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Blood stocks in Scotland are assessed as adequate to meet current clinical demand, but will continue to be monitored. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has no plans at present to resume providing blood donation sessions in the Western Isles, due to the cost and logistical difficulties associated with doing so. However, that does not in any way affect the availability of blood components to patients in the Western Isles.

Section 34 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is now in force, providing wider powers for local transport authorities to run their own buses. Additionally, secondary legislation to commence Section 35 (Bus Service Improvement Partnerships) is scheduled to be introduced before the end of 2023, alongside franchising powers. These powers will complement and continue to build on the service improvements supported through the Bus Partnership Fund.

As with many aspects of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, the provisions in Part 3 empower local transport authorities with the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges. We will continue to work with local authorities as they explore the full range of options set out in the 2019 Act, including local authority-run bus services and Bus Service Improvement Partnerships.

A further £6.6 million of Project Gigabit funding is being invested in the R100 South contract to reach an additional 1,149 properties. This includes 433 properties in the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area. The online checker at www.scotlandsuperfast.com has been updated to reflect the remodelled build plan.

The Scottish Government is in the final stages of preparing a Carers Strategy which will set out our long-term approach to unpaid carers’ social and financial inclusion. This will apply to different caring situations, including unpaid older carers of adults with a learning disability. The strategy will include a focus on support made available through social security policies, the Scottish Welfare Fund and action taken by the Scottish Government on fuel poverty, employment and education. This will help support carers who are likely to be disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis.

We are using all the powers and resources available to us to support families with cost of living and have already invested almost £3 billion in a range of measures for households. That includes supporting energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments that are either not available anywhere else in the UK or are more generous, such as the Scottish Child Payment and Bridging Payment.

In addition, we uprated 8 Scottish benefits by 6% in April. Eligible carers in Scotland receive the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, funded from the Scottish Government budget and paying up to £491.40 this year on top of Carer’s Allowance. We will double our Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million in 2022-23, to help households at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing energy use and to ensure support continues to protect people affected by rising energy costs.

We know that the current situation is causing anxiety for many households – and that many people may be missing out on support that is available to them. To help people understand the significant range of support that they may be able to access, we have also launched a Scottish Government “cost of living” website: https://www.gov.scot/cost-of-living-support/ . The website will help people find out what support may be available depending on their own personal circumstances, for example, unpaid carers of adults with a learning disability.

Falkirk Council took the difficult decision to close Falkirk Town Hall theatre following recommendations that funding the modernisation of the building did not represent best value in the current challenging financial environment.

While disappointing for many people, this decision is entirely a matter for the Falkirk Council as they have responsibility for managing local resources.

The Scottish Government is increasing funding for Falkirk Council by an additional £28.9 million in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22.

The Scottish Government has also agreed to contribute £40 million to the Falkirk Growth Deal to support local projects. This figure includes £3 million towards the planned new Falkirk Arts Centre, which intends to feature a 550-seat auditorium, workshop, studios and other facilities. A further £3 million has also been committed towards developing an Outdoor Art Park along the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Timescales for both projects are being developed by the local partners.

The challenging funding landscape and difficult choices facing the Scottish Budget in coming years have only worsened since publication of the Resource Spending Review. As a result of inflation, the Scottish Government’s budget is now worth around £1.7 billion less than when it was published in December.

It is clear that Fair Work, including fair pay, is more important than ever in the context of the cost of living crisis, and we will use all the levers we can to support those most affected.

In the current economic climate, we recognise, most recently in the publication of the Emergency Budget Review, that there are a number of cost pressures on Scottish Government budget and associated contracts including inflation, energy costs and increases to the real Living Wage. We have undertaken a risk-assessment of our key current contracts and framework agreements and are working closely and sensitively with suppliers through this period to manage those contracts.

We understand the importance of fair and stable funding for the third sector and the benefit of this for longer term planning and development. As we continue to work through the impact of the recent and upcoming UK Government announcements on our ability to deliver the spending plans as set out in the Spending Review in May. We are also considering the appropriate level of detail and timing of financial information we can provide in the longer-term.

There is no specific content embedded in the curriculum. Curriculum for Excellence is a flexible curriculum, which enables teachers to tailor the content of lessons to best suit learners in their particular circumstances

To find out more about what the Scottish Government is doing to teach Holocaust Education in schools, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11654 on 9 November 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-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11654 on 9 November 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-answers

Whilst I have not met with the Hunterston B nuclear power station director, either in person or virtually, since taking up the post of Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in May 2021, I did meet with Matt Sykes, the Managing Director for EDF Generation in December 2021.

The discussion focussed on various issues pertaining to EDF Generation, EDF Renewables and their role in supporting Scotland on the road to Net Zero. This included the closure of Hunterston B, which ceased electricity generation in January 2022 with the plant currently being decommissioned.

Following the A9 Dualling Co-Creative Process and other consultations Transport Scotland is currently progressing design and assessment work to identify a preferred route option for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling. It is expected that a preferred route option will be announced in the coming months, with all four options currently under consideration improving access to Dunkeld and Birnam station. If the option selected impinges or interferes with the operation of the station then we will also look to improve accessibility for road and rail users.

As previously stated Rail accessibility is a reserved matter for the UK government and the criteria for selection for an accessibility scheme is set by the Department for Transport and assessed by them via the Access for All scheme:- Access for All: funding to improve accessibility at rail stations - GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ). Currently, Dunkeld and Birnam station does not meet the UK government’s criteria for accessibility investment. At this moment in time, there are no plans to update the railway station.