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National Referral Mechanism (NRM) First Responder organisations play a key role in the identification and recovery of potential victims of human trafficking and exploitation. First Responders in Scotland include Police Scotland, UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, National Crime Agency, local authorities, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Migrant Help and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance.

In March this year, we launched a toolkit for NRM First Responders which aims to improve the formal identification of victims in Scotland. We are also establishing a working group to ensure the ongoing consideration of training and awareness raising resources.

Grant funding of £2million was awarded in the current financial year to organisations providing support for recovery to adult and child victims. It is not possible to accurately cost the wide range of activity undertaken by the Scottish Government and partners to improve identification and recovery, or to express this as a percentage of overall activity to deliver the Strategy.

There are currently no funding programmes which support the retrofit of cars with electric powertrains.

However, there are a range of programmes which support retrofit to other fuel sources and vehicle types, including a recent initiative that supports the trial and demonstration of electrifying a vehicle platform using Hydrogen (H2) fuel cell technology.

We have also supported Glasgow City Council a refuse collection vehicle to operate as a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. This project is in its final stages and the vehicle is planned to be operational in Glasgow from early 2022.

We will continue to monitor the retrofitting market so that the right support is available for the consumer and businesses.

FLS takes an evidence-led approach to its deer management activities. On the National Forests and Land (NFL), FLS has a target of not incurring more than 10% deer damage to young trees. In 2020 the 3 year rolling average of deer damage impacts was 18% for the leaders on young trees, i.e. trees planted for 1 year in the ground. This is well above the FLS target. The regional variation for damage impacts ranged from 7% to 38% in 2020. Results at site level in 2020 ranged from 0% to 100% damage of young trees.

Along with monitoring deer impacts on biodiversity, FLS also monitors deer populations (densities). Over the past 5 years approximately one third of NFL have been surveyed as part of a rolling programme. The mean average deer density in these survey areas have ranged from 4.2 deer per km2 to 64.7 deer per km2. The FLS target range as published in the FLS deer management strategy in 2014 is between 2 and 7 deer per km2. Of the land surveyed in the last five years, 89% has deer density well above this widely accepted.

FLS works in partnership with neighbouring land managers with similar management objectives and FLS operatives therefore do, in specific locations or project areas carry out collaborative deer management operations on neighbouring ground. FLS data will therefore reflect this. Occasionally an FLS operative may make a simple numerical error when inputting a grid reference into the Wildlife Management System.

FLS takes an holistic approach to its management of land, forests and deer on NFL. It manages around 630,000 ha of land (9% of Scotland), of which approximately one third is open ground including open hill. Its aim is to protect a wide range of habitats and environments across NFL whether forested, riparian or open hill in order to deliver Scottish Government land-use priorities such as climate change mitigation, carbon capture through growing trees, peatland restoration, ecosystem services and biodiversity enhancement, all of which have added immediacy, impetus and focus to our deer management operation. FLS therefore has a very clear need to use Out of Season authorisations on the open hill as well as in forest and woodland areas. FLS always aims to achieve the highest standards of animal welfare when undertaking all deer culling operations, in line with best industry practice; i.e. when culling adult female deer prior to the start of the official open season all efforts should be made to cull associated juveniles first, if in any doubt about leaving a dependant young then the adult should not be culled.

All under 18 year olds are exempt from our COVID-19 status certification scheme. We will, however, keep this under review as the vaccine is rolled out to younger age groups, which takes into account important factors such as disruption to education.

Our decisions are taken, and reviewed on the latest data and clinical evidence. Our review process includes consideration of the impact assessments, such as the Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment.

The scheme is a necessary and proportionate measure limited to activities that are higher risk and is an alternative to the potential closure of higher risk venues. We have made clear that certification will never be a requirement for access to public services including education.

The Scottish Government, through Home Energy Scotland, provides loans with cashback grants to enable households in all parts of Scotland to install zero emissions heating systems, including heat pumps.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loan and Cashback scheme provides interest-free loans with up to 75% (or £7,500) cashback grant funding for homeowners to replace fossil-fuel heating systems such as oil with low or zero emissions heating systems such as heat pumps, plus up to 40% (or £6,000) cashback grant for energy efficiency measures, including solid wall insulation.

