Chamber and committees

Scottish Government places a high priority on monitoring and mitigating the threats to Scotland’s forests and woodlands.

Ongoing monitoring for Ips typographus in Scotland’s forests includes a network of pheromone lures situated across Scotland and field checking of all suspect spruce sites identified from aerial surveys and reports from other sources. Since 2018 a total of 1449 site inspections have been carried out on suspicious spruce sites.

There have been 2,359 inspections targeting higher risk commodities arriving into Scottish ports since 2018, with 66 notices issued for destruction where certification marking were not compliant with the required standards. This is part of a larger operation with the same protocol applied at all UK ports.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01690 on
‎ 16 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

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production. The £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) is supporting industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base. The £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production.

• a £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) will support industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, and be tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base
• a £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

The terms and conditions of any employees accompanying a time chartered vessel are the responsibility of the vessel’s owner/operator. When necessary the Scottish Government has ensured that crews working on vessels time chartered by CalMac Ferries Ltd receive the National Living Wage.

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.

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.

The First Minister announced that Kathleen Jamie is to be Scotland’s next Makar at an event at the Scottish Poetry Library on 18 August.

The news release provides the details of this appointment. This is available at: New Scots Makar - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Following Jackie Kay’s departure from the role in March 2021 an Expert Panel was convened to consider nominations for the next Makar. They met a number of times to consider potential candidates against the role description, they compiled a confidential shortlist of potential candidates and agreed upon a recommendation which was put to the First Minister for endorsement. The First Minister accepted that recommendation.

Collectively the Expert Panel bring a wide range of skills in poetry, including in the use of the Gaelic and Scots languages, and in the way it is communicated to audiences.

The Expert Panel comprises:

David Seers, Head of Sponsorship & Funding Team, Culture & Historic Environment Division, Scottish Government, (Chair)

Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing, Creative Scotland

Jackie Cromarty, Associate Director of External Relations, National Library of Scotland

Dr David Goldie, President, Association for Scottish Literary Studies

Peggy Hughes, Chair, Literature Alliance Scotland

Eleanor Livingstone, Former Festival Director, StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival

Marjorie Lotfi, Poet, Director of Open Book and Chair of Board of Trustees, Wigtown Book Festival

Dr Robyn Marsack, Independent Advisor, Editor, Director of the Scottish Poetry Library 2000-2016

Dr Peter Mackay, Lecturer in English, University of St Andrews and poet who writes in Gaelic

Michael Pedersen, Poet and Poetry Programmer, Neu Reekie

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.

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.

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