Chamber and committees

The North Berwick to Edinburgh rail route is electrified, and therefore is already providing zero emission transport. The services have been upgraded by making use of this government’s significant investment in the new, green electric Class 385 trains for Scotland.

The consultation on the draft National Falls and Fractures Strategy closed on 30 September 2019. Analysis of the responses highlighted a disparate range of views, expectations and desired outcomes from a strategy including feedback that a separate strategy may not be the best mechanism to achieve improvement in this area.

The review of the strategy was subsequently delayed due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into account the changed landscape, officials are currently considering the comments received, including how and where they align with the shared ambitions for our new health and social care strategy for older people.

The Green Jobs Fund is not a skills or training fund. Over the next 5 years, the £100m Fund will provide businesses with capital investment towards improved green products and services and related research and development. All individual funding applications are subject to a detailed appraisal process that includes an equality impact assessment and evaluation of fair work practices. We will also ensure that larger consortia projects produce plans which help diversify their sectors and will use appropriate monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure successful companies and their net zero supply chains provide positive economic and employment impacts that raise skill levels and close skills gaps.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

The UK Government has been working with United Nations to provide COVID-19 vaccines to COP26 delegates that would otherwise not be able to access them. All those who expressed an interest in vaccination to either arrange appointments or set out next steps, have been contacted. For those delegates receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, first doses have already started. Second doses will follow four weeks later. For those receiving the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, vaccination will start shortly. Delegates in countries identified as having a viable in-country option, have been contacted. UK embassies are supporting these delegates with access, where required.

Our draft Heat in Buildings Strategy notes that communities, large and small, will play an important role in driving forward the transformation of the nation's building stock. An Islands Communities Impact Assessment is being finalised alongside the Strategy and will help inform the final Strategy. We are currently analysing responses from our consultation on the draft strategy and will publish a final version in due course.

In addition, as set out in our Strategy, our new CARES programme will focus further on supporting communities to work together to address and champion heat decarbonisation on a local level. Through CARES we will work to understand further the models and solutions most appropriate for communities in Scotland.

Building on these approaches, we will work with stakeholders to ensure there is an evidence based, tailored service for islands and remote locations, and will set out more detail in our forthcoming Islands Energy Strategy.

All our current advice and support services are already open to those in rural /island locations. Home Energy Scotland (HES) provides free, impartial advice including specialist bespoke advice on home renewables. HES is also the gateway to loans and grants programmes from Scottish Government for energy efficiency improvements and zero emissions heating in homes in Scotland, for example the HES loan which covers up to 100% of the cost of measures and offers cashback of up to 45% on energy efficiency measures and 75% for renewables measures.

The Scottish Government values the positive contribution made by Catholic schools and there are no plans to review the important role they play in the Scottish education system and wider society.

The Scottish Government is carrying out an extensive mapping of good practices relating to climate change and islands both from within the UK and overseas.

The Scottish Government is clear that violence of any kind is totally unacceptable. Every person has the right to feel safe and protected from abuse and violence regardless of where they work and we encourage anyone who experiences violence or abuse to report it to the Police.

Scotland’s Justice system provides protection for all workers, with various criminal laws that protect everyone from threats or aggression including all those working in the charity sector. In addition, there are specific laws in place such as the recent Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 which can offer separate protection for charity workers who specifically work selling goods.

Alongside the protections offered by the law, the Scottish Government would encourage charities to have policies and support in place to help maximise the protection afforded to all staff.