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The Scottish Government recognises the vital importance of a skilled plumbing workforce and is actively supporting its growth. A key route is our continued investment in Modern Apprenticeships, backed by £185 million this year. We are also exploring how to maximise the impact of this investment.

We are engaging directly with industries and employers to shape a new skills planning approach that will aim to effectively address national and regional needs. including considering how Recognition of Prior Learning can help individuals with experience enter the sector.

While we take these actions, it's crucial to acknowledge that Brexit and current UK immigration policy exacerbate skills gaps and hinder Scotland's progress, which is why we advocate for a tailored migration approach for Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37627 on 27 May 2025.

The following table sets out any representations that officials have identified as being received by the Scottish Government referencing bereavement-based exceptional circumstances or appeals arrangements in relation to the National Qualifications.

It should be borne in mind that different exceptional circumstances and appeals arrangements were in place in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of the alternative awarding processes in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scottish Ministers are legally required to consult, develop and implement fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features.

Developing the evidence-base for effective fisheries management measures, and undertaking statutory requirements, for more than 160 sites and areas within the inshore region is a complicated and challenging process. We are continuing to work at pace to complete the necessary statutory social, economic and environmental assessments ahead of launching a public consultation.

Fisheries management measure will be implemented as soon as possible following analysis of the consultation responses and a final decision on the measures has been taken.

No changes are currently planned to the questions asked in the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) donor health check questionnaire as a result of the Supreme Court judgment. However, SNBTS will continue to review its polices in the light of any further guidance issued.

The Scottish Government is grateful to everyone who takes the time to volunteer to give blood. The questionnaire aims to treat all potential donors equitably, but it is essential that all questions are answered fully in order to ensure that blood can be donated safely. Nonetheless, the Scottish Government regrets any upset caused to people who are not able to donate blood as a result of not answering any of the questions in the questionnaire.

SNBTS adjusted the questionnaire in 2022 so that all donors are asked the same questions. In response to some concerns raised, SNBTS further amended the questionnaire in 2023 to make clear that if the question about whether a donor might be pregnant is not applicable then donors should tick ‘No’. Although some questions will not be relevant for many donors – male and female – the questionnaire is the most practical way of asking sensitive questions in a busy donor environment. Staff cannot know or make assumptions in all cases about a person’s biological sex, so the current approach avoids any risk that someone who could be pregnant does not answer the pregnancy question.

The Heat in Buildings Programme was subject of an Audit Scotland review in 2023, with the findings of this review published in February 2024. This publication can be found at https://audit.scot/publications/decarbonising-heat-in-homes.

Additionally, all Scottish Government expenditure is subject to audit through the sampling of annual accounts.

The Scottish Government will be allocating an additional £6,252,000 to territorial boards in 2025-26 specifically to fund insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM). Additional funding of around £800,000 will be used to fund the National Onboarding Service and make improvements to digital infrastructure, including SCI-Diabetes and MyDiabetes MyWay.

A breakdown of funding being provided to each territorial Board can be found in the following table. Some additional funding has been provided to support development of digital infrastructure.

The four Health Boards providing regional services to those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have now started to contact all families with children eligible under the national early access programme to set out the timelines involved. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all those who are eligible to ensure fair and equitable access across Scotland.

There has been no investment specifically related to Stranraer waterfront in the current Parliamentary term through Regeneration programmes.

Regeneration has supported a number of projects in Stranraer, including funding for Stranraer Development Trust, within the current parliamentary term.

Following the development of the Stranraer community’s Local Place Plan, the regeneration funding announced in the Scottish Budget will support the delivery of regeneration of the town centre with funding of up to £710k.

Implementation of the reduction of class contact time requires agreement through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing class contact time, and we will continue to work with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the SNCT to agree our approach to delivering this important commitment at pace.

Since 2011, the Scottish Government has provided over £65 million to support the development of public EV charging across Scotland. As a direct result of this funding, and increasing private sector investment, Scotland now has over 6,800 public charge points, a target for 6,000 public Charge points was met in October 2024, two years ahead of schedule. Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, with, on a per head of population basis, more rapid public EV charge points than any other part of the UK except the South East of England.

Through our £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund we are continuing to supporting local authorities to work in partnership with the private sector to expand public EV charging across Scotland, with public funding prioritising those areas of Scotland less likely to benefit from stand-alone private sector investment in public EV charging infrastructure, including rural and island communities.

Through the EV Infrastructure Fund, Glasgow City Region, which includes the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency, has been awarded £3.5 million to support the installation over 3,000 additional charge points across the region. Glasgow City Region are now taking forward public procurement to deliver this project.