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In a recent letter to the Minister for BEIS, Paul Scully MP, I urged the UK Government to deliver on its Good Work Plan commitments, which included measures to tackle one-sided flexibility, and to go further by raising the minimum wage to a real Living Wage and to put an end to the exploitative nature of insecure contracts. It is unacceptable that long overdue reforms to employment protections has been abandoned with the cancelled Employment Bill.

We continue to press the UK Government for the full devolution of employment powers in order to allow us to fully deliver our Fair Work ambitions.

The percentage of people in employment on a zero-hours contract (ZHC) in Scotland was 2.9% in Jan-Mar 2022, lower than the UK proportion which was 3.1%. However the proportion in both Scotland and the UK increased over the year, from 2.3% for Scotland and 2.7% for the UK in Jan-Mar 2021.

We firmly oppose the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. We are using all the levers available to make Fair Work the norm in Scottish workplaces, including through our Fair Work First policy, which asks employers to commit to fair working practices including no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.

We have also introduced a Living Hours Employer Accreditation Scheme for Scotland, recognising that as well as payment of the real Living Wage, the number and frequency of working hours and security of contract is critical to addressing in-work poverty.

No one should have to rely on charitable food provision which is why we have committed to publishing a plan on ending the need for food banks this Autumn.

We consulted on a draft plan earlier this year, which reaffirms our human rights approach – we prioritise action to prevent poverty and promote cash-first responses to hardship so that people have sufficient income to meet their needs and preferences.

Both the Trussell Trust and the Independent Food Aid Network have endorsed the cash-first approach, including through our Scottish Welfare Fund and low income pandemic supports.

Through the budget for 2022-23 the Scottish Government has allocated almost £3 billion to a range of supports that will contribute to mitigating the impact of the increased cost of living on households. This includes work to tackle child poverty, reduce inequalities and support financial wellbeing, alongside social security payments not available anywhere else in the UK.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09352 on 12 July 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

The Scottish Government acknowledges that the STUC have declared a cost-of-living emergency and are calling for a national food summit.

We know that inflation is having the biggest impact on those with the lowest incomes. The UK Government holds most of the powers needed to tackle this crisis but the Scottish Government are doing what we can within our devolved powers and fixed budget, and have allocated almost £3 billion to a range of supports this year that will contribute to mitigating the impact of the increased cost of living on households. This includes work to tackle child poverty, reduce inequalities and support financial wellbeing, alongside social security payments not available anywhere else in the UK.

We have already consulted on a draft plan on ending the need for food banks and will publish a final version of this in the Autumn. This will further strengthen cash-first responses to hardship so that people have the income they need to access food and other essentials.

In addition, on 17 March 2022, the Scottish Government established a short-life Food Security and Supply Taskforce to monitor potential disruption to the food and drink supply chain as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Taskforce recognised that, while immediate supplies of food are secure, there is greater strain on the food supply chain than has been seen for many years, as a result of cumulative shocks to it from COVID-19, Brexit and the Ukraine conflict.

The Taskforce report was published on 23 June 2022 and included a series of recommendations that it hopes will help to bolster industry confidence during these hugely challenging times. [ Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ]

The Scottish Government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. Although zero hours contracts fall under employment law, which is reserved to the UK Government, we are committed to avoiding inappropriate use of zero hours contracts throughout Scotland.

We are taking action to tackle insecure work through Fair Work First, the Scottish Government’s policy for driving high quality, fair work. In May 2022, we published updated Statutory Guidance setting out how public bodies can address Fair Work First requirements in relevant public procurements, including no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and payment of the real Living Wage.

Fair Work First guidance - for those who are involved in the award and delivery of public sector contracts - makes clear the benefits of secure contracts to both workers and employers. Employers using zero hours contracts should be able to credibly explain their exceptional circumstance which leads to them using such contracts. Employers should also be able to explain the steps they are taking to review their business model to eliminate the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.

The infrastructure works currently being undertaken at Uig harbour are being led by Highland Council.

I fully appreciate that concerns remain around the impact of the berth closure on local communities and businesses. I have not yet given approval to the works to begin and have instructed Transport Scotland officials to look, again, at all viable mitigations which could be brought to bear with all relevant stakeholders.

As I confirmed in the chamber last week, the second strategic transport projects review recommendations include continued investment in ferry replacements and port upgrades to improve their resilience and reliability.

This is backed by our commitment in the Infrastructure Investment Plan to invest £580m over 5 years, including in the two new vessels for Islay and in the MV Loch Frisa.

From the outset, the Scottish Government’s decision-making on the COVID-19 vaccination programme has been guided by the expert advice provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and senior clinicians.

Spring 2022 Booster

On 21 February 2022, the JCVI advised that a spring booster dose be offered to the following groups:

adults aged 75 years and over

residents in care homes for older adults

individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed

Those who qualify as immunosuppressed as defined in chapter 14a of the Green book COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Autumn Booster

On 19 May 2022 the JCVI issued interim advice regarding the autumn 2022 COVID-19 boosters. The JCVI interim advice is to offer the autumn 2022 vaccination to the following groups:

Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults;

Frontline health and social care workers;

All those 65 years of age and over; and

Adults aged 16 to 65 years in a clinical risk group.

The JCVI will announce its final plans for the autumn programme, including further detail on the definitions of clinical risk groups, in due course and we stand ready to implement any further decisions on eligibility made by the JCVI.

There is a clinical referral route available for clinicians to refer anyone who they identify as requiring additional dose(s) of vaccine or a different dosing schedule for clinical reasons (in keeping with eligibility as recommended by JCVI), on a case by-case-basis.