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The UK Government has awarded a contract enabling the call-off of security services in respect of the managed isolation programme, including in Scotland. The company appointed through that contract to provide security services in Scotland is G4S. The costs of the security services provided are met by the UK Government, with no payment passing directly from guests in the managed isolation programme to G4S.

New and comprehensive quarantine rules are essential to prevent new variants from entering the country and undermining the roll out of the vaccination programme. Restricting national and international travel allow us to lower the risk of new variants undermining our vaccination programme.

Any decision on ending the policy of managed isolation will be contingent on the epidemiological data and wider evidence about the rollout and success of our vaccination programme. Such a decision will be considered, in due course, in the context of a refreshed strategic approach to suppressing the virus.

We will keep these rules under regular review alongside the other international travel restrictions. Ministers must review the need for restrictions imposed under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 at least once every 28 days. The results of these reviews are reported to Parliament.

I held discussions with the Minister of State for Transport on‎ 19 May 2020 and 20 September 2020 regarding HS2.

Transport Scotland Officials and Department for Transport Officials are working in partnership with HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to identify further options that could improve Anglo-Scottish connectivity and the next Working Group Meeting is scheduled for 2 March 2021.

This Scottish Government has not made any specific representations to the UK Government regarding the recent announcement that HS2 Phase 2a between Birmingham and Crewe has gained Royal Assent.

We have consistently supported HS2 and welcome the increased benefit that Scotland will realise from the improved connectivity and additional reduction in journey times between Glasgow and London that the extension of HS2 will bring.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34055 on‎ 26 February 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34055 on‎ 26 February 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 Scottish Government has published its COVID-19 vaccination policy in its Deployment Plan which gives background to the decisions made, and different models. It also sets out how we will work as fast as supplies allow to vaccinate everyone over the age of 18 and those aged 16 and 17 who are frontline health and social care workers, young carers or have underlying health conditions in Scotland – estimated to be around 4.5 million people.

We are currently working through groups one to nine of the JCVI's prioritisation list and aim to have reached the whole of the JCVI priority list by early May. Vaccination of the rest of the adult population will follow thereafter. Prioritisation decisions for phase two of the vaccination programme will be influenced by any additional clinical considerations and further advice from JCVI. Before making any decisions the JCVI will review data on the impact that vaccines have on transmission and effectiveness, when considering how to prioritise vaccination amongst the rest of the population.

Additional information about vaccine delivery is available from NHS Inform and our COVID-19 Deployment plan .

As set out in our October 2019 position paper and September 2020 response to the Scottish Commission on Social Security’s recommendations ; it would not be feasible to deliver an automated Scottish Child Payment until full roll-out of Universal Credit, which is currently scheduled to be 2024 at the earliest. To deliver an automated payment earlier, we would have had to build interfaces with all the legacy benefits, which would be complex, time-consuming and impossible to deliver within the timescales of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (2022), especially given the already full programme of work to deliver the devolved benefits.

We remain committed to automation where possible, and we will review the feasibility again as part of the wider review of Scottish Child Payment after full roll out. However, an automated service would still be complex and require substantial work, as well as a significant level of support from the Department for Work and Pensions. We would be absolutely dependent on the UK Government to provide the necessary data we would need to automate the payment, which is not currently provided.