
• Westerton-Milngavie - A81 Milngavie – Bearsden Corridor Study, STAG Final Report, March 2015, East Dunbartonshire Council;
• A81 Transport Options Appraisal Study, February 2017, East Dunbartonshire Council
• Helensburgh Central – Fastline Faslane STAG Study, Hitrans (with funding from Scottish Government – Local Rail Development Fund)

Current observed levels of compliance with the requirement to wear face coverings, as reported by transport operators to the Scottish government, are broadly in line with levels reported previously throughout the pandemic. However as more restrictions ease and offices begin to reopen following the move beyond Level Zero, we will start to see people using public transport for the first time since the pandemic began. Given that context, Transport Scotland and operators are reinforcing messaging on the continuing legal requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public places including public transport.