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Evidence and data play an important part in efficient policy delivery. Our commitment to continue to improve on our data and evaluation efforts is highlighted as part of the revised evaluation strategy to tackle child poverty. The Scottish Government publish child poverty estimates by detailed ethnic group and since March 2022, time series for ethnicity breakdowns have also been published, including for child poverty estimates by detailed ethnic group. The Scottish Government is happy to support CRER – and any stakeholders – with finding our published data and producing ad-hoc analysis.

Whilst recognising the important role of detailed statistical data, our tackling child poverty delivery plan is clear that an intersectional approach is needed to support priority families. Beyond statistical analysis, our action to tackle child poverty is based on a strong evidence base identifying the main drivers of poverty, as the CRER report acknowledges. To design policies that specifically help minority ethnic families, further evidence has been published to widen our understanding. This includes a detailed focus report on minority ethnic families, a summary update on drivers of poverty for all priority family types which fed into the development of ‘Best Start, Bright Futures’ and detailed understanding of what works to tackle child poverty.

This government welcomes CRER’s assessment of Local Child Poverty Action Reports (LCPARs) which recognises the vital role which local authorities, health boards and local partners play in our national mission to tackle child poverty.

Tackling child poverty is a national mission for this government and our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery plan, ‘Best Start, Bright Futures’ focuses on the six priority family types at highest risk of poverty, including minority ethnic families. We know we cannot tackle child poverty without a clear focus on supporting priority families, including minority ethnic families, to increase their income from employment and benefits, and reduce their living costs.

We are refreshing our non-statutory guidance for LCPARs to support local authorities and health boards to deliver focused reporting on their actions to support priority families. CRER and other stakeholders representing priority families have been consulted in drafting the guidance.

This is part of our wider programme of work supporting local action to tackle child poverty. Through our partnership with the Improvement Service and the peer support network for child poverty leads from each Local Authority and Health Board we will continue to encourage and support local action to tackle child poverty amongst priority groups.

Please see the details of contracts awarded to private companies to undertake work regarding the establishment of a National Care Service in the following table.

First, I express my sympathies to everyone who has been affected by the loss of a loved one and to anyone who has been injured on our roads over this year.

The Government remains committed to investment in the A9, including dualling the road between Perth and Inverness.

We are currently progressing the procurement for the Tomatin to Moy section and undertaking design work on the rest of the programme, with ministerial decisions to complete the statutory process confirmed for seven of the remaining eight schemes. I will update Parliament shortly on the progress of this section.

I have also today announced to Parliament through the answer to S6W-12140 progress on dualling the A9 section from Killiecrankie to Glen Garry, in that I have determined that the Orders for that scheme should be made.

The only section not to have started the statutory process is the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing project, where design and assessment is ongoing to identify a preferred route option following the innovative co-creative process with the local community. Work is progressing on announcing a preferred route for this section.

Work to determine the most suitable procurement options for the remaining sections of the A9 dualling is also ongoing. This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by the industry, whilst minimising disruption to road users and helping to support economic recovery post-COVID.

I will of course keep Parliament updated on progress in relation to all aspects of these dualling schemes.

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 Scottish Government has not undertaken an assessment of catamaran vessels in the past year. Any such assessments have been undertaken by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) supported by independent naval architectural consultancy.

As was widely reported at the time, CMAL gave detailed consideration to the opportunity to purchase a catamaran already under construction. This was not pursued primarily due to concerns that the vessel would not meet regulatory requirements for service on the Clyde and Hebrides services, a decision endorsed by the Scottish Government.

After competitive tender, a contract was awarded to Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP to obtain expert independent advice on the implications of VAT on the NCS and associated Care Boards. This work is ongoing. We will engage with the wider sector and HMT prior to any decision being taken which would have a VAT impact.

In 2022-23, funding of £18 billion is provided for health and social care. This substantial investment is already benefitting a range of services that are supporting the needs of people living with long COVID.

Health funding for 2023-24 will be confirmed through the forthcoming budget process.

We engage with NHS Boards on a regular basis regarding their capacity needs, and will continue to do so in order to inform the allocation of the long COVID Support Fund.

The Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and other stakeholders to look at current and future risks associated with electric car charging points and more widely, lithium batteries. SFRS has also implemented the Lithium-Ion Partnership Group to focus on this subject of which the Scottish Government is part of, and work continues to ensure the safety of our communities in Scotland from any potential emerging risks.

Today the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued a Caution in Use Notice alert, reporting that a number of injectable naloxone kits have been supplied across the UK, including Scotland, which may have missing needles.

The product, Prenoxad ® , is an injectable form of naloxone. A pack normally contains two needles. The problem emerged when it was reported that a very limited number of Prenoxad ® packs in a batch marketed in France were missing needles. This was the case in three packs out of a batch of 9,000.

Although I have received no reports of UK packs with missing needles to date, the potential for packs to contain fewer than two needles in all distributed batches cannot be ruled out. We do know, however, that kits from batches that could potentially be affected have been distributed in Scotland and we are therefore advising people to check their kits and to replace any that are incomplete.

In response to the Caution in Use Notice, the Scottish Government has taken immediate action to advise healthcare professionals on how to identify and replace kits which may have been supplied without needles.

In addition, we have issued guidance on this to third sector partners who have been distributing kits to individuals. We are also working with stakeholders to produce clear, illustrated guidance on how people can check their kits, for third sector partners and others to share with people who carry their own naloxone kits.

I am acting quickly to ensure that kits are complete, because the wide supply and carriage of naloxone is a key part of our National Mission to improve and save lives. Naloxone remains a safe medication to use in response to a life-threatening overdose and I am determined that this potential defect should not disrupt its use in Scotland or reduce public confidence in the naloxone programme.

Following careful consideration of the Reporter’s findings, conclusions and recommendations, I have determined that the Orders for the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry scheme should be made. A decision letter in relation to the Orders is being issued today to all those who made representations to the draft Orders. I want to thank everyone who did so and give an assurance that those representations have been carefully considered.

This significant decision now clears the way for publication of the Made Orders for this scheme. Subject to there being no challenge to Made Orders, we will then be in a position to complete the statutory process for the scheme and acquire land required to build it.

This significant milestone for our ambitious programme to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness means that 92% of the programme now has Ministerial decisions to make Orders and complete the statutory process.

Road users on the A9 are already benefitting from the dualled stretches between Kincraig and Dalraddy and Luncarty and Pass of Birnam, which opened in September 2017 and August 2021, respectively. Procurement for award of the construction contract for the section between Tomatin and Moy, which will be subject to our normal tender evaluation and business case approval processes, is underway. I expect to be able to update Parliament shortly on the progress of this section.

When completed the A9 Dualling programme will bring many benefits to local communities, businesses, visitors and road users living, travelling and working along the corridor including reduced journey times, improved journey time reliability, improved road safety and opportunities for active travel.