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The terms of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract, requires the operator to ensure lifeline support to the emergency services is available when required. This includes during periods of disruption, or if capacity is restrained such as during the Covid-19 pandemic as a consequence of physical distancing.

In addition, and in agreement with Transport Scotland, CalMac also has a protocol in place that ensures an island resident can attend a medical appointment on the mainland at short notice.

The Alternative Certification Model (ACM) for national qualifications in 2020-21 has been designed to give schools the flexibility to assess learners at times and in ways that are appropriate to their specific needs. This has been enhanced by a programme of support provided by the wider education sector.

As a result, the additional workload will vary and be subject to decisions at a local school level, in terms of their approach to delivering the Alternative Certification Model.

The Alternative Certification Model required teachers to ensure learners receive their national qualifications, based on their professional judgement of demonstrated attainment. We have recognised this unprecedented responsibility through the payment of up to £400 for each teacher involved in supporting the delivery of the ACM, and providing two days set aside during the school year for teachers to work on the assessments.

On 22 June, the First Minister announced changes which will help benefit weddings. In particular, suppliers employed by the couple marrying or registering their civil partnership, such as a photographer, will no longer count towards the numerical caps. This change took effect from 25 June. As indicated by the First Minister, we anticipate that this change will now have a relatively minor impact on transmission.

The Scottish Government appreciates that grandparents can often play an important and valuable role in a child’s life. Grandparents can currently apply to the court for contact rights. A decision will be made taking account of the child’s views and according to the best interests of the child.

The Scottish Government consulted in 2018 on the review of Part 1 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act). The consultation sought views on whether there should be a presumption in law that grandchildren benefit from contact with their grandparents. Page 56 of the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy which was published on 3 September 2019 sets out why the Scottish Government did not proceed to introduce a presumption that grandchildren benefit from contact with their grandparents. This is available at:

Family Justice Modernisation Strategy (www.gov.scot)

As a result of the consultation the Scottish Government included in the Bill for the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 an amendment to the 1995 Act inserting section 11ZA(3)(f) which will require the court to have regard to the effect that the order they are deciding whether or not to make might have on the child’s important relationships with other people. This could include grandparents.

Section 11ZA of the 1995 Act is not yet in force as implementation is reliant upon the register of child welfare reporters being established. The Scottish Government has consulted on the register of child welfare reporters and plans to lay regulations in spring 2022 on the register. Once the regulations are in force there would need to be a lead in time for the register to be fully operational. Our indicative timetable for this is April 2023.

The Scottish Government is satisfied that no further change is required to the legislation in relation to the rights for grandparents to access their grandchildren. The Scottish Government appreciates that grandparents can often play an important and valuable role in a child’s life. Grandparents can currently apply to the court for contact rights. A decision will be made taking account of the child’s views and according to the best interests of the child.

Section 11ZA(3)(f) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) as inserted by the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 will require the court to have regard to the effect that the order they are deciding whether or not to make might have on the child’s important relationships with other people. This could include grandparents.

Section 11ZA of the 1995 Act is not yet in force as implementation is reliant upon the register of child welfare reporters being established. The Scottish Government has consulted on the register of child welfare reporters and plans to lay regulations in spring 2022 on the register. Once the regulations are in force there would need to be a lead in time for the register to be fully operational. Our indicative timetable for this is April 2023.

The Charter for Grandchildren was originally published in April 2006. We republished the Charter of Grandchildren in April 2018 as part of our Your Parenting Plan resource. The Scottish Government has no plans to revise the Charter at this time.

The Charter for Grandchildren is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/parenting-plan-charter-grandchildren/

The Scottish Government has committed in the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy to further promote the Charter for Grandchildren.

The Family Justice Modernisation Strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/family-justice-modernisation-strategy/pages/1/

To ensure that they remain necessary and proportionate to the health harms of Covid-19, a review was undertaken ahead of the publication of the Strategic Framework Update and the Physical Distancing Review on 22 June 2021 to consider whether an earlier re-opening of night clubs was feasible. It underlined that the risks of transmission associated with the re-opening of night clubs remained significant. These include poor ventilation, alcohol consumption and high noise levels. There is also the additional risk of close physical contact in nightclubs. These risks are considered to be higher than in other settings which is why this sector is under tighter restrictions than other settings such as bars. Importantly, nightclubs are generally frequented by younger demographics who will be amongst the last to be vaccinated.

However, the Scottish Government provided greater clarity on the timing and conditions under which a re-opening would be possible. The Strategic Framework Update advised that nightclubs would be able to reopen when Scotland moves beyond level 0, we hope to make that change on 9 August provided over 40s and adults at risk have protection from the virus through 2 doses of the vaccine and the virus is sufficiently under control.

The publication of the Strategic Framework Update and the review into Physical Distancing will hopefully have provided the events sector greater clarity, particularly on when limits will be removed and physical distancing will end. Live music events are allowed in levels 2 and below albeit subject to capacity limits. There is guidance in place which may allow events to go ahead above those limits subject to approval from the local authority when Scotland is in level 0. We hope that all limits on attending events can be removed on 9 August when the whole of Scotland is expected to move beyond Level 0 provided key conditions are met. Additionally, we are currently working with stakeholders to establish the right package of baseline protective measures which will be necessary at these events following Scotland’s move beyond Level 0.

We held a number of meetings with a range of stakeholders during the parliamentary passage of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act), which gained Royal Assent on 1 October 2020. This included Grandparents Apart UK and Shared Parenting Scotland who provide support to those seeking contact with their grandchildren.

Section 11ZA(3)(f) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act), as inserted by section 16 of the 2020 Act, introduces additional factors for the court to consider before making an order under section 11 of the 1995 Act. The 1995 Act is the key legislation on parental responsibilities and rights, contact and residence. This includes that the court must consider the effect that an order might have on the child’s important relationships with other people, which could include grandparents.

We have also engaged with Shared Parenting Scotland and Grandparents Apart UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining and improving the reliability of lifeline ferry services that play a key role in supporting the economic, social and cultural development of island and remote communities - including the Arran service.

We continue to invest in the reliability of vessels in Clyde and Hebrides network through the Resilience Fund which was established in 2008 to improve the future reliability and availability of vessels, including both vessels operating on the Ardrossan to Brodick route and for ensuring the resilience of the Lochranza service.

It is extremely disappointing that Pentland Ferries has taken a business decision not to make the MV Pentalina available for charter. However, the Scottish Government will continue to work with CalMac and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to actively explore opportunities for chartering alternative additional tonnage for the Clyde and Hebrides network.

CalMac invests significantly in vessel maintenance. Each vessel is taken out of service annually to undergo an established programme of inspection and maintenance activities. This includes planned maintenance, preventative maintenance, repair and certification renewal to ensure the continued safety and reliability of the service.

The annual cost of maintenance and repairs by CalMac Ferries Limited on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services fleet since 2010 is detailed in the following table:

The figures are given as a fleet value rather than per vessel to retain commercial confidentiality of CalMac Ferries Limited.