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As part of our civil contingencies risk assessment work, the Scottish Government’s Resilience Division works closely with resilience partners, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Met Office, to assess climate change risk. This work includes the development of the Scottish Risk Assessment (SRA), which is designed to supplement UK Government’s National Security Risk Assessment. Together these documents assist Scottish responders and policy makers in understanding the most significant civil contingencies emergencies which Scotland may face over the next two to five years. The current SRA includes six new risk assessments themed around major impacts from climate change, as well as a dedicated climate change overview chapter.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places 7 duties on local authorities including duties to assess the risk of an emergency occurring, and to plan for such emergencies, and maintain those plans accordingly. Further guidance and best practice for categorised responders, including local authorities, on planning and preparing for emergencies is set out in our Preparing Scotland guidance.

Local Resilience Partnerships (LRPs) undertake multi-agency tabletop exercises involving flooding or severe weather scenarios as a matter of course. Local flood defence mechanisms are tested by resilience partners on a regular basis.

The Scottish Government issued a letter to adult care homes on
‎ 24 March 2022 outlining updates to guidance including visiting. The Scottish Government fully expects care homes and local health protection teams to support people living in care homes to have visits from loved ones, unless there are truly exceptional circumstances. During an outbreak, care home residents can see one of their three named visitors once a day. The letter with updated guidance can be found on the Scottish Government website via the following link: Annex 1 - Coronavirus (Covid-19): changes to guidance for adult and older people care homes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government will continue to work with Public Health Scotland and the care home sector to review the remaining recommendations in adult care homes.

Ministers have not visited any care homes in their official capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have closely monitored the situation throughout. Both the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and myself took office in May 2021, partway through the pandemic.

I was previously scheduled to undertake two care home visits, however these had to be postponed for safety reasons due to a COVID outbreak and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron. The safety and protection of residents and staff is paramount in such situations. In my role as lead for Social Care policy, I have regularly spoken to a range of stakeholders from the sector including family and sector representatives. I have also spoken to care home staff and managers. I will be rescheduling care home visits in due course.

Of the professional advisers:

• the National Clinical Director, last visited a Glasgow Care Home on 21 st February 2021 and prior to the pandemic made a visit to a care home in October 2019;
• the Chief Social Work Adviser has not visited any care homes in her official capacity during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic she visited David Walker Gardens care home in Rutherglen on 5 th August 2019;
• the Chief Medical Officer, who was appointed in December 2020, has not visited any care homes in his official capacity during the pandemic.

The Wellbeing Economy Monitor and Framework are being developed as tools to help realise the Scottish Government’s vision to build a wellbeing economy in Scotland.

The development of these tools has been informed by the consultations we conducted on the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, as well as previous consultations including the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland, the Social Renewal Advisory Board, and that which informed the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery.

These tools are also being informed by engagement with key stakeholders and the Wellbeing Economy Governments group, as well as our Wellbeing Economy Pilot Project with Clackmannanshire Council.

We will continue to welcome views on these tools as they develop.

Since January 2019, Scottish Government ministers have not had any meetings with DP World. In the same timeframe, no Scottish Government officials have had meetings with DP World.

On my recent ministerial visit to Dubai, I requested to meet with DP World in order to raise with them our serious concerns about the recent behaviour of P&O Ferries. They did not respond to this request, therefore no meeting took place.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce legislation to sanction residential park owners who do not supply timely and fully completed written statements to their residents. The Mobile Homes Act 1983 states that if the owner has failed to give the occupier a written statement, the occupier may apply to the court for an order requiring the owner to give him a written statement.

The ScotWind outcome is a great opportunity for Scotland to deliver green energy, bring supply chain benefits and to support our just transition objectives.

Over the next few years each project will go through consenting processes, respond to geographical and technological requirements, and find a route to market. There are several variables to be managed across these processes, including aspects such as grid connection and the impact of offshore wind developments on various environmental receptors.

Furthermore, ScotWind promises to be transformational in delivering wider economic supply chain benefits to help power Scotland’s green recovery right across the country. As part of this, the introduction of the Supply Chain Development Statement will enable ongoing dialogue between the offshore wind and public sectors to enable strategic infrastructural planning so that Scotland can maximise the potential benefits from this exciting new era of investment for the Scottish economy.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd requested the four bidders at Invitation to Tender stage to provide responses to fair working practices. These were consequently received and fully evaluated by CMAL’s Head of Vessels and Head of Business Support as part of the procurement process.