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The list of NHS Scotland buildings which have two or more characteristics consistent with the presence of RAAC was provided in the response to question S6W-19366 on 21 July 2023. This list has also been made available on the NHS Scotland Assure website: RAAC -List of Properties v1 Jul 23 (nhs.scot). This list forms the NHS Scotland Assure RAAC survey programme, which commenced in July 2023. The eight NHS Forth Valley buildings on this list have not yet been surveyed and there are no indications any NHS Forth Valley buildings may have to temporarily close due to the presence of RAAC.

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

These were pre-RET products that had always been intended to be removed at the point RET was introduced across the Calmac network from 2015.

Following representations from the community, Transport Scotland are engaging with Calmac on this matter to consider whether any interim replacement product can be put in place. This will need to consider any practical challenges and any costs associated with the reintroduction of a similar product that will function with the new system.

A wider review of fares policy will be undertaken as part of the consultation on the Islands Connectivity Plan in due course.

Chemicals regulation in the UK engages a complex mix of devolved and reserved competence. Scottish Government works with the Welsh and UK Governments (the “appropriate authorities”) under the UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) Regulation to ensure the risks posed by chemicals and chemicals in products, including period products, are adequately controlled for people and the environment across Great Britain.

During preparation of the 2022/23 UK REACH work programme officials considered a number of potential chemical risks for further investigation and, where necessary, control under UK REACH. One such case was hazardous substances in period products (See Rationale for prioritising substances in the UK REACH work programme, 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ). Based on evidence presented by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the appropriate authorities concluded that no further investigation was necessary because existing evidence suggests such chemicals are either not measurable, or the levels present are too low to present a risk to human health. As with all previously considered cases that were not taken forward, this conclusion will be kept under review.

The conclusion was based on the findings of a study into feminine hygiene products by the French Chemicals Agency (see ANSES OPINION on the safety of feminine hygiene products & Feminine hygiene products: composition and toxic shock syndrome, our recommendations | Anses - Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail ) which did not find any risk associated with the presence of the substances tested for, and a related study by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (see kemi.se/download/18.6df1d3df171c243fb2331064/1589120703821/report-8-18-survey-of-hazardous-chemical-substances-in-feminine-hygiene-products.pdf & New report: No reason for concern about chemicals in menstrual products - Kemikalieinspektionen ) that concluded that the risk to human health of the 61 substances that were identified was low (although investigated, no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, were found). The French study recommended that manufacturers improve the quality of these products in order to eliminate or minimise the presence of chemicals.

With regard to PFAS, in April 2023 the HSE published a Risk Management Options Analysis ( UK REACH: Regulatory management option analysis (RMOA) (hse.gov.uk) ) recommending several actions to better protect people and the environment from this group of chemicals. Scottish Government strongly supports regulatory action on PFAS as a priority and we expect these recommendations to be taken forward without delay under the UK REACH Regulation.

By 31 August 2023, there were 84,660 cardholders in Aberdeen City within the National Concessionary Travel Schemes. In Scotland, there are a total of 2,263,403 cardholders. This includes cardholders in the free bus schemes for those aged 60 and over, those aged under 22 and eligible disabled people.

Cardholder data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO) and is provided by local authority.

NECPO supports the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The figure includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile app.

There are no opt-out clauses included in the R100 Contracts. These are grant funding agreements which subsidise the supplier (Openreach) to deliver its own network to specific contracted premises.

The Scottish Government continues to support other providers to extend their broadband networks via the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme but this is focused on premises that will not be connected commercially or via the R100 contracts.

Scottish Government is in regular communications with Ferguson Marine and CMAL around the delivery of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa.

The CEO of FMPG provided his latest formal update to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 22 August 2023 with a commitment to provide a detailed follow up by the end of September 2023 following completion of a detailed review of costs and delivery timescales.

This is an operational matter for National Museums Scotland and the Board of Trustees.

National Museums Scotland has advised officials that it is not looking to acquire one of the lifeboats from the RMS Queen Mary for the National Collection.

NMS does not actively collect full sized aquatic vessels in its transport collection. Space and storage limitations would prevent them from being able to care appropriately for an object of this size.

We are working to increase the number of publicly funded placements so that by 2026, at least 1000 people are publicly funded to go to rehab every year - a 300% increase on the number prior to the launch of the National Mission.

Public Health Scotland have been monitoring the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements in Scotland. Publications are available for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023: Public Health Scotland Publications . The latest report, published 27 June 2023, reports a steady increase in the number of placements approved and that there were 812 placements for residential rehabilitation approved in 2022-2023.

Alongside this, we are investing in capacity to increase the number of residential rehabilitation beds by 50% which is an increase from 425 beds to 650 beds by 2026.

It is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

Local authorities have powers to award discretionary local relief under section 3A of the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc.) (Scotland) Act 1962, as inserted by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. When considering the use of these powers, local authorities are statutorily required to have regard to their expenditure and income, and the interests of persons liable to pay council tax set by them.

The Scottish Government devolved empty property relief on 1 April 2023 with a generous additional revenue transfer of £105m annually to local government guaranteed for the next three years. Councils can use this funding as they see fit, including to offer local relief to empty property. All councils have introduced local relief schemes for empty property in their area for 2023-24, details of which may differ by council.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21182 on‎ 22 September 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