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To date, Scottish Ministers have had no formal discussions with the survivors or stakeholders involved in the allegations of abuse at Fornethy House Residential School. The abuse of children in all circumstances and settings is wrong, and the Scottish Government takes this abuse very seriously.

Scottish Government officials have exchanged correspondence with a number of members of the Fornethy House Residential School Survivors Group in relation to the eligibility criteria of Scotland’s Redress Scheme. As the circumstances in which individuals came to be at Fornethy may vary, it is not possible to determine eligibility for the group as a whole.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting all survivors of childhood abuse. Through the Scottish Government’s Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS) Fund, 29 organisations across Scotland are funded to provide support to adult survivors of childhood abuse including (but not exclusive to) those who have been abused in care.

Proof of recovery status was added to the international page of the Covid Status app on 9 January. This is the easiest way for someone to demonstrate they have had Covid in the previous 180 days when travelling to countries where certification is required.

In the absence of the app, the text or email message the person received from test and protect when they tested positive can be used as an alternative way of demonstrating the date they tested positive for Covid.

We are currently exploring other non-digital alternatives for proof of recovery certification for those unable to use the app.

Each country has its own guidance and requirements in relation to proof of Covid-19 status and vaccinations and we would urge people to refer to the relevant countries’ guidance on gov.uk before travelling.

The Scottish Government is aware of the impact the necessary public health restrictions has had on businesses, including tanning salon operators.

We recently announced £375m of support for businesses impacted by measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron and have provided details on how £266m of this will be allocated. This includes £19m for close contact businesses.

This £19m for close contact businesses is targeted at those who have been the most affected by the updated public health guidance introduced from 9 December 2021 to 24 January 2022. Beauty services, hairdressers and wellness services that provide spray and application tanning are eligible, however retail businesses utilising sunbeds are not in scope at this stage.

Decisions on the allocation of the remaining funds will be confirmed following further analysis and consultation with affected sectors on how it can best be targeted.

The focus of the Scottish City Region and Growth Deals carbon management guidance is the minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions, in support of Scotland’s national target to reach net zero by 2045. The guidance is already fully aligned with the Environmental Impact Assessment process, which also addresses adaptation and ensures resilience to the locked in impacts of climate change. This enables the guidance to be used in conjunction with other sources of information (e.g. projections of future changes in climate) to undertake climate change impact assessments in accordance with relevant planning requirements and building standards.

We are grateful to everyone who has volunteered for vaccine trials in Scotland. They have all made a tremendous contribution to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

At present, Novavax is not approved by the MHRA in the UK. For this reason, people who participated in the Novavax Trial in Scotland have a paper certificate to identify them as a ‘clinical trial participant’ which allows them to be treated as if they were fully vaccinated for domestic and inbound travel purposes.

There are plans to enable all clinical trial participants to access the COVID status app for domestic certification which is scheduled for release in February.

If and when the MHRA approves the use of Novavax in the UK, the Novavax clinical trial participants will be able to access the COVID status app for international travel in the same way as an individual who has been vaccinated as part of the national vaccination programme. We do not have a definite timeline for MHRA approval to be in place.

Including self-referrals, a total of 1157 referrals were made to the Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland long COVID Support Service from April to December 2021. The Scottish Government does not hold this information broken down by month.

The purpose of setting a six week period is to balance the need to ensure that decisions can be dealt with as quickly as possible, with providing applicant’s sufficient time to seek supporting information, or to request help from Social Security Scotland to obtain this information. It also means that there is an up-to-date record of the individual’s care and mobility needs, which Social Security Scotland might not otherwise have if the application is not completed until a much later date.

It is clear on the application form, in our communications and guidance that if an applicant has any difficulty completing the application within the six week period, they should tell Social Security Scotland. If the applicant has good reason for not meeting the deadline, Social Security Scotland can extend this time period for up to 52 weeks. If Social Security Scotland does not accept the reasons for the late completion, the individual has the right to request a re-determination in relation to the start date of assistance.

Those who experience difficulties carrying out a LFD test can ask someone they trust to assist them with the swabbing and testing process. Walk-in asymptomatic test sites (ATS) can advise people how to use an LFD test. After self-swabbing, the person hands their used swab to a site operative for it to be analysed.

Where a person is part of a workplace testing scheme and is not able to self-swab, if they have capacity to consent, they should be asked if they will allow someone to help them do the test, or to allow someone to do the test for them. Each case should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and if required, the Personal Assistant or family member can consult their GP in case specific care is required to swab the person.

People identified as contacts of a case who are unable or do not have the support to carry out LFD testing can call the National Contact Tracing Centre on 0800 030 8012, for advice.

Regular testing for people without symptoms is voluntary and for some people with additional support needs it may not be appropriate for testing to take place. Those working most closely with individuals with additional support needs, will be best placed to decide whether testing will be appropriate, taking into consideration the needs of the individual.

The South West Scotland Transport Study, published in January 2020, did not recommended full dualling of the A75 between the A74(M) and Dumfries. Instead it proposed an option for localised measures to improve road safety and traffic flow.

Detailed appraisal within STPR2 confirmed the importance of the route and the need for improvements. These proposals will improve the reliability, resilience and safety on this key corridor to Stranraer and the ports at Cairnryan. Options include, but are not limited to, enhancing overtaking opportunities, widening or realigning carriageways (including around Springholm and Crocketford) and improving junctions.

Establishing an Inner Sound Management Advisory Group was one of the recommendations from a report of 26 February 2020 regarding a pilot scheme proposal for the Inner Sound of Skye.

The landscape surrounding inshore fisheries management has however changed significantly over this two year period, with the publication of a new fisheries management strategy and the marine elements of the Bute House agreement.

Development of inshore fisheries management in Scotland will continue to be channelled through our Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs), including for the waters around Skye. The RIFG network brings fishers together to work with Government, and in partnership, help deliver management that protects the marine environment and supports a strong, sustainable, and resilient fishing industry.