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When we process payments, some will have cross compliance applied to them. If the beneficiary does not comply with the requirements and standards, we deduct this during the payment calculation for EU funding, so in effect, return this to the Commission. For Scottish Government funding, this reduces the actual spend and so increases the Scottish Government budget remaining.

For penalties post payment, EU recovered penalties are returned to the Commission and the Scottish Government recovered penalties are returned to the scheme budget, increasing the budget remaining.

The Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy sets out our approach to monitoring and ensures that the necessary evidence continues to be collected from the MPA network. A risk-based approach is used to provide a logical framework for planning and prioritising monitoring activities, as not all sites can be monitored every year.

Details of MPAs which have been surveyed and upcoming plans for monitoring can be found in the MPA Monitoring Strategy annexes available here: Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy (webarchive.org.uk) .

Since the Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy was published in 2017, The Scottish Government has been working with NatureScot and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) surveying sites from 2018 to present day. Details of most recent surveys can be found in the following table:

We recognise that performance in NHS Forth Valley is not satisfactory. We continue to offer tailored support to Boards, including NHS Forth Valley, in the form of advice from the Scottish Government CAMHS Professional Advisor, Quality Improvement Advisor, Data Analyst and policy support. A local improvement plan is in place with the current focus being on clearing longest waits first. We are monitoring progress on this closely.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19223 on 28 June 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

Offshore wind developers, oil and gas companies and relevant trade unions have already expressed their support for a solution which helps facilitate a fairer and more streamlined workforce transition across offshore sectors.

Through its Just Transition Fund, the Scottish Government continues to support a cross sectoral Energy Skills Passport solution, and we will work closely with all stakeholders to help promote its successful delivery.

The Scottish Government has had no engagement with the administrators of British Polar Engines Limited.

The Scottish Government does not publish local authority analysis for single years from the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), due to insufficient sample sizes.

The Scottish Government does usually publish local authority analysis using a three year pooled data set to ensure sufficient sample sizes. As set out in the most recent Scottish House Condition Survey 2021 Key Findings Report, (available at Scottish House Condition Survey 2021 ) there will be no Local Authority publication relating to the 2019 to 2021 three year period for two reasons.

Firstly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the SHCS survey was suspended and there is no data for 2020. Secondly, the data from the 2021 external+ SHCS is not directly comparable with that for earlier years, due to methodological differences, and therefore it would not be appropriate to combine it with the data for 2019 (or earlier) to produce a multi-year analysis.

The role of legal services are central to the protection of human rights and freedoms, playing a vital role in upholding the rule of law and providing access to justice.

In this regard, the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill sets out a regulatory objective “to protect and promote the interests of consumers and the wider public interest”. There must be a public interest in ensuring that the basic needs of all citizens are satisfied.

Ministers are clear in their understanding of the need for independence in the legal profession, the Bill sets out a regulatory objective “to promote an independent, strong and diverse legal profession”.

There remains a need for regulation to operate in the public interest as well as that of the legal profession. Therefore, there should be a process to review the performance of a regulator in the light of issues being raised on how and whether regulators are delivering their regulatory objectives and the operation of regulation in relation to the public interest.

The provisions contained in the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill were considered by Cabinet in advance of the Bill being introduced to the Scottish Parliament.

As set out in the news release published on the Scottish Government website on 31 May, we recognise that proposals can take some time to be fully developed, so we have planned for up to £500,000 loan funding per annum to be available for investment in suitable proposals. We would strongly encourage prospective applicants to contact us in the earliest stages of their considerations via activescotland@gov.scot.

There is no recommended minimum distance between onshore wind turbines and residential properties. Policy 11 of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) makes clear that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation will demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.