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ScotRail’s three-week public consultation provided passengers with the opportunity to have their say on the proposals for ticket office opening hours. The aim of this review, the first of its kind in over 30 years, is to make changes that will ensure the modernisation of Scotland’s stations and offer passengers a more efficient and effective service for the future. ScotRail has already provided assurances there will be no job losses.

Transport Focus – the independent passenger watchdog – was responsible for coordinating the associated consultation, collating responses, and providing its own view on the proposed changes. The Transport Focus findings, and ScotRail's response, were published by Transport Focus on 24 February.

I discussed the proposals when I met with the unions last month and will also discuss them with Transport Focus when we meet after Easter. Following that, I will consider the proposals, alongside the consultation findings and ScotRail’s response to the findings, before making any final decision.

As part of the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 , we have a commitment to work with partners to deliver and evaluate two training programmes aimed at supporting BSL/English interpreters to work within the Justice sector, with a view to informing a longer-term approach. Queen Margaret University now offers an elective module for BSL interpreting in Justice settings; more details can be found in the Scottish Government’s British Sign Language: Progress Report 2021 . The BSL Justice Advisory Group met again for the first time after the pandemic in October 2021, and another meeting was held in March 2022, where plans to develop workstreams was discussed. This includes looking at improvement in provision of BSL and English interpreters in courts and police stations, and potential solutions to current issues reported by case studies.

The Scottish Government has published two progress reports following the initial publication of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan in December 2018. These were published in March 2020 and March 2021.

Labour Market Statistics are published regularly by the Scottish Government and include data on disabled people’s employment rate, and the disability employment gap. The most recent full year figures for the Annual Population Survey, allowing comparison with our baseline year (2016), were published on the Scottish Government’s website in March of this year.

We are currently in the process of refreshing A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan, to be published in Autumn 2022 as part of a single, unified Fair Work Action Plan. Where appropriate, this will include a refresh of actions that remain in progress, whilst also identifying new action to be undertaken to reduce the disability employment gap.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the portability of care and care packages if people move from one local authority area to another. To support this, a new Self-directed Support Framework of Standards was published in March 2021. This includes a commitment to consistency of practice, and states that Local Authorities should work collaboratively to ensure that people can move from one Local Authority area to another while retaining a level of provision sufficient to meet their agreed outcomes. The Scottish Government is continuing to work with Local Authorities to ensure the effective implementation of the Standards and to continue to improve the implementation of Self-directed Support.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the key recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, including the establishment of a National Care Service (NCS). The consultation on the NCS, undertaken in 2021, set out proposals to ensure that there is not a postcode lottery and to support the portability of care. Proposals in respect of the development of the NCS will be brought forward during the lifetime of this parliament.

Scottish Government has provided funding to Integration Authorities for reasonable additional costs due to Covid-19 through Local Mobilisation Plans. This included any loss of income due to social care charges. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) produced an advice note for Local Authorities and Integration Authorities to advise flexibility should be applied in relation to charging. Charging-for-Social-Care-Support-during-COVID-19.pdf (cosla.gov.uk) .

As part of the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2017 – 2023, the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach is being embedded, with a D/deaf or Deafblind child and their family offered the right information and support at the right time to engage with BSL. The Scottish Government remains committed to providing additional funding to enable local authorities to offer free British Sign Language tuition for deaf children from the age of five, delivery of which will contribute to Action 13 and 14 in the National Plan. Work is underway to scope how best to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government published the BSL Progress Report on 27 October 2021, outlining progress made towards implementing the BSL National Plan. All updates relating to the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 can be found in this report. For example, the Scottish Book Trust produced and published two BSL stories on their BookBug website and app. This work also generated BSL glossaries, which allows families, carers and children to learn BSL in their own homes.

Transport Scotland and Sustrans have worked with a number of organisations who represent disabled people. These include, the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), and Guide Dogs for the Blind. The input from these organisations was valuable in the development of guidance and support to local authorities to deliver their Spaces for People schemes.

Scottish Government consultations and supporting documents are published to gov.scot and our consultation hub at consult.gov.scot. We are continuously working to make those websites as accessible and usable as possible for all users.

Past consultations on issues identified as affecting disabled people have been produced in various accessible formats, for example, Easy Read, large print and British Sign Language. Furthermore, accessible consultation events are regularly tailored to meet the different needs of disabled people in partnership with Disabled People’s Organisations. These ensure meaningful engagement with disabled people on issues they identify as being important to them.

In our Equality Outcomes for the 2021-2025 reporting period, we committed to improving and embedding inclusive communication within Government and across the wider public sector. Some of the actions we will take to achieve this include working in partnership with public bodies, equality advocacy groups and people with lived experience to create national standards and best practice examples of inclusive communication. Through this programme of work we want to improve the accessibility of published documents, including consultations, so that everyone can engage with them.

Staff are also provided with a range of training and guidance to help them meet these commitments, and the Scottish Government has established a network of accessibility champions to promote best practice across the organisation.

We estimate that Child Winter Heating Assistance will provide assistance to over 19,000 children and young people who are in receipt of disability assistance in Scotland in 2021-22 at a cost of around £4 million. This type of assistance is not available anywhere else in the UK.

Through our £290 million Cost of Living support package, we will give 1.85 million (73%) of Scottish households £150 of extra support via the Council Tax. We have also allocated a further £10 million to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund, which is aimed at those in greatest need.

The Fuel Insecurity Fund is delivered through trusted third sector partner organisations, providing direct support to people, including disabled people, who are at risk of severely self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely, due to the cost of their fuel bills. Assistance can be accessed by households on any tariff type and using any fuel source.