Chamber and committees

Ensuring that we have a suitably qualified workforce in place will be imperative for delivering a smooth rollout of energy efficiency and zero emission heating measures which will support us to achieve our net zero ambitions.

We currently offer support to the sector through a number of schemes which includes the Low Carbon Skills Grant which is available to heating and plumbing apprentices to undertake heat pump training as part of their qualification.

To further ensure the quality of works carried out we also provide funding to assist Scottish SMEs installing heat pumps in achieving MCS certification for the first time through the MCS Certification Fund.

We will continue to keep our offers of support under review to ensure that they are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.

As of 28 June 2023, a total of 3,551 vouchers have been issued through the Reaching 100% (R100) Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

2,985 of those vouchers have had their build confirmed at a total Scottish Government investment of £5,470,355.80.

The remaining 566 vouchers have been issued – however, as build for these has not yet been completed, we have not received invoices for them. As such, the additional voucher value of these cannot be confirmed at this time.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19190 on 27 June 2023. 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 .

My officials will meet with Police Scotland on 20 July to discuss the next steps.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention.

Prescribing is a clinical decision to be taken by clinicians based on their assessment of the best interests of the patient and following the relevant clinical guidelines.

Public Health Scotland report the total number of children and young people aged 19 or under who were prescribed antidepressant medication in calendar years 2021 and 2022 as follows:

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Public Health Scotland publishes the number and percentage of patients who start treatment within the 18 week standard on a quarterly basis at NHS Board level.

The publications for CAMHS waiting times can be found at Publications - Public Health Scotland .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19494 on 28 June 2023 which confirmed that the Scottish Government response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review was published on Wednesday 28 June. 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 .

Under the current constitutional arrangements in the United Kingdom the application process for all immigration routes is fully reserved to the UK Government and is dealt with by the Home Office. If a displaced person from Ukraine has been issued a visa, including under the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme, they are free to travel anywhere within the UK or to leave and re-enter the UK when they wish, as long as they are meeting the conditions within their visa. The cross border geographical movement, within the UK, which includes that between Scotland and England is not monitored and the data requested is therefore not available.

Transport Scotland, acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers, is a statutory consultee in the planning process on developments that affect the trunk road network, including the A1 at Reston. In support of the Reston station development, Transport Scotland undertook a review of the submitted Transport Assessment prepared by the developer.

The results of the junction assessment showed that there were no significant adverse operational impacts on the A1/B6438 junction as a result of predicted development traffic associated with the Reston Station development.

Each year Transport Scotland, through its Operating Companies, undertakes a review of collisions on the trunk road network to identify cluster sites, or routes with recorded collisions that may be worthwhile of further investigation. This evidence led approach ensures that resources can be targeted at locations where the greatest potential for casualty reduction is available. The most recent screening process did not identify the A1/B6438 junction as a priority site for further investigation, however Transport Scotland will continue to monitor road safety at this location.

I am pleased to announce that the second Annual Report on our progress towards implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade is being published today.

The Vision positions trade strategically in support of our wider economic, social and environmental ambitions. Since our last Annual Report, published in Spring 2022, we have used the levers available to the Scottish Government to support the delivery of NSET, help meet our climate targets and to align economic growth with our ambitions for building a wellbeing economy. The report outlines in particular the steps we have taken to improve the trading environment for Scottish goods and services, to build our evidence base on the differential impacts of trade, to put human rights at the centre of our trade policy, and to showcase Scotland’s leadership on environmental regulation at a multilateral level.

Recognising that many trade levers do not sit with the Scottish Government, we have continued to scrutinise and contribute to the UK Government’s proposals for each new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and, in the case of US States, any new Memoranda of Understanding on trade. We have assessed these against our trade policy principles, so that they best serve the interests of Scotland’s economy, people and the planet.

We have also continued to engage in open dialogue on trade policy with individuals, businesses, academics and other organisations, in Scotland and elsewhere. This second Annual Report details, for example, the creation of a Scottish Services Trade Forum, an avenue for services businesses to directly inform our approach to trade, as well as stakeholder roundtables on regulation, differential impacts, climate and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). As we move into the third year of implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade , we will continue to work in collaboration with our stakeholders and businesses to enhance the impact of trade in our wellbeing economy.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out a clear approach for managing sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests.

Sustainability is at the heart of how we manage Scotland’s fisheries, and an important part of protecting spawning cod in the Firth of Clyde is through a targeted seasonal closure, in the same way as we protect spawning cod in other parts of our seas. We have authorised a full closure of the spawning grounds in the last two years, without exemptions, following a reassessment of the knowledge of these spawning grounds.

As this closure is implemented on a biennial basis, we are now undertaking a public consultation which will run for 12 weeks to gather views on the continuation of the closure for 2024 and 2025. The consultation will run from 30 June to 22 September 2023 on Citizen Space. The consultation is available at https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/firth-of-clyde-cod-spawning-closure-for-2024-25/

A partial BRIA has been produced alongside the consultation document and we will be seeking further information from stakeholders to input into the final BRIA following the consultation period.

We have a strong record of engaging with stakeholders and I would encourage all to respond to this consultation.

The consultation reports can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259701

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259718