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There are a range of training providers across Scotland delivering training for apprenticeships including Independent Training Providers, Colleges, Universities and Third Sector Organisations.

The number of Modern Apprenticeship contracts by year are as follows:

• 2018-19 – 268
• 2019-20 – 256
• 2020-21 – 255
• 2021-22 – 243
• 2022-23 – 228

The number of Foundation Apprenticeship providers were as follows:

• 2018 – 17
• 2019 – 39
• 2020 – 39
•  2021 – 40
• 2022 – 39

The number of Graduate Apprenticeship providers were as follows:

• 2018-19 – 13
• 2019-20 – 15
• 2020-21 – 14
• 2021-22 – 12
• 2022-23 – 12

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Work within Inverclyde Council’s Pottery Street depot has been progressing well, although there has been some delay to starting work on the A8 itself due to other urgent utility work. For the section of work on the A8, Scottish Water’s forecast start date is at the end of June, with an anticipated completion by mid- to end-December. Information on the project is published online at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/In-Your-Area/Investments-in-Your-Area/A8-Greenock

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) Survey provides estimates of employment in offshore wind across the countries of the UK.

The 2021 LCREE estimates show that 3,100 Full Time Equivalent Staff (FTE) were directly employed in offshore wind in Scotland. There is no regional breakdown of the data available.

The results in LCREE are survey-based, the data is gathered from a sample rather than the whole population. The estimates are therefore subject to uncertainty, which is expressed through the publication of confidence intervals alongside the data.

The latest version of the LCREE publication can be found here: Low carbon and renewable energy economy, UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

A detailed update against each of the BAA recommendations was included in a recent NHS Lothian Board meeting, these can be accessed at NHS Lothian Board Papers 05 April 2023.pdf

NHS Lothian have confirmed that at the time of the BAA audit, the PCHI register had 643 patients recorded. 107 of those were aged greater than 18 years of age. As of 16 May 2023 there are 725 children on the PCHI register. This is a dynamic register adding children when hearing loss is diagnosed, and transitioning young people to adult care when exiting education.

Whilst it is possible for NHS Lothian to identify which local authority children on this register reside, this information is not routinely recorded and NHS Lothian have committed to provide this information which will be shared with the member when it is available.

NHS Lothian advise that behavioural testing is undertaken where part of the agreed clinical pathway. To date 89 children have attended for behavioural testing.

With regards to progress made on reviewing auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing undertaken in the previous five years, and when any report on this will be published. This work has been completed by the BAA with a review of all ABRs of all births back to 2017. The second report from the BAA will be made publicly available in July 2023 when all the reviews are completed.

NHS Lothian have confirmed that 147 children were identified by the BAA for clinical review.

As of 16 May 2023, there are 26 who have had a missed diagnosis, delayed management, or a change to their management since the recall process started. In some cases, the change to management was not as a direct result of the audit in isolation.

31 children have since been recalled by the service following the review of the permanent congenital hearing impairment (PCHI) record.

Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on payments issued for Funeral Support Payment as part of quarterly official statistics releases.

Excel tables released as part of these publications include information on the value of payments issued by local authority and financial year.

The latest statistics on Funeral Support Payment were released on 16 May 2023 covering data to 31 March 2023. These statistics can be found at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/about/statistics/social-security-scotland-statistics-publications .

Closures of the A9 between Inverness and Perth due to an accident between 2018 and 2023 (to date), month by month are detailed in the following table:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17864 on 23 May 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17864 on 23 May 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 works with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and stakeholders to protect the natural environment and wildlife from water shortages. Our River Basin Management Plan identifies areas in Scotland already impacted by abstractions and sets out objectives to improve those watercourses.

Over the last 12 months SEPA have continued to implement Scotland’s national water scarcity plan which sets out how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather. SEPA has also produced regular water scarcity reports during the summer months.

SEPA and the Scottish Government continues to work closely with stakeholders to assist businesses in their planning for managing future seasonal water shortages. This includes launching a communications campaign on 2 May to raise awareness, and work over the past 12 months alongside the Farm Advisory Service to ensure businesses have the information they need to prepare for water scarcity.

Scottish Water has reduced leakage from its public water supply system, and is also providing advice and guidance to business and domestic water users. For agricultural businesses, the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme has offered support for establishing irrigation lagoons to improve water storage.

Section 8 and section 8A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (the 1997 Act) make provision for civil non-harassment orders (NHOs).

Since 2018-2019, we have included data in the Civil justice statistics in Scotland on all legal remedies (craves) sought in the courts, including craves for civil NHOs.

In 2021-2022, 12 civil non-harassment orders were sought in the sheriff courts where the NHO was the principal crave in the proceedings and 55 were sought in the sheriff courts as ancillary craves in family proceedings. The available data for 2020-2021 indicates that there were 32 prosecutions and 31 convictions where the main charge related to the breach of a civil NHO.

We have placed the available data about the numbers of civil NHOs granted where the NHO was the principal crave, and the numbers of prosecutions and convictions for breaches of civil NHOs since 2008-2009 in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib. No. 64214.

The figures for the number of civil NHOs granted and for prosecutions and convictions for breaches of civil non-harassment orders are taken from the statistical information held by the Scottish Government. Figures in this area should be treated with caution as applications for civil non-harassment orders may be an ancillary crave in an initial writ and so may not always appear in the statistics. Section 3.2 of Civil justice statistics in Scotland 2021-22 (www.gov.scot) discusses the statistical approach to ancillary craves. In addition, there is separate provision for non-harassment orders to be issued in criminal proceedings.

As the answer to question S6W-15303 notes, the civil remedy of interdict, which can prohibit or restrain specified behaviour, is also available. In practice, interdicts are much more commonly sought than civil non-harassment orders. In 2021-2022, the most recent year for which we have published statistics , there were around 1300 craves for interdict in family procedure cases initiated in the sheriff courts.