The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Shipping safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Coastguard operations are the responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, reporting to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, is responsible for providing an effective response to maritime incidents in UK waters.

The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety standards and for these to be followed by those accessing our coastal areas.

Work continues apace on the Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme, developed in light of the recommendations of James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape and the Scottish Government’s own report on the Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Following my initial update of March 2024 to the Education, Children and Young People Committee, I provided the latest update on progress in a letter to that Committee on 25 June 2024, available at Post School Reform 25 June 2024 (parliament.scot) . This letter includes an annex detailing our position and actions taken with regards to each of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.

Cabinet minutes provide a full account of decisions made but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses issues relating to the natural environment on a regular basis.

The Scottish Government plans to launch a public consultation on a cruise ship levy before the end of the year, to formally hear the views of those potentially affected by such a levy.

We remain committed to Phase 2 of the 2018 GP Contract and ensuring the stability and sustainability of general practice.

Discussions with the BMA on Phase 2 are ongoing and we are developing a refreshed delivery plan for this work – this will include a revised timeline for delivery.

Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework and its successive delivery plans set out the means of ensuring that disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens.

Specific programmes to support disabled people to access mobility support include, the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment scheme, under which people receiving a qualifying social security benefit can lease a vehicle or mobility equipment that meets their needs, and the Scottish Driving Assessment Service, which provides advice on people’s ability to resume, continue or begin to drive, along with any potential car modifications, following diagnosis of illness or significant event.

The Scottish Government continues to work with disabled people’s organisations and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to provide a focus for action.

Maximising incomes and ensuring everyone can access social security entitlements are fundamental priorities for the Scottish Government. In 2024-25 we plan to invest over £12 million in income maximisation and welfare advice services – including nearly £4.6 million for Citizens Advice Scotland’s Money Talk Team service, which last year helped over 9,000 older people secure financial gains of over £7 million.

Improving uptake to Pension Credit is important to this, given the DWP estimates from October 2023 that an estimated £1.7bn is unclaimed, made even more critical now, given the UK Government’s announcement to end universal Winter Fuel Payments and to restrict those in receipt of Pension Credit and means-tested benefits only.

There has been no ministerial engagement with BAE Systems regarding any potential reacquisition of Spirit Aerosystems at Prestwick.

The Scottish Government has been made aware of the ongoing commercial reacquisition of Spirit Aerosystems by The Boeing Company and remains open to engagement with all parties as the commercial process develops.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28357 on 23 July 2024. 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 Growth Scheme (SGS) supports the growth and export plans of SMEs. It has been delivered through a series of financial instruments the latest of which are the 5 debt and equity funds delivered by publicly procured fund managers who invest in Scotland’s most ambitious SMEs.

The current 5 SGS funds have £97 million in funds under management, 77% of which had been invested by December 2023 providing £75 million alongside £205 million from private sector investors so that 621 businesses received £280 million to finance their growth and exporting ambitions, creating 1,585 jobs to date. It is expected that the remaining £22 million to be invested by SGS fund managers will yield similar results.

We have confirmed that at present, there is no available budget to recapitalise Business Loans Scotland and UMi Debt Finance Scotland, 2 of the debt fund managers operating under the SGS.DSL Business Finance concluded microfinance lending in August 2021 as British Business Bank expanded the eligibility criteria for their microfinance scheme. Foresight is managing a portfolio of SGS investments and has successfully raised a new equity fund from private sector investors. There are ongoing discussions regarding the recapitalisation of Techstart who invest in young, innovative start-ups.