The use of MS Ambition was always intended to be a temporary measure and the contact will end on 31 March. Our Priority now is on moving people safely from the ship and towards longer-term accommodation. As part of the joint Glasgow City Council-Scottish Government ‘Disembarkation Strategy’, the council is leading a regional approach with neighbouring authorities to maximise the number of suitable volunteer hosts and social housing opportunities for guests on board. Where a guest refuses a host or social housing offer or where there is no suitable alternative they will be allocated further welcome accommodation before the closure of MS Ambition. However, this may be in a different part of Scotland.

The significant cut by the UK Government in support for businesses with their energy costs beyond March is very concerning, particularly for the more vulnerable sectors.

Scottish ministers wrote to the UK Government at the end of last year to express our disappointment at the lack of opportunity we were given to engage in the review of the Energy Bills Relief Scheme, and to stress that any continued support should be aimed at those businesses and sectors who need it the most.

We will continue to work with stakeholders to analyse the impact of this reduced level in support upon businesses and to raise our concerns with the UK Government at every opportunity.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14517 on 7 February 2023. 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

The Scottish Government remains committed to the removal of fees associated with instrumental music tuition so income is not a barrier to children and young people taking up an instrument. Access to instrumental music tuition is for local authorities to determine depending on local circumstances and priorities.

Councils are autonomous and it is their responsibility to agree their annual budgets taking into account their statutory duties and national and local priorities.

In November the Scottish Government began a data reconciliation project with the aim of gathering detailed case-level updates on the progress and outcomes of property checks by Local Authorities for the Expressions of Interest from volunteer hosts. This data was collected ahead of the launch of the Scottish Government’s Offers of Accommodation scheme and is intended to provide a baseline data set for the property matching app being developed. The returns will be analysed and published in the monthly Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland statistics series, as part of our commitment to data transparency.

Careful consideration is being given to the call for a public inquiry, and the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs will respond to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s correspondence on this matter in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14172 on 31 January 2023. 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

The rail peak-fares pilot will apply to the whole Scottish rail network for a six month period, during the next financial year.

Work on the precise methodology and design is underway with Transport Scotland officials working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail to derive maximum benefit for this scheme.

The next Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: Statistics – January 2023 experimental statistics publication was released at 9:30am on 26 January. Scottish Government publishes a list of forthcoming publications which is updated weekly, and is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13624 on‎ 20 January 2023. 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