Seòmar agus comataidhean

Scottish Government continues to support practices to maintain access to GP services for residents. The General Practice Access Group is working towards developing a set of principles to share with all practices this Spring.

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing an aviation strategy. Our public consultation document on developing the strategy noted that sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) were most likely to deliver the biggest reductions in lifecycle emissions for aviation in the medium term. The consultation invited views on what the Scottish Government could do to help increase the use of SAF. An independent analysis of the responses has been published. In addition, Transport Scotland is working with Scottish Enterprise who have commissioned a SAF supply chain mapping study for Scotland in order to review the economic opportunity.

Since the conclusion of our consultation, the UK Government has published its own ‘Jet Zero’ aviation strategy. As aviation is reserved, this strategy contains various SAF-related measures that will apply throughout the UK, for example, the introduction of a SAF mandate.

Research commissioned by Sustainable Aviation UK claimed that SAF production could create between 1,060 and 2,310 jobs in Scotland and generate between £153 and £332 million Gross Value Added per year. The Scottish Government has not specifically assessed the number of jobs that SAF could create in Scotland nor the future value of SAF.

The Scottish Government will consider all such material in determining potential actions on SAF for inclusion in the final aviation strategy.

There has been no changes to the maintenance periods following these comments. Every vessel within the CalMac fleet requires regular maintenance work and CalMac are contractually obliged to ensure annual overhauls are completed successfully.

Planned maintenance will be carried out on each vessel on an annual basis in line with other vessels in the CHFS fleet. The timing of these inspections and necessary dry docks is for the operator to manage.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS Lothian on a range of capital investment projects, including the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, a National Treatment Centre, a replacement for the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion and a number of primary care projects and we are in the process of establishing a prioritised list, which can be taken forward in line with our capital budget expectations.

The expenditure by the Scottish Government in each of the last five years on TikTok is as follows:

2018: £0

2019: £0

2020: £71,179

2021: £127,372

2022: £112,508

2023: £27,474 (up to 31 March 2023)

There are approximately 1.5 million new trees planted alongside the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. No further tree planting is planned other than replacement planting which may be required in future where insufficient numbers of trees have become established to satisfy the environmental objectives and the Indicative Landscape Design.

Scottish Government continues to support practices in the Edinburgh area to maintain access to GP services for residents. The General Practice Access Group is working towards developing a set of principles to share with all practices this Spring.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16183 on 5 April 2023. 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-16183 on 5 April 2023. 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 

Scottish Government officials have met with the following groups and organisations on the minimum age of marriage and related matters:

AMINA- Muslim Women’s Resource Centre

Article 12 in Scotland

Association of Registrars of Scotland

Caledonian Humanist Association

Evangelical Alliance

Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid

Humanist Society Scotland

IKWRO Women’s Rights Organisation

Independent Humanist Ceremonies

JustRight Scotland

Karma Nirvana

Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project

Scottish Council of Jewish Communities

Saheliya

Scottish Women’s Aid

Shakti Women’s Aid

Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)

UNICEF UK

They have also met with some Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and with two Scottish family law academics.

I intend for these meetings to continue. My officials are planning to meet representatives of the following bodies, some of which will have received invitations to discuss the issues.

The Baptist Union of Scotland

The Church of Scotland

The Free Church of Scotland

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

Glasgow Central Mosque

Hindu Forum of Britain

The Methodist Church

The Muslim Council of Scotland

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers in Scotland)

The Roman Catholic Church (The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland)

The Salvation Army

The Scottish Association of Mosques

The Scottish Episcopal Church

Sikhs in Scotland

The Scottish Unitarian Association

The Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church

The United Free Church of Scotland

The member is welcome to write to me with details of other interested groups who want to be involved.