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Transport Scotland’s Procurement Strategy plays a key role in achieving Transport Scotland’s Vision to create a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, which in turn will help to deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors. It aligns to the Scottish Government’s procurement policy and assists in achieving its national outcomes.

Although Transport Scotland does not regularly measure its public procurement policies in the ferries sector against the National Performance Framework specifically, it publishes an Annual Procurement Report, which reports on Transport Scotland’s regulated procurements.

The Transport Scotland’s Annual Procurement Report 2020 was published in January 2021 and reported on compliance with commitments made in our Corporate Procurement Strategy and includes a summary of community benefits generated through Transport Scotland ferries contracts.

Ministers have not met with the union Prospect in relation to the ongoing industrial action by its members at HIAL. This is an operational matter and any discussions should be between Prospect and HIAL. There are no plans for Ministers to meet with Prospect.

The study, to be undertaken independently, has been scoped to identify where Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s operations can create more economic activity for island communities. This requires engagement and input from essential external stakeholders which has, to date, not been forthcoming. The study will be further progressed when essential stakeholders agree to engage with the process and will be published upon its completion.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 were made today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 19 July 2021.

The Regulations provide that all of Scotland is in Level 0 for the purpose of the principal regulations and accordingly the restrictions and requirements applicable at Level 0 and set out in schedule 1 to the principal regulations apply in all areas of Scotland.

The Regulations also make some adjustments to the restrictions and requirements which apply in Level 0.

The physical distancing requirements at Level 0 are reduced to 1 metre indoors and outdoors and the requirement for physical distancing between people in a gathering of up to 15 people outdoors is removed.

The Regulations also provide that in Level 0 children under the age of 12 years do not count for the purpose of calculating the number of households permitted for gatherings indoors.

Hospitality and casino opening hours in Level 0 are also adjusted to restrict opening to between 04:00 and 00:00.

The regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/263

Following the First Minister’s announcement on 13 July, we will update our published guidance for marriage ceremonies and wedding receptions as soon as possible to take account of the new arrangements. In advance of that, we are writing to our principal contacts within the wedding sector to highlight the key changes we will make to the guidance to set out the impact.

On 15 June 2021, the Advisory Sub-group for Education and Children’s Issues provided advice on whether groups of parents should be permitted to attend ELC settings for outdoor events such as nursery graduations. Their advice was that groups of parents and carers should not attend end-of-year events in Early Learning and Childcare settings, whether indoors or outdoors. This was a carefully considered decision that weighed up all of the risks involved to safeguard public health.

In relation to the Fan Zone Scottish Ministers have undertaken significant consultation with public health officials and clinicians who have provided advice throughout development of Glasgow City Council’s proposal. The Fan Zone provides an outdoor, highly regulated space for fans to watch the tournament. Although there will be up to 3,000 people in attendance per session, this is in a large, outdoor space with normal capacity for up to 80,000 people. Necessary physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place. In addition, there is comprehensive stewarding, cleaning and contact tracing provisions in place and everyone attending are encouraged to take a lateral flow test prior to the event. Rapid lateral flow test kits are being mailed to all visitors to the Glasgow Fan Zone. This move is part of a series of measures to help reduce the risk of transmission before and after the event.

The number of people who died of infectious diseases in each of the last five years are shown in the following table. These figures are available on the NRS website up to 2019. Data for 2020 will be published on 17 August 2021. This data can be accessed at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/vital-events-ref-tables/2019/vital-events-19-ref-tabs-6.xlsx

Work to preserve and increase the stock of grey partridge has traditionally been led by shooting interests such as the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

GWCT lead on the PARTRIDGE project in the UK, supported by the EU via the Interreg North Sea Region programme. It show-cases how new and improved management solutions can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services at 10 demonstration sites across the region. There are two demonstration sites in Scotland at Balgonie Farm in Fife and Whitburgh Farms in East Lothian promoting land management techniques specifically to benefit grey partridge https://northsearegion.eu/partridge/ .

More widely, the protection of Scotland’s biodiversity is a key priority for the Scottish Government, and we are committed to doing more to safeguard our species and habitats. Our high level Statement of Intent on biodiversity, published in December 2020, signalled our ambitions for biodiversity in Scotland, and the development of a new post-2020 biodiversity strategy. We have committed £7 million to date to the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and recently launched a new £10 million Nature Restoration Fund to help finance projects that support nature recovery and address climate change. Action to restore biodiversity is also central to our Green Recovery from Covid-19.