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The delivery of 801 is planned for the range July 2022 to September 2022 and for 802 delivery is planned for the range April 2023 to July 2023. Following completion of the vessels and successful delivery, CalMac as the operator will require to undertake extensive sea trials and crew and operational service familiarisation before the vessels enter service.

Tim Hair, Turnaround Director of Ferguson Marine, updated the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on the delivery timetable and budget for vessels 801 and 802 on 24 June 2021. The report is available on the Scottish Parliament website at Update on progress and impact of COVID19 on programme for vessels 801 and 802 | Scottish Parliament Website

My sympathies are with the family of Emma Caldwell.

The criminal investigation into Emma Caldwell's death is still on-going. Any decision regarding whether it would be appropriate to undertake a judicial inquiry into any aspect of the investigation can only be taken at a point when that investigation has concluded.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01036 on
13 July 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The UK Government has proposed creating a separate Warm Home Discount scheme for Scotland that does not take account of current levels of need or the definition of fuel poverty as decided by the Scottish Parliament. We have urged the UK Government to reconsider their proposals on this basis and review their use of levy funding more generally. These proposals will increase charges on everyone's energy bills but this does not reflect every household's ability to pay.

Given that UK Ministers believe that a reformed scheme is needed in England and Wales, Scottish Ministers have proposed a simpler, fairer and more flexible fuel poverty scheme for Scotland. As set out in our draft Heat in Buildings Strategy, we believe that combining the current Energy Company Obligation and Warm Home Discount schemes would provide the flexibility needed to target the different needs of Scottish communities and reflect the will of the Parliament.

The Scotland Act (2016) does not provide powers for Scottish Ministers to simply change these levy funded schemes. In all circumstances the approval of the Secretary of State would be required for any changes to be implemented. Scottish Ministers cannot meaningfully consult about the design of a proposed Scottish scheme or engage with the Parliament on this basis.

We recognise the importance of good, safe, secure and warm homes for people’s wellbeing and our vision is that everyone should have a home that meets their needs.

Priority for social housing in Scotland is based on housing need and an assessment of an applicant’s individual circumstances. Scottish housing law requires social landlords to give reasonable preference to specific categories of applicant. This means that anyone including Service leavers, ex-Service personnel, their spouses and partners who find themselves homeless, threatened with homelessness or with a high level of housing need, for example where they are leaving tied accommodation, need family support or have medical needs, will receive priority for social housing.

Following the publication of the Scottish Veterans Commissioners report “Housing: Making a Home in Civilian Society,” we will consider the recommendation to encourage all social landlords to include ex-Service personnel as a priority group in their Allocations policies and will develop an action plan to take this forward.

The ‘Information for Use’ leaflet that is provided with each lateral flow test kit states that those who are unable to upload their test results can instead register them by calling the Freephone number 119.

On the wider issue of poor internet and mobile signal, the Scottish Government’s £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) contracts will deliver universal superfast broadband access across Scotland, regardless of remoteness or rurality, and the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) will ensure that everyone can access a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021. This builds on the Scottish Government’s strong track record of delivery, demonstrated by the £463 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme.

Through the Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) programme, we are also investing £28.75 million to deliver future-proofed, 4G mobile infrastructure at up to 55 mobile ‘notspots’ – providing connectivity in remote, rural and island areas.

The Scottish Government does not hold any specific data on the number of kennel and cattery businesses operating in Scotland and so is unable to provide an estimate of how much it would cost to target additional support at this sector.

Scottish Ministers fully recognise the importance of reliable ferry services to the economic, social and cultural development of island and remote mainland communities.

The recent breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth, and the impacts felt across the network, caused unacceptable disruption for our island communities. During the disruption, Transport Scotland worked with CalMac and engaged with local stakeholders in order to ensure everything was done to return the vessel to service as soon as possible. CalMac redeployed vessels in order to minimise the impacts across the network and put in place measures to maximise capacity, such as deploying a second vessel on the route from Kintyre to Arran. It is imperative the causes of that breakdown are understood and lessons properly learned so that we avoid this situation arising again in future.

Ferry passengers, whether travelling for tourism or other purposes, can apply for compensation for disruption under Passenger Rights Legislation. No other compensation for travel disruption is available for the tourism industry or wider sectors of the economy. However, Scottish Ministers have provided £3.6 billion of support during Covid to tourism businesses and we are committed to investing at least £580 million in ports and vessels over the next five years.

On 23 April 2021 the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) for England and Wales issued a judgement in Josephine Hamilton & Others v Post Office Limited [2021] EWCA Crim 577 relating to cases referred to it by the Criminal Cases Review Commission for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The case involved a total of 42 applicants who were formerly sub-postmasters or sub-postmistresses for the Post Office Limited who had been convicted of offences including theft, fraud and false accounting.

The Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of 39 of the applicants on the basis that evidence from the Horizon computer system, operated by the Post Office Limited, could not be relied upon.

Post Office Limited have identified persons known to have been convicted in Scotland on the basis of evidence that may relate to the Horizon computer system. This information has been provided to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC). A number of cases are under review by the SCCRC. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is assisting the SCCRC with its review. Any decision to refer the cases to the High Court is a matter for the SCCRC.