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The Scottish Government has ensured that all refugees and displaced people from Ukraine have access to the same transport entitlements as other people resident in Scotland. Those who are aged over 60, under 22 or meet certain disability criteria, are able to access the national concessionary bus travel schemes which provide free bus travel across Scotland. The Improvement Service issued guidance to local authorities on processing concessionary applications of displaced people from Ukraine so that applications are fully supported and fast tracked. Local authorities can also use their own powers to provide additional travel support and a number of councils have already done so. I encourage other authorities to do the same where appropriate and Transport Scotland is actively reviewing whether further support for transport is required.

The Scottish Government has worked with the UK Government to allow immediate access to support, including the Job Start Payment, when displaced people from Ukraine meet the eligibility criteria. We will work with third sector partners and local authorities to consider how best to provide free bus travel to asylum seekers and refugees including displaced people from Ukraine.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10148 on 7 September 2022 as to the travel support available to displaced people from Ukraine.

I am aware of the importance of bus services to everyone living in rural areas and am committed, in conjunction with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of improving services to ensure that everyone has accessible public transport regardless of location. The Scottish Government has brought forward a wide toolkit within the Transport Act to enable local authorities to improve bus services in their local area.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Under current arrangements, applications to sponsor or host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are made to the UK Government, and processed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Home Office.

The UK Government published data relating to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, but has not published data on numbers of available hosts or sponsors. Published data is available at: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Scottish Government will be releasing data on matching progress for super sponsor visa holders in the coming weeks.

Under current arrangements, applications to sponsor or host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are made to the UK Government, and processed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Home Office.

The UK Government regularly publish data relating to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, but has not published data on host or sponsor applications or withdrawals. Published data is available at: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

The New Scots refugee integration strategy has been developed and is led in partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. The current strategy was published in 2018. We have committed to refreshing the strategy with our partners in 2023 and to ensuring that it is shaped by refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as those with expertise supporting them.

The Scottish Government's priority is to provide safe, comfortable accommodation and a wraparound support offer to the displaced people from Ukraine who have arrived in Scotland, and to those who may still arrive.

The MS Victoria I has a total of 305 Sea View Cabins and 434 inside cabins. Whilst on cruise ships some cabins have no windows we are working with our partners to address any additional wellbeing risks when living in this type of accommodation.

The MS Victoria I has been well received by people on board, and is ensuring we are providing accommodation that is safe and sustainable whilst we match people with suitable longer term accommodation.

Weekly data from National Records of Scotland show that there were 498 excess deaths from all causes between 4 July and 31 July 2022 inclusive. This data does not, however, attribute individual deaths to events such as heatwaves.

The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to build resilience to the impacts of global climate change, as part of a just transition to net-zero by 2045. This includes managing the risks to human health, wellbeing and productivity during heatwaves, the increasing urgency of which has been identified in the 2022 update to the statutory UK Climate Change Risk Assessment. Alongside delivering our current package of adaptation policies (as set out in “ Climate Ready Scotland: Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024 ”), we are now developing a new programme, in response to the updated Risk Assessment and including enhanced monitoring arrangements, for publication in 2024.

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland welcomes doctors of all grades and experience. To practice medicine in Scotland, individuals must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). For individuals who studied at a medical school outside of the UK or EEA, they will likely need to sit a Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB). Further details on the PLAB tests or GMC registration can be found here Join the register - GMC (gmc-uk.org) .

The GMC may provide assistance to refugees and those with UK resettlement leave, further details can be found here Help for refugee doctors - GMC (gmc-uk.org) . When successful in obtaining a position within NHS Scotland, the salary a recruit receives will be dependent on the banding of the role, therefore a Ukrainian refugee would receive the NHS rate of pay.

The latest data received by the Scottish Government from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland indicated that as of March 2022, a total of 1,498 referrals were made to the long COVID Support Service since its inception in February 2021.

The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Official statistical reports relating to the Scottish Ambulance Service can be found on the following link.

Public Health Scotland