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The Scottish Government recognises the severe impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on performing arts and venues, with the necessary restrictions meaning that many activities have had to be suspended. The effects of these restrictions on the performing arts sector has been considered in the various Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments (BRIA) in relation to the impact of the pandemic. These BRIAs have been informed by engagement with relevant businesses.

The latest BRIA , agreed by Ministers on 24 June, considered the available evidence and presented reasonable views of likely costs, benefits and impacts of the measures set out in the regulations and guidance. It was recognised that the limitations on performing arts venues are part of an overall system to balance suppression of the virus while minimising wider harm to Scotland’s health and wellbeing, as well as minimising the wider social and economic harms associated with the measures.

The Scottish Government has recently provided an additional £25 million to businesses in the culture sector, via a second round of the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund and the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund, to help mitigate the impact of these necessary restrictions.

NHS Grampian’s current closure of Insch War Memorial Hospital is a temporary measure due to pressures resulting from the pandemic. Health and social care services continue to be delivered to the people of Insch and its surrounding areas.

Future use of the hospital will be shaped by the strategic needs assessment (SNA) of health and social care provision and services in Insch and the surrounding areas, which is currently underway. In consultation with the local community, the SNA will look at how health and care services can be improved and adapted to develop options for service delivery models that best meet the current and future needs of the local population. Further information on the SNA, including outline timetable is publicly available via: https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/insch-strategic-needs-assessment .

Over the next decade the Scottish Government will invest £10 billion in health infrastructure, which will include support for renewal or upgrading of primary and community facilities. The SNA that Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board is carrying out will inform plans for investing in the facilities serving Insch and the surrounding communities.

Transport Scotland has been monitoring transport trends during the Covid-19 pandemic. This information is regularly published on the Transport Scotland website and can be found using the link: COVID-19 National Transport Trend Data . The Covid-19 Sub-National Reports provides travel trends on ferries.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01514 on 6 August 2021. 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

We responded to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 11 March 2021 outlining the scope and advising there is nothing ‘off limits’ to the appointed consultants when addressing the issues within the scope of the review. This reflects the desire that the review should be independent, and recommendations not influenced by any pre-conceived views.

Transport Scotland is aware of the ferry services model in British Columbia, Canada. This will be included as part of international benchmarking element of the ongoing review of tripartite arrangements in place in Scotland.

Transport Scotland officials have remained in close contact with operators throughout the pandemic. A meeting to specifically discuss the issue was held on 30 March 2021 with Pentland Ferries, 22 April with John O’Groats Ferries and 17 February with Serco NorthLink Ferries. Officials will remain closely engaged with operators as the work progresses.

The resources referred to in the previous answer related to staffing resources within Transport Scotland.

Those officials who had been asked to respond to the challenges presented by the pandemic to our transport network and the impacts on Islands communities are now returning to normal duties, and has been made clear, a priority has been restarting the work taking forward identifying potential options for reducing fares on ferry services across the Pentland Firth.

Over the course of the last Parliamentary session, Scottish Ministers and government officials have engaged with industry representatives on priority issues for their sector, including planning for and supporting the transition to net zero. Additionally, sectoral engagement is regularly undertaken through forums including the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group, the Construction Industry Training Board and the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group.

As set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy in July, the Scottish Government is developing a 10 Year National Strategy for Economic Transformation. This strategy will prioritise investment in the industries of the future and deliver new, good and green jobs, therefore, co-production with industry will be key.

In March this year, I attended the first meeting of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group and continue to liaise with industry representatives such as The Construction Industry Training Board - most recently in July - on the importance of training and skills as we transition to net zero.

In addition, the former Energy Minister met with key stakeholders regularly to understand the specific challenges and barriers to the sector but also wider energy transition opportunities, with a key forum being the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group (SLG). The SLG held two focused meetings on workforce retention, skills and training challenges and opportunities and is representative of industry, OPITO, Skills Development Scotland and offshore unions.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy is built on partnership and collaboration, led by the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Scottish Refugee Council.

The second New Scots refugee integration strategy was published in January 2018 and runs until December 2022. Partners have begun discussions on arrangements to develop the third strategy, with the aim of publishing this in 2023.