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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.

The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the current approach to early medical abortion at home. The evaluation is being led by NHS Lothian, along with a number of academic experts. The Scottish Government will make a decision on the long-term future of early medical abortion at home once this evaluation has been completed. The Ministerial approval for early medical abortion at home in Scotland is currently being reviewed, with a view to enabling the current arrangements to be extended temporarily in order to allow them to continue until the evaluation has been completed and its findings have been considered.

The Scottish Government is resolute in its continuing commitment to the Act and its principles. A successful Implementation will only be achieved through the co-production of the relevant stakeholders. Their focus has naturally been on responding to the challenges presented by the pandemic.

As services remobilise we are re-engaging with stakeholders to ensure implementation takes account of the learning developed during the pandemic and recognises the new environment within which services will now operate.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-06940 on 14 March 2022

The post graduate social work bursary scheme provides a contribution to the fees level set by the individual universities. This is to ensure that the funding available is able to support up to 300 students

There are other sources of funding that can be applied for. Full details of these can be found at www.saas.gov.uk and www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants

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 information requested can be found in the publication Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2017-20 . This is available online at Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2017-20 (data.gov.scot).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06031 on 28 February 2022 which provides an update on publication of the Project Neptune report.

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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The Scottish Government introduced the Animals and Wildlife, Penalties, Powers and Protections (Scotland) Act 2020 in November 2020. We made a number of important changes to legislation on wildlife crime including;

? Increasing the penalty for a range of wildlife offences to a maximum of 5 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

? Extending the time allowed to investigate wildlife crimes.

? Extending the offence of vicarious liability to apply to offences relating to the illegal use of traps and snares.

? Bringing forward a power to introduce fixed penalty notices for less serious wildlife crimes.

Scottish Ministers do not currently monitor any variance in the level of electric vehicle charge point tariffs. The charge point owner is responsible for the setting of any tariffs on their electric vehicle charge points. The Scottish Government do not have a position on the levels of tariffs that the hosts can set, however, we expect these to be in line with the recovery of costs.

A further £40,000 of the additional £0.5 million Care and Repair funding has been transferred to Care and Repair Lanarkshire.

We set out our commitment to establish an independent taskforce to consider whether the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) should be given extra powers to investigate wildlife crime in both the 2021-22 Programme for Government and in our Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme.

The taskforce’s role will include due consideration of the potential implications of any proposed changes to the powers of the Scottish SPCA. The taskforce will report back by the end of 2022.

We will set out the remit of the taskforce in more detail in due course.