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In keeping with the Road Safety Framework to 2030 priorities and with particular reference to the In-Depth Fatalities Report, we are running a national campaign on Drink and Drug Driving.

The Drink and Drug Driving campaign will tackle drivers aged 18-35. As outlined in the Road Safety Framework there is a need to ensure drivers do not drive while impaired through alcohol or drugs. Drug driving limits and roadside drug testing were introduced in Scotland in October 2019. Since then, more than 19,000 tests have been carried out with almost half of those resulting in a positive test (49%). However, a relatively low awareness of roadside testing remains, and Road Safety Scotland will continue to address this through future campaign activity.

We are also working alongside Police Scotland who are undertaking a pilot project in Shetland. The pilot includes local police officers trained in the testing of drivers at the roadside who are suspected to be under the influence of drink and drugs. The officers have been fully trained in the administering of the drug wipes, previously road policing officers had been the only trained officers to administer the wipes. This pilot will be monitored and evaluated and we will be meeting Police Scotland in the New Year to discuss progress as well as identifying future road safety initiatives to tackle drug driving in Scotland.

Post campaign evaluation shows the 2023-24 Drug-Driving campaign was effective in increasing awareness of use of roadside drug wipes by police and prompting key actions, including talking to friends and family about roadside testing.

The Scottish Government has a track record of investment to improve croft housing. 186 croft houses have been built and recorded with Registers of Scotland.

This is a matter for ScotRail as the employer.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32085 on 19 December 2024. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. 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

a) The exact cost of obtaining the information has not been calculated but it is estimated to exceed the cost limit due to the number of cases and other matters that would require to be considered individually by officials.

b) Link to the published SG accounts on the SG website can be found here to show legal costs across multiple financial years. –

– Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot

In November 2024, the Scottish Government published its Asylum Right to Work pilot proposal. It proposes a number of changes to current UK policy with regards to the right to work for people seeking asylum.

Policy officials from both the Asylum & Refugee Integration team and the Population team contributed to development of the proposal, however there were no civil servants allocated to this work on a full-time basis.

The Scottish Government requires ScotRail and Network Rail in Scotland to co-operate in the management, monitoring and improvement of Scottish train performance. The Office for Rail and Road publishes performance data for Scotland on its website. Delays and cancellations to Scottish rail services can be caused by problems with infrastructure, rolling stock, availability of staff (including through industrial action) and delays introduced to the Scottish rail network by poor performance of cross-border rail services from England.

The CARES allocation of £11.7 million for 2025-26 announced in the draft budget represents an increase on the budget allocated to CARES in 2024-25. Plans for CARES in 2025-26 will be informed by lessons learnt from the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund pilot. This fund supported community groups with up to £1.5 million to develop their own community energy projects.

The Scottish Government is committed to growing the community energy sector and communities are at the heart of our renewable energy ambitions. CARES funding for 2025-26 will include dedicated development funding and support to help communities with the early stage development of community owned energy projects, increasing the accessibility of community energy and helping to ensure communities see the benefits of our energy transition.

Project Neptune was commissioned in March 2021, culminating in the publication of its findings on 8 September 2022. This was followed up with community engagement, by Angus Campbell, resulting in the publication of the 'Communities Report on Future Management of Ferries' on 10 July 2023. Almost £244,000 has been spent on Project Neptune, excluding internal Transport Scotland resources.

Since publication of the reports, Scottish Ministers have been consistently clear on the need to improve delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS), to ensure the requirements of ferry dependent communities are met. No immediate decisions are being made on the subject of reform of the ferries sector, though nothing is off the table. At present, the focus is on the preparation for bringing the six new major vessels into the CalMac fleet and the considerable work involved in putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new CHFS contract next year.