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I am committed to reforming crofting law by 2026, however, a decision on the timing of a Crofting Bill will be taken by Cabinet in the context of setting the content of future legislative programmes in the normal way.

The Crofting Bill Group is making good progress in reaching a consensus on the issues raised in 2016-2019, and further issues put forward by the Law Society and the Crofting Commission.

Officials confirm that there are FBAASSS advisors/ associates based in Shetland who are qualified to perform a Carbon Audit but also Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) has flexibility to allow land managers to complete a Carbon Audit template themselves, then use any FBAASS advisor registered in Scotland to provide the required recommendations based on the gathered data.

At this point there is no plan to recruit or train advisors to perform Carbon Audits as these are delivered by the private sector on a free competitive market basis, responding to demands from farmers and crofters.

During the development of the Carbon Audit guidance, under Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF), early engagement with Agents and Lantra was conducted to ensure that the industry could start upskilling its network to meet the expected demand. As a result, the number of FBAASS accredited agents/ associates has increased to 151 (11-07-23). The spread might not cover every island, but it does create a growing network that is improving the access to farmers and crofters who request their services. We will monitor this position closely.

The current Northern Isles Ferry Service contract is scheduled to expire 30 June 2028.

Development of options for the future ferry services contract on the Northern Isles routes is scheduled to start in 2024.

The Fair Fares Review is progressing well, with work underway with stakeholders and delivery partners to explore the challenges and opportunities facing our public transport system. Also, developing and assessing potential options for change that ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the long term viability of public transport in Scotland. This work will be supported by a broader programme of public engagement planned to commence later this summer.

It is vital that the Fair Fares Review is informed by the most robust and up-to-date evidence and accordingly the review will report by the end of this year in order to take cognisance of emerging evidence such as the Year 1 evaluation of the U22 free bus travel scheme and early findings from the removal of the Scotrail peak-time rail fares pilot. This report will recommend a package of measures that can be considered for implementation from 2024-25 onwards that provide opportunities to address the wider issues impacting on the cost and availability of public transport services across all modes of public transport and that will help ensure that the costs of transport are shared more fairly across government, business and society.

Police Scotland provided an update on the National Dashcam Safety Portal (NDSP) to officials at the Strategic Partnership Board meeting on 5 June, the highest tier to the Road Safety Framework to 2030 governance structure.

Prior to this, officials received a scoping paper from Police Scotland that outlines what will be required in order to initiate a business case that considers the development and anticipated demand of the pilot project before full national capability can be implemented.

Officials will meet with Police Scotland on 20 July to discuss the next steps.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many Maritime and Coastguard Agency approved medical assessors there are in Scotland, who are able to assess seafarers for an ML5 certificate, broken down by NHS board. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK Government agency.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many GPs in Scotland are able to assess seafarers for an (a) ENG1 and b) ML5 medical certificate, broken down by NHS board. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK Government agency.

CMAL has appointed naval architects Leadship to carry out future vessel feasibility studies and concept designs which will include passenger cabin options.

As the project progresses, engagement events will be held which will ensure that all key stakeholders are able to contribute to the outcome of the project.