Chamber and committees

The roll out of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET), which delivered significant reductions in ferry fares, was completed on the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service network in October 2015 and led to an estimated average fare reduction of 34% for passengers and 40% for car traffic and it continues to save travellers around £25m a year. We are also continuing work to explore options to introduce RET on all Northern Isles routes.

The 2021-22 Programme for Government (PfG) also reiterated our commitment to maintain Road Equivalent Tariff on all current island ferry routes, helping make ferry travel more affordable and more accessible, and enhancing island economies.

A review of ferry fares policy will be conducted as part of the upcoming Islands Connectivity Plan, to be published by the end of 2022. Consultation and engagement will be central to the development of the Plan and the review provides the opportunity to ensure that our fares policy continues to address the needs of island residents, businesses and communities.

The Scottish Government is committed to contributing to international development as an essential part of being a good global citizen. Within that, we have committed to Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) as part of a holistic, cross-Government, approach to our international development offer. The aim of the Ministerial Working Group on PCSD is to support that ongoing commitment by the Scottish Government. Our work on PCSD considers not just our needs but the needs of others overseas, the overall impact of our policies on poor people and poor countries. It will remain a vital component of our contribution to international development as we strive to build a green economy and “leave no one behind” in line with the ethos of the UN SDGs. Our approach is for responsibility for PCSD and its delivery to reside across all Ministerial portfolios, with the Group providing Ministers with the opportunity to reflect on how their portfolios shape and influence these issues, and what is required to improve policy coherence, not just within but across portfolios.

Transport Scotland is aware of the ongoing research and development into the potential uses of graphene in various sectors, including within road surfacing materials. Transport Scotland is also aware of the proposed trial in England and is engaged with National Highways’ road engineers to monitor how the material performs before considering a trial on the Scottish trunk road network.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, as the procuring authority, have confirmed that Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd expressed an interest and submitted a bid for the contract to build the two new ferries.

Through the establishment of a Rail Recovery Task Force, attended by Transport Scotland and our rail delivery partners, the focus of the restoration of rail services has been aligning capacity with demand taking into account changing and emerging travel patterns and insight into passengers’ expectations/concerns.

We have supported bus operators throughout the pandemic, providing up to
‎ £42 million until the end of this financial year. Operators receiving our funding enter into public service contracts and are required to meet certain conditions including running services close to 100% of pre-COVID levels and consulting with local transport authorities in keeping services under review.

In addition, the Government continues to support island and remote communities, working closely with ferry operators and other stakeholders throughout all stages of the pandemic including the approach to recovery.

Following further engagement with the UK Government, we are now confident in the required standards of private testing providers and the flow of data to Public Health Scotland. The relevant regulations have been amended and from Monday, 6 September, travellers from amber and green list countries coming to Scotland will be able to use private sector providers.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

In December 2019, we published a Neurological care and support framework for action with a vision to ensure everyone with a neurological condition, including tremor-causing conditions, can access the care and support they need to live well on their own terms. Over five years we will invest £4.5 million of funding to implement the Framework’s 17 commitments.

Since October 2020, we have invested almost £1.4 million to collaborative and innovative projects to improve care and help deliver the aims of the Framework. The aims include improving the provision of co-ordinated health and social care and support, developing sustainable workforce models and ensuring high standards of person-centred care.

Implementation of the Framework has remained supported and prioritised throughout the pandemic. Key priorities for delivery in 2021-22 focus on improving information for patients and carers, better options to support self-management, developing improved care pathways, workforce, accurate data gathering, and use of digital health to support improvements in services

The Framework commits to ensuring that the legislation, policy and guidance that the NHS use when planning and commissioning services are designed to support consistent, timely and appropriate provision of care and support to people with neurological conditions, including those which cause tremor.

The Scottish Government works closely with stakeholders to amplify key campaign messages and ensure we are continuously aspiring to communicate effectively to the population of Scotland, delivering messaging in an inclusive way to reach all geographies and seldom heard communities, which includes those experiencing homelessness.

The Scottish Government also works very closely with Local Authorities, and provides regular updates on marketing activity and coronavirus-related information. The feedback we receive from Local Authorities helps shape our communications offering, and their distribution channels allow us to reach grassroots organisations and target communities with relevant messaging.

An appointment is no longer required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as all health boards now offer drop in vaccinations to those who have not had a first dose and to those for whom it has been more than 8 weeks since receiving their first dose.