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I am grateful to WWF Scotland for this contribution to the important discussion on how we cut emissions from our homes and buildings while – critically - ensuring a just transition for all households. The WWF is an important stakeholder, and a strong supporter of the outcomes that the Scottish Government is determined to achieve. The report aligns with our focus on the importance of energy efficiency and on heat pumps and heat networks. Our targets are ambitious, given the seriousness of the climate emergency and the size of the challenge to reduce emissions from our buildings. We will continue to do everything in our power to meet these targets, and to make Scotland’s homes more comfortable and affordable to heat.

Scotland’s homes and buildings currently account for around a fifth of all our greenhouse gas emissions, and we are committed to taking bold, ambitious steps to ensure we reduce these emissions to meet our climate obligations. Our Heat in Buildings Strategy sets a hugely ambitious vision to cut carbon and improve energy efficiency across Scotland’s homes over the coming years and the report notes that the policies and targets set out in the Strategy will meet our overall objective for 2045.

We recognise that this is a decisive decade for action which is why, since the Strategy was published, we have been working to support and speed up the delivery of zero direct emission heating systems: ensuring the sector is ready to accelerate and that households have the appropriate information, financial support and incentives to switch to climate-friendly heating systems. I look forward to consulting on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill in the coming months, and seeking views on our plans for regulation to accelerate green heating installation and higher energy efficiency standards in Scotland’s homes and buildings.

A follow up report detailing progress on implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Response to Deaths in Prison Custody was published in December 2022. This is available at: Independent Review of the Response to Deaths in Prison Custody: progress report - follow up .

Gillian Imery was appointed as an external chair to provide strategic leadership and oversight of the implementation in April last year and reported on progress.

The progress report outlined that three recommendations have been implemented and introduced into the system and another recommendation has been partially implemented and introduced into the system. Broken down by theme these are:

• Theme 1: Family contact with the prison and involvement in care

(a) and (b) 1 (recommendation 1.4)

• Theme 2: Policies and processes after a death

(a) and (b) 1, partially implemented (recommendation 2.2)

• Theme 3: Family contact and support following a death

(a) and (b) 1 (recommendation 3.1)

• Theme 4: Support for staff and other people held in prison after a death

(a) and (b) 0

• Theme 5: SPS and NHS documentation concerning a death

(a) and (b) 1 (recommendation 5.4)

The progress report recognises that some of the issues are complex and will take some time to resolve and implement. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the other agencies responsible for delivery including the Scottish Prison Service and NHS to continue to develop compassionate and robust processes that meet the needs of those in custody and their families.

A further report on progress will be prepared by Gillian Imery which is expected to be published later this year.

As the member will know, rail accessibility is reserved to the UK Government. However, my officials are in regular dialogue with the Department for Transport on matters of rail accessibility.

Nominations seeking Access for All funding for Control Period 7 (2024-2029) were submitted to the Department for Transport in time for the 16 September 2022 deadline. The Department for Transport is anticipated to announce successful nominations in Spring 2023.

Social Security Scotland does not routinely produce information on couples claiming social security benefits.

Information on the characteristics of applicants, including gender, is published as part of Official Statistics publications on Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis.

These statistics were most recently published in September 2021 and are available at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/social-security-scotland-client-diversity-and-equalities-analysis-to-may-2021.

There is currently work being undertaken to produce an update to this publication, which will be published by the end of summer 2023. This will cover the period from June 2021 to October 2022.

This Government firmly believes that every child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending university and participating in higher education.

We worked with Universities Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that all of Scotland’s higher education institutions committed to guaranteeing an offer of an undergraduate place at university to care-experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements. This was effective from autumn 2019 for learners entering university in autumn 2020.

We also introduced the Care Experienced Bursary in higher education in 2017 and further education in 2018, replacing loans with non-income assessed, non-refundable bursaries.

Many young people leaving school may first attend college before progressing to university at a later stage. In the college sector, 3.6% of enrolments to full-time HE and 9.6% of enrolments to full-time FE courses in 2020-21 were from care-experienced students.

University remained an attractive destination for many college qualifiers in 2020-21, with 41.6% going on to university. Of those who qualified in 2019-20, 93.0% of care-experienced leavers from full-time HE college courses and 94.0% from full-time FE courses with known destinations were in work or further study 3-6 months after qualifying.

The Scottish Government remains committed to “Keeping The Promise”. The Promise was published in February 2020 and highlighted the need for robust “scaffolding” or support network to support care leavers or those with care experience.

Continuing Care and Aftercare are both components of ground breaking measures introduced in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to improve outcomes for young people leaving care by supporting and developing positive transitions.

We are also committed to ensuring a range of positive destinations, including transition into employment and other training opportunities.

By the end of Q3 2022-23, there have been 401 new Modern Apprentice (MA) starts from individuals who self-identify as care-experienced, and 151 of these are in the 16-19 year old age bracket. Skills Development Scotland Management Information data shows that there are currently 630 care-experienced MAs in training, with 17 of these individuals in West Dunbartonshire.

Our national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), have operational responsibility for our MA programme and provide funding contributions towards the cost of training and assessing apprentices, on behalf of the Scottish Government. SDS continue to engage with training providers to support the promotion of apprenticeship opportunities to care experienced individuals.

Additionally, funded through our Developing the Young Workforce programme, MCR Pathways and Career Ready target young people from care-experienced and less advantaged socio-economic-cultural backgrounds and communities. Both are currently operating in West Dunbartonshire and help young people to progress to a positive post-school destination.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The release of non-native common pheasant and red-legged partridge for shooting purposes is permitted under Section 14 (2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There is no statutory requirement under this legislation (or any other) requiring those releasing non-native gamebirds to submit records of release sites.

The National Concessionary Travel Schemes are delivered on both Young Scot-branded and non-Young Scot-branded National Entitlement Cards (NEC).

Children aged 5-11 are able to access the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme (YPTS) using a photoless NEC. Young people aged 11-21 can choose to access the YPTS with either a Young Scot NEC or non-Young Scot branded photo NEC. Information on the types of NECs available to access YPTS is available at freebus.scot .

Young people in the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Disabled Persons aged 11-25 can choose to access the scheme through either a Young-Scot branded or non-branded NEC.

Non-concessionary travel benefits of the Young Scot NEC are the responsibility of Young Scot who determine the age at which this is available.

In Autumn 2022, Transport Scotland launched a national marketing campaign to increase awareness and understanding of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Analysis of the campaign was completed in February 2023 and showed that over 97% of the adult population in Scotland, and 94% of 13-18 year olds, would have seen or heard the campaign at least three times.

The evaluation also showed that the campaign helped to improve opinions of bus and increase bus use. Over half of those who responded to the post campaign survey said their opinion of bus travel improved as a result of the campaign. 91% of the young people who responded, and had already joined the scheme, said they were using bus more.

The Clydeport (COP 26 etc.) Harbour Revision Order (HRO) will not be revoked. The Order was put in place to cover a number of issues, including granting extraordinary powers to Clydeport for security purposes during COP26. As detailed in the Order, the extraordinary powers granted to Clydeport automatically terminated at 11.59pm on 15 November 2021, which was the last day of COP26. The Clydeport (COP 26 etc.) Harbour Revision Order was subjected to the full statutory approval process applied to all HROs.

Details of the current membership of Scottish Rail Holdings Board is available on Companies House via the following link:- https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC548826

The Chief Executive Officer, Rail Business Director, Finance Director and General Counsel of Scottish Rail Holdings are normally permanent roles. The Non-Executive Directors of Scottish Rail Holdings Board were appointed on an interim basis to the 31 March 2023.