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Pentland Ferries have withdrawn, on commercial grounds, from discussions on the offer of the Time Charter of the MV Pentalina with CalMac.

While the Scottish Government continues to monitor research into issues relating to zero emission vehicles, we have not conducted specific analysis in the potential increase in microplastic waste from electric vehicles.

The Scottish Government has published a new Road Safety Framework to 2030 (RSF2030). The Framework sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050. We will build on what we have already achieved and our new framework will do so through a sharper road safety focus, improved education and evaluation, mode specific targets and stronger connections between national and local levels.

It is the responsibility of The Scottish Government to plan campaign activity based on statistical data and the identification of the most serious risks to people in Scotland. When attending accidents, Police Scotland record contributory factors, being able to select from a list of 78 possible ones and, in 2019 (the last year for which data are available) almost 7,000 instances of these contributory factors were recorded. “Tyres illegal, defective or under-inflated” was recorded on only 14 occasions, and ranked 57 th out of 78.

Therefore, it is unlikely we would consider a dedicated campaign such as you suggest but, we will continue to support Tyresafe’s annual campaign through Road Safety Scotland’s social media channels as well as having occasional background public messages on Traffic Scotland’s Variable Message Signs advising on checking tyre pressure. A 2019 report, “Non-Exhaust Emissions from Road Traffic” concluded the most effective mitigation strategies for reducing wear-generated fine particulate matter are: to reduce overall volumes of traffic; reduce speed limits; and promote good driving behaviour, all of which are part of The Scottish Government’s plans to reduce casualties and improve air quality.

The Scottish Government is wholehearted in its commitment to supporting our Armed Forces, veterans and their families in Scotland. We want Scotland to be the destination of choice for Service Leavers and their families and that includes Scotland being the best place in the world in which children and young people grow up and learn .

In relation to school admissions, in Scotland, local authorities have a legal responsibility to provide education in their area and publish arrangements for admission of pupils to schools they manage. Local authorities can also reserve places in schools in anticipation of children who may move into the area during the school year. Our expectation is that local authorities, especially those with a significant local military presence, make efforts to engage with local armed forces bases to monitor new demand for places and work with them to identify suitable school places. We have no plans to place additional requirements on local authorities in this regard.

In relation to school admissions, in Scotland, local authorities have a legal responsibility to provide education in their area and publish arrangements for admission of pupils to schools they manage. The Scottish Government has published Choosing a School: a Guide for Parents which sets out the procedures that parents and local councils should follow in relation to school admissions. It includes specific advice for families moving into a local authority area which will also apply to Crown servants returning from a period abroad. Local authorities can also reserve places in schools in anticipation of children who may move into the area during the school year. Our expectation is that local authorities, will monitor new demand for places in order to meet increases in demand.

The Scottish Government has made a commitment to phase out the need for new petrol or diesel light commercial vehicles in public bodies by 2025; the need for any new petrol or diesel vehicles in public sector fleets by 2030; and the need for new petrol or diesel cars or vans by 2030.

The Scottish Government is aware of the issue of microplastic and other forms of pollution from road vehicles of all kinds. A 2019 report, “Non-Exhaust Emissions from Road Traffic” concluded the most effective mitigation strategies for reducing wear-generated fine particulate matter are: to reduce overall volumes of traffic; reduce speed limits; and promote good driving behaviour, all of which are part of our plans to reduce casualties and improve air quality.

Reducing the number and use of vehicles is central to reducing all types of pollution that they generate. The National Transport Strategy promotes walking, cycling, public transport and bike, car and ride sharing in preference to single occupancy car use. In the Climate Change Plan update published in December 2020, the Scottish Government committed to reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00649 on 5 July 2021. 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/votes-and-motions/votes-and-motions-search.

To date the Scottish Government has had no discussions with either the UK Government or tyre manufacturers on setting tyre abrasion standards.

Under new arrangements that came into place on 1 May 2021, fishing licences were varied prohibiting vessels from fishing for wrasse unless they were awarded a Letter of Derogation from Marine Scotland and signed up to fish in line with certain mandatory conditions.

In addition to the statutory requirements for fishermen to provide landings details on Form FISH1, Log Books and landings declarations, wrasse fishermen must also now submit to Marine Scotland a record of the total number of wrasse, by species landed for each trip made in each given week. Although the new arrangements are still bedding in, fishermen are now submitting these returns as required.

The fishery opened on 1 May but only a small number of vessels have harvested wrasse so far and I am therefore unable to provide the level of detail you seek as that might lead to individuals being identified. But I can provide a summary of landings.

Between 1 May and 19 June there were 78 landings totalling some 1700 kg, mostly in the Oban, Portree and Mallaig landing districts.

The licence conditions applying to all vessels that hold a Letter of Derogation to fish for wrasse require that all wrasse landings, including any that are made to an aquaculture facility, must be reported by fishermen directly to Marine Scotland. It is an offence to fail to do so and where conditions are breached Marine Scotland can take enforcement action which may lead to vessels losing access to the wrasse fishery.

Our Suicide Prevention Action Plan ‘Every Life Matters’ was launched in August 2018 with £3 million funding available to support implementation over the last Parliamentary term. For 2021-22, £1.4 million is available to support suicide prevention. We have committed to doubling suicide prevention spending by the end of this Parliamentary term.