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As I said in March, we are committed to delivering the powers under section 34 of the 2019 Act before the summer recess to enable local authorities to run their own bus services in a way that they see fit within the wider context of their obligations. This power sits alongside their existing ability to subsidise services. We intend to deliver that commitment and are currently working with local transport authorities on the development of an information note to help implement the provision.

There are no immediate plans to make any changes, the resource will be kept under continual review and we intend on evaluating its effectiveness this summer.

We are grateful to all those staff who supported the delivery of Scotland's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, a significant number of whom were already employed across primary care services or drawn from substantive roles across NHS Scotland. All those individuals deployed in roles normally undertaken by substantive staff were employed by NHS Scotland for the duration of their involvement.

To enable a sustainable vaccination workforce, funding has been made available to Boards, which enables those on fixed-term contracts to be recruited to permanent posts. The Scottish Government expects Boards to support where possible, the redeployment of staff, to retain the valuable skills and experience that this workforce has developed.

The requested information is not centrally held. NHS Education for Scotland publishes annual data on joiners/leavers, but this information does not specify start date or professional background of joiners.

Information on joiners/leavers by staff group for each financial year can be found (turnover tab) here: https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/01-march-2022-workforce/dashboards/nhsscotland-workforce/?pageid=6429 .

Pay for local government employees, including ancillary school staff, is negotiated between the trade unions and COSLA through the Scottish Joint Committee (SJC).

The Scottish Government is not a member of the SJC and does not take part in those negotiations. Any action to address or increase the pay of the non-teaching workforce is therefore a matter for COSLA.

All of the measures within the Bill, including the licensing system, have been developed following a significant programme of consultation, engagement and evidence gathering. This includes the work of the independent advisory Firework Review Group, who considered all of the evidence available and took an options appraisal approach to make a series of recommendations for change to the Scottish Government. The licensing system implements the Group’s recommendation that mandatory conditions should be introduced at the point of sale of fireworks to ensure that the purchase and use of fireworks is a well thought out and planned transaction.

The licensing system has been carefully developed to ensure that robust checks and balances are in place before a member of the public can purchase and use fireworks. This includes a mandatory requirement to successfully complete a training course, which will inform applicants of how to use fireworks in a safe and considerate manner, and it is intended that this will include information about the rules and regulations around the safe storage of fireworks.

The policy objective of the licensing system is that those who are permitted to purchase, possess and use fireworks in Scotland know how to do so in a safe, lawful and considerate manner. Therefore, the licence does not specify how many firework transactions can take place during a permitted firework supply period. It is considered that this strikes the balance between introducing proportionate measures without placing overly restrictive barriers on the legitimate purchase and use of fireworks by members of the public. The Fireworks (Scotland) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2021, which amended the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004, limit the quantity of fireworks that can be supplied to the general public at any one time to 5kg. Mitigations against stockpiling are also already in place through existing legislation - The Explosives Regulations 2014.

Consideration is also being given on how to incorporate messaging around stockpiling and the safe storage of fireworks in the national Scottish Government communications and awareness raising campaigns which are delivered in collaboration with partners each year over the bonfire period.

The mandatory training course will include information on important practical safety elements to consider when purchasing and using fireworks, including what is permitted under relevant fireworks legislation, as well as how to be a considerate and responsible fireworks user.

The Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders on the development of the training course, which will be set out in future regulations. This includes animal welfare charities, as well as other stakeholders such as community safety partners, disabilities organisations and the firework industry. It is recognised that stakeholder input will be important to ensure that the training course is fit for purpose, and includes information for licence holders on the broad range of issues and areas that are impacted by fireworks.

The Bill also includes a consultation requirement for regulations made in relation to the licensing system. This will ensure that stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to and share their views and opinions on the proposed training course.

As set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement boilers in off-gas grid homes from 2025 and in on-gas grid areas from 2030.

The Scottish Government continues to consider a range of possible means to implement this commitment – including forming views on the feasibility of creating new systems to register the sale and/or installation of boilers.

We will consult on a proposed approach in the coming year.

There will be 2 theatres and one enhanced treatment room. In addition there will also be 11 en-suite inpatient bedrooms and 10 peri-operative rooms to support day case patients.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with either party on this matter as local government pay and other employment matters are delegated to local authorities and COSLA.

However, we urge all parties to continue open, constructive dialogue to find a resolution which avoids any potential industrial action and reaches a satisfactory conclusion for both sides.