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Since the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund was launched in June 2021 Aberdeen City Council, Clackmannanshire Council and Fife Council have been awarded grants.

It is a condition of grant under the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund that projects are developed in line with the Interim Site Design Guide, published by the Scottish Government in December 2021 to assist in the development of high quality accommodation. Grant offers are being phased, based on tendered costs, to help manage the risks attached to current supply chain issues. Local authorities will report regularly to the Scottish Government on progress and draw down funding in line with evidenced spend on their projects. Plans for learning from and evaluation of the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund include a comparative cost analysis, to improve our understanding of the costs of modern Gypsy/Traveller accommodation.

Yes, the Scottish Government is currently developing plans for an evaluation of the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund, including the impact on site residents.

Since the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund was launched in June 2021 there have been three successful applications.

The Scottish Government is keen to ensure that asylum seekers in Scotland are able to access free bus travel under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme and the Older and Disabled Persons Scheme.

I am alive to challenges being faced by different groups, including asylum seekers, in accessing the free bus schemes. I met officials from the Improvement Service, which is the accountable body for the National Entitlement Card (NEC) Scheme, on 7 February to discuss what more can be done to make the application process easier for refugees and asylum seekers.

Officials have been in discussion with organisations that support asylum seekers, including the Scottish Refugee Council, on how best to make the application process accessible to asylum seekers and refugees. They have also put Glasgow Life, who administer the NEC scheme in Glasgow, in touch with organisations that support asylum seekers to discuss application routes.

The Improvement Service issued guidance on applications for asylum seekers and refugees to Local Authorities, who administer in person applications, in September 2021. This guidance advised that proofs specific to asylum seekers and refugees, such as the Application Registration Card (ARC) issued by the Home Office, can be used to apply for a NEC in person, in conjunction with other information or evidence available to a council, a school or a dedicated staff member within a Local Authority.

This information is available on the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme page on the Transport Scotland website.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to support local authorities to accommodate and support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in Scotland through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).

In light of the unprecedented rise in UASC arrivals the Scottish Government has provided additional revenue funding of £0.5 million to local authorities and funded extra age assessment training for local authority staff.

I wrote to the Home Secretary on the 25 of November ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/mandatory-participation-in-national-transfer-scheme-letter-to-the-home-secretary/ ), and jointly with the Welsh Government on 14 December ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-joint-letter-to-the-home-secretary/ ) setting out the serious concerns of the Scottish Government regarding the decision to mandate Scottish local authorities to participate in the NTS and calling for urgent additional financial support.

The Scottish Government continues to press the Home Office to provide the necessary financial support. Work is ongoing to monitor UASC arrival numbers in Scotland and the need for additional financial assistance is being kept under review.

Local authorities have received a total of £3,056,147 in administration funding to process Self-isolation Support Grant (SISG) applications since it was launched in October 2020 until end December 2021.

In addition to a fixed sum for administration start-up costs, the administrative funding was distributed using Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). In September 2021 local authority leaders accepted a recommendation from COSLA to change to a unit cost for actual applications received by each local authority.

The next round of funding for the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund will open in Spring 2022.

The Scottish Government takes an inclusive approach for people seeking asylum, enabling access to support and services on the same basis as other Scottish residents where there is not a specific prohibition on access through immigration legislation or rules.

We recognise that asylum seekers may have difficulties in accessing free bus travel and recommend that they apply in person, rather than through the online application route.

The Improvement Service issued guidance on applications for asylum seekers and refugees to Local Authorities, who administer in person applications, in September 2021. This guidance advised that proofs specific to asylum seekers and refugees, the Application Registration Card (ARC) issued by the Home Office, can be used to apply for a NEC in person, in conjunction with other information or evidence available to a council, a school or a dedicated staff member within a Local Authority.

The ARC is not accepted for online applications as under the UK Proof of Age Scheme (PASS) it cannot be used to establish evidence of identification online and there is no online equivalent to the help provided offline to support applications.

The Improvement Service guidance has been passed to charities working with asylum seekers and refugees to help with the process. Officials will continue to engage with these groups to discuss how best to help asylum seekers get free bus travel.

East Linton Station is expected to open in 2023.

Transport Scotland officials continue to work closely with the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry to agree the timetable for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) when it is due to be recast in 2023. This includes finding the ideal service structure for all stations on the Edinburgh to Newcastle corridor, including East Linton.