Our approach to service development and staff training is informed by UK-wide clinical guidance developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and is focussed on supporting NHS Boards to develop tailored models of care appropriate for the needs of their populations.

Scottish Government Officials and Clinical Advisors continue to meet with colleagues across the UK home nations on a regular basis, in order to support the sharing of relevant practice developments as they continue to emerge.

It is important that new systems of care supported by a limited and emerging evidence base are properly evaluated within research conditions in order to deliver quality, cost-effective interventions that provide meaningful benefit for patients.

Our approach to service development and staff training is informed by UK-wide clinical guidance developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and is focussed on supporting NHS Boards to develop tailored models of care appropriate for the needs of their populations.

Scottish Government Officials and Clinical Advisors continue to meet with colleagues across the UK home nations on a regular basis, in order to support the sharing of relevant practice developments as they continue to emerge.

It is important that new systems of care supported by a limited and emerging evidence base are properly evaluated within research conditions in order to deliver quality, cost-effective interventions that provide meaningful benefit for patients.

Information regarding pregnant women currently in intensive care unit as a result of contracting COVID-19 or have been hospitalised and delivered their baby early is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and not yet publicly available. Public Health Scotland may be contacted and may be able to provide this information.

See S6W-04225 on 17 November 2021 for information regarding pregnant women admitted to intensive care during the period March 2020 to September 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 .

We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. We expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for shore leave.

Following the introduction of travel restrictions, specific sectoral exemptions were introduced to facilitate emergency or essential work in Scotland. An exemption for seafarers was introduced to deliver this, and it currently remains in place - it currently applies to seamen, masters of ships, maritime pilots, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships (under the definition of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995). Taking into account the public health risk associated with importation of the virus, extending the exemptions for non-work related travel has not been appropriate and would be inconsistent with clinical advice.

Regular feedback from Border Force has suggested that Scotland sees a higher number of seafarers travelling in and out of the country compared to other parts of the UK. For this reason, we have different arrangements to regulations elsewhere. The border health measures associated with international travel into Scotland is a matter for Scottish Ministers, and there are a number of areas where different arrangements are in place for some sectors given different circumstances in Scotland including wider public health measures and the numbers involved.

Other changes to the international travel regime has enabled quarantine-free travel and relaxed testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers. Currently, there are no red list countries which means no one entering Scotland would be expected to enter a Managed Quarantine hotel. We would encourage seafarers who have not yet been fully vaccinated to register for vaccination appointments as soon as possible, so they can return for leave purposes as eligible vaccinated travellers. We will continue to monitor the situation across all sectoral exemptions and will make further amendments to the international travel regulations as required in the course of the pandemic.

Further information on travel restrictions and sectoral exemptions is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/sectoral-exemptions/

In the 2021 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to publishing our first Just Transition Plan as part of the forthcoming Scottish Energy Strategy. The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, due for publication and consultation in Spring 2022, will take a whole-system view of the energy sector and will also set out what is needed to deliver a just transition for the sector, in line with the principles laid out in our National Transition Planning Framework published in September. We will produce and publish the relevant impact assessments alongside.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out an ambitious policy package to deliver a 68% reduction in emissions from buildings this decade. Alongside the Heat in Buildings Strategy we have conducted the following impact assessments:

• Island Communities Impact Assessment
• Fairer Scotland Duty Impact Assessment
• Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment
• Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment
• Equalities Impact Assessment
• Strategic Environmental Assessment

In relation to the Strategic Environmental Assessment, we will shortly publish a Post Adoption Statement which will be available through the SEA database.

The Scottish Government published its draft Hydrogen Action Plan on 10 Nov 2021 setting out the actions over the next five years necessary to put Scotland on the pathway to becoming a leading hydrogen nation by 2045 in the production of reliable, competitive, sustainable hydrogen.

As part of the development of the draft Hydrogen Action Plan, a Strategic Environmental Assessment report and a partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment considering the likely environmental and business and regulatory effects of the Draft Hydrogen Action Plan have been developed.

Following the publication of the Action Plan and its impact assessments, a 10 week consultation will be conducted to allow stakeholders adequate time to provide their views and feedback on the draft plan and its associated impact assessments. Feedback gathered during the consultation will inform the final Hydrogen Action Plan which will be published later in 2022.

Additionally, the Hydrogen Action Plan in action number 3 makes a commitment for the Scottish Government to “develop the data to allow us to monitor and report on progress towards our 5 GW hydrogen ambition on an annual basis”.

Across Scottish Government, business management and monitoring arrangements are in place at Directorate, Director-General and SG-wide levels to ensure the monitoring of all Programme for Government commitments, and their delivery. Contributions towards National Outcomes through all portfolios is further measured and monitored through the National Performance Framework. The aim of all government policy is to work towards achieving the Outcomes in the National Performance Framework. Information on Scotland’s progress on the NPF can be accessed at www.nationalperformance.gov.scot .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04118 on 17 November 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

I met with the Orkney Islands Council in Kirkwall recently and heard about their plans to introduce low-emission ferries. I welcome these plans but made clear – as local representatives well know – that the responsibility for their inter-island ferry services including the procurement of replacement vessels, related infrastructure and crewing arrangements, sits with the local authority.

We recognise the pressures this brings which is why the Scottish Government’s 2021-22 Budget includes £19.2m for local authorities operating ferries, an increase of £7.7m on last year.

There are no current plans to lower the age limit in relation to COVID-19 certification scheme. We continue to keep the scheme under regular review.

CS Wind had previously received grant support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise to open their facility in Macrihanish. Providing further public sector support may have breached subsidy control limits

The seasonal flu vaccination programme started on 6 September and will run until March 2022. This year it is the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in Scotland reaching over 4 million people. So far, to the end of week 44, Public Health Scotland has reported that a total of 1,451,857 individuals, among different eligible cohorts, have received the influenza vaccine.

Flu vaccinations have started for those over the age of 70 years, and those at the highest clinical risk from flu. Flu vaccinations have also started for pregnant women, preschool children as well as primary and secondary pupils. Adults aged 60 years to 69 years and those aged 16 years plus with underlying health conditions have started receiving vaccination appointment letters. A portal has been launched for adults aged 50 years to 59 years, unpaid carers 16 years plus and adult (16 years plus) household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals allowing those groups to book flu appointments online ahead of flu season.