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The inspection of independent schools as outlined in the question were carried out for the following reasons:

• "special inspections" which are generally in response to concerns being raised over the quality of provision for children and young people or safeguarding concerns being identified. HM Inspectors carried out inspections in independent schools in response to requests from Scottish Ministers.

• "post registration inspections" which, in line with Scottish Government guidance, should be carried out by HM Inspectors within nine months of opening. Post registration inspections continued to be carried out as soon as was practicable taking account of the impact of the pandemic. HM Inspectors carried out inspections in independent schools for post-registration purposes.

Since March 2020 HM Inspectors have focused on engaging with schools, colleges, and services throughout Scotland to provide support and contribute to the overall recovery of the education system. In academic year 2021-22, HM Inspectors engaged with over 400 schools and settings. This included visits to 112 schools, settings and services that were identified, pre-pandemic, as requiring a further inspection. It also included recovery visits to 148 schools and settings to learn about their own current priorities as they responded to the impact of the current pandemic, what was working well, and the challenges education practitioners faced. HM Inspectors carried out four national thematic inspections involving engagement with 148 schools, settings and services.

We are progressing the recommendations made in the independent Deer Working Group (DWG) report , published in December 2020. The Scottish Government response to the DWG report is at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/news/deer-working-group-response/

The recommendations that require legislative changes are being taken forward via the legislative workstream of the Deer Management Strategic Board which has been established under the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Programme. The legislative recommendations will be implemented in this parliamentary session, as we set out in our 2021-22 Programme for Government. We will provide more detail on the timing of changes to legislation in due course. We expect to consult on any proposed changes to primary legislation in the normal way.

Regular updates on all of the work from the Deer Management Strategic Board can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/strategic-deer-management-board/

The Scottish Government supports our healthcare support workers (HCSWs) to train to become registered nurses while remaining in the workforce in their local NHS Board area. The Open University offer this pathway and Scottish Government provides £10,000 backfill funding to NHS Boards per student for each of the three years of study. For the 2022-23 academic year, the Scottish Government has increased the target number of Open University places by 12% to 123 places.

The Scottish Government also provides support to enable HCSWs to undertake a HNC Healthcare Practice programme by providing £8,000 in backfill funding to NHS Boards per student per year. Completion of the HNC programme can lead students to progress to nursing or allied health pre-registration degree programmes, on which there may also be the opportunity for advance entry to year 2.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, and as part of their review of career pathways, NHS Education for Scotland have produced a Development and Education Framework for Bands 2-4 nursing, midwifery and allied health professional HCSWs. The framework is available at the following link: https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/our-work/health-and-care-support-worker-development-programme/

This ongoing work has focused on a national framework as a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach which outlines the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to enable HCSWs to deliver safe, effective and person centred care. The framework also provides information on how to progress into a registered practitioner role, including as a nurse.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) emits approximately 20% less carbon than Marine Gas Oil (MGO - the conventional fuel used for ferries), so provides an opportunity for emission reductions in the medium term.

ScotRail advise that when the train is longer than the platform, for safety reasons, the rear doors which are not accommodated on the platform do not open.

The Scottish Government specifies the provision of staff to assist passengers on all ScotRail trains. This includes providing guidance to passengers requiring assistance about the right location to join a train if they intend to get off at a station with short platform.

Transport Scotland liaises closely with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and other partners regarding future vessel projects. These discussions include appropriate consideration of design and operating options, including alternative fuels. As part of our work on the Islands Connectivity Plan, we will consult on pathways to zero/low-emission ferry transport, learning from experience in other countries.

I will be addressing the Scottish Agritourism Conference on the 6 December, where I will be giving an update on the progress of the Strategy.

The Scottish Government is aware of the study published by the University college London on LNG capable ships and of its main conclusions. There is considerable research being carried out into the viability of various future marine fuels and vessel technologies and the Scottish Government, as a global leader on wider climate change policy and actions and as an owner and operator of vessels, is maintaining a close view on developments.

The Scottish Government has supported the various phases of the HySeas project which is developing a concept design for a hydrogen fuelled vessel that could operate in Scotland. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has been a partner in the HySeas III consortium and. both Transport Scotland and CMAL continue to monitor developments and opportunities in this field.

Officials at Transport Scotland directed Scottish Rail Holdings to ensure that ScotRail Trains, in light of this particular incident in Lanarkshire, reviewed the arrangements for passengers requiring travel assistance. ScotRail has provided assurance that it has learnt the lessons from this incident and appropriate actions and processes are in place to avoid further incidents of this nature.