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We are working with sectors on an economy wide basis to help navigate the predictable consequences of leaving the EU.

The hospitality sector, like many sectors who have employed EU nationals as a benefit of free movement, is experiencing recruitment and retention challenges directly linked to EU Exit.

We have supported a recruitment campaign for tourism and hospitality businesses with £100,000 of funding. We also continue to develop recovery plans for the sector that will seek to mitigate the worst impacts of EU Exit alongside pandemic pressures, and continue to press UKG for a workable immigration policy to support our economy.

Scotland is a globally renowned producer of seed potatoes, with the industry contributing £245 million pounds annually to Scotland’s economy.

Regrettably, Brexit has had a disproportionate impact on the Scottish sector with the loss of the EU and NI markets. The Scottish Government raised concerns with the UK Government from the outset but this is another example of their failure to secure an outcome which protects this key Scottish industry. Finding a resolution is a priority for Scottish Government. At every opportunity we stand firm against export or import proposals that would cause further harm to our producers and exporters.

The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to ensuring that victims of domestic abuse feel supported throughout the justice system, including court proceedings. A number of measures are in place to support survivors of domestic violence during court proceedings. For example, the court can take extra steps, called 'special measures', to help vulnerable witnesses give the best evidence they can. In criminal courts, deemed vulnerable witnesses (including those in domestic abuse cases) are automatically entitled to special measures including a screen in the courtroom; a TV link to somewhere outside the courtroom; and a supporter who can sit with the witness while they give evidence.

The Scottish Government recognises the key role that advocacy services play in helping victims come forward and engage with the justice process. As such, in the first 100 days of this Government we allocated an additional £5m to fourteen specialist support organisations including Scottish Women’s Aid to bolster the vital services they provide and help ensure those who need support are able to access it.

In line with the terms and conditions associated with the Winter Support funding, the Scottish Government expects to begin receiving evaluation reports in April 2022.

This fund is one of the recommendations in the Improving Housing Outcomes for Women and Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse report . We have convened an official level implementation and monitoring group to oversee implementation of the recommendations within the report, including working with partners to explore the options for a dedicated fund to support women leaving an abusive partner.

The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) can currently provide financial and practical support to those experiencing Domestic Abuse with the provision of Crisis and Community Care Grants.

We are aware that some manufacturers may be affected by difficulties with imported components. Other manufactures have stock availability and specialist retailers are also able to meet demand, subject to logistical challenges. However, I would emphasise that when the legislation comes into force, it says that work should be done within a reasonable period, which takes into account individual circumstances. No home owner will be penalised if they are unable to do the work by 1 February 2022.

The Scottish Government provides the policy and legislative framework for community engagement in the Scottish planning system. Whilst not providing an advocacy service for communities, the Scottish Government provides financial assistance to PAS (Planning Aid for Scotland), an independent charity, to provide a free advice service on planning and environmental matters for communities and the public at large, through its professional planner volunteers.

The Scottish Government is currently finalising its response to the consultation on a Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas decarbonisation (INTOG), which will be published in the first quarter of 2022 .

Disclosure Scotland checks and shares information about people's criminal records. This helps organisations to employ the right people for certain types of work, like working with children or protected adults. The requirement for disclosure checks is unlikely to apply to all individuals involved in the decision making process for the health and wellbeing census. Further information about the circumstances which require disclosure checks is available from Types of disclosure - mygov.scot

In terms of accessing individuals’ information, for the purposes of safeguarding, only a small number of individual staff within each local authority will have access to the responses provided by children and young people in the Census, and be able to actually identify an individual based on their Scottish Candidate Number by accessing a separate management information system which holds this information. No other persons (e.g. Scottish Government analysts) who will have access to the individual responses provided by children and young people would be able to do this, as they do not have access to any systems that store the names of individual pupils. Analysts are also required to comply with rules and regulations that are set out for when processing individual level data for statistics and research purposes.

It would be expected that anyone carrying out 'regulated work' including teaching or supervising children and/or protected adults or working directly with children and/or protected adults would have membership of the PVG Scheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04901 on
‎ 24 December 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