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Once again, I want to thank our health and care staff for their magnificent work to date. The last few months have been enormously difficult and our health and care services are continuing to deal with a challenging combination of issues.

We are now seeing a steady reduction in new Covid cases. However, I am aware that the system remains under significant pressure. We must continue with a measured and consistent approach to the recovery and renewal of the vital service that we all rely upon. This will require balancing the capacity of the NHS and the wellbeing of our workforce to respond to increasing demands of emergency and urgent care, whilst reducing the backlog of planned care.

As we move through the next phase of the Strategic Framework, we will continue to support our NHS Boards to deliver against commitments in the NHS Recovery Plan and associated Delivery Plans to enable our NHS to plan and prepare the future delivery of health and social care services to our communities. We are confident that we have continued to build on lessons learned and that NHS Boards will be able to respond appropriately to any further challenges which lie ahead.

With that in mind, I have decided that the NHS will no longer remain on an emergency footing after 30 April 2022.

There are temporary terms and conditions provisions that were enacted to support the NHS through this time, including to support those who came back to work on a temporary basis to aid with pandemic response. We will now take the opportunity to review these, and will work through the established structures to set a timetable to return to normal arrangements. In the meantime, these temporary measures remain in operation.

The Scottish Government has established a Short Life Working Group (SLWG), co-chaired by Glasgow Disability Alliance, to develop a refresh of the Action Plan, to be published in Autumn 2022 as part of an overarching Fair Work action plan. Membership of the working group includes: disabled people’s organisations (Inclusion Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living), national disability organisations (e.g. ENABLE Works, Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities), as well as wider stakeholders with an interest and expertise in disabled people’s employment (e.g. STUC, the Institute of Directors, Public Health Scotland, Skills Development Scotland) and internal Scottish Government policy teams.

Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s) are key to representing the voice of lived experience on the working group itself – they have been clear in their view that the Scottish Government should not repeat previous engagement as to what the barriers to employment are for disabled people. Rather, we have agreed that the working group will develop initial proposals for action to address barriers and discrimination, with engagement with disabled people themselves to then be led by the DPOs, with support from Scottish Government and wider partners. This will enable us to sense check proposals and ensure they align with disabled people’s priorities in order to tackle the disability employment gap. In addition, engagement will be undertaken with wider stakeholders, as part of a communications and engagement strategy for the overarching Fair Work action plan.

Low Emission Zones regulations provide an exemption for Blue Badge holders, which includes both individual and organisational badges. Throughout the development of Scotland’s Low Emission Zones Transport Scotland have engaged with both the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, and Disability Equality Scotland organisations to shape how the schemes will work.

Transport Scotland have completed an Equalities Impact Assessment, and held a public and organisational consultation with stakeholders in December 2021. This provided valuable feedback on the development of the National Blue Badge Exemption system, and Transport Scotland continues to work closely with the four local authorities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and Disability Equality Scotland as this system develops.

Transport Scotland will continue to consult with relevant stakeholders, including local authority partners who will be operating the schemes going forward.

Transport Scotland look to improve accessibility as part of wider rail enhancement and decarbonisation programme; which is why the 2 new stations on the new Levenmouth Railway, the new Inverness Airport station and the new Hairmyres Station on the East Kilbride line will all have accessibility at the heart of their design. Throughout 2019-2024 this Government will also provide funding for step-free access at Aviemore, Pitlochry, Nairn and Kingussie rail stations.

Rail accessibility is reserved to the UK Government and, while we work closely with the Department for Transport to agree priorities, the final decision rests with the UK Government. We continue to push for full devolution of rail powers to enable us to better deliver for Scotland’s rail users.

The DfT Access for All and Mid-Tier Programmes will deliver step-free access through the rail control period 2019 -2024 at selected Scottish stations can be found in the attached links:. Access for All: 73 stations set to benefit from additional funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Rail stations across Great Britain receive £20 million funding boost for accessibility improvements - GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ) Work has already commenced on site at Croy and Johnstone with the new accessible footbridges and lifts anticipated for completion later this year.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) was recently published and this will inform transport investment in Scotland for the next 20 years (2022-2042) and recommendation 19, Infrastructure to Provide Access for all at Railway Stations, recommends a review of station accessibility across Scotland to identify barriers and improve access . Additional details can be obtained within the Draft Technical Report - January 2022 - STPR2 | Transport Scotland .

As part of the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 , we have a commitment to work with partners to deliver and evaluate two training programmes aimed at supporting BSL/English interpreters to work within the Justice sector, with a view to informing a longer-term approach. Queen Margaret University now offers an elective module for BSL interpreting in Justice settings; more details can be found in the Scottish Government’s British Sign Language: Progress Report 2021 . The BSL Justice Advisory Group met again for the first time after the pandemic in October 2021, and another meeting was held in March 2022, where plans to develop workstreams was discussed. This includes looking at improvement in provision of BSL and English interpreters in courts and police stations, and potential solutions to current issues reported by case studies.

Guidance on Self-Directed Support during the Pandemic (updated and published on 11 March 2022) addresses the underspend of allocated budgets. The guidance states "Where Local Authorities or Health and Social Care Partnerships have concerns about underspend of allocated budgets, these should be reconciled in line with local contractual arrangements." Local authorities were notified of the updated guidance in a letter from myself on 11 March 2022.

The Scottish Government has a commitment in the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2017 – 2023 to work with local authorities, providers, and service users to improve the way that adult social care is delivered for BSL users. Work is underway to explore ways to meet this commitment with the establishment of the National Care Service. There is also a commitment to learn from actions we are taking forward in health to strengthen Scotland’s interpreting profession. Queen Margaret University offers a module in BSL interpreting in healthcare settings; more details can be found in the BSL Progress Report 2021 .

The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of a National Care Service (NCS), and that work is continuing on schedule, ensuring that the design and delivery of the NCS has human rights embedded throughout. We will continue to engage with the real experts – people with lived experience of the service whether they are people accessing care and support, their families, care workers or providers – to improve future services and make things better for everyone. We have established a Social Covenant steering group, made up of people with lived experience, to ensure the new service is designed around the needs of care users and supports the needs of care workers.

We are concerned by suggestions of foreign interference in Scottish universities. Our universities are autonomous institutions and the alliances they forge across global academic networks are a matter for them and their governing bodies.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the level and nature of financial investment from China in universities in Scotland as universities are autonomous bodies.

Safeguarding our democracy is of upmost importance to the Scottish Government. This includes being an open, accessible and transparent government. Public officials, including Ministers, MSPs and councillors, are subject to Code of Conducts which provide a clear set of principles and standards for their behaviour, including how to avoid undue interference from external actors. We believe the public should have trust in those they elect.

Scottish Ministers are still considering the wealth of information provided through the recent National Care Service (NCS) public consultation.

In that consultation we sought views on a remit for the NCS to develop and manage a National Commissioning and Procurement Structure of Standards and Processes for ethical commissioning and procuring of social care services and supports. We will develop the approach to national and local level ethical commissioning and procurement with partners, stakeholders and those who delivery care and receive care.

Local authority and other public service social care provision will remain important in delivering social care.