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The project agreement for the RIE was signed in 1998 between NHSL and Consort Healthcare. Consort are responsible for the provision of facilities management and lifecycle maintenance works until the end of the Primary Period in December 2027. The Secondary Period begins automatically following the end of the Primary Period, the exact arrangements for the secondary period, which include the possibility of terminating the agreement, will be determined by the ongoing discussions and decisions taken by NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare, which have not yet concluded.

The Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme has been successfully piloted in NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Tayside, with evaluations demonstrating positive experiences for both participants and NHS placement staff. Learning and good practice from these pilots has been shared with health boards.

The role of the Nursing Cadet Scheme is being considered by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce in anticipation of the Taskforce providing recommendations on, inter alia , opportunities for attracting new entrants into nursing and midwifery careers, to support in building a sustainable and attractive workforce for the future.

On 1 March 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Health confirmed the implementation of the Agenda for Change Review Recommendations including the implementation of a consistent approach to Protected Learning Time across all NHS Scotland Boards. This includes the completion of statutory, mandatory and profession specific mandatory training within working hours, including for Nurses. These changes took effect from 1st April 2024

The Scottish Government presented to the Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee (SWAG) on further work in relation to Protected Learning Time, on 23 April. Following this, it is the intention that SWAG will convene a sub-group to oversee delivery of work to map time requirements for statutory, core mandatory and professional mandatory training.

The Scottish Government is clear that hydrogen has a key part to play as a renewable and low carbon source of energy to help meet our net zero ambitions. We remain committed to delivering the strategic approach and actions required to support the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland over the course of this Parliament.

We are committed to delivering on our Hydrogen Action Plan, and to a hydrogen investment programme. Whilst there are currently no plans to open a call for applications to the Green Hydrogen Fund as a direct result of the UK Government imposed 10% cut to the Scottish Government capital budget, we continue to support hydrogen projects across Scotland on a case-by-case basis and will engage with projects as they come forward. In doing so, we will be working with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and other stakeholders.

We also continue to support hydrogen innovation through our Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and, alongside Scotland’s academic researchers and industry, facilitate collaboration and develop impactful R&D projects including work on establishing the case for pipeline transportation of hydrogen from Scotland to Europe.

Scotland’s huge potential for renewable electricity generation, and hydrogen’s utility, means that it can also act as a vector for energy storage and a balancing service to the electricity grid. It can additionally act as a vector for transportation, particularly considering grid constraints.

We are engaging closely with the UKG, OfGEM, and National Grid ESO ahead of the launch of the National Energy System operator this Summer to underline the need for strategic planning and to ensure that hydrogen production, storage and system utility is considered and other areas such as progressive approaches to flexibility reform and grid connection timelines, as they affect the viability of hydrogen projects, are reflected in our engagement in strategic programmes such as the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the ESO Constraints Collaboration project which is seeking solutions for thermal constraints, which can reduce costs to the consumer or reduce the curtailment of renewable generation.

Scottish Government officials are engaging with National Grid on the Project Union initiative exploring the phased repurposing of the UK’s natural gas National Transmission System (NTS) to create a UK hydrogen backbone carrying 100% hydrogen. Decisions on the future of the Gas Grid are a reserved matter and are expected to be made in 2026 by the UK Government. We continue to routinely engage with UKG on a range of hydrogen policy matters including recent consultations on Transport and Storage Hydrogen Business Models

SGN are core members of the Scottish Hydrogen Industry Forum.

The Taylor Swift concerts are wholly commercial events and the Scottish Government has no locus for involvement. It is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council as the relevant licensing authority to oversee events of this nature, including ensuring compliance by the organisers with the appropriate public safety regulations.

Like with similar major events, security arrangements including the deployment of officers is an operational decision for Police Scotland.

Enhanced transport arrangements have been put into place across Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail services to meet the increase in demand expected over the weekend. This includes adding later trains on numerous routes and providing additional carriages on existing rail services to manage the demand. There will be enhanced staffing plans and additional British Transport Police (BTP) officers in place at key locations, as well as on board trains to ensure a safe environment for passengers traveling to and from the event.

The following tables set out the 55 new masts deployed through the Scottish 4G Infill Programme which completed in November 2023 by year and by local authority area.

In the financial year 2022-23 no money was awarded to local authorities for the Road Safety Improvement Fund. The proposed allocation of funding was reallocated due to the cost of living crisis and other Scottish Government pressures.

Funding for 2023-24 financial year was distributed to local authorities and the figures are as follows:

CMAL has taken further advice on this question. The financial institutions providing the bank refund guarantees for the Little Minch vessels are Yapi Kredi and Halk Bank respectively.