Additionally, through Warmer Homes Scotland, our national fuel poverty scheme, eligible households are offered a funded, bespoke package of measures. The scheme aims to make the homes of those living in fuel poverty or at the risk of fuel poverty warmer and cheaper to heat.

Zero emissions heating and new insulation measures are available, some of which may be particularly beneficial to rural and remote communities not served by the gas grid.

And to further support all households to make their homes greener, we also provide:

• free, impartial, bespoke advice through Home Energy Scotland, including specialist home renewables advice;
• the Green Homes Network which allows households to find out about the experience of others who have already installed measures; and
• the Renewable Installer Finder Tool which helps households find installers and suppliers in their area.

These advice and support schemes, including advice on eligibility for Warmer Homes Scotland, can be accessed through Home Energy Scotland, managed on behalf of Scottish Government by the Energy Saving Trust.

There are currently 146 social enterprises on the list of current members of the Culture and Creative Social Enterprise Network (SEN) on the SEN website .

The number of social enterprises that have made use of the Culture and Creative SEN services over the years is far greater than the current membership for a number of reasons:

• Social enterprises that have delivered cultural/ creative activity (but this is not their primary activity) are linked into the activities of the SEN through other thematic SENs, Local SENs, Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) and other partners.
• Organisations that do not fall within the Voluntary Code of Practice for Social Enterprise in Scotland and therefore cannot be a member have still tapped into services including events and signposting.
• Partner organisations (e.g. Local SENs, TSI’s, Creative Scotland, Museum Galleries Scotland, Just Enterprise, Culture Counts) that are providing one to one support have tapped into knowledge to ensure that the organisation they are working with is best supported.
• SENs may have also been a member for a period of time and are no longer a current member.

The report ‘ How Should Scotland Manage its Scrap Steel?’ is the first in a series of reports being produced by Zero Waste Scotland looking at the circular opportunities for the energy transition in Scotland. I very much welcome the work being done by Zero Waste Scotland in this area and look forward to seeing the follow up reports, which will help inform our policy going forward. The report is very timely given the emphasis from COP26 in helping energy intensive industries like the steel sector as they move towards net zero.

Instrumental music tuition is now available free of charge in all Scottish local authorities following agreement between Scottish Government and local authorities as part of the implementation of the Scottish Government's100-day manifesto commitments.

The Scottish Government has provided funding of over £7m in the 2021-22 academic year to sustain provision at current levels and is committed to working with local authorities to develop a model for a long-term sustainable instrumental music tuition service which includes sustainable funding arrangements.

COPFS has noted the findings of the study. The statistics quoted in that study indicate that the average time taken to complete an FAI in 2017-19 was at its lowest figure since the period 2005-07. That figure – 603 days – was more than one third lower than the figure (990) from the previous period which predated the introduction of the 2016 Act.

COPFS is committed to reducing the timescale for commencing FAIs, including those arising from deaths in custody, whilst ensuring that the circumstances surrounding each death are thoroughly investigated. COPFS has introduced a number of measures since the implementation of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 to reduce the average time taken to complete FAIs. Funding for the overall COPFS budget has been increased in recent years to help support the progress of these and other investigations. Dedicated teams were set up within the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit of Crown Office to specifically investigate deaths where an FAI requires to be held. A Case Management Panel ensures there is regular oversight of all deaths in custody investigations by senior managers on a regular basis. These reforms have already resulted in reductions in the duration of death investigations and it is expected that they will continue to do so.

In addition, a dedicated Crown Office team is to be established to investigate all deaths in legal custody. It is anticipated that such a team will allow for accelerated processes for particular categories of death and greater scope for conjoining FAIs and will reduce the time taken to conclude these investigations.

From 1 November 2021, the way in which the Scottish Government provides overseas trade support will be aligned with our energy transition, as highlighted in our policy announcement on 15 October 2021. We will also co-design our energy transition with industry stakeholders as promised in the Just Transition Commissions Report Response

Scottish Development International (SDI), will implement this policy through the assessment of potential projects and their suitability for support in line with the published guidance and exemptions. Our exemptions are deliberately aligned with the UK Government’s guidance . This decision was made following wide stakeholder engagement and responds to strong feedback from stakeholders on the importance of technical alignment in order to avoid any unintended confusion for our agencies and the industry in the practical implementation of this policy.