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The time charters for the MV Helliar and MV Hildasay are currently a commercial arrangement between Serco Northlink Ferries and Seatruck. The Minister for Transport and the Islands, has however met with the CEO of Seatruck on 10 November 2016, to discuss the issues around staff pay on the freight vessels. Following a constructive meeting, further work will be undertaken by Seatruck and Transport Scotland to try and resolve the current situation.

The manufacturing sector remains a vital part of the Scottish economy. The Scottish Government is well aware of its importance and the implications that Brexit will have on the sector, its associated industries and their supply chains. Our priority is to protect all of Scotland’s interests and we are considering all possible steps to ensure Scotland’s continuing relationship with the EU. The UK Government has yet to set out its preferred model to underpin the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Other member states are also yet to collectively set out the relationship that they would wish the EU to have with the UK in the future.

In contrast to England, where the corresponding plant and machinery exemption only applies temporarily, plant and machinery for any micro-generation relying on a solar power source has since 2009 been permanently excluded from rating valuation in Scotland.

The construction sector and associated supply chains are a vital part of the Scottish economy and partly depend on labour from across the EU. It is estimated that in 2015 some seven thousand employees in the construction sector were from EU member states (non UK). Our priority is to protect all of Scotland’s interests and we are considering all possible steps to ensure Scotland’s continuing relationship with the EU. The UK Government has yet to set out its preferred model to underpin the UK’s future relationship with the EU and, indeed, appears to be all at sea amidst internal wrangling over what, if any, strategy to take.

Legal advice is procured via a Collaborative Framework which commenced on 1 August 2015. The Scottish Government Legal Directorate (SGLD) provides the Scottish Ministers with their legal advice. In respect of legal advice which is procured, Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate manages the overarching Framework and SGLD manages the contracts it lets under it.

The Scottish Government will publish proposals over the coming weeks that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU, even if the rest of the UK is intending to leave the single market. As part of this, the Scottish Government is considering the potential risks and implications of the UK leaving the EU across a range of sectors.

The Scottish Government began preparing its proposals for protecting Scotland’s interest and to stay in the single market immediately after the EU Referendum vote. This is being informed by the Standing Council on Europe, which was established by the First Minister to provide the Scottish Government with independent, expert advice on how Scotland’s interests can best be protected following the EU referendum.

It is for individual public bodies to determine their approaches to consideration of the implications ofthe EU referendum result, in the context of wider business planning and risk management. The Scottish Government has discussed this issue with Chief Executives of these bodies.

The Scottish Government will publish proposals over the coming weeks that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU, even if the rest of the UK is intending to leave the single market. The Scottish Government has met with the UK Government to discuss negotiations and will update the Scottish Parliaments as negotiations unfold.

The Scottish Government 2015 Sea Fisheries Employment Report estimates that:

• 73 per cent of employees working in the Scottish fleet are UK citizens;

• 8 per cent are citizens of European Economic Area countries; and,

• 19 per cent are citizens of countries outside the European Economic Area.