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The UK immigration system is not working for Scotland’s economy, our public services or our communities. While responsibility for immigration rests with the UK Government, the Scottish Government will do all we can to attract and retain people in Scotland. That is why we have committed to launching a Talent Attraction and Migration Service that will attract people to come and live in Scotland, help those moving to Scotland settle into their communities and support employers to navigate the immigration system.

We are currently designing the service to ensure it achieves these outcomes and once we have completed this phase, will launch the service during 2023.

The Talent Attraction and Migration Service will play a key role in attracting and retaining people who chose to move to Scotland. The investment in the service will match our commitment to ensuring people are attracted to, and want to stay in, Scotland. The budget for the service is still being finalised but the service will be appropriately resourced, including ensuring the staffing levels meet the needs of those using the service.

Scottish Ministers are required by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to review the National Outcomes within five years of their previous publication. The 2015 Act stipulates the consultation requirements, including its period, consultees, and requirement to consult with and lay a final report in the Parliament.

I confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee our plans for the review of the National Outcomes on two occasions ( 21 September 2021 and 31 May 2022 ) explaining that the external engagement for the Review will commence in 2022, with the aim of laying the statutory report in Parliament during the third Parliamentary term in 2023.

The Subsidy Control Team forms part of the European Structural Funds and Subsidy Control Division, formerly the State Aid Unit within the same Division until the UK’s exit from the EU. The budget for the Subsidy Control Team for 2022-23 is £577,595; the current headcount is 9. Budgets and complements have not yet been confirmed for 2023-24.

The UK Government advise that current measures in place against Russian products should prevent any such steel entering the UK from Russia. They further advise that they have not been made aware of any issues on this matter.

P&O Ferries is not a member of the Scottish Maritime Cluster Limited and therefore has not benefited from funding granted to the Cluster by Transport Scotland.

The Scottish Government is supportive of a circular economy and the exploration of waste capture systems. Innovation plays a significant role in addressing a range of challenges faced by the aquaculture sector including reducing environmental impacts, and it will play a major role in the future sustainability of the aquaculture sector.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for regulating organic waste and chemical discharges from Scottish fish farms under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. SEPA carries out regular inspections of fish farm premises and can check the means by which controlled waste from these is being kept, transported and disposed of by the operators of these farms and that the duty of care is being followed.

SEPA launched its new regulatory framework and sector plan for finfish aquaculture in 2019. All fish farms in Scotland have to meet strict environmental guidelines, monitored by SEPA with the aim of ensuring that the environmental impacts from the industry are assessed and managed safely.

SEPA continues to work with, and provide advice to, developers and innovators wishing to introduce techniques for reducing or capturing farm waste.

Whilst we continue to face economic challenges and a cost of living crisis the Scottish Government remains committed to investing in employability and training to help the economy recover. We are committed to transforming employment support to simplify the landscape and deliver better outcomes for people who are further removed from Scotland’s labour market to achieve their full potential.

Through our No One Left Behind partnership approach we are delivering employability services that are flexible, person-centred, integrated and aligned with other key services including health, justice, housing and advice services. As support is tailored to meet individual need, the offer will vary from person to person, However, examples of employability support offered through No One Left Behind and Fair Start Scotland, our first iteration of devolved employment provision nationally includes, but is not limited to; debt and money advice, CV writing and interview preparation including mock interviews and sector-specific training, advice and guidance on childcare options and financial assistance towards immediate costs, financial support towards clothing and travel costs for interviews. In-work support is also offered, ensuring support and guidance is available to both individuals and employers as appropriate to help the individual sustain employment.

The power to implement Workplace Parking Licencing schemes was provided in The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (Part 7), and The Workplace Parking Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2022 were laid before parliament in January this year. The regulations, which provide technical framework for local authorities, came in to effect on 4 March 2022. Decisions on whether to implement a Workplace Parking Licencing scheme will be made by local authorities. To date, no local authority has formally proposed a scheme under the regulations.

We plan to introduce legislation next week to provide for a rent freeze and moratorium on evictions. We intend to provide a freeze on rents across the social and private sectors until 31 March 2023, provided it remains necessary and proportionate to do so.

Rents will initially be capped at 0% until 31 March.

While the primary purpose of our emergency proposals is to protect tenants during this cost crisis, safeguards will be built in to ensure that the circumstances of landlords are appropriately reflected.