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The Capital Land and Works budget for Motorways and Trunk Roads in the 2022-23 Capital Spending Review reflects the current expenditure profile of road construction schemes. That review and the general availability of budget for all the Motorway and Trunk Road projects are the only considerations which influence the progress of projects already committed to.

Table 1 shows the number of non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police in Scotland from 2011-12 to 2020-21. From 2019-20 onwards this includes new crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, following its enactment on 1 April 2019. In addition to this, Table 2 shows the number of common assaults recorded by the police over the same time period. Both of these tables are available from the Recorded Crime in Scotland National Statistics ( Recorded Crime in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Table 1. Recorded crimes of non-sexual violence in Scotland, 2011-12 to 2020-21

Less than two percent of agricultural holdings in Scotland, covering 52 per cent of agricultural land, are estimated to be above a threshold of 2,500 acres. Less than one percent of owned or tenanted holdings with crofts are above 2,500 acres in size. Five per cent of tenanted holdings without crofts and two per cent of owner occupied holdings without crofts are above 2,500 acres in size.

The data presented in the paragraph above refers to data collected as part of the June Agricultural Census 2021. The data included contains holdings with a registered croft, not all crofts have registered holdings and are therefore excluded from this analysis. A small number of large holdings include a registered croft on the holding. As these figures relate to the land area of the holding and not the croft these areas will have a large impact on reported area of crofts. A single holding may comprise both rented and owned land, these categories are based on majority area for the holding.

Our guidance for schools is informed by expert advice from bodies including SAGE and the Health and Safety Executive, which indicates that air cleaning/filtration devices, such as HEPA filters, should never be used as a substitute for efforts to improve ventilation. For example, the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on air cleaning/filtration devices states: “ These units are not a substitute for ventilation. You should prioritise any areas identified as poorly ventilated for improvement in other ways before you think about using an air cleaning device.”

The Scottish Government keeps its guidance under regular review in light of the latest expert advice, and will consider any necessary updates as research and evidence evolve.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Commissioner’s latest progress report which demonstrates that we continue to make good progress in delivering the recommendations made by the previous Veterans Commissioner. I am delighted that, of the recommendations against which an assessment was provided, there are now no outstanding ‘red’ recommendations and only seven ‘amber’. The majority of the remaining ambers are from the 2018 paper on veterans’ health.

The Armed Forces Personnel & Veterans Health Joint Group brings together NHS Champions, representatives of the Serving community, veterans organisations, Scottish Government officials and other stakeholders. It is a key vehicle through which the Commissioner’s recommendations are delivered and its current priorities to address the outstanding recommendations include establishing a network for Veterans who have suffered Service-related injuries. This involves engaging extensively with key stakeholders and colleagues in NHS England to learn from the set-up of their Veterans Trauma Network, while recognising the distinct differences in the Health Board structure in Scotland. The Group is also connected to the implementation of the principles that underpin the Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan which ensure that the Armed Forces and Veterans community can access mental health and wellbeing services throughout Scotland.

We are also aware of the interlinked nature of the inequalities that veterans can face and these sit at the heart of the Joint Group's varied priorities. We recognise the positive role that employment has on mental wellbeing and broader socio-economic and health inequalities and we continue to work with partners to develop resources to support veterans to gain employment within the NHS and promote the NHS as a post-Service career.

We will continue to prioritise the delivery of the outstanding recommendations and look forward to contributing to the Commissioner’s next progress report later this year, which we expect will include his most recent recommendations on Employment, Skills and Learning and Housing, plus any recommendations made in his upcoming paper on Health.

We know minority ethnic groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In June 2020, the government established an Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity to provide recommendations on how we could better respond to the needs of minority ethnic people in Scotland. The implementation of these recommendations forms the core of our Immediate Priorities Plan for Race Equality in Scotland 2021-2023 with actions across health and social care, education, fair work, housing, and child poverty.

Through our Immediate Priorities Fund, we supported the development of the Ethnic Minority Resilience Network to support individuals, families, young people and organisations address immediate pandemic-related issues. We also provided emergency support funding, including over £312,000 to provide culturally appropriate food and support services.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) standards relate to the overall approach to retrofit and general processes to be followed by installers in installing energy efficiency measures. These standards are intended to be informed by agreed best practice, as they are applied to different construction types and local conditions. The Scottish Government is working with the BSI to set up a Scottish specific working group to feed into the standards to ensure the unique circumstances in Scotland are reflected in the standards e.g. building types and geography.

While many aspects of employment law and particularly pay legislation are reserved to the UK Government, promoting fair pay is a key element of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work policy. Scottish Ministers believe that all workers should receive a fair pay for the work they do, regardless of their age and status.

The Scottish Government is committed to using all the levers it has at its disposal to promote fair work practices across Scotland including payment of the real Living Wage. We firmly oppose the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. We have set out our position in our Fair Work First approach and within our National Tourism Strategy; Outlook 2030 which states our commitment to support and enable the adoption of fair work practices in Scotland’s tourism sector.

The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework. Our Fair Work Action Plan confirms our subsequent commitment to work with the STUC to achieve increased coverage focusing on four key sectors one of those being hospitality.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting strong Trade Unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy and have provided funding of £250,000 for the last six years to STUC to help unions embed the Fair Work Framework in workplaces in Scotland.

We also support Unite’s FH Charter which helps to promote fairer working practices for its members and all workers across the wider hospitality sector as Scotland recovers from Covid and beyond.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on reducing risks in schools, which is published on the Scottish Government website, sets out the advice that local authorities should have regard to when undertaking CO2 monitoring in schools. This includes guidelines as to the actions that should be considered when CO2 readings are at certain levels.

The Scottish Government has not supplied local authorities with a detailed methodology on the use of specific models of CO2 monitors in schools. This is because, drawing on £10m of Scottish Government funding, a variety of fixed and mobile CO2 monitors have been procured by local authorities for deployment to their schools, in order to support local strategies and enable rapid procurement and assessment. Our guidance makes clear that relevant local authority teams should provide clear advice on the appropriate use of CO2 monitors in their schools.