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The Scottish Government has demonstrated a strong commitment to the phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032. Our increase in funding for the Low Carbon Transport Loan (LCTL) from £8M to £20M is one of many measures we have taken to incentivise ultra-low emission vehicle uptake across Scotland.

We are considering a number of options on how we can incentivise ULEV uptake further through the loan fund and we will be able to provide further details in due course.

The Scottish Government has funded the development of one of the most comprehensive charge point networks in Europe. The 1,000th charge point will soon be installed on the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network and the average distance from any given location to the nearest public charge point is just 2.78 miles in Scotland, the lowest in the UK where the average is 4.09 miles.

Health boards are required to comply with the national Safer Pre and Post Employment Checks Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy, which includes guidance on criminal record checks through Disclosure Scotland. This policy applies to all those who work within or apply to work within NHSScotland, including volunteers and those on work experience or training placements.

The PIN policy states that it is for boards to review each role to determine whether an individual is required to provide a disclosure regulated by the Police Act 1997 or by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The type of disclosure required depends upon the nature and circumstances of the particular role. Staff or volunteers may, therefore, be required to provide a different form of disclosure when they move between roles.

Despite the constraints of all regulatory and legislative powers over telecommunications being reserved to the UK Parliament and UK Ministers, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of broadband services for economic development and has stepped in to address the failings of the UK-wide market to deliver services to many premises across Scotland. Through our Reaching 100% programme (R100), the Scottish Government is determined to ensure that all premises have access to services at superfast speeds of 30 Megabits per second or better.

By maintaining a competitive dialogue throughout the £600 million R100 procurement for, we are maximising competition and driving value, innovation and coverage. This programme is 96.5% funded by the Scottish Government, despite the UK Government having responsibility for investing in broadband across the UK. The competitive nature of the procurement process has given us the best chance of optimising the cost effectiveness of public funding to deliver the greatest possible outcome for the people of Scotland.

We are seeking to work with UK Ministers to ensure alignment with existing UK Government voucher schemes, maximising opportunities for collective investment to deliver further benefits. This will help to ensure that premises in remote, rural and islands areas are not disadvantaged, due to their higher cost of installation.

Commercial coverage will play a vital role too, particularly in Scotland’s urban areas. I am greatly encouraged by existing, significant investment programmes as well as commitments and further emerging plans from commercial suppliers such as CityFibre and Virgin Media, in addition to investment being made by Openreach.

Regulatory and legal responsibility for telecommunications in the United Kingdom rests solely with the UK Government in Westminster under the 1998 Scotland Act.

As such, responsibility in this matter falls upon Ofcom as the UK’s telecommunications regulator, and accountability for Ofcom’s performance ultimately rests with UK Ministers.

Heavy Goods Vehicle training facilities across Scotland are run on a commercial basis. The Scottish Government is not subsidising any such establishments.

This is a critically important time for Scotland’s skills system. We know the nature of work is changing, as is the make-up of Scotland’s workforce, and our labour market faces potential disruption through a range of factors, including Brexit and technological advances.

We want to harness the opportunities this disruption will create, whilst ensuring we have the right skills in place to support individuals, employers and our economy and support governments overarching strategic ambitions of improving productivity and Inclusive Growth.

Digital skills development remains a key priority for the Scottish Government. In addition to the extensive training offered to individuals through our school, college and university systems and apprenticeship programme, we also offer additional support to business through CodeClan, DigitalBoost and the Digital Development Loan.

We continue to support Skills Development Scotland with funding to tackle tongoing sectoral challenges as set out in the Digital Skills Investment Plan, including attracting more women into the sector and increasing the number and variety of apprenticeships available.

Finally, our 2018 Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a Future Skills Action Plan in 2019, and to establish a National Retraining Partnership.

Scottish Government policy is to provide a contribution towards Modern Apprenticeship training administered by Skills Development Scotland, with employers expected to make a contribution to additional costs of training.

The contribution rates for the Freight Logistics (Driving Goods Vehicle) Modern Apprenticeship framework for the current year 2019/20 are;

• Individuals Aged 16-19: SCQF Level 5 £2,700, Level 6 £4,500
• Individuals Aged 20-24: SCQF Level 5 £1,550, Level 6 £2,500
• Individuals Aged 25+: SCQF Level 5 £1,000, Level 6 £2,000

Skills Development Scotland contract annually with training providers, colleges, universities and employers to deliver Modern Apprenticeship training. They have recently awarded the Road Haulage Association their first Modern Apprenticeship contract for Freight Logistics Apprenticeships. The Freight Logistics framework applies to both Long Goods Vehicles and Heavy Good Vehicles.

The management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network
is ultimately the responsibility of Scottish Ministers by the virtue of the
powers and duties conferred by the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) undertakes
the investigation of deaths and the prosecution of crime in Scotland. All
road traffic fatalities are reported to COPFS and will either result in a
criminal investigation by the Road Traffic Fatalities Investigation Unit or
a death investigation by the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit
depending on the circumstances. Where a fatality on a trunk road is
potentially the result of the road being poorly maintained and a case is
reported to COPFS, prosecutors will consider all the facts and
circumstances prior to making any decision as to whether or not to
prosecute for a criminal offence.

In making that decision the prosecutor will assess whether the circumstances
constitute a crime known to the law of Scotland, whether there is a sufficiency
of evidence in relation to the crime and whether proceedings are in the public
interest. The approach which prosecutors are required to take is set out in the
Scottish Prosecution Code which can be found at http://www.copfs.gov.uk
/images/Documents/Prosecution_Policy_Guidance
/Prosecution20Code20_Final20180412__1.pdf .

An offence under Section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act 2007 is committed where an organisation, as defined by that
Act, caused a person’s death because its activities were managed or organised
in a way that amounted to a gross breach of a relevant duty of care owed to that
person.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22622 on 1 May 2019. 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 .