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The interim voucher portion of the Reaching 100% Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) has been extended by three months, taking the closure date from 31 December 2021 to 31 March 2022. This extension was announced via a news release and Digital Scotland social media accounts on 1 December 2021, and was subject to positive coverage across local and national news outlets. I also publicly announced the extension during Portfolio Questions on 9 December 2021.

All information on the Scotland Superfast website, including FAQs, has subsequently been updated. Officials have also briefed Scottish Local Authorities – including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – on this.

We are planning further promotional activity in early 2022 to make members of the public aware of the impending deadline.

The 2015 - 2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities are expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021. However as flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it is recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.

Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:

We have published Coronavirus (COVID-19): face covering and masks guidance which includes information on wearing face covering and masks including exemptions. It is the responsibility of each individual business to apply the guidance to their own circumstances.

Self-isolation can be difficult, but it is essential to protect people and reduce the spread of Coronavirus. The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting low income workers who have to isolate. That is why we have put aside £100m for increased spending on the Self-Isolation Support Grant to ensure that low income workers won't experience financial hardship as a result of doing the right thing.

Between the start of the scheme and 31 October 2021, 48,810 Grants have been awarded totalling £25.3 million. Eligibility has also widened to allow many more workers to access the support available. Workers earning less than the Real living Wage, living in households whose income is less than 25% above their Universal Credit level or receiving Council Tax Reduction are all eligible if they have to isolate. Additionally, carers of adults who need assistance to isolate and parents or carers of children who are isolating may also be eligible if their caring responsibilities prevent them from working. More information on eligibility including a checker tool is available at Self-Isolation Support Grant (£500) - mygov.scot

The Scottish Government extended Free Personal Care to under 65s from the 1 April 2019. We fully recognise the difficulties facing the social care sector during the current pandemic. That is why we recently announced £300 million in additional funding to help alleviate system pressures in the social care sector. This includes £62 million to maximise the capacity of care at home services.

The Department for Health and Social Care guidance for pregnant women in the workplace, covers NHS staff in all settings in Scotland and we have taken steps to ensure it is applied. The guidance clearly states that all pregnant staff must have a workplace risk assessment and can only continue working if the risk assessment says, it is safe for them to do so.

If a risk is identified employers must adjust their working conditions to remove the risk or offer alternative work on the same terms and conditions. If this is not possible then the member of staff will be asked not to attend work, but will continue to be paid as if at work. This ensures there is no detriment to NHS staff.

We continue to promote the use of risk assessments across Health and Social Care and on an individual, case by case basis.

Warmer Homes Scotland helps those living in or at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures. Since launch in 2015, more than £160 million has been invested through the scheme, helping over 25,000 households throughout Scotland.

Customer satisfaction levels have remained consistently high, with 100% of customers reporting they were satisfied with the service they received this financial year from a response rate of 82% of customers contacted.

The Warmer Homes Scotland budget allocation has been increased to £50 million for 2021/22 and will be further increased to £55 million for 2022-23.

The ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in Pal vs The United Kingdom [2021] ECHR 990 relates to the police’s decision to arrest the applicant on suspicion of having committed an offence of ‘harassment’ under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. That does not operate in Scots criminal law.

While the case concerned the actions of the authorities in particular circumstances, it is a reminder that the police are required in the course of their duties to respect an individual’s human rights – including their right to freedom of expression. This is not a new requirement and it will continue to be the case as new laws are implemented.

We know that it will take time and a series of targeted actions to build back capacity and redesign patient pathways to bring treatment times back within targets for orthopaedic patients.

As part of the NHS Recovery Plan , which is backed by an overall investment of £1 billion, the Scottish Government is investing over £400 million to deliver 10 National Treatment Centres (NTCs) which will create protected elective capacity for an additional 40,000 surgeries and procedures across 12 specialties per year. The first of these opened at the Golden Jubilee in November 2020 and next three NTCs are due to open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Highland in 2022. These centres will be crucial to increasing orthopaedic capacity, which will in turn reduce the length of time patients are waiting for treatment.

Services are also embracing new ways of working, including virtual clinics and Active Clinical Referral Triage, which will support shorter time to diagnosis and treatment and continue to ensure patients receive the appropriate advice and support.

The following formal flood protection schemes are complete.