I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02957 on 12 October 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

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on draft policy options for the installation of electric vehicle charge points in a number of different building types, including an option that sets out a minimum requirement for all new residential buildings with parking spaces.

The consultation ( Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure ) can be found on the Scottish Government's website.

We aim to publish a consultation response in early 2022.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained directly from Health Boards.

The Scottish Government provides various grant funding each year to support and expand allotments and community growing groups in Scotland.

Scottish Government community funds, including Climate Challenge Fund, Climate Challenge Asset Fund and Investing in Communities Fund more broadly support a wide range of community growing and community garden projects.

The Scottish Government provided funding through the Community Growing Fund which was a grant scheme for the years 2019-2020 and 2020-21, providing a total of £80,000 to local community growing groups public bodies and third sector organisations.

There were no crimes of female genital mutilation recorded by Police Scotland in 2020-21.

The Scottish Government meets with COSLA and local authorities on a regular basis to cover a range of issues, including current and future budget pressures. Negotiations on the annual local government finance settlement are conducted between the Scottish Government and COSLA, on behalf of all 32 local authorities.

Statistics on uncollected council tax are published at Statistics on council tax collection rates are available at Statistics on council tax collection rates are available at Council Tax Collection Statistics, 2020-21 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government has provided £45M to all 32 of Scotland’s Local Authorities and continues to offer support to enable the further increase in the number of electric vehicle chargers.

Investment in public charging infrastructure has enabled the development of the ChargePlace Scotland network (CPS), now one of the largest in the UK. Investment has also included schemes to support installation of business and domestic electric vehicle chargepoints, and associated infrastructure to support the decarbonisation of light and heavy vehicles in the public sector, and the decarbonisation of buses used for public transport.

Table 1 shows the investment within the last five financial years that each local authority has received to deliver public electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including a cumulative total. The majority of funding has been awarded through our Local Authority Install Programme, with a number of local authorities also being supported through challenge fund awards, including those under the Switched on Towns and Cities and Low Carbon Travel and Transport programmes.

Table 1

The reopening of the Edinburgh South Suburban rail line for passengers is being considered within the second Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Since 2016 the Scottish Government has directly funded or provided the following training specifically aimed at supporting disabled people in using public transport:

• The rail First Time Traveller Programme – supports people with autism in experiencing rail travel for the first time in order to raise awareness of what to expect and to build confidence.
• Railway Awareness Open Days at major stations – ScotRail, working alongside third sector organisations, invite disabled people to come and familiarise themselves with stations and train travel as well as answering any questions they may have.
• Travel training programmes – one in Clackmannanshire and Stirling where trained support workers help young people as well as individuals with dementia and autism access and navigate public transport increasing their confidence to travel independently; and the other in East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Greater Glasgow which did the same for people with learning difficulties or autism.
• Working with Disability Equality Scotland, Transport Scotland has undertaken a series of webinars and polls with disabled people and disabled people’s organisations exploring a range of issues important to disabled people, including how confidence in returning to public transport post-pandemic could be strengthened

In addition, the Scottish Government has funded or provided training for public transport operators and their staff in order to raise awareness of the needs of disabled passengers. For example, sensory packs and staff awareness training were rolled out across the Calmac ferry fleet on behalf of the National Autistic Society, and training has been funded for staff at Scottish airports on a range of topics from British Sign Language to autism awareness.

In accordance with section 121 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, local authorities report annually on provisions on allotments in their areas. Reports are available from each local authority online. The Scottish Government does not hold historic data on allotment provision.