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The National Care Service Bill proposes to enable the National Care Service (NCS) to support Fair Work in the sector, by including Fair Work within the guiding principles of the NCS (section 1 of the Bill) and establishing it as an exemplar of Fair Work. The NCS ethical commissioning strategies will also need to reflect these principles, and will therefore be a key tool for ensuring Fair Work is embedded in the way services are planned and provided. Services commissioned by the NCS, of whatever ownership type, will have to ensure they meet Fair Work and ethical commissioning standards and requirements.

NHS Lothian is currently refreshing the Outline Business Case for the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion replacement project and will subsequently submit a Full Business Case to the Scottish Government. The FBC will undergo the usual scrutiny and approval processes for infrastructure and investment projects within NHSScotland and a response will be provided once this process has concluded.

NatureScot has advised that there is no evidence of spread of avian influenza from poultry or gamebirds to wild birds within the UK. There is no evidence to support further disease control measures on game bird operation activities beyond those already in place, which includes a ban on releasing game birds in all disease control zones. We are closely monitoring the situation and will review disease control measures as appropriate.

Savings in carbon emissions from replacement of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) rolling stock are calculated using emission rates from the DfT’s TAG Databook A3.3 (November 2021). This is undertaken when each individual project or line of route reaches the Outline Business Case stage of development.

The Scottish Government plans to gather information on implementation of the Site Licencing Scheme from Local Authorities in due course, to inform a review of the Scheme before the end of this Parliament.

In 2021-22, total funding of £1.1 million has been provided to Care & Repair (C&R). This was, in addition to the £1 million allocated to Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) for its Home Fire Safety Visit programme to install interlinked fire alarms in the homes of those at highest risk.

Our funding for Care and Repair has enabled them to fit interlinked fire alarms to 2,421 households, with a further 1,466 households still to be completed. C&R average costs for a supply and fit of the battery operated fire alarms for a typical 3 bedroom home was £300.

The Scottish Government funding was for battery-powered alarms, which do not require alarms to be connected to the mains electricity supply by a qualified electrician.

The Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our rail freight strategy and put into practice with significant investment and a first of a kind regulatory growth target. Our £25 million ring-fenced fund for rail freight for the period 2019-24 is unique to Scotland and we continue to offer Freight Facilities Grants unlike some other parts of the UK. These funding opportunities are generating private investment in rail freight facilities and unlocking opportunities for rail freight across the country.

Our rolling programme of efficient electrification, detailed in the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan, will also encourage and facilitate modal shift to rail freight as it brings significant environmental benefits, improves connectivity and creates additional capacity supporting the key role rail freight has to play in helping us achieve our transport emission targets.

The release of red-leg partridges and pheasants is a legal activity and is permitted under s14 2A of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

A moratorium on the release of non-native gamebirds could be applied where it would be in the public interest to suspend this activity. To date, there has been no evidence to support a moratorium on non-native gamebird releases.

Detailed cost analysis for all of the routes included in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan are undertaken on a phased basis as initial plans for each route are progressively prepared.

Scotland’s widespread vaccination coverage and access to new Covid treatments have meant we are now in different phase of the pandemic. On 1 May, testing changed from a population-wide intervention to a targeted response, focused on reducing severe harm of the virus.

Testing remains available to specific groups in order to protect people in higher risk settings and to support clinical care. You can still access testing if:

• you work in NHS health or social care settings
• you have a health condition which means you’re eligible for new coronavirus treatments
• you're going into hospital for surgery or a procedure
• you're visiting a hospital or care home
• you're an unpaid carer
• you're applying for the self-isolation support grant

Those not eligible for testing, should follow the guidance to stay at home in order to aid recovery, and to reduce the risk of passing your illness onto others if they experience symptoms and have a fever or feel unwell. Up to date Stay at Home guidance can be found online at www.nhsinform.scot/covid19 .