As set out in the Programme for Government 2022-23, a Local Visitor Levy Bill will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament this parliamentary year.

There have been no recent discussions between Scottish Government and National Records of Scotland regarding access to the Historical Search Room and no discussions regarding service user requests for a new transparently-established users group.

In the Historical Search Room situated in General Register House, the current occupancy is set at 8 desks for consulting original records, 3 desks for use of NRS on site PCs and 1 reception desk for use by 3 staff members. Appointments are offered on a daily basis up to maximum current occupancy levels of 11 desks.

Ventilation levels are monitored on an hourly basis and remain under the required level.

We recognise the challenges faced by the third sector in the current cost crisis and we will ensure the sector is not excluded from any financial support made available to the public or private sectors.

We have asked the UK Government to take key actions without delay. These include freezing energy prices at their current level for households, businesses and the public and third sectors.

We are aware of the recent announcement by the UK Government around the Energy Price Guarantee for households and businesses. We await further detail but this must include all types of third sector organisations too.

While the UK Government’s long anticipated Energy Price Guarantee is welcome and may limit the impact of the energy price crisis on some organisations, this announcement has come too late for many third sector organisations across Scotland who are already struggling to pay bills.

It is vitally important that the review on identifying 'vulnerable non domestic customers' is accelerated and those in need should be offered guaranteed support past March 2023.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy is built on partnership and collaboration, led by the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Scottish Refugee Council, and involves a wide range of partners across different sectors.

The strategy provides a clear framework for all those working towards refugee integration in Scotland. It has also assisted in coordinating the work of the Scottish Government and its partner organisations to maximise impact and make the most of limited resources, placing Scotland in a strong position to respond to recent humanitarian crises.

The New Scots Core Group brings together key stakeholders and is responsible for monitoring and reviewing progress against the overarching outcomes of New Scots during the strategy implementation period. The Core Group is chaired by Professor Alison Phipps, UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow.

The year one report for the New Scots refugee integration strategy 2018-2022 was published on 2 April 2019. The report can be found here: New Scots refugee integration strategy 2018-2022: first year progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The COVID-19 pandemic and work to support people arriving from Afghanistan and Ukraine have impacted delivery of the strategy and meant that it is has not been possible to produce the year two and three reports as originally planned. However, the New Scots Core Group continues to meet four times a year to monitor and review progress of the strategy, as well as identifying areas for collaboration.

Work is already underway to produce the final report of the current strategy, with the aim of publishing this in early 2023.

We are all shocked by the devastating effects of the floods in Pakistan, with children reported to be the most vulnerable; UNICEF has reported that some 17,566 schools nationwide have been damaged or destroyed. The Scottish Government has made £500,000 in funds available to be split between the Disasters Emergency Committee and the Humanitarian Emergency Fund. This is a clear example of loss and damage caused by climate change, speaking to the importance of Scotland’s leadership in this area. It is important that we stand in solidarity with Pakistan, its people, and the diaspora community during this crisis. I met with the Pakistan Consul General in Glasgow on 7 September to hear first-hand the situation on the ground, and to offer Scotland’s support. We are working with the Pakistani community to ensure that we provide consistent messaging on how they might best assist the people of Pakistan during this time.

Theatre in Schools Scotland is an initiative managed by Imaginate and National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) to develop the provision of theatre and dance performances available for nursery and primary schools to host for their pupils.

In the first three years, fourteen productions toured over six hundred performances to schools and nurseries in every local authority across Scotland. Information on the reach of TISS is available in the following table:

Through subsidy from NTS and Imaginate tickets cost approximated £2 per child. Schools in low-income areas can use their Pupil Equity Funding to pay for access to pay for the TISS programme. The Pupil Equity Funding is allocated directly to schools and targeted at closing the poverty related attainment gap.

In addition, NTS has approached different local trust and foundations to enable free or very low cost performances in economically deprived areas.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The six recommendations of the 2011 report, ‘Inspiring change’ were embedded in the SPS transformational review ‘Unlocking Potential – Transforming Lives’ document published during 2013 and the Learning & Skills Strategy which was renewed in 2016.

SPS continue to monitor performance against agreed criterion with their Learning Provider Fife College.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Theatrical performances and cultural activities are embedded within each local establishment regime. However, the level of engagement is shaped by location, staffing resource, third sector participation and prisoner profile within each locus.

The steps taken to incorporate them are similar across the estate, where the operational needs, logistics and outcomes associated with each activity are considered within an event-planning forum and in partnership with the organisation delivering the activity.

With formal governance in place through Annual Learning Plans (ALP’s) in all establishments, the quantitative and qualitative outcomes associated with each performance or cultural activity can be considered alongside each establishments own delivery plans.

The Scottish Government does not hold figures on the total number of pupils that have been able to watch to a theatrical performance. However, the five National Performing companies have provided the following data of pupil attendance in-person at performances in schools and as part of school field trips: