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To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the scheme, offering support to as wide a number of beneficiaries as possible.

Faced with significant budget cuts resulting from the UK Government reneging on public commitments that farmers and crofters would not be worse off as a result of the EU Exit, this has led to the difficult decision to suspend some elements of the 2023 round, including public funding for muirburn and heather cutting.

Those with existing AECS contracts or new contracts, following the 2022 AECS awards announced on 19 January 2023, which contain muirburn and heather cutting will continue to be supported.

Support for heather restoration through AECS has been suspended since 2020 following advice from NatureScot that the commonly used chemical treatment was not tested for use in rough grazing and upland areas. This treatment had negative implications for biodiversity and carbon sequestration. As there is no suitable alternative, this option was suspended. If in future, a chemical treatment is approved by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) for use in upland areas this decision will be reviewed. Existing commitments at the time of suspension were removed without penalty.

Pesticide products can only be authorised where the available evidence shows that they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health, animals and the environment.

The Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics quantify emissions from fishing vessels at sea. This is an estimate based on activity data and statistical modelling. In 2020, the latest year available, these were 0.3 mega tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). Marine Scotland Directorate, through ClimateXChange, commissioned research to obtain improved estimates of emissions from fishing vessels at sea. The full report can be accessed at https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/assessing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-scotland-s-fishing-fleet/ .

As detailed in in response to S6W-12151 on 24 November 2022, the UK Climate Change Committee briefing on blue carbon , published in March 2022, recognised the challenges in estimating the climate change impact of fishing through disturbance to sea floor sediments and the current, significant evidence gaps. The briefing concluded that fundamental scientific uncertainties currently prevent accurate quantification of this effect. This has been an area of focus for the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum since its establishment in 2018, and we continue to develop our approaches to better understand the interaction. The latest research suggests that any disturbance of blue carbon by fisheries is not uniform, dependant on a number of factors and the consequences for blue carbon disturbed remain unknown.

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 are not responsible for the staffing of the National Wellbeing Hub website. Funding is provided to NHS Lothian who are responsible for managing the website and the resourcing required.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the sustainability of local news as a key part of the public interest news sector in Scotland. In 2021, we established the Public Interest Journalism Working Group to consider the long-term sustainability of public interest journalism, including local news, and to recommend ways to ensure its ongoing resilience. We responded to the Group’s recommendations on 24 June 2022. This included a commitment to facilitate a Roundtable event to support the creation of a new Scottish Public Interest Journalism Institute, which was held on 23 November. While it is not for Scottish Government to influence the remit of the Institute, it is likely, in line with the Working Group’s recommendations, that part of its role will be to support local news.

The Scottish Government and public bodies also use local media, including newspaper, to promote initiatives such as public health campaigns.

No expressions of interest have been received by the Scottish Government as the Community Bus Fund has not launched. Officials have engaged with local authority representatives ATCO and CoSLA, who have indicated the general feedback from local authorities on the Community Bus Fund has been positive.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Lochmaddy project is estimated to cost £21million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £15,747million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CNES) as statutory harbour authority.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Tarbert (Harris) project is estimated to cost £23million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £19.599million with the remaining contribution to be met by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) as statutory harbour authority.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Uig project is estimated to cost £64million. Our response to the Freedom of Information request: 2022/00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £38million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Highland Council as statutory harbour authority.

The proposal for the procurement of what became vessels 801 and 802 was set out in the Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP) Annual Report 2014 vrdp-annual-report-2014.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

The recently published Ferries Plan 2013-2022 had concluded that the level of services then in place on the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy routes met identified community needs. Vessel 802 was earmarked for initial deployment to those services, to bring additional vehicle deck capacity; noting that the deployment plan would be reviewed prior to delivery.

Information on school facilities is not held nationally by the Scottish Government. Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to manage and maintain their school estate. They would be best placed to advise on facilities in their schools. In line with our principles of inclusion, the Scottish Government encourages schools to deliver a positive learning environment; one that supports the child’s or young person’s learning and wellbeing, creates a sense of safety, encourages participation and reduces stress.

In 2022, we ran a public consultation on the draft of the new physical intervention in schools guidance Physical intervention in schools: draft guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The draft human rights-based guidance is clear that restraint and seclusion should only be used as a last resort to prevent a child or young person coming to harm. Safeguards must be followed at all times. This position is also clear in existing guidance on the use of physical intervention and seclusion.

We are carefully considering all consultation responses received and recognise that there are calls for further legislation in this area. A consultation analysis report is currently being prepared. Alongside the publication of the guidance, and in line with our original commitments, we are exploring options to strengthen the legal framework in this area, including placing the guidance on a statutory basis.