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The Scottish Government published OHCA: A Guide to PADs in March 2018. The guide provides practical advice to those considering a purchase and installation of a PAD for their local community including information on safety and maintenance checks (page 3).

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the level and nature of foreign investment in universities in Scotland as universities are autonomous bodies.

The SPCB notes that members of the public can currently request a loved one’s 100th birthday to be recognised by the King and Queen Consort and it does not currently have any plans to facilitate requests for cards to be sent on behalf of the Scottish Parliament.

Yes.

Transport Scotland is continuing to consult with Local Authorities and others to develop both the secondary legislation required to allow them to enforce the National pavement parking prohibition as well as the Parking Standards Guidance which will underpin the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

The first of the associated regulations, which sets out the Exemption Order Procedures which local authorities must follow, was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 16 November and came into force on 9 December 2022.

My officials continue to work on the other secondary legislation which is required during the course of this year. These further regulations will ensure Local Authorities have all of the necessary tools to enforce the pavement parking prohibitions from late 2023 onwards.

I announced on 15 January that fares on the Northern Isles and Clyde & Hebrides ferry networks will be frozen for six months.

The decision on fares allows operators to now release their timetables for booking until the end of September.

CFL will open up all routes for the whole summer timetable period by Friday 20 January – with the exception of Mallaig-Armadale, Mallaig-Small Isles and Mallaig-Lochboisdale (which will open by 31 January).

For the Mallaig routes, CFL are still working through tidal amendments for the whole summer timetables and that work will not be complete by 20 January. CFL will engage with those communities directly. However, each community are already aware of their core timetables.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) allocate Modern Apprenticeship (MA) starts every financial year in line with Ministerial priorities and industry demand. SDS were asked in their Letter of Guidance to deliver at least 25,000 new apprenticeship starts this financial year as part of our commitment to build back up to 30,000 starts.

SDS made an initial allocation to providers prior to the start of the year. They have kept employer demand under review during the year and in December allocated several hundred additional MA starts to providers who requested them and met eligibility criteria.

It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for apprenticeship starts in-year, and adjust the number of starts allocated to respond to demand as appropriate within their budget. SDS will continue to follow this process and keep under review whether any additional starts can be allocated to providers within this financial year.

The SPCB notes that the UK Government currently facilitates a birthday message to be sent from the King and Queen Consort to mark a person’s 100th birthday and currently it does not have any plans to send cards on behalf of the Scottish Parliament. 

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13687 on 23 January 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 .