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This Government firmly believes that every child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending university and participating in higher education.

We worked with Universities Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that all of Scotland’s higher education institutions committed to guaranteeing an offer of an undergraduate place at university to care-experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements. This was effective from autumn 2019 for learners entering university in autumn 2020.

We also introduced the Care Experienced Bursary in higher education in 2017 and further education in 2018, replacing loans with non-income assessed, non-refundable bursaries.

Many young people leaving school may first attend college before progressing to university at a later stage. In the college sector, 3.6% of enrolments to full-time HE and 9.6% of enrolments to full-time FE courses in 2020-21 were from care-experienced students.

University remained an attractive destination for many college qualifiers in 2020-21, with 41.6% going on to university. Of those who qualified in 2019-20, 93.0% of care-experienced leavers from full-time HE college courses and 94.0% from full-time FE courses with known destinations were in work or further study 3-6 months after qualifying.

The Scottish Government remains committed to “Keeping The Promise”. The Promise was published in February 2020 and highlighted the need for robust “scaffolding” or support network to support care leavers or those with care experience.

Continuing Care and Aftercare are both components of ground breaking measures introduced in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to improve outcomes for young people leaving care by supporting and developing positive transitions.

We are also committed to ensuring a range of positive destinations, including transition into employment and other training opportunities.

By the end of Q3 2022-23, there have been 401 new Modern Apprentice (MA) starts from individuals who self-identify as care-experienced, and 151 of these are in the 16-19 year old age bracket. Skills Development Scotland Management Information data shows that there are currently 630 care-experienced MAs in training, with 17 of these individuals in West Dunbartonshire.

Our national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), have operational responsibility for our MA programme and provide funding contributions towards the cost of training and assessing apprentices, on behalf of the Scottish Government. SDS continue to engage with training providers to support the promotion of apprenticeship opportunities to care experienced individuals.

Additionally, funded through our Developing the Young Workforce programme, MCR Pathways and Career Ready target young people from care-experienced and less advantaged socio-economic-cultural backgrounds and communities. Both are currently operating in West Dunbartonshire and help young people to progress to a positive post-school destination.

The Scottish Government remain committed to making regulations which will enable marriages to change to civil partnerships. As part of this work, we need to ensure that as well as providing mechanisms so marriages can change to civil partnerships, provision is made to protect couples’ rights and responsibilities. Some of these rights and responsibilities are reserved which is why we need consequential legislation at Westminster. The UK Government is considering our proposal for an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998.

The publication of the Agricultural Reform Route Map was announced on 10 February. The route map provides more detail on how SG will deliver the transition process and the steps that will be taken to get there. Furthermore, the route map sets out the timescales for information and interaction with the agricultural industry and is regularly updated to ensure that the most up to date information is available.

Decisions on the future support framework will be determined as part of the wider agricultural reform process. Work is ongoing and we remain committed to a co-design approach. This includes continued work with the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), engagement with wider industry, all committed to a vibrant and successful rural Scotland and drawing on the responses from the recent Bill Consultation.

It is in this further context that I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12369 on 2 December 2022. 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-answer

The Scottish Government is unable to provide the information requested as it does not gather data based on the definitions used in this question.

As set out in PQ reference S6W-15196 on 6 March 2023 businesses may be defined by the Scottish Government as being “Small and Medium Enterprises” on the basis of a range of criteria. These criteria will depend upon the purpose for which a definition is being applied, as well as relevant legislation and standards.

The European Commission has adopted a definition of SMEs that further categorises these SME businesses as a) autonomous, (b) partner or (c) linked enterprises. However the European Commission definition and categorisation of SMEs is not applied as a standard for all purposes by the Scottish Government.

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

Businesses may be defined by the Scottish Government as being “Small and Medium Enterprises” on the basis of a range of criteria. These criteria will depend upon the purpose for which a definition is being applied, as well as relevant legislation and standards.

The European Commission has adopted a definition of SMEs that further categorises these SME businesses as a) autonomous, (b) partner or (c) linked enterprises. However the European Commission definition and categorisation of SMEs is not applied as a standard for all purposes by the Scottish Government. Officials intend to remove or further clarify the references to the EC definition in setting out eligibility for the loan.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14895 on 6 March 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 recognise the significance of National Dashcam Safety Portal initiative and its potential positive impact on road user behaviour and therefore the road safety outcomes for communities across Scotland.

I met with Police Scotland on 9 February to discuss the importance of delivering the NDSP.Police Scotland is now reviewing the project’s timings as part of their wider planning for 2023/24 and beyond.

All those involved in delivering the NDSP remain committed to implementing this valuable safety initiative.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to an infrastructure solution to address the A83 Rest and Be Thankful landslip risks. I share the urgency communities and businesses place on maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route, which is why we are progressing measures for the short, medium and long term in tandem.

Transport Scotland continues to progress design and assessment work on both the medium and long-term solutions at pace. Transport Scotland also continues to explore methods to reduce the timescales to bring forward both the medium-term and long-term improvements as soon as possible, whilst continuing to maximise the availability of the existing A83.

Clearly market conditions have changed in the past few years - the pandemic, Brexit and inflationary pressures have all played their respective parts in changing the procurement and delivery landscape across Government. However, we will continuously review the impact of current inflationary pressures and market conditions on both medium and long-term measures.

A detailed programme for the proposed medium-term improvements to the Old Military Road through Glen Croe is now being developed. It is expected that these works will be carried out on a phased basis starting later this year. I will provide an update on the delivery programme for the medium-term improvements at the next A83 Taskforce meeting which is scheduled to take place in June 2023.

In terms of the long-term solution, we are working towards announcing a preferred route option by this Spring.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to an infrastructure solution to address the A83 Rest and Be Thankful landslip risks. This scheme is technically challenging and the landscape is dynamic so it is vital we understand the terrain we are working in, in order to develop a suitable solution of the correct standard in the correct place.

The necessary engineering and environmental assessment work is progressing at pace and whilst I cannot confirm a precise date for the announcement of the preferred route for the long term solution at this time, I can confirm that it remains our intention to announce the decision this Spring.

CHAS received £6m pa from 2016/17 – 2020/21. This was followed by a Programme for Government commitment in 2021/22 to “ensure provision of high-quality child palliative care, regardless of location, supported by sustainable funding of at least £7m per year through Children’s Hospices Across Scotland”.