Seòmar agus comataidhean

Since my appointment as Minister for Transport, I have visited Edinburgh Airport and met officials on one occasion in person with a further meeting held virtually. I have met virtually the CEO of AGS Airports, who own both Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports, for a meeting. I have visited Glasgow Airport on two occasions when flying for Ministerial engagements. I have not visited Aberdeen Airport during my time as Minister for Transport. I have not visited Prestwick Airport as Prestwick is not within my Ministerial portfolio.

Scottish Government officials have had regular engagement on progress throughout the implementation of the Safe Deposits Scotland (SDS) system upgrade and were made aware of some teething issues with system functions. SDS has since confirmed all priority bugs are now resolved and user journeys should be back to normal.

The role of the Scottish Government, since the three approved schemes began operating in July 2012, is to monitor each scheme for compliance with the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 . This includes being satisfied that SDS and the other tenancy deposit schemes have clear and substantial processes in place that meet the requirements laid out in the regulations. As part of this monitoring, SDS quarterly performance reports were analysed and measured against the key performance indicators to ensure these were adhered to.

Officials will continue to liaise with SDS on the operation of their new system.

The report shows that staff across schools are committed to promoting positive relationships within an inclusive environment and seek to prevent and address bullying.

We take the findings of the report very seriously and have put in place a range of actions immediately to respond. We have begun a review of our national anti-bullying guidance, Respect for All, and have established a working group of key stakeholders to support us in this.

HM Inspectors will undertake a second phase of the thematic inspection which will look at good practice in how schools are responding to bullying. Education Scotland will publish this report later this year. The findings will inform our future work.

We are engaging with the Teachers Panel and with teaching unions to discuss their experiences and how we could better support schools and pupils. The fifth wave of our Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research started in February and will provide a robust national picture of current relationships and behaviour. We will use this research and engagement with stakeholders, including the Scottish Advisory Group for Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, to inform the development of further future policy, guidance and support for schools and school staff.

This is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

This is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. RPAS use, including training, is a matter for Police Scotland.

The third sector is hugely diverse and works alongside the public and private sectors across all services and industries, often providing lifeline services in our most vulnerable communities. It faces many pressures but we know that there are particular challenges given fixed grants and falling donations.

We recognise that the third sector needs stability of funding and the opportunity for longer term planning and development. We are committed to delivering a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector, the cornerstone of which is multi-year funding, and we are now beginning the roll out of this commitment. We hope this will provide a much needed stable platform to enable the sector to work to its full potential.

Since the response to question S6W-15443 on 8 March 20232, further legal fee claims have been paid. As of 15 March 2023, £124,650 has been paid to 10 firms.

It is not appropriate to name the firms as to do so could be interpreted as guiding applicants to particular firms. Applicants are directed to the Law Society of Scotland for support in finding a solicitor. In addition, as some firms have a claim in respect of only one application there is a small risk of applicant identification if the full list is provided.

Table 1 : Breakdown of Legal Fees paid up to 15 March 2023

There are currently 56 stations equipped with defibrillators across the 359 railway stations on Scotland’s Railway. This includes stations with some of the highest footfall across the Scottish network, including Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street.

The Scottish Government provides local authorities with funding to allow them to deliver their statutory duty to ensure all eligible children can access 1140 hours of high-quality funded early learning and childcare. Scottish Government officials have spoken to Glasgow City Council regarding the closure of Rising Stars, and the Council's early years team is supporting families with children who attend these settings to discuss suitable alternatives - including through one-to-one support where required.