Chamber and committees

We do not capture data on the profession of travellers entering Managed Isolation.

In certain circumstances, seafarers and offshore workers can be exempt from entering Managed Isolation. Sectoral exemptions are set out in the International Travel (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

The Scottish Government has not had any recent conversations with Ofgem regarding the planning rules for local distribution power networks. The planning process requires network operators to apply to Scottish Ministers under Section 37 of the Electricity Act for consent to install or keep installed an electric line above ground (larger than 2 dwellings and 20 kiloVolts). These applications are made by the distribution network operators (ScottishPower and SSE) with all determinations then shown on the ECU portal .

We work closely with both Ofgem and the network companies to ensure that regulatory decisions and network business plans reflect Scottish energy policy. Our Energy Networks Strategic Leadership Group (SLG), which includes representatives from these organisations as well as others, agreed a set of principles this year for the development of energy networks which set out the need to account for devolved policy and targets.

Changes to travel restrictions affecting Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council were notified to Parliament by answer to question S6W-00162 on 21 May 2021, and announced to businesses and the public through a media briefing by the First Minister, a news release, and updated guidance on the Scottish Government website. Enforcement of coronavirus travel regulations in Scotland is a matter for Police Scotland. 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

During 2020 the Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, MOD and veterans organisations, promoted and distributed Armed Forces and veterans awareness training to all local authorities in Scotland via the network of Armed Forces Champions. The e-learning is a simple, user-friendly resource which aims to raise awareness and understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant, how it is implemented in the community and how the principles should be applied at a local level. The training package also provides sources of further information and support for the Armed Forces and veterans community. Consideration is being given to expanding this across other front-line service providers including the NHS. We continue to engage with Champions and Local Authorities to determine the effectiveness of this training and ensure that it has been made available to frontline staff.

In addition, Veterans Scotland has received funding from the Forces in Mind Trust to enable engagement with decision makers in statutory and third sector organisations across Scotland. Through this engagement, supported by the Scottish Government, Veterans Scotland seeks both to inform partners about the needs of those preparing to leave the Armed Forces and of the veterans community and also to encourage those partners to ensure that they are equipped to meet their obligations under the Covenant. As part of this work, Veterans Scotland promotes and distributes e-copies of the Forces in Mind Trust’s ‘Our Community – Our Covenant’, an accessible tool that provides practical guidance.

The Scottish Government engages with local authorities on a range of issues related to climate change on a regular basis, including local authority target setting and reporting requirements, and the Climate Change Plan and Climate Change Plan update. This engagement includes meetings that were held during the formulation of the Climate Change Plan update, and now includes discussions on sectoral issues such as the development of Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), the decarbonisation of transport and the development of a circular economy.

Additionally, the Scottish Government engages with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE), the Sustainable Scotland Network, and the Scottish Cities Alliance. For example, a meeting was held on Wednesday 7th July with COSLA on the Climate Change Plan update commitment to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030.

A Gateway Review 0: Strategic Assessment is a programme-only review that sets the programme in the wider policy or corporate context. This review investigates the direction and planned outcomes of the programme, together with the progress of its constituent projects.

In addition, the Gateway Review 0 into Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) had a particular remit to examine the delivery schedule for DRS, especially in light of the impact of COVID-19.

The Gateway Review into Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme was carried out by two external advisers accredited by the Infrastructure Projects Authority, part of the Cabinet Office, to lead Gateway Reviews. The external advisers are independent of the Scottish Government.

We have not engaged with the Irish Government on this subject.

We are delighted that COP26 is happening in Scotland and are working closely with the UK Government, Glasgow City Council, Public Health bodies and the UN to deliver a safe, successful and in-person conference in November. We recognise the significant challenges to public health alongside the urgent need to agree action to tackle climate change and are exploring all possible COVID security measures. Vaccination and test and protect will be key and we are involved in planning for these measures and all relevant aspects of event delivery.

The Scottish Government’s COP26 programme will focus on key themes of a just transition and people, demonstrate the actions Scotland is taking to a Net Zero future and support the global outcomes of the Summit. We are partnering with a range of organisations to engage people with COP26 and climate change. This includes the recently announced youth climate programme, delivered in partnership with Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Youth Link Scotland, which will deliver a programme of events putting the voices of young people in Scotland at the heart of the climate conversation during COP26.

The Gateway Review team concluded its work and submitted its report on 25 June 2021.