Chamber and committees

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The repair works were successfully completed and road restrictions lifted on the 27th December 2017.

I am not aware of any reciprocal impacts on either the Forties Pipeline System repair works or the construction work for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

23 January 2018. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

(a) Foundation Apprenticeships Accurate statistical reporting on Foundation Apprenticeship starts is currently provided by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on an annual basis in November each year. This timescale aligns with the contractual milestones for Foundation Apprenticeship delivery lead partners to enter all required information and evidence into the SDS Management information system for Foundation Apprenticeship starts (by end of Septembers 2017), and for the required internal SDS governance process for checking the quality and accuracy of this information prior to reporting externally.

The annual FA start information is:

2016 – 346 starts

2017 – 1,218 starts

(b) Modern Apprenticeships

Skills Development Scotland publish Modern Apprenticeship performance on a quarterly basis. Quarterly figures for 2016-17 and Quarters 1 and 2 of 2017-18 are provided in the following table.

(c) Graduate Level Apprenticeships

The majority of Graduate Level Apprenticeship starts are in September 2017 in line with the start of the academic year, so figures are not provided on a monthly basis.

Since the introduction of Graduate Level Apprenticeships there has been a total of 295 Graduate Level Apprenticeship starts up to 30-9-17. This includes 14 starts in the UHI pathfinder in January 2016 and a further 281 starts in Phase One of the programme which includes:

• 7 starts for University of the Highlands & Islands in September 2016.

• 6 starts for Glasgow Caledonian University in January 2017.

• 17 starts for Glasgow Kelvin College in August 2017.

• 27 starts for Edinburgh Napier University in September 2017.

• 23 starts for Heriot Watt University in September 2017.

• 29 starts for Robert Gordon University in September 2017.

• 31 starts for University of Dundee in September 2017.

• 11 starts for University of the Highlands and Islands in September 2017.

• 21 starts for University of the West of Scotland in September 2017.

• 74 starts for Glasgow Caledonian University in September 2017.

• 35 starts for University of Strathclyde in September 2017.

Information on Modern Apprenticeship starts is compiled by Skills Development Scotland on a quarterly basis.

(a) The names of the companies who have taken on the largest numbers of apprentices is exempt under FOISA exemption 33(1)(b) "commercial interests".

(b) The Quarterly figures detailing the 3 sectors which have taken on the largest numbers of modern apprenticeships from April 2016 through to the end of the second quarter for 2017-18 are provided in the following tables.

Quarter 1 2016-2017

Quarter 2 2016-2017

Quarter 3 2016-2017

Quarter 4 2016-2017

Quarter 1 2017-2018

Quarter 2 2017-2018

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the environmental principles currently enshrined in EU treaties continue to sit at the heart of Scotland’s approach to environmental policy. I set out this position at meetings with the UK Government on 6 November 2017 and 14 December 2017. This position has also been discussed with a range of external organisations, including with the Roundtable on the Environment and Climate Change, as well as with stakeholders during the European Environmental Bureau Conference on 6 November.

While the Scottish Government recognises that common UK approaches may be needed in some areas, areas of devolved competence currently exercised with reference to EU law must revert to the Scottish Parliament, and the scope and content of any UK-wide frameworks agreed between the UK Government and the devolved administrations, rather than imposed.

On 16 October 2017, the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) agreed to a set of principles which would govern the consideration of where common framework may be needed. Work is now underway with the UK Government and the devolved administrations to apply these principles in a variety of policy areas, including relevant aspects of agriculture, fisheries and environment. This work was discussed at the last Defra and Devolved Administration Ministers meeting on 14 December.

In relation external organisations, we continue to hold regular discussions with stakeholders with an interest in agriculture, fisheries and the environment, including engagement with the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group, the Marine and Seafood Stakeholder Group and the Roundtable on Environment and Climate Change.

The Scottish Government is considering the nature of potential gaps in existing domestic monitoring, scrutiny and enforcement powers that would need to be addressed to ensure Scotland maintains its current high standards of environmental protection and accountability. To inform this view, I have asked the Roundtable on the Environment and Climate Change to provide advice to Ministers on future environmental governance arrangements in Scotland following the UK’s Exit from the EU. This will involve identifying where gaps will emerge in existing powers to monitor and enforce environmental standards in Scotland, and setting out options for providing appropriate levels of scrutiny, reporting and accountability following the UK’s Exit. The Scottish Government will make its views known in due course, once this advice has been considered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13447 on 21 December 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13447 on 21 December 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.