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Scotland is a welcoming nation and those who decide to come to Scotland from Hong Kong and elsewhere will be welcomed for the positive contribution they will bring to our communities, economy and society. The British National (Overseas)visa scheme was launched on 31 st January and as of the end of March 2021 a total of 34,300 have applied for the visa.

Scottish Government has been engaging with UK Government to clarify the numbers of individuals coming to Scotland. through this visa route. This information will be key in ensuring the availability of relevant information and advice. Scottish Government has prepared an online welcome pack for individuals arriving in Scotland via the British National (Overseas) visa scheme which will be linked to our Moving to Scotland resource.

We will continue to press the UK Government for further information on numbers.

The Scottish Government has used a number of initiatives to promote regular testing using lateral flow devices. This includes:

• Running targeted campaigns to promote the importance of testing through platforms including TV, radio and social media.
• Promoting free access to lateral flow test kits that are delivered directly to a person’s home.
• Introducing Pharmacy Collect – a service that allows the collection of free lateral flow test kits from over 1000 pharmacies throughout Scotland

The Scottish Government has worked with NHS Inform to promote information on how to accurately take an LFD test. This included commissioning a video from Professor Jason Leitch with instructions on how to take the test. This has been translated into multiple languages including BSL, Arabic, Polish and Urdu. Information on NHS Inform pages , for example on where to get a test, has also been translated.

The Scottish Government continues to produce testing information and campaigns to help aid the use and promotion of testing and will continue to do so throughout the course of this pandemic.

The total cost from April 2020 to date for Scottish Government to remove car parking charges at the PFI hospital car parks at Ninewells Hospital, the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was £6.97million, inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

We are unable to provide the cost at each of the individual hospitals as disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of the contracted PFI company’s business operations.

In recognition of the importance of monitoring our soils, the Scottish Government, through the Rural and Environment Science Analytical Services (RESAS), is evaluating proposals for a systematic soil monitoring framework for Scotland to begin April 2022.

The Scottish Land Fund supports urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

It has a two-stage application process. At Stage 1 groups are asked for basic information about their project and organisation. At Stage 2 groups are asked to complete a full application form for funding for the acquisition of the asset.

At both stages, groups can reapply if they are unsuccessful, so the numbers of 'unsuccessful' applications shown in the table below includes some groups who have applied several times. The 'unsuccessful' category could include multiple applications by the same applicant who may subsequently have submitted a successful application.

The following table sets out figures for applications received and awards made for both stages.

1. Stage 1 Applications received, and awards made

The requirement to wear a face covering in certain indoor public places is not specific to places of worship. This requirement is necessary to reduce the number of indoor interactions that occur without a face covering in order to limit the opportunities for transmission. A list of exemptions is included within the Regulations laid in parliament as well as in the Scottish Government's published guidance. Those exemptions cover activities where it would be a disproportionate interference or impractical to require a face covering including eating or drinking, performing, exercising and with some specific exemptions around weddings and civil partnerships.

The Scottish Government regularly publishes evidence and data relating to the response to the COVID pandemic. With regard to face coverings, decisions were based on evidence and advice from both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) both of whom have published extensive evidence and guidance on the use of face coverings.

Mitigations to reduce transmission of the new variant SARS-CoV-2 virus, 22 December 2020 (publishing.service.gov.uk) .

Advice on the use of masks in the community, during home care and in healthcare settings in the context of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak (who.int)

The World Health Organisation recommends the use of face coverings in the community in areas of known transmission and in certain workplaces. The settings of known transmission tend to have identifiable characteristics such as close proximity with people from other households, settings where an individual may stay for prolonged periods of time, confined shared environments and poor ventilation. Any future requirement to wear face coverings will continue to take account of social and economic factors as well as the epidemiological impact on transmission. This is subject to regular review.

Public Health Scotland is leading the comprehensive evaluation of minimum unit pricing which is a five year programme, with a final evaluation report due in 2023. The evaluation includes assessing the impact of minimum unit pricing on the alcohol industry in Scotland. It is too early in the evaluation to say anything definitive about the impact on producers and retailers. However, an initial qualitative assessment, Evaluating the impacts on the alcoholic drinks industry Report , found that, overall, effects on retailer revenue and prices are small as increased margins have compensated for decreased volumes, and the effect on producer revenues and profitability is negative but small. A final report, which will analyse quantitative data, is due in 2022.

Snaring is reviewed every 5 years under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the next review is due to be completed by December 2021. The Scottish Government will consider any recommendations from the review and will take further action if necessary, including introducing further legislation.

The following table details the annual breakdown of estimated expenditure on new ferries and infrastructure improvements on the ferries network from 2021/22 to 2025/26.

The Scottish Government plans to launch its consultation on restricting the advertising and promotion of Nicotine Vapour Products (NVPs) in November. Timings for any potential legislation that may arise from the consultation will be dependent on the detail of responses as well as Parliamentary time.