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The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics, in December 2022, explains that the Scottish Government are currently conducting a data reconciliation project to gather updates on the checking, matching and availability statuses of expressions of interest shared with local authorities. This record level information will allow us to more confidently calculate the values estimated from the local authority survey. An update on this project will be provided in due course. As a result of this exercise, we have reviewed the Local Authority Survey. The survey has been reduced and no longer includes questions on expressions of interest, private hosts, properties, property and disclosure checks.

The Improvement Service report on Local Authority Instrumental Music Services sets out that 41,594 pupils received instrumental music tuition in academic year 2020-21, this is 6% of the total number of school pupils. The full report is available here : Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2022 (improvementservice.org.uk) .

The Scottish Government recognises that outcomes are not uniform across all communities, and effective interventions need to take specific experiences into account. This understanding must be evidence based and we are clear that a “one size fits all” singular approach will fail to deliver.

In its approach to developing and embedding race equality and anti-racism, the Scottish Government is clear that significant inequalities remain in many areas of life for people from minority ethnic communities. We regard the causes of these inequalities as systemic and deep-rooted, and that reversing them will take time and effort, as well as a Scottish Government commitment that is maintained going into the future.

We acknowledge the existence of formal and informal structural, institutional and cultural processes that disadvantage minority ethnic and migrant groups within Scotland. Our approach aligns with the equality legislation that is in place in Scotland, and takes a human rights and rights-based perspective that is committed to involving people with expertise and lived experience of issues in the design and development of policy. Scottish Government policy draws from, and is informed by, a range of different theories and frameworks, including critical race theory, to take action that is effective in advancing race equality.

We are not able to provide this information due to commercial sensitivity however a total of 14 suppliers were in attendance at the meeting.

We are deeply concerned about these reports. The only nutrition suitable for babies under 6 months is breastmilk or first stage formula milk.

Parents should be advised to speak to a health professional for further advice and support for breastfeeding or safe formula feeding, and can be directed to their local authority for crisis funding in an emergency. Food banks are not a safe, secure or sustainable route to accessing infant formula milk.

We continue to work with partners to ensure that our financial supports, such as Best Start Foods, Best Start Grants and the Scottish Child Payment, are maximising the support available for families to live dignified lives and meet their basic needs. It is crucial that families follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to make up baby’s formula feeds safely. We have adapted existing information for safe formula feeding on our Formula feeding | Parent Club website and are promoting this through our social media channels.

The Scottish Government will give full consideration to the case for establishing a register of quarries as part of the work underway to develop plans for a devolved replacement for the UK Aggregates Levy.

The Scottish Government has not allocated funding nor spent any money on this.

Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ .

Information on Ministerial engagements prior to May 2016 can be found at: Ministerial Engagements (webarchive.org.uk)

Visits are not recorded by parliamentary region. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Scottish Government is actively engaging with Transform Scotland, and other key stakeholders, as we progress our Fair Fares Review, which is being undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares. I thank Transform Scotland for their interest in this work and contribution via their report. Transport Scotland will consider its findings and recommendations as part of the Fair Fares Review.

In the meantime, we have announced as part of the Fair Fares Review, a pathfinder pilot project to remove peak fares from Scotrail services for a trial period. This is in addition to a range of actions already being taken to widen access and maintain the affordability of public transport.

• Up to 2.3 million people in Scotland are now able to access free bus travel through the scheme for older and disabled people and for those aged under 22.
• We are supporting the growth of smart and integrated ticketing and payment in Scotland, including funding the growth of contactless payments on buses, enhancing journey planning information, including on fares, and progressing measures in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to improve consistency and integration.
• We have frozen rail fares until at least March 2023 and, likewise, we have intervened to hold fares in the northern isles ferry network at current levels until the end of March 2023.

I have been clear that we will make full use of all of the powers available to us, including legislation if necessary, to find solutions for homeowners living in buildings with potentially unsafe cladding. This includes encouraging cooperation from developers. Specific proposals would be brought forward through a formal consultation process.