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Yes, Scotland is a welcoming nation and tose who decide to come to Scotland from Hong Kong and elsewhere will be welcomed for the positive contribution they will bring to our communities, economy and society. The Scottish Government have published a dedicated British National (Overseas) welcome pack, in both English and Cantonese, on our website and linked to the Moving to Scotland website.

The British National (Overseas) visa scheme was launched on 31 January 2021 and as of the end of December a total of 103,900 applications have been received. The Home Office have said it does not publish location data, have it in the immediate underlying data or collect intended locations for Hong Kong applicants. They have completed a small scale survey of British National (Overseas) visa holders which indicates 2% intend to settle in Scotland but due to the small sample size were unable to provide any further data. The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government for further information on numbers.

The introduction of a criteria to determine the reopening of the Edington Hospital in North Berwick was determined by the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership. The criteria was agreed with input from senior nursing colleagues and is intended to support NHS Lothian Gold Command consider the potential options for returning bed capacity to the Edington Hospital.

Decisions about local provision are best made locally, so when to re-open Edington is one for NHS Lothian and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to make. However, any decision made must take into account the needs of the local population, and ensure an appropriate level of service is in place to meet those needs.

The Scottish Government is not aware of other Health and Social Care Partnerships using the same criteria being used by East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, although other local partnerships take similar issues around staffing and safety in to account.

The valuation bands for council tax are part of the wider council tax system set out in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and associated secondary legislation. We are committed to reforming council tax to make it fairer, working with the Scottish Green Party and COSLA to oversee the development of effective deliberative engagement on sources of local government funding, including Council Tax, that will culminate in a Citizens’ Assembly. This will be established and completed in this Parliament, with a response to its recommendations debated and agreed within 6 months of them being provided.

Tariffs are set by charge point owners, taking into account local demand and use, to cover a number of costs including electricity provided. In July 2021 Transport Scotland published a joint report with Scottish Futures Trust highlighting the importance of tariffs to attract private sector investment to expand the public charging network. In January we announced a new £60m fund to grow the public charging network in Scotland and, as part of this, our work with local authorities will consider the levels of tariffs required to ensure the public network is financially sustainable. In parallel, following a UK-wide consultation on consumer experience at public charge points last year, the Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government Office for Zero Emission Vehicles on progress with development of regulatory powers related to electric vehicle charging tariffs and will keep outcomes of work in this area under review.

The Flood Risk Management Plans for the period 2022 to 2028 were published by SEPA on 17 January 2022. The plans are accessible from SEPA's website.

Flood Risk Management Plans | SEPA

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-06576 on 14 March 2022. 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
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I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-06655 on 14 March 2022. 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

The number of flights operating between Scotland and Heathrow in the future will be determined by demand, capacity, and competition from airlines serving other global hubs and how successful Scotland is in growing direct international connectivity. Similarly the environmental impact of these flights will depend on the type of aircraft and fuel used, with aerospace companies aiming to develop the first zero-emission commercial aircraft by around 2035. Detailed forecasting has not yet been carried out in respect of the possible future scenarios due to the high level of uncertainty around the different variables, for example the long term impact of COVID-19 on travel patterns, including demand for air travel.

The duty to ensure compliance with the new legislation on interlinked fire alarms in domestic properties rests with local authorities. The legislation provides flexibility for people to fit the necessary alarms in due course if they have been unable to do so by the February 2022 deadline.

The Scottish Government published a joint statement with COSLA on 21 January, which set out that local authorities will be taking a proportionate and measured approach to compliance taking individual circumstances into account as well as reflecting the evolving situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. No one will be criminalised if they need more time and there are no penalties for non-compliance.