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I am pleased to confirm that, notwithstanding the severe financial pressures caused by the Covid Pandemic, sufficient funding can be made available to complete fully the preferred option for the electrification and significant enhancement of both the East Kilbride and Barrhead routes.

This preferred option was recommended by and agreed with rail industry partners Network Rail and ScotRail following detailed consideration of a wide range of options, the business case appraisal of which has followed appropriate Scottish Government processes

The Scottish Government will establish a Scottish public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 by the end of this year, to scrutinise decisions taken in the course of this pandemic, and learn lessons for future pandemics.

Public discussion and engagement about a draft COVID-19 Inquiry Establishment Aims and Principles paper took place between 24th August and end of September. Analysis of the engagement is being used to help shape drafting of the terms of reference for the inquiry. A report covering public engagement on the inquiry will be published in due course.

Discussions are underway with the Lord President to identify a candidate to chair the inquiry, in line with our previous commitment to having it led by a judge.

A statement on the appointment of the chair and the terms of reference for the inquiry will be made to the Scottish Parliament in accordance with the requirements of the Inquiries Act 2005.

The vast majority of properties (994) in Tarbolton already have access to superfast broadband speeds of 30 Megabits per second (Mbps) and above, thanks in large part to the £463 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme.

The remaining 169 properties in Tarbolton will be able to access superfast broadband, thanks to our Reaching 100% (R100) programme which will ensure that every home and business in Scotland can access superfast broadband by the end of 2021.

More information on what the R100 programme means for properties in Tarbolton can be found by visiting our online checker at https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com .

The Scottish Landfill Tax (Qualifying Material) Order 2016 sets out the material that qualifies at the lower rate of Scottish Landfill Tax and the qualifying conditions that have to be met.

The Order sets out specific circumstances in which incinerator bottom ash qualifies for the lower rate. As biostabilised waste is not listed in the Order, the standard rate of tax would apply.

Zero Waste Scotland has commissioned a study to better understand the potential for biostabilisation as a municipal residual waste treatment process in Scotland.

The sustainable procurement duty in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 requires public bodies to consider how their procurement activity can be used to contribute to social, economic and environmental well-being and to act in a way to secure this. To demonstrate progress and compliance, public bodies are required to outline in their Annual Procurement Strategy how procurement will deliver local environmental impacts and, report progress in their Annual Procurement Reports.

Scottish Government provides funding to a wide range of organisations to install electric vehicle charge points under Section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. The majority of funding to develop the ChargePlace Scotland electric vehicle charging network has been awarded to public bodies. Many local authorities and public bodies carry out procurement using frameworks established by organisations such as Scotland Excel. These frameworks are also covered by the Sustainable Procurement Duty and therefore consider the wider social, economic and environmental aims of procurement in a consistent manner as required by the sustainable procurement duty under the Act.

Grant funding awarded to other types of organisations would be to individuals or to small and medium-sized enterprises with a base in Scotland. There is no obligation for these organisations to comply with the Act.

APD is currently set by the UK Government, with introduction of ADT in Scotland deferred to allow the issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption to be resolved.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a frequent-flier levy. This option was ruled out in the context of a consultation on Air Departure Tax (ADT), on the grounds that it would be disproportionately resource-intensive to administer. The same issues remain now.

The current system of Air Passenger Duty (APD) has the effect of charging tax for each flight purchased, but without the need for recording the number of flights an individual has taken.

We support suppliers including Green Deal installers through our Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme, administered by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The programme has been running since 2013 and provides assistance and support for installers and other suppliers in Scotland to help them participate fully and effectively in the supply chain for energy efficiency and micro-generation measures and installations.

Over 100 events and training courses have taken place to date supporting over 4,000 individuals, many of whom work for small and micro-sized businesses. Support for Green Deal has included awareness raising events and targeted workshops to help suppliers become Green Deal approved.

The Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme has also developed a procurement guide to help small and micro-sized businesses bid more effectively for public sector contracts. This was also supported by workshops and webinars across Scotland.

We are also working with industry to co-produce a new ‘Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan’ by Summer 2022 specifically focussed on strengthening the broad supply chains needed to deliver at the pace and scale we need.

The Scottish Government works closely with Ofgem and the network companies to ensure timely network investment adequate to support the transition to net zero across all sectors, including heat in buildings. In March this year the Scottish Government published a set of principles for the development of Scotland’s gas and electricity networks, developed in partnership with Ofgem and network companies. These principles can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/principles-development-scotlands-gas-electricity-networks/

We have set up a new Heat Electrification Strategic Partnership with the Scottish Distribution Network Operators and continue to work with them as they prepare to submit final business plans to Ofgem this December. Once approved, these plans would unlock over £3bn investment in local electricity networks to support decarbonisation of heat and transport over the period 2023- 2028.

We are working with local government towards ensuring Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies are in place by the end of 2023 for all local authority areas, providing a strategic plan for network companies to draw on in targeting their investment.

The Scottish Government does not hold that information. Annual school cycle training performance figures for 2021-22, including delivery data from all participating local authorities, will be available in September 2022.

Through Bikeability Scotland, cycling training is available to every primary and secondary school in participating local authorities via a named coordinator. The programme is run by Cycling Scotland and delivery has now resumed following Covid-19 related disruption. Cycling Scotland is now supporting Bikeability coordinators to implement and update their pre-pandemic delivery targets, with the objective that every child has access to on-road cycle training as a life skill.

Through funding from Transport Scotland, Cycling Scotland provides free access to resources and instructor training, and supports local authorities with grant funding totalling over £600,000 per annum to overcome local barriers and increase access to the programme.

As set out in our 2021-22 Programme for Government, this year we will make our first investments from the £70m Recycling Improvement Fund. This will support local authorities in improving recycling infrastructure and help with aligning recycling collections to the Code of Practice under the Household Recycling Charter and maximise the quality and quantity of recycling.