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This cohort was appointed locally and Health Boards used this data to make arrangements. Anyone who was identified as part of this cohort in tranche 1 should automatically be included for the second.

The majority of Health Boards sent personal NVSS invitations through Royal Mail in the traditional blue envelopes to eligible 12-17 year olds, which contained a scheduled appointment and information leaflet. Boards will also undertake mop up sessions in communities and schools to ensure that young people who wish to be vaccinated are able to have this.

Online material was promoted to young people, parents/carers from 17 September. Drop-in clinics across Scotland accepted young people from 20 September onwards, ideally attending with their parent/carer. A smaller number of more rural Boards have opted to undertake school based delivery models and they sent the national invite letter, leaflet and consent form home in September.

NHS Inform has been updated with information, and information leaflets have been provided by Public Health Scotland. News releases by Scottish Government have been issued and communication material has been issued to Health Boards. There will be a mixture of local Board and Nationally coordinated social media and marketing – this is aimed at providing the key information to support people being aware of what is being offered and how NHS Scotland is delivering this.

We are not aware of any issues of this cohort not being notified of appointments for second doses. If the member is aware of any instances, please contact me for officials to investigate.

Children and young people aged 12 to 15 can attend open access services to receive their vaccine: Open access services | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot) , or an appointment can be arranged a few weeks in advance by contacting the vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.

Initial work is underway to support the establishment of a PRS tenant participation panel. The first phase of this work is focusing on hearing from PRS tenants in developing our draft Rented Sector Strategy consultation document. As part of this, we are working in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and through the Tenants Information Service and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service exploring tenants’ priorities for change.

This initial work, alongside engagement with tenant organisations, including tenants’ unions, such as Living Rent who the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with in September, will help to inform the longer term establishment of the panel and recruit participants.

We have committed to invest at least £1.8 billion over the course of this parliament to support growth in zero emissions heat and energy efficiency measures, and to support those least able to pay.

(a) Home Energy Scotland provides up to £15,000 interest-free loans for energy efficiency measures and up to £17,500 for renewables measures. Registered private landlords owning five or fewer properties are eligible for interest free loans, and owners of six or more properties are subject to interest at a rate of 3.5% APR.

We are working with the private rented sector to introduce regulations in 2025 which will require all private rented properties to reach a minimum standard, with a backstop date of 2028. We have also committed to introduce an all-tenure zero emissions heat standard to be phased in for off-gas grid areas from 2025 and on-gas grid areas from 2030, with all buildings meeting this standard no later than 2045. We are establishing a Green Heat Finance Taskforce and will take account of its recommendations ahead of the introduction of regulations, so there is a clear and identified range of financial mechanisms available to support building owners to meet proposed regulatory obligations.

(b) We will review the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2), and are currently considering the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce’s recommendation that this review happen before 2023. We have committed £200 million to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund over the course of this parliament, investing in a sector that is already leading the way in energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation.

The policing of COP26 was an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who was clear that the delivery of the event would be compliant with human rights legislation, would facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensure public safety.

Around 5,200 officers at the conference were from forces throughout England and Wales and deployed on a mutual aid basis. All of these officers were under the command of the Chief Constable who, from the outset underlined the duty and responsibility of all officers and staff to police in line with the values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights.

All officers deployed on a mutual aid basis were briefed both on the powers available in Scotland and on Police Scotland’s approach to public order. Police Scotland’s senior command were clear that any officer who fell short of these values would be returned to their home force.

The policing of COP26 was an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who ensured that the delivery of the event would be compliant with human rights legislation and that the priority of Police Scotland was to facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensure public safety.

The service prioritised regular engagement with activist groups in preparation for COP26, and throughout the summit. I am very pleased to note that this proportionate and facilitative approach resulted in a low number of arrests.

Mindful of the need for, and benefits of, independent and transparent oversight, Police Scotland established an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to consider issues of policing around the conference. This is chaired by John Scott QC and membership includes environmental campaigners, human rights experts, academia (including representatives from national human rights institutions), policing oversight bodies and a representative from the United Nations. Specific meetings of the IAG were convened on Friday 5th November and again on Tuesday 9th November to discuss the issue of police containment raised in a letter from climate campaign groups.

There also was detailed and continual scrutiny of the approach to the policing of protest at the Conference, including at all recent meetings of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and its dedicated monthly COP26 Oversight Group. A review published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland in June also highlighted a high degree of assurance around Police Scotland’s planning for the event.

The Chair of the IAG has been invited to attend the meeting of the Board of the Scottish Police Authority on 24 November to offer an initial assessment and the group plans to complete a final report to the COP 26 Oversight Group of the SPA in March 2022.

I met with Police Scotland’s senior command on a daily basis about issues related to the conference and I am hugely grateful to officers and staff who ensured the safety and security of 127 World leaders, many thousands of delegates and activists and of course the people of Glasgow.

The pay deal between the RMT and Abellio ScotRail was rightly negotiated between the operator and staff representatives, and the same applies to Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited (SCSL) and the RMT.

Scotland’s railway faces significant financial challenges and it is only right that discussions around efficiencies, addressing ideas both from the business and the union, should form part of the dialogue around funding a pay deal.

We understand that, following discussions, SCSL made a pay offer which RMT’s Scottish leadership had confirmed would be acceptable. It is disappointing that the pay offer was then rejected, not least because when considered with the pay increase already awarded last year, the combined rate was as good as or better than any other deal for train operating company staff in the rail industry.

Social Security Scotland routinely publish information as part of the quarterly Official Statistics release ‘Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods’. This includes information on the value of payments issued for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments each month.

Number and value of Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments issued, by year

Social Security Scotland routinely publish official statistics publications on each of the devolved benefits at:https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications

For benefits where clients can apply to Social Security Scotland, published statistics include information on the number of applications received and the outcomes of applications, including the number that have been rejected. The latest publication for each benefit can be found at:

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods statistics to 31 August 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-31-august-2021

Funeral Support Payment statistics to 30 September 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/funeral-support-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021

Young Carer Grant statistics to 31 July 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/young-carer-grant-high-level-statistics-to-31-july-2021

Job Start Payment statistics to 30 September 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/job-start-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021

Scottish Child Payment statistics to 30 June 2021

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/scottish-child-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-june-2021

(a) The latest available information for Recorded crime data is for the financial year 2020-21 and is presented in the following table:

Wildlife crime Recorded by Police Scotland, 2016-17 to 2020-21

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04288 on

‎ 24 November 2021. 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