Chamber and committees

The non-domestic rates system does not include a supplement or penalty for empty properties. The independent Barclay Review of non-domestic rates proposed a supplement on long-term empty properties but the Scottish Government did not ultimately accept this recommendation which was superseded by the commitment made during the Scottish Budget 2019-20 negotiations to devolve empty property relief to councils in time for the next revaluation. The devolution of empty property relief is now scheduled for 2023.

Vacant and empty properties may be eligible for empty property relief, which delivers 50% relief for 3 months (for non-industrial premises) or 100% relief for 6 months (for industrial premises), and 10% thereafter.

In addition, the Scottish Budget 2021-2 expands on Fresh Start relief in order to incentivise the re-occupation of long-term empty properties, a move which is in direct response to the economic challenge of COVID-19. From 1 April 2021 this relief will provide 100% relief for up to 12 months to premises that have been previously unoccupied for over 6 months and that have a rateable value of up to £95,000 (increased from £65,000).

The Standards in Scotland's Schools Etc. Act 2000 places duties on education authorities to make special arrangements for children or young people who are unable to attend school due to ill health to receive education elsewhere than at an educational establishment.

This applies to all children and young people who are unable to attend school due to ill health, regardless of their medical condition. Where a child or young person is absent from school due to the effects of long-COVID, schools should take this into account when deciding upon the most appropriate form of educational support whilst they remain absent.

In June 2015, the Scottish Government published revised guidance to education authorities to support them in implementation of their duties under this legislation. This guidance is available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/06/6846/0 .

The Scottish Government is aware that there are additional challenges for deaf people or those who rely on lip reading and facial expressions when communicating with others who are wearing face coverings.

We actively encourage the use of transparent face coverings in the community and recognise their important role in facilitating lip reading for deaf people and those who rely on lip reading to communicate.

In order to support deaf people and those who rely on lip reading and facial expressions, there is an exemption within the regulations which permits someone to temporarily remove their face covering in order to communicate.

Guidance on face coverings can be found on the Scottish Government website .

At present there are no plans to establish a national register of people experiencing symptoms of Long COVID.

The UK wide Office for National Statistics (ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey has however recently introduced a question on whether people are experiencing symptoms for more than four weeks after having COVID-19, that are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. This data will allow for future analysis of Long COVID in the community population in Scotland.

Vessel deployment is a matter for the operator. During an outage, CalMac will consider the feasibility to cascade vessels from within the fleet or may seek to charter a vessel, taking into consideration the circumstances and vessel availability.

Any redeployment or charter of vessels requires to take account of vessel certification, harbour infrastructure design and vessel capabilities.

The Covid-19 vaccine is only available by injection at this point. COVID Vaccine is not the only vaccine given by injection as a large number of other vaccines are given by injection from childhood onwards. Whatever support and/or mechanism the NHS Boards uses for giving other vaccines or medical interventions by injection should also be used for COVID-19 vaccine if required.

The Scottish Government is keen to respond positively to the asks of Teach the Future campaign, including considering specific asks around a review of elements of the curriculum and further support for teachers and learners. We will engage in a dialogue with Teach the Future representatives to identify next steps.

This work will build upon our current support for climate education which is largely taking place through the implementation of our Learning for Sustainability Action Plan. Our plan includes action to promote the exploration of sustainable living across the curriculum. It also covers work to help education practitioners improve their skills and confidence in reference to Learning for Sustainability and climate education within that area of learning.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government has funded the Eco-Schools Scotland programme over a number of years. The programme provides schools with a seven step programme which helps them to assess and reduce their environmental impact. Since 2019 we have also funded the Climate Ready Classrooms programme which supports senior phase learners and their teachers to understand the causes of climate change and become carbon literate.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-35171 on 11 March 2021. 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 Scottish Government is responsible for setting the overall policy direction of mental health services, and for working with and funding NHS Boards and local authorities to ensure they plan and deliver appropriate local services. It is for local NHS Boards and local authorities to decide how they implement these policies to ensure that their local population have the highest quality of care and treatment at the right time and in the right place.

In Scotland, a range of eating disorder support and treatment is provided in line with clinical good practice across community, primary care and specialist services for children, adolescents and adults. This includes home visits to support individuals and families during mealtimes.

The vast majority of people with eating disorders are treated in the community, through support provided by primary care or community mental health teams who can also facilitate links to specialist hospital or voluntary sector care, where appropriate.

The new Scottish-specific Guidelines on the management and treatment of eating disorders, which are being produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), will cover referrals, management of medical and mental health risks, choice of treatments and management of transitions. The new guidelines are due to be published later in the year.

The projects that are being considered under the five year Energy Transition Fund (ETF) programme are; Global Underwater Hub, the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone, hydrogen projects including Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub and ACORN Hydrogen, an innovation programme led by OGTC’s Net Zero Solution Centre.

Since June last year the focus of the Energy Transition Fund has been on working closely with these projects to support them as they develop their business cases, the approval of which will allow them to move into delivery and funding phases. By January 2021, and to date, the Fund has offered £4.5m grant funding to Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub for the procurement of an additional ten hydrogen double decker buses to help anchor hydrogen demand and enable future buildout phases of the Hub. In addition, many of the ETF project business cases are now in a late stage of development and it is anticipated that further grant offers will be made in the near future, pending their approval.

This investment will benefit the wider Scottish energy sector and broader supply chain, working with local businesses to maximise the economic benefits, create and support sustainable jobs and contribute to inclusive economic growth across the country – this is central to our approach to net zero to ensure it is a just transition and no one is left behind.