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The Sea Eagle Management Scheme is not an agricultural financial support scheme. It has historically been provided by NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) to provide practical support which includes advice, loan of scaring equipment and research for livestock farmers and crofters who suffer impacts across the sea eagle breeding range.

One of the objectives of the current White-tailed Eagle Action Plan is to consider whether support of farm and croft management relating to sea eagles should be included in future agri-environment programmes. This will help to develop the right conditions for the sustainable co-existence between sea eagles and sheep farming in ways which benefit the biodiversity, economic and social interests of Scotland.

The Sea Eagle Management Scheme is not a compensation scheme and therefore does not require verification of predation. It is not possible to retrieve all carcasses in suspected predation incidents as sea eagles generally take prey back to their nests. The aim is to support farmers and crofters to manage livestock in the presence of sea eagles and to minimise the risks of possible predation through that management. Applications to the scheme are accepted only where there is known sea eagle activity and after discussions between expert contractors and the applicant to assess the level of sea eagle activity and possible impacts.

We continue to keep our vaccination programme under review in accordance with JCVI advice. By adhering to JCVI guidance we ensure that we are vaccinating as efficiently as is possible. The Chief Medical Officer issued a letter to all health boards and public authorities on 7 May 2021 clarifying the position regarding good clinical practice in relation to vaccinations.

Scottish Government has been monitoring closely the economic impact of Covid on business - including business indebtedness - throughout the pandemic, and has implemented a range of measures to alleviate the resulting financial difficulties. For example, the Advisory Group for Economic Recovery was set up in April 2020, led by Benny Higgins, to provide independent expert advice on actions that will make a difference to businesses across sectors and regions throughout Scotland; Scottish Government also convened a number of discussions with banks and other private sector investors to understand better how to facilitate financing economic recovery, culminating in the February 2021 publication of “Financing the Recovery” which highlighted the need to manage debt exposure, to finance growth opportunities and to design successor loan schemes that are ambitious, flexible and responsive to the needs of the economy. The report made 10 recommendations to the UK Government and to Scottish Ministers, across four areas of focus: Economic Overview, Financing Business Survival and Resilience, Financing Opportunity and Growth, and Business Support and Collaboration. As the regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture wrote to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury urging him to take forward some of the actions from the report, including extending forbearance measures and the introduction of a framework to manage and recover debt. A positive response was received, outlining what action is already being taken to assist recovery as we move forward.

The Scottish Government is supporting the commitment set out by Sandy Begbie, that every young person aged between 16 and 24 in Scotland will be guaranteed either the opportunity to study at university or college, take part in an apprenticeship programme, take up a job or work experience, or participate in a formal volunteering or training programme according to their own personal circumstances.

We are committed to offering support to every young person who requires it. In addition, as per our response to question S5W-33395 on 2 December 2020, due to the uncertainties regarding the labour market, impact of Brexit and the furlough scheme we have not set targets for the Guarantee. Details on the number of opportunities created through the initial funding has been made available in response to questions S6W-00024 on 25 May 2021 and S5W-34612 on 1 February 2021.

As restrictions begin to ease, we will continue to work closely with our delivery partners to maximise the number of young people being supported into opportunities and to enable partners to respond flexibly to meet the needs of young people during this challenging time. The duration and level of support required by young people to access and sustain their employment will depend on their needs.

Our initial activity plan published in November 2020, sets out the steps we are taking to progress the Guarantee. Our equality action plan also details specific activities we are completing to ensure young people from all backgrounds are able to access the Guarantee.

We are also considering progress made on each of Sandy Begbie's initial recommendations for the Young Person's Guarantee, and will produce a report to set out this progress and the future priorities for the Guarantee in Autumn 2021.

We detailed our commitment to producing a detailed Measurement and Evaluation Framework in response to questions S5W-35911 on 24 March 2021 and S5W-34614 on 1 February 2021. As part of this process we are developing a set of Key Performance Indicators that will help us understand the cumulative impact of the Guarantee. These are due to be finalised in Summer 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/written-questions-and-answers

A Scottish Government official last met with the Institute of Aquaculture on 2 February 2021 when they attended a meeting of the Aquaculture Research Collaborative Hub (ARCH-UK) at which institute representatives are co-leaders. Discussion related to research which had been undertaken and proposed continuation of the ARCH-UK initiative. An official last met with the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre on 9 June 2021 at a Women in Scottish Aquaculture (WISA) meeting where a digital platform to promote women in aquaculture was presented.

Mairi McAllan: The Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS) is part of the delivery mechanism for the White-tailed Eagle Action Plan. The Plan has run from 2017 and has recently been reviewed ( WTE Action Plan Review ) . NatureScot developed and published the White-tailed Eagle Action Plan Extension , which sets out objectives covering a further 3 years.

The public benefits and outcomes of the SEMS have included reducing the impacts of white-tailed eagles on farming and crofting interests, whilst developing the right conditions for the sustainable co-existence between sea eagles and sheep farming in ways that benefit the biodiversity, economic and social interests of Scotland.

It is not possible to retrieve all carcasses in suspected predation incidents as sea eagles generally take prey back to their nests.

Between 2015 and 2019, 12 lamb carcasses were sent by NatureScot for post-mortem analysis by Scotland’s Rural College vets in Inverness, of those 6 were found to likely have been predated by either sea or golden eagles. Further details of the analysis can be found on NatureScot’s website at WTE Action Plan Review .

In recent years NatureScot has moved away from a policy of verifying individual predation incidents as it is accepted, as a result of a range of evidence from different sources, that sea eagles can predate lambs and attack adult sheep.

One of the new measures included in the revised SEMS is enhanced shepherding which aims to provide more detailed information on WTE interactions with sheep flocks to be recorded and reported back to NatureScot from the shepherded areas, as well as providing a scaring element through the additional presence of shepherds on areas of the hill. NatureScot published its Summary Report on Enhanced Shepherding in 2020: Sea Eagle Management Scheme - Summary Report on Enhanced Shepherding 2020 | NatureScot .

Since the launch of the Guarantee in November 2020 we have continued to work closely with partners from across the public, private and third sector to deliver the recommendations from Sandy Begbie’s report.

As detailed in response to S6W-00024 on 25 May 2021 through our initial investment of £60m in 2020-21 we have provided funding for around 18,000 new and enhanced existing opportunities to support young people. This includes opportunities through Local Authorities, Colleges, Skills Development Scotland and the third sector.

As part of this process we are collecting information on the number of young people supported by the Guarantee and make this publicly available in the coming months.

Funding for the Guarantee is in addition to our existing substantial investment in Education and skills and further statistics on Apprenticeships are published regularly by Skills Development Scotland. Whilst the Scottish Funding Council collect and analyse data relating to the provision of further and higher education in Scotland.

S6W-00024 provides further details on how we intend to invest the £70m committed to the Guarantee in 2021-22. The Guarantee is based on the principle that local partners are best placed to identify and deliver the opportunities and support needed for young people in their areas and to respond flexibly to emerging challenges. We are continuing to work with partners to ensure that regardless of a young person’s location or background, they are able to access employment, education, training or volunteering opportunities that suit their circumstances.

In response to question S5W-34614 on 1 February 2021 we detailed our commitment to developing a rigorous measurement and evaluation framework to demonstrate the impact of the Guarantee. The measurement and evaluation framework is in the process of being developed with Key Performance Indicators due to be finalised in summer 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/written-questions-and-answers