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The Scottish Government recognises that this has been and continues to be an extremely difficult time for students, particularly for those who would normally have taken up employment opportunities during their studies.

Eligible students in Further and Higher Education have continued to access bursary, grant and loan payments throughout the pandemic.

In addition to that, the Scottish Government provided emergency funding earlier this year of £5 million to support students impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We also provided early access to £11.4 million of Higher Education Discretionary Funds to support students over the summer period and into this academic year. £2M was brought forward for Further Education students at college by the Scottish Funding Council.

I also announced a Digital Inclusion Fund of £5 million to support access to digital equipment and tackle digital poverty.

Further to this, the First Minister announced £1.32 million of additional funding to help students deal with the mental health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

If students are facing financial hardship due to the reduced employment opportunities as a result of Covid-19, they should continue to apply for discretionary fund support from their college or university.

We expect colleges and universities to take every possible step to look after students’ wellbeing. Universities Scotland’s Consistent Core of Care package commits every institution to providing regular check-ins for self-isolating students, help with groceries, cleaning supplies and internet access.

It is the responsibility of each local authority to provide local facilities for sport and leisure, and to set a fair pricing structure for these facilities.

Many of these facility operators offer concessionary schemes, including a variety of membership options, discount schemes and free entry for certain groups. These decisions are the responsibility of the individual local authority and leisure trust.

It is important to recognise the difficult position that facility operators, such as leisure trusts, are in across the country during these challenging times.

The regulation and funding of electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government. However, we are engaging closely with Ofgem and BEIS to ensure that its policy and regulation recognises and enables Scotland’s world leading net zero target, and unlocks investments and jobs in Scotland. I have also spoken with my UK Government counterpart, Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, about the UK wide review of offshore wind transmission networks, and recorded my determination that the Scottish Government and stakeholders should play a full part in this process, given this had been initially overlooked.

To deliver the required strategic investment, Scotland’s electricity network owners – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and SP Energy Networks (SPEN) – need to have a clear understanding of the energy system their networks will need to serve. The Scottish Government is working closely with SSEN and SPEN to ensure that they understand the scale, and pace for decarbonisation required to meet the Scottish Government’s decarbonisation targets, and to help them build well-justified business plans for the required investment.

I responded in September to Ofgem’s Network Price Controls (RIIO-2) Draft Determinations for gas transmission and distribution, and for electricity transmission and system operation. My response made clear that gas and electricity network funding and regulation must take full account of Scotland’s distinct statutory climate change targets, and our wider energy, economic and social ambitions. I had an opportunity to discuss these issues in more detail when I met with the Gas and Electricity Market Authority’s Board on September 30th.

My colleague, the Cabinet Secrtetary for Transport Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson MSP, wrote to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Alok Sharma MP, in August this year to highlight a range of issues where we need UK Government to act in order to support net zero and a green recovery in Scotland. In his letter, the Cabinet Secretary made clear that the Scottish Government continues to do everything in its power to support the sustained growth of renewable electricity generation, but that we also need UK Government action if Scotland – and the UK – are to remain on a trajectory for net zero, and capture the opportunities for green economic growth that this presents.

Crown Estate Scotland is responsible for awarding lease agreements to offshore renewable energy installations in Scottish waters and have confirmed a closing date for applications to ScotWind Leasing of 31 March 2021. Crown Estate Scotland expects to be able to award option agreements during 2021, thus giving successful developers time to make the required preparations to compete in the 2025 CfD auction round. Crown Estate Scotland and the Scottish Government regularly discuss progress on all ongoing projects and will continue to do so.

There is extensive information from Marine Scotland included in the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy to assist applicants, including Regional Locational Guidance. Marine Scotland is also implementing measures to increase the efficiency of consenting processes, which will help optimise the resource available for offshore wind consenting. This includes a new licensing management system and work to examine the scope for securing additional resources, ideally through cost recovery, across the licensing, science and policy work areas.

Marine Scotland continue to examine the main barriers to consenting offshore wind and our Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) programme will deliver environmental and socioeconomic research to support sound decision making by reducing uncertainty in consenting decisions.

