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We are currently considering options to deliver this policy which will be informed by pilot projects. Further information on the age groups to be covered will be confirmed once the details have been agreed.

The Scottish Government regularly reviews restrictions on indoor and outdoor socialising to ensure they are appropriate and proportionate to the health risks and the direct harms of the virus. This past year has been highly challenging for our young people who have had to stay away from family members living in other households, including grandparents. We have made significant progress in suppressing the virus and vaccinating a growing proportion of the population over the last few months, but the virus has not gone away and we remain at risk from new, more transmissible variants which may become resistant to the vaccines. The Scottish Government’s approach is that only children under 12 years old do not count towards numbers indoors and outdoors, although they do count towards the number of households indoors. Close contact does still carry risks especially if it is indoors and amongst large groups of adults from multiple households. In recognition of the effects on young people’s health and wellbeing, the Scottish Government has allowed 4 12-17 year olds from 4 different households to meet outdoors in Level 4, increasing to 6 people (including 12-17 year olds) from 6 households in Level 3, 8 people from 8 households in Level 2 and this will increase to 12 people from 12 households in Level 1. Additionally, from 17 May the guidance was changed to make it clear that people can hug family members and loved ones indoors in a private dwelling or in their garden within the permitted limits.

We are currently considering options to deliver this scheme which will be informed by pilot projects. The eligibility criteria will be confirmed once the details have been agreed.

We acknowledge how challenging this past year has been for everyone in our society, including places of worship. We are grateful to all of Scotland’s faith and belief communities for all they have done to keep their congregations safe and to support our communities during this unprecedented time.

From 26 April, we moved towards greater easing of the health protection restrictions, with the removal of the 50 person limit in places of worship; instead the numbers of people who can attend are limited according to the building capacity and physical distancing of two metres, along with other measures informed by a risk assessment.

The Scottish Government is reviewing physical distancing including its impact on places of worship and an announcement of the outcome of this review is due ahead of the planned move to Level 1 on 7 June. Sectoral guidance will be further updated at that time to reflect the outcome of the review, including proposals for as clear a route as possible to the reduction/removal of physical distancing to enable people and organisations to plan effectively for a full reopening. Physical distancing has been an important tool for controlling the virus, but as with all restrictions, we will only have this in place as long as is necessary

The Scottish Government has to balance the harms from the virus which are potentially fatal, with the impact on faith and belief communities of the restrictions on places of worship. However, please be reassured that the Scottish Government understands the important role of congregational worship in supporting spiritual, mental and social wellbeing and will continue to engage with faith and belief communities regarding the scope for further easing.

We are currently considering options to deliver this scheme which will be informed by pilot projects. Final decisions on how the policy will be implemented will determine the number of bikes required.

I refer the member to the recent press release dated 22 May 2021 which is available on the Scottish Government website and can be found at www.gov.scot/news/scotlands-response-to-the-covid-19-crisis-in-india/ .

We are currently considering options to deliver this policy. No decision has been made on suppliers of bikes.

The Scottish government will of course stay in close contact on any consideration of animal welfare labelling both by the UK government and the European Union.

The establishment of the Site Recovery Group was one of the recommendations from the report of the Buchanan and St Ambrose Independent Review, and we welcome the Group's report.

North Lanarkshire Council has assured us that it is taking action as quickly as possible to resolve the issues raised by the Chair within the Group’s report.

As it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, any further questions on this matter should be put to the Council directly.

(a)Additional Support for Learning Teachers

Statistics on the full time equivalent number of additional support for learning teachers by local authority from the 2020 staff census are published in Table 6.5 of the 2020 Teacher Census Supplementary statistics, available on the Scottish Government website here https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/

(b) Pupil Support Assistants - Classroom Assistants, Additional Support Needs Auxiliaries or Care Assistants

The use of the term 'classroom assistant' varies between local authorities and is sometimes used interchangeably with 'additional support needs auxiliary or care assistant'. Therefore these two categories of school support staff are combined and reported as 'pupil support assistants' in the published statistics on school support staff.

Data on school support staff was collected in the form of hours per week rather than Full Time Equivalent in 2020. This is because different local authorities have different definitions of ‘full time hours’, therefore Full Time Equivalent comparisons between local authorities were not valid. Statistics on the number of hours per week of pupil support assistants by local authority from the 2020 staff census are published in Table 1.1 of the 2020 School Support Staff statistics, available on the Scottish Government website here https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-statistics/ . Calculations of Full Time Equivalent numbers of support staff are published in table 2.1 allowing a comparison to be made with 2018 and 2019 data at a national level.