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I am advised by Transport Scotland that CalMac Ferries informed West Coast Motors, who operate the bus service on Mull, of their revised timetable for the Oban-Craignure route on 29 December 2022. A revised bus timetable was implemented by West Coast Motors between 31 December 2022 and 8 January 2023 allowing ferry connections.

Scottish Ministers have no locus in this decision. Transport links across the Corran Narrows are wholly the responsibility of The Highland Council and, as such, any decision to replace ferries or deliver a fixed link (including funding of this) would be a matter for the Local Authority. Therefore, the Scottish Government has not undertaken any specific consultation regarding future transport options for Corran Narrows.

The Scottish Government recently completed a national review of future transport infrastructure. The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was an example of effective collaboration with stakeholders and the public. It included a considerable programme of engagement activities at a national and regional level with participation from local residents and business owners at various points throughout the process, including within the Lochaber area.

We continue to monitor the introduction of the £2 fare cap in England, however in Scotland we already provide free bus travel for more of the population compared to the rest of the UK, investing £300 million annually to the benefit of over 2 million people, helping improve access to education, leisure, and work. The network support grant plus was also extended to 31 March 2023 which is conditional on participating operators meeting terms and conditions including in relation to freezing fares to help keep bus travel more affordable.

Additionally, the Scottish Government is progressing the Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the long term viability of our public transport system as we recover from the pandemic. The Review is considering both the cost and availability of services and the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry.

Transport Scotland continues to collaborate with bus operators through the bus taskforce, to support the industry in addressing the immediate challenges, and improve bus services for people in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01862 on the 2 February 2023 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 02/02/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website .

We know that poverty is a key driver of poor mental health, and that those already struggling with poor mental health and money worries are likely to be amongst the hardest hit.

It is vital, therefore, that people can access the right practical advice and support to help them cope with the cost of living crisis and that this is accessible to everyone who needs it, in a range of formats.

Officials routinely engage with individual NHS Boards, providing a platform for Boards to openly discuss any particular pressures they are seeing with government. These meetings include discussion around the impact the cost of living is having on systems, referral rates and severity of presentations. This helps inform government policy around this issue, and is routinely escalated to Ministers. We also provide Boards with access to professional advice to manage any impacts the cost of living crisis has on services.

We have invested £36 million over 2021-22 and 2022-23 through our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults which seeks to address the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and the cost crisis. The Fund aims to build and develop capacity within community organisations and grass roots groups to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and has a particular focus on supporting at-risk groups including people facing socio-economic disadvantage. A range of community projects have been funded in 2021-22 which provide financial support and advice which can help provide a response to the cost crisis affecting communities across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has also launched a dedicated Cost of Living portal, signposting to helpful information across a range of subjects including energy and bills; debt and money; children and families; and health and wellbeing. Cost of living crisis - Cost of Living Support Scotland (campaign.gov.scot) .

Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, as the operator of 11 airports across the Highland and Islands and Dundee, assessed the potential impact of the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union on 1 February 2023 as part of their day to day business continuity planning. They concluded that there would be no impact on their operations and did not anticipate any disruption to passengers.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessments regarding the social and economic benefits of a fixed link across the Corran Narrows.

The Scottish Government is aware of work carried out by HITRANS on behalf of The Highland Council to consider a range of options for the Corran Narrows. As any decision to deliver a fixed link would be a matter for Local Authority, it would not be for the Scottish Government to undertake a socioeconomic assessment.

Since publication of the Independent External View of Skye, Lochalsh and South-West Ross Report in May 2018 by Sir Lewis Ritchie. Scottish Government officials have been in regular contact with NHS Highland to assess progress.

Sir Lewis Ritchie has made four review visits to Portree (in 2018, 2019 and twice in 2022). He also made an additional virtual meeting assessment of progress in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Sir Lewis has met (virtually) with a number of clinicians on Skye on two occasions in January 2023. That engagement process continues and Sir Lewis plans to return to Skye, Lochalsh and South-West Ross for further in-person meetings later in 2023.

The Independent External View of Skye, Lochalsh and South-West Ross Report written by Sir Lewis Ritchie contained 15 recommendations. Progress has been made on most of the recommendations, including preservation of in-patient bed provision at Portree Hospital, increasing Scottish Ambulance Service capacity, restoring sustainable out of hours care to the communities of Raasay and Glenelg & Arnisdale and promoting digital innovation - the SkyeLab* project.

24/7 urgent care provision at Portree Hospital was partially suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 and then fully suspended in 2022, because of severe staff shortages. Workforce recruitment and retention issues continue to be a challenge for all health services, something which is not just felt in the Highlands and Islands but across the UK. Partial restoration of the out of hours (OOH) service at Portree Hospital began on 9 January 2023 with weekend and public holiday opening 9am-6pm. In 2022, Sir Lewis Ritchie made two visits to Skye (in May and November) to assess progress, a further visit is planned for later in 2023.

The main focus of the Daily Mile programme has been to embed the Daily Mile in Primary school settings and data collection has focussed on these settings. A new Daily Mile Strategy is being developed which will outline priorities over the next 3 years for expanding the Daily Mile. It will take a targeted approach, focussing on Early Years settings and areas of deprivation. Data will be collected to measure progress in embedding the Daily Mile in these settings.