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It was a manifesto commitment of the SNP to create a register of interests for members of the judiciary to improve transparency and trust in the justice system.

Now that the new government is in place, we will start looking at ways this register can be introduced and take forward the work needed to achieve this manifesto commitment.

We are doing everything we can with the limited powers available to us to support the tourism sector.

We have extended 100% NDR relief, which is more generous than the equivalent rates reliefs available in other UK nations, for all retail, leisure and hospitality premises for all of 2021-22. In addition, Tourism businesses on Non Domestic Rates have been supported by the Strategic Framework Business Fund.

We also launched a £129 million package of business support measures over December and January as part of our short term response to the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce recommendations and followed engagement with industry to target support where it was needed the most.

We also invested £14 million in the Hotel Support Programme to secure up to 3,000 jobs in the hotel sector, and through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund we awarded over £8.9 million to hotels and other accommodation last year – there was no equivalent fund in England.

Over the past year we have worked closely with sectoral organisations like the Scottish Tourism Alliance on support for the tourism and hospitality sectors and we will continue to do so. This includes £25 million, which we announced in March, to implement the Phase 1 recommendations of the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce.

This fund will support domestic and international marketing to rebuild visitor demand, leadership and skills training, development of a net zero pathway for tourism, and social tourism and days out vouchers.

Development of phase 2 recommendations (years 2 through 5) is underway by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group and proposals will be considered by the Scottish Government very shortly.

It is vital for the current Covid-19 vaccination programme to reach everyone and that no one is left behind, both for individual health and our collective community wellbeing.

In order to achieve this, we have embedded inclusion as a key aspect of our national COVID-19 vaccination programme, working alongside Health Boards and other partners to respond to evidence of low uptake in certain communities.

To help support this work we set up a National Inclusive Steering Group with representatives from Health Boards, faith groups, third and community sector. The group advises on issues and identifies solutions and actions for all partners. Organisations represented on the group include BEMIS, the African Council, Scottish Refugee Council and the Ethnic Minority Resilience Network.

We have provided over £100,000 to a range of organisations working with minority ethnic communities to help inform and promote the programme. Activities undertaken include the facilitation of focus groups, provision of translations, hosting awareness-raising events and the development of tailored resources for certain communities.

In April 2021 the national programme team produced inclusive planning and delivery criteria to help address barriers for specific groups within health board populations. This is based on the Health Inequality Impact Assessment, research by Voluntary Health Scotland and health board plans. Scottish Government officials meet regularly with Health Boards to discuss inclusion, local challenges and actions that are being undertaken to reach communities with low uptake of the vaccine.

Work has also been undertaken to respond to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in certain areas by accelerating the vaccination rollout and through assertive outreach in communities with large ethnic minority populations. For example, in the south of Glasgow, an additional Vaccination Centre was set up rapidly at the Glasgow Central Mosque on 18 May 2021. Mobile clinics continue to be deployed into communities offering drop-in opportunities at venues such as the Glasgow Gurdwara. Discussions are also underway with community leaders of African descent to ensure we are reaching these groups with appropriately tailored communications and delivery.

The national Roll Up Your Sleeves campaign phase 2 launched on 20 April 2021 and the TV advert cast and creative reflects Scotland’s diverse society. Our national communications plan includes the production of translated assets in a range of community languages. The QR code on vaccination appointment letters and COVID-19 vaccination leaflets support people to access the information in a format or language of their choice.

Scotland’s COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan 2021 provides further details about our approach to the national COVID-19 programme to date and includes examples of partnership work, local outreach and communications undertaken.

Operational policing decisions are matters for the Chief Constable, however Police Scotland confirmed that dialogue was maintained with business premises in the relevant locations contacted prior to 15 May 2021 where details of any threats, risks or potential harm were shared with business owners and operators. The decisions were then made by those businesses as to whether or not they remained open.

The Scottish Government worked closely with Rangers Football Club, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council to prepare and provide appropriate communications and support ahead of the proposed march by Rangers supporters following the football club’s Scottish Premiership title win.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6T-00024 on‎ 26 May 2021, which can be found here: Meeting of the Parliament: 26/05/2021 | Scottish Parliament Website

The UK government`s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the delivery of driving tests in Scotland, however the Scottish government works closely with the DVSA to ensure that waiting times to access a driving test are minimised as much as possible. In collaboration with the DVSA we secured delegated authority earlier this year for some transport operators and the emergency services to undertake driving tests for their own staff, thereby reducing the numbers of people awaiting tests at DVSA test centres. In advance of driving tests resuming when Scotland moved to Protection Level 3 on 26 April 2021, we engaged with DVSA on their remobilisation plans and the development of communications materials to ensure that candidates were “test ready” when they presented for a test. We continue to meet regularly with the DVSA to discuss ways in which we can expedite access to driving tests.

The Scottish Government is committed to openness and transparency and updates Parliament regularly on discussions relating to Gupta Family Group companies.

On 11 February 2021, Fergus Ewing the then Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy updated the Finance and Constitution Committee on the contingent liability arising from the Lochaber guarantee. The Cabinet Secretary made a statement to Parliament and answered questions on 24 March 2021 on the administration of Greensill Capital UK Limited and its implications for businesses in Scotland, including GFG companies. The former Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy also briefed a cross-party meeting of MSPs and MPs alongside the relevant trade unions on the financing challenges facing the GFG Alliance on 16 April during the election period.

The GFG Alliance is currently in a process of refinancing and restructuring its global businesses in the wake of the collapse of Greensill Capital UK. This is a sensitive commercial matter and Scottish Ministers are duty bound to maintain commercial confidences and not to fuel speculation or prejudice commercial processes.

The Scottish Government will continue to publish details of all Ministerial engagements via its website ( https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ ) and take opportunities to update members and Committees of Parliament where appropriate.

The Scottish Government will take decisions on international travel in the best interests of Scotland at the right time and based on the scientific evidence available. The Global Travel Taskforce and its recommendations are for the UK Government, but where possible we will continue to seek an aligned four nations approach to international travel restrictions.

Recently, this has included alignment on the traffic light system for international travel which came into effect on 17 May 2021. Officials are in regular contact with the Department for Transport and the other devolved administrations on this issue as we make progress in responding to the pandemic.

The Scottish Government recognises the need to tackle our throw-away culture, which includes so-called ‘fast fashion’. For example, the Revolve Programme run by Zero Waste Scotland already seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of responsible consumption by promoting the environmental benefits of second-hand over new clothing purchases, as well as directing consumers to the network of over 100 certified stores: What is Revolve? | The first choice for second-hand shopping (zerowastescotland.org.uk) .

SEPA has identified that Textiles and Apparel Manufacture will be the subject of a forthcoming Sector Plan. This will set out how SEPA will regulate and engage with the industry to tackle and reduce the environmental impacts from the textile sector: Plans in development | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) .

The Scottish Government is committed to bringing forward a Circular Economy Bill to advance Scotland's ambitions to promote an economy where materials remain in use for as long as possible, rather than being thrown away, and to establish a fund based on the success of the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund for innovation in tackling textile pollution and throw-away culture.