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Tarmac is the only cement plant in Scotland located in Dunbar. In 2021, they published their sustainability strategy, followed by the recent publication of Tarmac’s Net Zero Roadmap which state the paths to decarbonise their operations. Scottish Government officials are meeting with Tarmac in August 2023 to discuss Tarmac’s plans to lower emissions from cement production.

Following the March 2023 gateway review we established an expanded governance framework with representation from all key stakeholders. This includes a Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group, which sits above the already established Executive Oversight Group and Sector Specific Working Groups.

I refer the member to my answer to S6W-18538 on 15 June 2023 that noted end to end testing was planned as part of CSL’s Programme Delivery activity to ensure successful completion of agreed outcomes. The testing was planned prior to the UK Government’s decision on 26 May 2023 not to agree a full exclusion, removing glass and imposing unworkable conditions on Scotland’s scheme, leaving the Scottish Government with no other option than to delay launch until October 2025 at the earliest. 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 .

For the period 2007 to 2020 our records show the number of Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) Grants made by NHS Boards as follows:

Information on the number of dental students expected to graduate is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government makes a recommendation on intake targets each year for Scottish dental schools but we do not hold information on students’ progress towards graduation. However, dentistry generally has a high completion rate and NHS Education for Scotland forecast data predicts around 160 graduates will enter into dental vocational training in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18294 on 14 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 .

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The Fair Work workstreams, including workstream 4, are independently chaired by ENABLE's Andy Kerr. I understand that workstream 4 is making progress in discussions with partners including local government, social care providers and trade unions. The Scottish Government is committed to putting in place appropriate collective bargaining arrangements within social care and that can only be delivered with the co-operation and agreement of all our partners.

The Scottish Government actively supports health boards across Scotland to plan locally for service need and service delivery.

From September 2006 to March 2023 we have increased the Consultant Radiologist workforce from 223.5 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts to 358.9 WTE – a 60.6% increase.

In March 2022, we published the National Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy, which sets out a long-term vision for achieving a sustainable health and social care workforce. In that Strategy we committed to developing and publishing workforce projections to support long-term planning both for service delivery and service reform.

The Scottish Government provides funding of £1.34 million annually to Local Authorities for the enforcement of legislation around the sale and purchase of Nicotine Vapour Products (NVP’s).

In addition, through continued funding and regular engagement with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), Scottish Government supports strong national and local alliances to tackle the sale of NVPs to under 18s.

The Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme, agreed by Scottish Government and co-ordinated by the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), provides rigorous enforcement of the legislation on NVPs. Following disruption to visits during the pandemic, Trading Standards are using every tool at their disposal – including test purchasing - to enforce existing legislation.

In October 2022, the Scottish Government wrote to all registered retailers of these products to remind them of their duty of sale and we regularly meet with Trading Standards on enforcement activity. We will also publish our refreshed Tobacco Action Plan later this year, which will include actions to reduce vaping among young people.

The Scottish Government is committed to the decarbonisation of the transport sector in a sustainable way to deliver a just transition. Our Climate Change Plan includes a commitment that by 2032, 30 per cent of Scottish Government owned ferries will be low emission. Many ports across Scotland have already published plans committing to decarbonising their operations, including the introduction of shore power.

The Scottish Government is working with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to increase the availability and use of shore power on the ferry routes it directly supports.

As shipping policy is reserved, we are committed to working with the UK Government and other governments to support decarbonisation proposals both at a UK level and legislation to decarbonise the shipping sector globally through the International Maritime Organisation. It is vitally important that the UK Government, and all other governments, prioritise the decarbonisation of industries beyond current spending periods and in response to the Climate Emergency.

National Grid connection issues have been raised by port operators in Scotland as a significant barrier to installing shore power, so work to improve these connections is imperative. We note that the UK Government has committed to publishing an action plan later this year on accelerating new grid connections, including grid connections that may support shoreside electrical power at ports. We would intend to work closely with the UK Government on these matters to ensure that circumstances in Scotland, especially those prevalent at our more remote ports, are given proper consideration.

The Scottish Government fundamentally disagrees with the principle of the UK Government making decisions in devolved areas. Though the funding of Scottish projects is welcome, this ought to be channelled through the Barnett formula, allowing Scottish Ministers and Councils to make independent decisions about its use. By cutting across devolved policies, it results in unnecessary fragmentation and confusion for local authorities and partner agencies. Overlooking Scotland’s unique economic needs, and largely ignores rural, and sparsely populated regions.