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The Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our rail freight strategy and put into practice with significant investment and our first of a kind regulatory growth targets. Benefits for rail freight are included in our rail projects and we will continue to maximise these benefits in our future investment in the rail network in Scotland. Rail connections between Wembley and the Channel Tunnel have not been specifically discussed, but the Scottish Government meets the UK Government regularly to consider how to maximise the potential for rail freight growth and these discussions include the importance of sufficient capacity and power supply for cross-border rail freight services.

Transport Scotland continues to engage with Glasgow City Council regarding their aspirations for Glasgow City Centre, noting it is they who are responsible for bringing forward land use changes and the associated planning duties. The interests of Transport Scotland lie in the safe and effective operation of the M8.

Transport Scotland has communicated to Glasgow City Council that to take forward potential proposals identified in its District Regeneration Framework for Cowcaddens, a robust assessment of the potential impacts on the M8, access roads and adjacent facilities should be carried out. Officials from Transport Scotland are currently scoping an assessment on the future of the M8.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27301 on the Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework on 17 May 2024.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government recognises the ongoing and serious impact that high energy costs is having on the culture sector in Scotland and that is why we are increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m this financial year. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to bring in regulation of the energy market and other measures which will help to address the energy cost crisis.

Scottish Ministers are focused on ensuring a reliable and resilient ferry service, including six new vessels in service by 2026. We fully recognise the need to support our island businesses and that is why we are offering 100% relief in 2024-25 for hospitality businesses located on islands or in specified remote areas, capped at £110,000 per business.

The package of measures announced on 24 May 2024 also provides a further £5m support across our island communities.

A number of actions are already underway to improve recruitment into clinical and medical oncology. For example, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are:

• Increasing front-end supply by funding the creation of additional posts in Internal Medicine Training (IMT), which is a pre-requisite for both clinical and medical oncology (42 IMT posts added in 2021 and 22 in 2024).
• Using these IMT posts to increase exposure to oncology during the early years of a doctors career.
• Exploring the feasibility of a regional rotational training post to attract applicants to vacant posts in the North and East of Scotland.
• Providing ongoing support to trainees wishing to enter oncology training through alternative routes.
• Delivering (a) oncology-themed national training days in all regions for IMT and Foundation trainees, and (b) ‘roadshows’ in all regions to promote oncology as a specialism.

In addition, the Training Programme Directors (TPD) for clinical and medical oncology within NES sit on the respective Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Specialty Advisory Committees (SAC). The SACs then feed into the relevant Specialty Training Board (STB) within NES. The TPD for medical oncology is a member of the Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP). The TPD for both medical and clinical oncology feed back to the RCR with relevant issues arising from the STB. The RCR and ACP both had major involvement in designing and implementing the new oncology curricula, which is now fully embedded.

The Chief Medical Officer met with the Royal College of Radiologists on 14 December 2023 and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer met with them on 16 May 2024.

The Scottish Government has engaged with the industry-led Offshore Energy Skills Passport through the project steering group led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK. This group also includes representation from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (OPITO), the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), Trade Unions and a range of other stakeholders. SSE is not a member of the project steering group.

We have welcomed the recent joint statement from Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK on progress to date and next steps with the Passport and urge industry partners to continue to develop and roll the initiative out at pace.

This is an operational matter for Caledonian Sleeper, the Member may wish to contact Caledonian Sleeper Ltd directly.

The Scottish Government discussed INTOG at Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) meeting on 6 March 2024.

As SOWEC chair, stakeholders were notified of the revised timeline for the updated Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind energy (SMP-OWE) which will provide a planning framework for Scotwind and INTOG. Consultation on a draft will commence in Autumn 2024 and a final plan adopted by Spring 2025.

While the updated SMP-OWE is being prepared, developers may continue to submit applications for consent and licensing in the normal way. These will be considered by Ministers on a case-by-case basis in line with the planning, consenting and assessment framework available at the time.

Therefore there will be no delay for any offshore wind project progressing through our licensing and consenting process as a result of the revised timeline.

SOWEC will continue to engage with industry to discuss the key challenges and opportunities related to offshore wind in Scotland including INTOG projects.

The Diving at Work Regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive, a UK Government agency. This is therefore a reserved matter and the Scottish Government do not hold such information.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (budget estimate). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ).

Figures for 31 March 2024 will be superseded on 25 June 2024 by data published in Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates.

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).