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The outline business case for the public energy company will be published once the new administration has had an opportunity to consider its conclusions and recent changes with the GB energy market.

The process to recruit a new Chief Executive for Scottish Enterprise is continuing. An appointment is expected shortly.

The Scottish Government has committed to developing a £5 million ‘Islands Bond’ offering 100 bonds of up to £50,000 to young people and families to stay in or to move to islands currently threatened by depopulation. In line with the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 and the introduction of Island Community Impact Assessments, we know the importance of consulting with Island Communities and speaking to the people who are likely to be affected by any new policy, strategy or service before they are implemented. The Islands Bond is still in development and at this stage we do not have exact dates for when the consultation around this will be carried out. However, an Islands Community Impact Assessment will be completed in respect of this new policy and as part of that process, consultation will be undertaken with island communities, local authorities and key stakeholders.

The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence-based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that the risk increases exponentially with age.

The Scottish Government greatly values the work of Scotland’s police officers and staff in keeping communities safe throughout this pandemic. They have been at the frontline of this public health response, and we are so grateful for the work they have undertaken.

Decisions to prioritise one population group over another are not taken lightly, nor are they straightforward. That is why our prioritisation decisions are guided by the independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

We are adhering to the priority list devised by the JCVI which has been designed to target those at greatest risk from COVID-19 and is estimated to address over 90 per cent of preventable mortality from the virus in Scotland. This is the priority rollout all nations of the UK are working towards and it is important that we adhere to these lists in order to avoid more lives being lost.

The Scottish Government continues to be guided by the science and independent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The Scottish Government vaccination programme adheres to strict medical guidance and JCVI advice and at present although this situation is constantly reviewed; the MHRA has not authorised any vaccines for those aged under 16 years old, across the Four Nations.

If there is a change for under 16 year old then the vaccination process will be in accordance JCVI advice and supply of authorised vaccines.

The Scottish Government recognises the cost of buying a school uniform can be considerable for many families. In 2018, in partnership with local authorities, we introduced the national minimum school clothing grant of £100 for all eligible children and young people.

We are committed to developing guidance to ensure consistency on school uniform policies across all of Scotland, ending expensive insistence on exclusive suppliers and to support the automation of school clothing grants in every local authority area in order to remove barriers to application and to boost uptake. We will work with our partners in local government on the development of guidance and on measures to support the automation of school clothing grants during 2021-22.

All staff employed to work on the programme are paid in accordance with nationally set terms and conditions and are working to agreed job roles.

A substantive Band 3 vaccinator is paid £20,700 rising to £22,594 (per annum). A Band 5 immunisations nurse is paid £25,100 to £31,649, in line with Agenda for Change rates. Substantive staff from other areas of the health service working overtime and redeployed staff are paid according to their terms and conditions of service. Bank staff who do not also hold contracts of employment with the host health board are paid at the grade and pay band as specified in their bank contract, relating to the role profile pursuant to which they have been deployed.

The Scottish Government has set sessional rates of £230 and £231 for independent contractors (GPs, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists) taking part in the COVID-19 vaccination programme. These rates reflect both the market conditions for hiring these professionals, and the roles being filled in the programme.

The above arrangements have supported the temporary deployment of staff during the initial phases of the vaccination programme, while work is taken forward to build a sustainable vaccination workforce.

Our commitment to becoming a net-zero society by 2045 is unwavering. In 2019, the whole-life carbon impact of Scotland’s household waste reached its lowest level since official recording began.

To further accelerate progress, Scottish Ministers are fully committed to ending the practice of sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2025. This is in line with recommendations previously made by the Committee on Climate Change.

We still need capacity to dispose of residual waste, which cannot be reused or recycled, while we make the transition to a circular economy in Scotland. However, we have committed to review the role that incineration plays in Scotland’s waste hierarchy.

In Scotland, it is illegal to incinerate materials that have been separately collected and are capable of being recycled, and waste incineration is strictly regulated in line with EU standards under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

The Scottish Government is working with a range of key sector stakeholders and local authorities to meet this commitment and make payments at the earliest opportunity within the first 100 days of the administration.

The Scottish National Investment Bank opened for business in November 2020 and has since committed £52.5 million in investments.

To date £22.9 million has been drawn and invested in both debt and equity investments that align with the Bank’s missions.

The Bank will also publish annual accounts each year which will include information on how much it has invested during the financial year. Details of the Bank’s existing investments are published on the portfolio page on the Bank’s website: www.thebank.scot/our-portfolio/ as will details of future investments.