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The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific analysis, regarding the impact of disruption to ferry services on investment and employment in the islands, however, recognise the importance of the provision of safe and reliable lifeline ferry services for investment, employment and for our island economies.

Scotland’s ferry network has a wide ranging impact on National Outcomes: from connecting individuals to employment opportunities; supporting business and freight movements; facilitating access to essential public services and transporting tourists to/from the islands. These priorities are developed through evidence-based policy making, through which consideration is applied to relevant statistics and data, research evidence and publications.

A key objective of the National Islands Plan is to “Review the availability, usefulness of, and the wider barriers to, island level data both at an individual island level, groups of islands and consider the creation of a “Scottish Islands” data level in order to better understand the challenges faced by island communities.” Our National Islands Plan Survey has supported this process.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) submitted evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s inquiry into a modern and sustainable ferry service for Scotland, evidence of which is published on the Scottish Parliament website . In their response, HIE referenced the impact on businesses of disruption to ferry services. The agency has sought feedback through its Panel Surveys on issues relating to transport. In response to a 2021 survey, a majority (71%) of islands businesses said that they relied on ferries and, for those reliant on ferries, the resilience and reliability of services was seen as particularly important.

We are determined to support, protect and enhance lifeline services for residents, communities and industries that rely on them. Ferry services are key to supporting the economic, social and cultural development of island communities and operators ensure where possible and when safe to do so, that services are provided to maintain service provision.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12387 on 29 November 2022. 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

In 2020, 6.4% of non-electrical heat demand was met by renewable technologies. This represents an increase of 4.5 percentage points (up from 1.9%) since 2010 and an increase of 0.2 percentage points from 2019.

The most recent statistics on renewable heat in Scotland are published in the 'Renewable Heat in Scotland – 2020 report’ ( Renewable-heat-in-Scotland-2020-report-version-2 ; produced for the Scottish Government by Energy Saving Trust).

As set out in the ‘Heat in Buildings Strategy: 2022 update’ ( Heat in Buildings Strategy: 2022 update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , we will publish an update to our heat statistics in May 2023 as part of the Climate Change Plan monitoring report. This will not only align with our climate change reporting, but will also provide more time to gather and review the necessary statistics.

The funding round which took place between August and September 2021 received a total of 65 applications from across the food processing sector. The breakdown of applications by local authority was as follows:

We are delivering person-centred, tailored services to those further from the labour market through a combination of locally designed services (No One Left Behind) and our national employment service Fair Start Scotland. We provide support that is flexible, person-centred, and aligned with other key services including health, justice, housing and advice services. Support is tailored to the individual’s specific circumstances, people with convictions are eligible for support through both No One Left Behind and Fair Start Scotland.

We are currently working with the Scottish Prison Service, Disclosure Scotland and DWP to further enhance our employability offer for people with convictions and have undertaken specific work to help promote the service offer to individuals with convictions pre and post-liberation, ensuring support is available immediately on release.

Scottish Government officials make provisional overseas travel plans as part of official government business diary management and planning for Ministers. Until the date of the visit, these are provisional and contingent on Parliamentary Business and other commitments and issues arising. They are also subject to last minute changes.

All Ministerial engagements and travel information (including costs) are proactively released 3 months in arrears and available here Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Information regarding the distance of the journeys (miles travelled by air) can be released in response to a PQ or FOI after the event on request, or calculated based on the information released when the visit has been completed.

The valuation of all non-domestic property, including the sites of ATMs, is a matter for the Scottish Assessors who are independent of local and Scottish Government.

We are aware that Assessors were considering the valuation of ATM sites and they concluded that in most retail premises it is likely that such sites will be deleted from the Valuation Roll. Assessors are in the process of carrying out this exercise.

Where a property is removed from the Valuation Roll, the ratepayer will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid rates back to the effective date of deletion.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the use of technology in healthcare environments to improve health outcomes and to create jobs. Support includes the funding of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre and the Medical Devices Manufacturing Centre at Heriot Watt University.

The Scottish Government has also provided City Region Deals funding to develop innovation development capacity across Scotland, including the Inverness Campus which will generate new commercial opportunities in the sector including for companies developing products and services to help with assisted living.

The enterprise agencies also support with a suite of financial support and guidance including through R&D grant funding.

Scottish Government Officials are working towards holding the first meeting of the Joint Regulatory Taskforce as soon as possible and aim to hold before the end of 2022. Communications to key stakeholders to facilitate this will be issued shortly.

The Taskforce will also support and drive early progress towards meeting our commitments in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to review and improve the process of developing, implementing and reviewing regulation to meet our economic and societal aims. Reviewing regulatory burdens on business will be a critical component of this work and we will seek to balance the essential role that regulation plays on driving innovation and achieving economic, societal and environmental goals with the concerns that businesses have expressed about the impact of new regulations during the cost crisis.

While the Taskforce was announced as part of the Emergency Budget Review in response to the ongoing cost crisis, it is also expected to help support the work towards the longer term goals. Therefore, there is no set date for the conclusion of its work but the terms of reference will be subject to ongoing review to ensure the group continues to be in the best position to support the delivery of these goals.

The latest available information on the number of people convicted under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament is provided in the following table.

Number of people proceeded and convicted under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (where main crime) in Scottish courts, 1999-2000 to 2020-21.