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All impact assessments related to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) were carried out before the advent of the Carbon Neutral Islands Project. Nevertheless, Scotland’s DRS will have significant environmental benefits, such as cutting almost 4m tonnes of CO2eq emissions over the first twenty-five years of the scheme.

Two Scottish cities are currently twinned with Ukraine. Our respective capital cities Edinburgh and Kyiv, have been twinned since 1989, and Newport-on-Tay entered into a twinning relationship with Zolotarevo in 2002. Twinning enables local communities to formalise friendships, create cultural and educational bonds as well as work on shared local issues.

COSLA is the twinning coordinator for local authorities in Scotland. The Scottish Government encourages any Local Authority, seeking to establish a twinning relationship with Ukraine to discuss this further with COSLA. I have previously met COSLA and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, to discuss my support for their twinning relationship and to explore how further Scottish Local Authorities can support Ukraine.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people who have had a stroke receive the best possible care as quickly as possible to enable them to live longer, healthier and independent lives. This commitment extends to the emotional and psychological impact of stroke and the Scottish Government wants to ensure that the detection and management of the psychological consequences of stroke are seen as a priority by health boards. We will continue to work with organisations such as the Stroke Association to make real improvements to the quality of life of people in Scotland affected by stroke.

The default position for new public bodies is that they will be subject to the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy (PSPP). However, the decision was taken that David MacBrayne Ltd (DML), the public body which owns CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL), be excluded from the Policy. This was to enable CFL to operate in a similar commercial environment and on a level basis with other operators in tendering for future ferry service contracts.

The Scottish Government is engaging with farming interests on this topic though dialogue with NFUS and more widely through the Trees on Farms stakeholder group.

We also carefully monitor tree planting funded through the Forestry Grant Scheme and this shows that overall, planting has been delivered in-line with the current Woodland Expansion Advisory Group guidance on planting on agricultural land.

Since 2008, the combined area of woodland creation on prime and non-prime agricultural land (LCAs 2.1-4.2) totals less 1% of the area of these land classes.

We are also improving support and awareness of ways to establish more trees in ways that benefit farmers. This includes working through the Integrating Trees Network to promote the opportunities and help farmers and crofters get the benefits of growing trees supporting their farming business.

The next Climate Change Plan must include proposals and policies for the following sectors:

• energy supply,
• transport (including international aviation and shipping),
• business and industrial process,
• residential and public (in relation to buildings in those sectors),
• waste management,
• land use, land use change and forestry, and
• agriculture.

We are considering other policies, proposals and actions that could be included in the Plan that are not included in the inventory, such as marine carbon.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of higher education and this is why we have protected free tuition for Scottish-domiciled students.

International students and those from other parts of the UK are not eligible to access the funded places which have been protected for eligible Scottish domiciled students.

We remain absolutely committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay. By 2030, we want 20% of students entering university to be from Scotland's 20% most deprived backgrounds. HESA figures show we have a record high 16.7% of full-time first degree entrants to university coming from the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland in 2020-21, exceeding the interim target of 16% by 2021.

There are also record numbers of young people securing places in the current UCAS cycle. The number of 18-year-old Scots that have secured a university place (as of 15 September 2022) is up 20% since 2019, the last year there were exams. Overall, Scottish domiciled acceptances through UCAS to Scottish providers is up 5% since 2019.

Reduced prevalence and hospitalisation rates has resulted in an easing of the previous infection and prevention control measures which has contributed, in turn, to a reduction in expenditure levels.

There are no plans to reduce COVID-19 testing in health and social care settings as a result of the Emergency Budget Review. In line with the Test and Protect transition plan, testing remains in place to support patient treatment and care, protect those in highest risk settings, monitor prevalence and the risk of new variants, and respond to outbreaks. Testing policy and protocols are kept under regular clinical review.

Similarly, PPE provision continues to be informed by infection prevention and control guidance. NHS NSS currently hold sufficient pandemic PPE stock to supply NHS Scotland well into 2023-24 based on current usage rates. Social Care PPE provision continues to be available in case of emergency PPE being required and for unpaid carers and personal assistants.

We recently completed our second consultation on the New Build Heat Standard , which sets out our proposals for regulating direct emissions heating systems within new buildings, applying for a building warrant, from 1 April 2024.

An independent analysis of the responses received to the consultation is now underway, and this will inform the development of regulations prior to their laying in Parliament in Spring 2023.

Further to the answer to question S6W-11628, answered on 7 November 2022, I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-11493 on 26 October 2022, and S6T-00915 on 25 October 2022. The administration process is still ongoing, but I would like to assure the member that the Scottish Government is continuing to engage with key partners in relation to this matter, including Creative Scotland.

The answer to Topical Question S6T-00915 can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-25-10-2022?meeting=13939&iob=126317#16180

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