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Work is proceeding on a number of vessel replacement projects. Vessels 801 (MV Glen Sannox) and 802 are under construction and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) have started the procurement process for a new Islay vessel. In addition, projects are underway to deliver the vessel replacements noted in the Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Plan: Gourock-Dunoon/Kilcreggan, the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, Craignure-Oban, Mallaig-Armadale/Lochboisdale and the Northern Isles freighters.

A National Mission with Local Impact: Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Batteries are increasingly important for decarbonising a whole range of vehicles and potentially a major socio-economic opportunity for Scotland. The UK's Faraday Institution estimates there will be enough electric vehicle demand by 2040 for seven gigafactories across the UK.Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan indicates how Scotland’s clear policy on net zero, combined with high value manufacturing capability, battery chemical research and zero emission vehicle test centres, delivers opportunities for inward investment.

Zero Waste Scotland, together with Transport Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, commissioned a series of reports into the economic opportunities across the value chain from battery production to recycling and end of life. This research will inform the ongoing development of Scotland’s policies on batteries for electric vehicles and the domestic battery supply chain.

Changes to travel restrictions affecting Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council were notified to Parliament by answer to question S6W-00162 on 21 May 2021, and announced to businesses and the public through a media briefing by the First Minister, a news release, and updated guidance on the Scottish Government website. Enforcement of coronavirus travel regulations in Scotland is a matter for Police Scotland. 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

We have provided over £110 million through our Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to enable communities to play their part and we will continue to support community-led climate action as a key part of our just transition to net zero.

We are building on the achievements of the CCF by developing networks of regional Community Climate Action hubs and Climate Action Towns. These initiatives will run alongside the recently launched Net Zero Nation campaign which aims to showcase and inspire climate action across Scotland, including in our communities, using COP26 as a catalyst.

The Scottish Government provides funding for energy efficiency schemes that provide grant and/or loans for the installation of boilers.

Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) operates a National Customer Price mechanism that ensures customers throughout Scotland have the same access to the same measures when they make an application to the scheme. It also means that customers pay the same rate for additional radiators or for measures that exceed the maximum customer grant irrespective of where they live.

All installations are inspected by Warmworks inspectors to ensure that the measures have been installed to both contract and industry standards. In addition, the Scottish Government appointed Pennington Choices as the independent scheme auditor for Warmer Homes Scotland. Pennington Choices carries out audits on a percentage of applications at every stage of the delivery of the contract including the quality of completed installations.

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loans require quotes to be provided and recommendation reports. For boilers, they must be included on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), be A-rated, and the installer must be Gas Safe registered. Gas Safe has the overall responsibility for the standard of installation and the performance of the companies, and all installations should have associated maintenance plans and warranties in place. Energy Saving Trust (EST), who manages the scheme on behalf of Scottish Government, carries out annual cost reviews of technologies.

Installers for projects delivered as part of our Area Based Schemes are commissioned by local councils in line with public procurement guidance. Local councils are required to meet all relevant quality assurance and legal requirements for installation, as well as ensuring value for money in procurement.

Whilst the UK Government (UKG) are the principle contract owners and managers of the Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) and its suppliers; the Scottish Government acts as officiate of these contracts with the service providers. The close working relationship the Scottish Government fosters with hotel and security facility teams enables any matters arising to be de-escalated quickly. There is a protocol in place with Police Scotland to assist, where appropriate.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any crimes of any nature being recorded in relation to managed isolation guests in Scotland.

Throughout the pandemic, the Scottish Government has maintained close contact with Scottish Water and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) around charging policy and was supportive of the WICS action introduce a package worth £60 million to provide additional liquidity to licensed providers, allowing them to assist customers through deferred payment terms. On 14 May 2020, WICS announced a further water charges relief scheme building on the initial intervention to provide at least another £50 million of liquidity to allow a further deferral of charges for businesses that had been impacted by Covid-19.

In Scotland, all non-domestic properties remain liable to be charged if they have access to services. Scottish Water is still required to provide services to properties, even if they are temporarily closed, and there are costs associated with this, in particular ensuring property drainage and ensuring water and wastewater services are available whenever a business might be able to re-open. If follows therefore that businesses are still required to pay their Licensed Provider for services but the liquidity support means this can be over an extended time period and Licensed Providers will continue to pay Scottish Water for wholesale costs.

The contracts for the hotels, security and Corporate Travel Management are owned and managed by the UK Government. Scottish Government officials acts as officiate of these contracts with the service providers, but do not have any contractual powers.

Officials foster extremely good relationships with and maintain regular contact with the network of managed isolation facilities in Scotland, including the hotel and security teams and the service provider Corporate Travel Management (CTM). This enables issues flagged by users of these services to be resolved quickly. Issues which cannot be dealt with by Scottish Government and the network of facilities locally are escalated to the UKG.

The International Passenger Coordination Team have agreed a protocol with Police Scotland to enable the facility team to contact them, when appropriate to do so. We have not had any reports of crimes being committed against guests.

During 2020 the Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, MOD and veterans organisations, promoted and distributed Armed Forces and veterans awareness training to all local authorities in Scotland via the network of Armed Forces Champions. The e-learning is a simple, user-friendly resource which aims to raise awareness and understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant, how it is implemented in the community and how the principles should be applied at a local level. The training package also provides sources of further information and support for the Armed Forces and veterans community. Consideration is being given to expanding this across other front-line service providers including the NHS. We continue to engage with Champions and Local Authorities to determine the effectiveness of this training and ensure that it has been made available to frontline staff.

In addition, Veterans Scotland has received funding from the Forces in Mind Trust to enable engagement with decision makers in statutory and third sector organisations across Scotland. Through this engagement, supported by the Scottish Government, Veterans Scotland seeks both to inform partners about the needs of those preparing to leave the Armed Forces and of the veterans community and also to encourage those partners to ensure that they are equipped to meet their obligations under the Covenant. As part of this work, Veterans Scotland promotes and distributes e-copies of the Forces in Mind Trust’s ‘Our Community – Our Covenant’, an accessible tool that provides practical guidance.

Senior Transport Scotland Ferries Unit officials have met specifically with representatives of Pentland Ferries five times since January 2019.

Four of these were to discuss Covid financial impacts on Pentland Ferries and one was to discuss work seeking to implement Road Equivalent Tariff on ferry services to the Northern Isles. These were attended by TS Ferries Staff and representatives from Pentland Ferries.

CMAL have met with Pentland Ferries once since January 2019 while inspecting the MV Pentalina.