Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government will always be guided by the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Scotland on constitutional matters.

Consultation was undertaken prior to publishing design guidance on bus stop bypasses in the updated ‘Cycling by Design’ document in 2021, and considered impacts on those walking and wheeling as they interact with cycling infrastructure. The consultation included representation from the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, Guide Dogs Scotland, Royal National Institute of Blind People, Spinal Injuries Scotland, Living Streets, Cycling UK and Cycling Without Age.

To inform the design guidance further, Transport Scotland commissioned Living Streets in 2021 to investigate issues of inclusion where bus stop bypasses have been introduced, primarily to accommodate cycle facilities. The study has visited sites across the UK, photographing, measuring and recording behaviours of pedestrian and cyclists, and has analysed footage using fixed cameras. The study has also included a literature review, and consultation with a wide range of user groups including disabled people and others who are most at risk. The study is due to report late summer 2023.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Scottish Academy Trainee Doctors' Group, to discuss areas of mutual interest.

Through our Fair Work First policy, we are applying Fair Work criteria to as many public contracts as we can. Employers are being asked to commit to adopting a range of fair work practices including: no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts; and fair pay including payment of the real Living Wage.

The Scottish Government considers fair pay as a clear way that an employer can demonstrate a commitment to their workforce alongside wider Fair Work First criteria. We routinely apply Fair Work criteria including the real Living Wage in our contracts. And while public bodies are responsible for their own procurement decisions, we are engaging with relevant sectors to encourage this approach across the whole of the public sector in Scotland.

• In May 2021 we published updated statutory guidance issued under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to reflect development of the Scottish Government’s policy on Fair Work First, including payment of the real Living Wage and its application within Scottish public procurement.
• We are updating our best practice guidance to support the practical application of Fair Work First through public procurement.
• We have developed tools and guidance to help public bodies identify and address how they can optimise the economic, social and environmental outcomes of their procurement activity. These include a focus on Fair Work First including the real Living Wage.

I am pleased to confirm that from Academic Year 2023-24 all students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for home fees status and student financial support in Further Education and Higher Education:

• Ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the relevant date;
• Ordinarily resident in Scotland on the relevant date; and
• Granted a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, where that leave has not expired.

As the British National (Overseas) visa would be considered a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, a student holding this visa would be eligible for support in the event that they satisfy the remaining criteria.

Council tax is a local tax and responsibility for collection and enforcement rests with individual local authorities. Ministers are encouraging local government to adopt the best practice in debt assistance and collection identified in the Collaborative Council Tax Collection Guide, published jointly by Stepchange and The Improvement Service, whilst the Council Tax Reduction Scheme means nobody should have to meet a council tax liability they cannot be expected to afford.

It has always been our intention to develop these ambitious proposals in close collaboration with those impacted by them – in particular, people living and working in our island and coastal communities.

Prior to the consultation, we met with over 20 stakeholder groups representing a wide range of marine industries and users. We also ran ten online information sessions from February - April to help anyone wishing to provide a response to our consultation. These meetings included fisheries organisations such as the Communities Inshore Fisheries Alliance.

We continue to engage with communities and industry as we consider the many thousands of responses to our initial, broad consultation.

Local representatives of Scotland’s fishing industry are an important part of that.

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-15158 on 13 March 2023. 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-led Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Group has met regularly since being set up following a Ministerial round table event held in June 2021.

The meetings are informal and provide members with the opportunity to share information and to collaborate on ideas of how best to raise awareness of Lyme disease. The Group have met 4 times, most recently on 16 March 2023.

The group co-designed the Scottish Government led Lyme Disease awareness raising campaign which ran in July 2022, and were most recently involved in the 2023 campaign which has seen posters and information cards in all community pharmacies across Scotland throughout May. The group were also involved in the proposal to run a follow up campaign, which will see posters in GP practices, libraries and leisure centres in the summer.

As stated in my response to S6W-17912 on 25 May 20223 “Work commenced in December 2022 to develop alternative metrics for Scotland’s offshore wind potential and the outcome of this work will be published in due course.”

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