Marine Scotland also stresses to all offshore renewables applicants the importance of submitting a well evidenced application, supported by a thorough, concise environmental impact assessment covering the pertinent issues. The Marine Scotland consenting and licensing guidance , available on the Scottish Government website, can help facilitate this.

Scotland has enormous floating offshore wind potential and the Scottish Government is committed to maximising the economic benefits of both floating and fixed offshore wind farms in Scottish waters. Without doubt, Scotland’s ports are a key part of our offshore wind infrastructure and we will use every lever and regulatory instrument within our devolved competence to ensure that our port infrastructure is poised to secure contracts from floating offshore wind contracts.

The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC), which I co-chair, is undertaking a Strategic Investment Assessment into the offshore wind sector in Scotland. This assessment, which has recently commenced, will enable actions to address the current concerns in the sector and provide clear recommendations to ensure maximum economic value, including the creation of jobs, is achieved in Scotland. The outputs of this assessment are expected in Spring 2021 and I anticipate that port infrastructure improvements – particularly those of ports looking to participate in the construction of floating offshore wind projects – will play a major role in its recommendations.

I eagerly await the publication of this assessment, after which I will consider the action that this Government is able to take to take forward its recommendations.

Scotland has already become a global leader in the deployment of floating wind. We are home to the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Equinor’s 30 MW Hywind Scotland, with a second, the 50 MW Kincardine project, currently under construction. The Scottish Government’s leadership together with investment made in these projects has resulted in a huge step forward for the technology, and represents the foundations upon which Scotland’s future floating wind sector will be built.

Our Offshore Wind Policy Statement underlined Scotland’s huge floating wind potential, and the need for further development to drive down costs. The ScotWind leasing round, and those that will follow, represent a vital opportunity and stepping stone for floating wind development. I believe that ScotWind will put Scotland in a position to deliver floating wind by 2030, providing a pipeline of new projects from the late 2020s onwards.

The recent UK Government response and decisions on the future of the GB Contracts for Difference mechanism will also benefit floating wind development, by placing it separately from other forms of offshore wind – something that the Scottish Government had been calling for. We now need the UK Government to align its Supply Chain Plan changes with the approach that Crown Estate Scotland has taken to the ScotWind leasing round; this will allow our domestic supply chain to better compete and derive a greater share of the benefit arising from future developments of Scotland’s natural energy resources.

The organised activities for children guidance was changed on 12 November to increase the maximum number of adults to 10 for groups that take place indoors, where the children are aged under 5, at protection levels 2 and 3. At baseline (level 0) and level 1, up to 15 adults can attend.

We want students to have the option to return home safely at Christmas. We are engaging with the sector and students on the best approach and will make an announcement in due course.

Our key priority during this time is to protect the lives of everyone in Scotland as we continue to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. However, where it is possible to do so, our consultants continue to advance design work on all our major road projects across the country, including the A96 Dualling programme, whilst complying with the Government’s physical distancing guidance.

It is still not possible to hold public exhibitions in venues at this time so we require to look at other ways to engage with the public so we can continue to take forward our infrastructure projects across the country. Transport Scotland recently sought views on a range of methods for safe and meaningful engagement with locals and road users, with attention being given to ensuring accessibility for all. Consideration to the feedback received will be taken into account as Transport Scotland takes forward the design and assessment of projects, including the A96 Dualling.

The design and assessment work for the East of Huntly to Aberdeen section of the route is taking into account the considerable feedback received. Following extensive engagement with local communities, road users and other stakeholders, a number of changes have recently been made to junctions on the options under consideration and a new junction has been proposed at Pitscurry. These changes have been informed by that vital feedback along with design and assessment work.

People who took part in previous consultations on the scheme have been sent details of these changes. In addition, anyone can view the proposed changes online on the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a96-dualling-
inverness-to-aberdeen/a96-east-of-huntly-to-aberdeen/project-details/#56809 .

The design and assessment work is continuing in order to identify a preferred option which is currently expected to be announced in the coming months.