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The Scottish Government recognises and supports the Safe and Together model as a positive approach in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children living with domestic abuse. The principles of this model are central to the priorities of Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls. That is why, from October 2021, through the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, the Scottish Government funded 12 organisations and joint organisation partnerships approximately £2m to deliver the Safe and Together model and training across 11 local authority areas.

On 2 September 2021, the Scottish Government published revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland. This non-statutory guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with, or comes into contact with, children and young people, families and carers in Scotland.

The National Guidance includes a strengthened section on domestic abuse, providing detailed support for practitioners working with families affected by domestic abuse. This includes guidance on the Safe and Together model which highlights aspects of domestic abuse-informed practice in the protection of children.

Zero Waste Scotland is a company limited by guarantee that is independent from the Scottish Government.

Zero Waste Scotland advises us that the report is the first part of a project to analyse the steel market in Scotland and the opportunities to manage scrap steel and is based on modelling and not stakeholder engagement.

Support under section 9 or section 10 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 was placed on a statutory footing on 1 April 2018. This can include accommodation, assistance with day to day living, medical advice and treatment, language translation and interpretation, counselling, legal advice, help accessing other services and, if the victim wishes, repatriation.

Although asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and is the responsibility of the Home Office, in individual circumstances it is possible for people supported under section 9 or section 10 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 to be housed in asylum accommodation.

The detailed information requested is currently being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 63102).

The Scottish Government agrees with Amnesty International on the importance of meeting international human rights law and standards, and welcomes the recommendations in the report. Both public authorities and private enterprises have a responsibility to ensure that human rights are respected and protected in the workplace. These rights include the right to join and form trade unions, and to enjoy safe and healthy working conditions.

The Scottish Government notes that Amazon acknowledges these obligations, which are further underlined by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It is important that such commitments are given practical effect in a manner that ensures the rights of employees are properly respected across all aspects of a company’s operations, both in Scotland and in a global context.

The Scottish Government is very clear that trade unions are social partners and play an essential role in promoting good employment practice and in ensuring that Scotland’s workers have an effective voice.

Under the current constitutional settlement, employment law (including trade union law) is reserved to the UK Parliament. The long-standing position of the Scottish Government is that employment law should be devolved, so that all necessary action can be taken in Scotland to protect and improve workers’ rights and to create fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

Health and Social Care staff are offered PCR weekly testing and over the winter period have been asked to undertake daily Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests due to the risk posed by Omicron. Public Health Scotland (PHS) produce a weekly COVID-19 Statistical Report, which provides the number of LFD tests reported by Health and Social Care Workers in Scotland and PCR testing data by health board is published on the accompanying dashboard.

Health care PCR testing is primarily conducted through NHS Scotland and the three Regional Hub Laboratories provided a significant boost to our NHS Scotland lab capacity. Care home testing was transferred out of the UK Government testing programme and into the Regional Hubs to ensure swift processing and communication of results.

Catering and events businesses that do not operate within a fixed single venue will be supported through two routes depending on their particular business model.

• The £3 million Scottish Wedding Industry Fund, announced on 17 December 2021, will provide top-up payments to eligible businesses who have previously been supported through this funding route.

A further £19.8 million of funding to support event businesses (including supply chain operators such as catering and events businesses that do not operate within a fixed single venue) which was announced on 3 January 2022.

Scottish Wedding Industry Fund businesses will be contacted directly from week commencing 17 January 2022.

Event funding businesses will be contacted by EventScotland from week commencing 24 January 2022. For the first round of funding, top-up payments will be provided to businesses which were previously supported by EventScotland and VisitScotland under the previous Events Industry Support Fund, Events Industry Support Fund 2 or Pivotal Event Business Fund and have been adversely financially affected by the cancellation or restriction of events between the period from 8 December 2021 to 31 January 2022.

Businesses eligible for support will receive a top-up payment based on pre-COVID annual turnover within the following bands:

£10,000 - £24,999 = £2,000;

£25,000 - £49,999 = £3,500;

£50,000 - £99,999 = £5,000;

£100,000 - £499,999 = £10,000;

£500,000 - £999,999 = £25,000; and

£1,000,000 + = £50,000.

The Scottish Government is currently working with EventScotland and the Event Industry Advisory Group to determine the best way of distributing the remaining funding to support to those event businesses continuing to experience cancellation or postponements in February and March, or who may have previously not had access to COVID-19 event funding support. This will include ensuring that businesses who can demonstrate eligibility for both the Scottish Wedding Industry Fund and the events funding are appropriately funded.

There are currently no plans to introduce a “Climate Change Business Bill” within the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government has not provided direct or specific funding for businesses damaged by Storm Arwen.

I appreciate that the aftermath of Storm Arwen will have created difficult operating conditions for affected businesses. Information on available business support offered by public sector organisations can be found at the Find Business Support website - https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/

Following Storm Arwen, the Scottish Government activated the Bellwin Scheme to provide additional revenue support to local authorities to assist with immediate and unforeseen costs that meet the scheme’s qualifying criteria.

For the 2021-22 tax year, the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast that there will be 417,800 Scottish taxpayers in the Higher Rate band, and 18,000 in the Top Rate band.

The existing Uig-Tarbert ferry timetable will be maintained in 2022, with formalised deployment of the mezzanine decks to ensure the timetable can be delivered within the operational challenges. We have asked CalMac to continue to closely monitor the route and maximise the use of space on the vessel.

CalMac has revised the initial proposals and these represent the best available options to maximise capacity on the Skye Triangle routes for Summer 2022.

The planned upgrade of Uig Harbour by The Highland Council is required to ensure continuity of ferry services to Harris. The closure is essential to allow major investment in replacing life expired infrastructure and improving the resilience of Uig harbour for the benefit of the Skye Triangle routes. This follows the significant recent investment in the upgrade of Tarbert harbour on Harris. The works have been scheduled out with seasonal peaks, however we regret any associated disruption.

CalMac recently undertook community consultation, including at Tarbert (Harris) Community Centre, on plans to introduce an alternative ferry service while work at Uig is underway. The consultation closed on 7 January and community feedback will be presented to Transport Scotland and Scottish Ministers for careful consideration prior to any final decision on this matter.