While there is no mandatory requirement for public body senior officers to take specific carbon mitigation training, in recognition of the value of climate literacy the Scottish Government has supported the Royal Scottish Geographic Society to develop a Climate Solutions Qualification, written with University of Stirling’s Management School, University of Edinburgh’s Centre for carbon innovation and the Institute of Directors. This course is designed to increase climate literacy and climate action throughout public and private sector leadership.

The Scottish Government has supported the delivery of 100 places on the course to leaders across the public and private sectors, equipping them with a vital understanding of key issues related to addressing the climate emergency. In total, 400 leaders from business and the public sector have now completed the full online qualification, and 60,000 people have subscribed to a shorter 90-minute version.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02844 on 23 September 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 .

Policy on transport fuels is reserved to the UK Government and the roll-out of the E10 petrol grade is an initiative led on by the UK Department for Transport (DfT).

DfT's "Know Your Fuel" campaign has run across Scotland to inform motorists of the change and also offers an online vehicle compatibility checking tool. The Scottish Government's Traffic Scotland information service recently released tweets alerting motorists to the E10 introduction and provided links to DfT's online information resources."

Ministers and officials are engaging regularly with sectors affected, including the wider sports sector, to ensure that a workable and proportionate vaccine certification scheme is developed.

A list of organisations which provided advice or information as part of the development of the guidance is contained within ‘ Supporting transgender young people in schools: guidance for Scottish schools’ . They include:

• Association of Directors of Education Scotland
• Children in Scotland
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Education Scotland
• Engender
• LGBT Youth Scotland
• National Parent Forum of Scotland
• Rape Crisis Scotland
• Sportscotland
• Stonewall Scotland
• Scottish Transgender Alliance

Prior to introducing plans for Covid-19 vaccine passports at certain events, the Scottish Government consulted the Scottish Football Association on the potential operational issues which would need to be considered in delivering a workable and proportionate vaccine certification scheme.

Since the Parliamentary vote, the Scottish Government has been consulting directly with impacted football clubs, and will continue to do so, to further discuss these operational issues with a view to arriving at workable solutions to allow implementation from 1 October.

21 September 2021

Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with representatives of the theatre sector ahead of its announcement regarding its plan to introduce COVID-19 vaccine passports at certain events.

Scottish Government officials are engaging with representatives of the theatre sector through various forums. The Federation of Scottish Theatres (FST) is a member of the Events Industry Advisory Group, where these plans have been discussed, most recently at its 25 August meeting. Representatives from individual theatres have also been involved in roundtable meetings between Ministers and those sectors where these proposals will apply. Further roundtable meetings are planned to help shape the proposals ahead of their implementation. In addition, officials have discussed the proposals with representatives of theatres in Edinburgh through the Edinburgh Cultural Venues Group, most recently on 8 September.

It is expected that these proposals will apply primarily to unseated venues, or venues with audiences of more than 10,000 people, which means that the majority of theatres in Scotland will not be affected.

The Scottish Government maintains regular contact with the hospitality and nigh time trade sectors. This has included engagement on proposals for a domestic vaccine certification programme both before and after the policy announcement, and that dialogue continues at both Ministerial and official level. The Scottish Government completely understands how difficult it has been for the night time industries over the course of the pandemic, they have felt the impact of restrictions more than most. That is why we are pursuing certification as an alternative to the potential closure of high risk venues.

Scotland has a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities, including those from Hong Kong. We recognise the positive contribution of people who choose to make Scotland their home. They are assets to our society and communities: sharing their culture, building businesses, working in our public services, volunteering their skills and making friendships. We have recently published a British National (Overseas) Welcome Pack to support people in their integration into our communities.

The Chinese Government’s decision to implement the National Security Law in Hong Kong is of deep concern to the Scottish Government. This action seriously undermines the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, which guarantees Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, and will irreversibly diminish the rights and freedoms of its people.

We support the UK Government’s commitment to providing a bespoke pathway to citizenship for British National (Overseas) citizens from Hong Kong and their dependants and we welcome those who have chosen to move to Scotland.

The reasons why the Tesla Model 3 Long Range was chosen were:-

1. The vehicles have capacity to transport up to 4 passengers, with sufficient interior space to allow business to be conducted effectively whilst traveling between engagements.

2. The vehicles are fully electric; ensuring that the Scottish Government continues to honour its commitment to decarbonisation.

3. The vehicles, at the time of purchase, had the highest geographical range in the market sector, offering overall value for money.