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The Scottish Government is progressing the Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available and affordable for people throughout Scotland – including our ferry services. The Fair Fares Review will report by the end of 2023 and we will continue a meaningful and constructive approach to engaging with stakeholders throughout the process.

Under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, local authorities have a duty to assess someone’s need for adoption support services and then provide that support. This may include counselling and guidance for parents who have adopted or may adopt a child, as well as assistance in relation to the adoption process, including preparation for adoption.

In 2023-24, the Scottish Government allocated over £480,000 directly to organisations delivering support for adoptive families and practitioners. This funding supports a range of initiatives, including: a national helpline; services for practitioners; an Adoption Contact Register; Adoption Week Scotland; and Adoption UK’s PATHways service. PATHways is a free therapeutic intervention programme which helps adoptive parents to achieve better outcomes for their children by giving them early access to a clinical psychologist and peer support.

The Scottish Government has also allocated £32 million in 2023-24 to Children’s Services Planning Partnerships in local areas as part of the Whole Family Wellbeing programme of activity, which aims to deliver transformational change to improve holistic whole family support, including for adoptive parents.

Under the Adoption Agencies Regulations (Scotland) 2009, each local authority or adoption agency which is carrying out functions such as the assessment of prospective adopters must appoint an adoption panel.

The Scottish Government’s 2011 Guidance on the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 sets out that the adoption panel should reflect the community from which children and families may come, as adopters are wide ranging and panels need to be informed and sensitive to issues around ethnicity, beliefs, sexuality and lifestyles.

Scottish Government grant making is allocated across portfolios to various parts of the third sector to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the information requested is not available.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19714 on 12 July 2023 for details of the programme for the £5 million pledge for the loss and damage funding.

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 introduction of mandatory Bovine EID is a substantial project and all applicable legislation is being reviewed. The Scottish Government have undertaken scoping work to determine the main changes to legislation that will be necessary. Once the necessary work is complete a response will be issued to the Bovine EID stakeholder group with an indicative timetable.

Any changes to future Regulations concerning cattle identification, will be subject to a full public consultation. This will also include the future use of paper passports.

EU nationals who were living in the UK prior to the end of the Brexit Transition Period (31 December 2020) are eligible for the home tuition fee rate and tuition fee support to study at a Scottish institution. EU nationals who satisfy this criteria and were also living in the UK and Islands for 3 years can access living cost support, provided they are ordinarily resident in Scotland.

The disproportionate cost threshold is £600.

Discussions between Scottish Government and COSLA officials have been ongoing since late April 2023 to reach consensus on the National Care Service. These discussions have, to date, focussed on accountability arrangements. Agreement has been reached where Ministers, local authorities, and NHS boards would share accountability, with councils retaining accountability for delivery functions, staff and assets. New governance arrangements will be introduced to ensure consistently high levels of service across the country, while building flexibility to meet varying community demands at a local level. This consensus is a significant, early success of the Verity House Agreement between national and local government.

Discussions have also recently begun with the trade unions and two of this summer NCS regional co-design events have taken place, with seven in person and five digital events still to run. The outcomes from all of this work will be brought together to inform next steps to be developed over the coming months. I will continue to update parliament on this work.

The composition of the ministerial team and the allocation of portfolio responsibilities are a matter for the First Minister.