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The UKCA marking that is replacing the CE mark on a manufactured good when it comes into the country in order to be able to circulate on the British market is creating a lot of—I do not need to explain it in detail—extra bureaucracy for businesses in getting everything reapproved.
That has been a strong foundation of our system but, of course, every development that comes along puts extra pressures on the core system. Covid has put many data demands on the system, particularly with regard to vaccination records and all that comes with such issues.
The May 2022 timetable, which initially proposed to add, I think, 100 extra services compared to December of last year, will now, following consultation and feedback from ScotRail customers and businesses, add nearly 150 services.
The public will be seeing the news headlines about the omicron variant and will be concerned about it. There will be a lot of extra demand. Is the capacity in place to respond to that demand?
They need to know whether they are on the cusp of being hit with added costs and extra hassle. The Deputy First Minister also says that the Government is considering extending the use of face masks.
I also highlight the new social enterprise plan, which is looking to support and grow the social enterprise network, and that, too, will be important in taking forward this work. 12:00 I note the extra funding to combat gender violence, particularly as the pandemic exposed more of those vulnerabilities.
For example, a symphony orchestra will supplement its core players as needed depending on the nature of a production; it will bring in extra players where a bigger orchestra is required and use freelancers to cover absences from the core team.
I appreciate your indulgence, Presiding Officer, in affording me a little extra time in which to do that. The motion highlights the importance of ensuring that the views and experience of islanders inform the delivery of ferry services.
Audit Scotland also created a Covid-19 provision at a cost of £886,000, which is a judgment of extra fees that are payable to external firms due to the additional time spent on the audit of certain public bodies.