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The Scottish Government is committed to decarbonising its passenger rail network and is continuing with the rolling programme of electrification as funding permits.

This is set out in Transport Scotland’s Decarbonisation Action Plan, which is planned as a dynamic document, with a refresh of the Plan underway. The refresh will examine the electrification programme, informed by progress with rolling stock procurement.

The information requested on how many midwives are currently employed on temporary contracts, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:

NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, contract type drop-down).

The 1,152 reported is the Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) fall in the NHS Scotland Nursing and Midwifery establishment over the six months to 30 June 2024. Care should be taken when comparing workforce data over a six month period as it will be influenced by seasonal patterns. The NHS Scotland Nursing and Midwifery establishment fell by 99 WTE in the year to 30 June 2024.

The Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland. However, operational matters, including staffing, are in the first instance the responsibility of each NHS board. Health Boards will set their establishment depending on the service needs, taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.

The paper shared by the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre at the last Grangemouth Future Industry Board was not specific to the Grangemouth Refinery.

The information requested on how many vacancies there currently are for midwives, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Vacancy tab).

The Scottish Government’s Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) provides funding for the implementation of multidisciplinary teams in primary care, including Community Link Workers. The PCIF was not subject to reductions announced in the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update so there has been no assessment of impacts.

The latest data that the Scottish Government holds on CLW numbers (to 31 March 2024) shows that CLW programmes in the six integration authorities within the Highlands and Islands region were funded (except for one post in Argyle and Bute) from integration authority PCIF allocations. These figures are published – please see the supplementary tables that accompany the summary report: Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Funding for flood resilience is distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. The allocation mechanism is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders on a national basis, rather than bespoke to each local authority, and as such there was no discussion around increasing flood resilience funding for local authorities within the Highlands and Islands region at the meeting on 5 September.

The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to a list of prioritised flood protection schemes, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.

Flood protection schemes are an effective way to improve flood resilience for the design flood, they are not an absolute guarantee that flooding will not occur. Events beyond the design flood are possible and a residual risk will always remain. It is up to individual local authorities to determine what level of protection they deem appropriate considering the impacts of climate change and wider environmental factors in the area of the flood protection works.

Operational matters are ultimately the responsibility of the infrastructure owner, including how their operations may be impacted in the event of a flood.

Where a flood protection development may have a significant impact on a European site, then under the Habitats Regulations an appropriate assessment must be carried out by the Local Authority to determine whether an impact on the integrity of the designated site is likely. Should the appropriate assessment conclude an adverse impact on integrity then the Local Authority must apply for a derogation from Scottish Ministers to allow the development to proceed. One of the three tests which must be satisfied under the Habitats Regulations before a derogation is granted is that the development is of imperative reasons of over-riding public interest.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the victim surcharge broken down in this way.

The victim surcharge came into force in Scotland on 25 November 2019 and applies to all persons who commit an offence on or after that date and who are subsequently convicted and receive a court fine. The amount payable is proportionate to the value of the fine imposed by the court. The surcharge is collected from offenders by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, in the same way it collects fines. Monies are then paid into the Victim Surcharge Fund, administered by the Scottish Government.

We publish an annual report detailing payments into and out of the Victim Surcharge Fund. Victim Surcharge Fund: annual report 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The reduction of £1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). The £1m reduction will result in reduced scope of some projects and delay in implementing other projects.

The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF is provided directly to Local Authorities and the £5 million allocated to this strand for 2024-25 has been redirected to help meet the public sector pay offer. Scottish Ministers have made a commitment to replace this funding in 2025-26. The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF supports the devolved delivery of nature restoration projects that best meet local priorities for climate and nature. It helps Local Authorities to deliver upon their commitment to the Edinburgh Declaration for biodiversity, and to meet their Biodiversity Duty in taking action to conserve biodiversity.

In the period 2021-22 to 2023-24, individual Local Authorities across the Highlands and Islands have received around £2.4 million from the Edinburgh Process NRF strand, to support a range of nature restoration projects.

This funding announcement has not affected the competitive strand of the NRF which is administered by NatureScot. Funding awarded is supporting 14 projects across Scotland including the Highland and Island region in 2024-25, for river and woodland restoration, rainforest regeneration, and restoring coastal habitats. Full details of projects funding by the NRF competitive strand can be found at Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) - Supported Projects | NatureScot.