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The Scottish Government hold data on the number of journeys where children and young people are securely transported for the duration of a custodial sentence. Handcuffs are used in all journeys due to the type of vehicle used. The total number of journeys in the current contract period is:

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide an assessment of the modelled energy performance of buildings. The Scottish Government recognises that the information presented on EPCs needs to be reformed in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee. We consulted last year on reforming EPCs to introduce a new metric for energy efficiency. This is intended to ensure that the EPC metrics align with our net zero target.

Following our consultation, we are commissioning research to understand the implications of several options for the new energy efficiency metric. These options include an energy demand metric which would be based on the dwelling’s space heating and cooling demand. As set out in our consultation, we intend that EPCs will present the new energy efficiency metric alongside the current running cost and carbon emissions metrics.

The Women’s Health Plan is a three year strategy, published in August 2021, which underpins actions to improve women’s health inequalities. The Plan includes the long term ambition to adopt a life course approach across all services to improve women’s health holistically.

Through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland we aim to improve outcomes for people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland. The Plan sets out our priorities and commitments for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions including asthma.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08462 on 23 May 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 .

The Heat in Buildings Strategy (7 October 2021), committed to introducing primary legislation in the current session of the Scottish Parliament that would set a regulatory framework for heat and energy efficiency, as a key action to meeting Scotland’s statutory climate change targets.

This strategy proposes to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented, owner-occupied and social housing. Regulations are proposed to be introduced that will require all properties to meet a minimum standard equivalent to EPC C by 2033.

Subject to consultation, the Scottish Government is proposing that compliance with the standard may be required at a variety of trigger points, including following the completion of a sale and after the change of a tenancy (for private rented sector properties), where installation of energy efficiency measures is technically-feasible and cost-effective.

The Scottish Government will consult publicly on these proposals within the coming year.

Buildings which are the subject of a conversion, as defined under building regulations, are already required to meet current building standards, to the extent this is reasonably practicable.

Decisions to discharge patients are not made by Ministers, they are made by health and social care professionals, alongside the patient and their family, or their legal representative where applicable.

As was the case before the pandemic, where someone is most appropriately cared for after discharge is based on a multi-disciplinary assessment of the individual’s needs and wishes. There are a range of factors that clinicians will consider as part of this assessment, including clinical readiness for discharge and the best setting for meeting the individual’s needs.

If an attorney is unhappy with the decision to discharge a patient they can raise a complaint against the person or organisation who has taken the decision, or apply for directions from the sheriff under section 3(3) of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

Public Health Scotland undertook an analysis of discharges to care homes and found that care home size is very strongly related to outbreaks. That is, the risk of a care home outbreak increased progressively as the size of care home increased. Furthermore, there was no clear statistical evidence that hospital discharges were associated with care home outbreaks. The analysis was published on 21 April 2021 and can be found here: Discharges from NHSScotland hospitals to care homes - Between 1 March and 31 May 2020 (revised) - Discharges from NHSScotland hospitals to care homes - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Court programming is a matter for the senior judiciary, supported by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS have advised that jury trials resumed in Dumfries and Galloway on 19 April 2021, and since then the number of people cited for jury duty and excused on the grounds that they cannot reasonably travel to the Remote Jury Centre in Ayr is 128. During that period, no jury trials in Dumfries and Galloway were adjourned due to a lack of jurors.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government and will need to be requested through the respective Local Authorities. I can confirm however that we do not have any records of Local Authorities applying directly for support for organic farming under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures impacting on all sectors.

The National Care Home Contract determines the rates paid for residential care by Local Authorities. This is negotiated annually by COSLA, Scottish Care and Scotland Excel, the Scottish Government is not a contractual party to this agreement. However we are aware that the cost of living crisis was discussed and an agreement was reached to recognise some of the pressures.

To support care homes to recruit and retain staff we have funded an increase in the minimum hourly rate for those providing direct Adult Social Care rose to £10.50 p/h. This represents an increase 12.9% for these workers in the course of a year.

Additionally by the end of this Parliament we will have budgeted over £800m of increased annual support for social care compared to current spending. We continue to provide NHS Boards and Integration Authorities with the funding they require to meet the cost of responding to the pandemic, which comes on top of the £1.7bn already provided to Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships in 2020-21.

The Firth of Clyde cod spawning closure took place from 14 February to 30 April. During my appearance at the RAINE Committee on 9 March I committed Marine Scotland officials to meet with stakeholders after the closure both to hear their thoughts on how it has worked from their perspective and for Marine Scotland to report on activities observed from their part and this meeting will take place in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the impact of policy decisions on the economy and the environment and in the spirit of co-management will work alongside all relevant stakeholders for a more sustainable West of Scotland cod stock.