Seòmar agus comataidhean

We are aware of the specific issue in which Norway decided to allow fully vaccinated visitors from the UK but only if their record of vaccination had a QR code. On 3 September 2021 we introduced QR codes to vaccination status records. People from Scotland, who are fully vaccinated, are now able to travel to Norway without requiring to quarantine for 10 days. People can either download or request a paper copy of their vaccination status from NHS Inform or call the Freephone Helpline 0808 196 8565.

Ports in Scotland are operated as independent statutory bodies and governed by their own local legislation. This is subject to public consultation and Ministerial approval. The Scottish Government has no remit in the day-to-day operation of ports, which is the responsibility of the relevant port authority.

The Port Marine Safety Code sets out a national standard for port marine safety in ports throughout the UK. The Code aims to enhance safety for everyone who uses or works in the UK port marine environment. It is endorsed by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and representatives from across the maritime sector. Whilst the Code is not mandatory, there is an expectation that all harbour authorities will comply with it. The Code is intended to be flexible enough that any size or type of harbour or marine facility will be able to apply its principles in a way that is appropriate and proportionate to local requirements.

Port marine safety is governed not only by marine legislation, such as the Pilotage Act 1987 and Merchant Shipping Act 1995 as referred to in the Code, but also by general legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 .

The right of responsible non-motorised access to land enshrined in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 applies to both land and inland water. These access rights, set out as rights and responsibilities in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, do not however apply to ports and harbours.

As made clear in the Scottish Government’s Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan published last year, electrification offers clear advantages over other rail decarbonisation technologies for both passenger and freight services on busy main line routes, such as the Central Belt to Aberdeen routes.

Delivery and development work for Scotland’s enviable rolling programme of electrification proceeds apace, and the plans for future phases will be announced in due course, consistent with the wider Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 Process.

Of 272 buses supported by the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme only 61 are being imported from abroad. This is in line with Scottish Government's Trade Vision, where we committed to supporting domestic manufacturing while balancing this with active participation in diversified Global Value Chains. Scotland remains committed to a rules-based trade agenda and supports open, fair and transparent trade without protectionism.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01418 on‎ 9 August 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

Officials are continuing work to explore options to introduce RET on all Northern Isles routes. This work was rightly paused in March 2020 while resources were pivoted to respond to the Covid pandemic. Work has however now resumed and we will provide updates to stakeholders and Parliament as soon as it is possible to do so.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, the number of patients who are registered with a NHS dentist can be found on Public Health Scotland at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/dental-statistics-registration-and-participation/dental-statistics-registration-and-participation-statistics-as-at-30-september-2020/ .

On Friday 3 September 2021 a QR code was included as part of the vaccination status letter. People travelling abroad can request their vaccination status online via NHS Inform or call the Freephone Helpline.

The following tables give the volume and value of applications for each local
authority area in each of the last 5 years. This breaks down into applications,
subsequent offers, expired loans with accepted offers and loans not accepted
before expiry date.

Table 1: Volume and value of HES loan applications by local authority area in
2021-22 to end July

Following completion of an innovative co-creative process with the community, work to assess four route options, including the community’s preferred route option, is ongoing to identify a Preferred Route option. This is being progressed in accordance with design standards and once a Preferred Route option is announced a timetable for the statutory processes will be set. It is necessary that the correct statutory process is followed to ensure a fair and transparent assessment of options and impacts on local communities and road users.

A market consultation exercise commenced earlier this year to inform an assessment of procurement options for the remaining sections when the statutory process is complete. Determination of the optimal procurement option is a complex exercise which is considering a pipeline of work in a form that can be delivered by the industry, supports the economic recovery post COVID and minimises disruption to users of this lifeline route. It is expected this analysis will be completed in the coming weeks and will inform decision making on our procurement approach and phasing.