 I remind members of the Covid-related measures that are in place and that face coverings should be worn when moving around the chamber and across the Holyrood campus. The first item of business is general questions in order to get in as many people as possible. I would appreciate short and succinct questions and answers. At question number 1 I call David Torrance. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the next steps in collating Scotland's census data. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Scotland's Census Day was Sunday 20 March, and I'm pleased to say that census returns are currently in line with our expected targets. I'd like to thank everyone who's so far taken the time to participate. The aim of the census is to deliver a set of questions and associated guidance that enables all of Scotland's people to access, to understand and to complete the census. Every household in Scotland has a legal obligation to complete a census return, and the national registers of Scotland have ensured that people are able to access a range of help and support to help them to do so. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Although census day was on Sunday, would the cabinet secretary like to take his opportunity to highlight the importance of completing the census and can the cabinet secretary outline what scope there is for those who have not responded yet to send back returns now that census day has passed? Scotland's Census 2022 is the official count of every person in household in the country, and the only questionnaire of what's kind to ask everybody the same questions at the same time. When we've relied on this information from census for more than 200 years, it remains the best way to gather vital information for Government councils, the NHS and a range of users in the public, private and third sectors. There's still time to submit, and while census day was last Sunday, the National Register of Scotland is still accepting submissions that are available to all households to help to complete their census online, or via a free helpline for those who would need the number at 0800 030 8308. Cabinet secretary, there were difficulties across my region with individuals who were struggling to get paper copies. Can I ask what assessment has been done to ensure that they did receive their paper copies on time and if they haven't, what outcomes are expected from that? The feedback that I've had from the work of the contact centre, which is where people call to secure a written census questionnaire, has been working well, as with any large-scale operations, more than 1.2 million households in Scotland. There will always be cases of administrative shortcomings. If the member would like to forward me any specific details on the cases that have been raised, I'd be happy to look at those. What has been reported to me is the efficient working of the contact centre. Obviously, a large number of calls are the beginnings of the census operations, but, since then, waiting times have reduced significantly, and people who require paper copies of the questionnaire have been receiving them. On census data, constituents have contacted me unsure what is meant by Scots on the question of how and when they use Scots. The corporate body includes Doric, Lalins, also Glaswegian, Shetland, Arcadian and so on. Does the cabinet secretary share my concerns that data may not be accurate as people believe wrongly that they do not actually use Scots? To Christine Grahame and to any member in the chamber, if constituents are uncertain about any of the questions that have been posed to them, please draw their attention to the fact that there is extensive guidance on the website of Scotland's census. There is also a free phone helpline, the number that I have given is already 0800 030 8308. If people have questions about this or anything else, please would they raise them directly and receive the guidance that they will require to help them to answer the census to their satisfaction. To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to demonstrate the viability of apprentice programmes as an alternative to university education in light of a newcast report published in 2021, which is reportedly showing that young people are advised against apprenticeships. In Scotland, we have committed to maximising apprenticeship opportunities. It is a key way for employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills that the economy needs now and in the future. We recognise that apprenticeships are demand-led and it is critical that we promote the benefits of undertaking apprenticeships as a key way for individuals to learn while they earn and for employers to ensure that their workforce is the skills needed now and into the future. Skills Development Scotland's all-age career service in our developing young workforce school co-ordinators, as well as events like the Scottish apprenticeship week, are ensuring that young people are aware of all the options they have and are supported to make an informed choice about their post-school destination. I wonder if he would accept that some schools appear to overemphasise university. Universities are a tremendous achievement for many young people, for others, apprenticeships are the right way forward. Fundamentally, the answer is yes. I refer back to Mr Mason's question on the concerns arising out of the UCAS reports. I would say that those reports did not cover the perspective of the position here in Scotland. I perceive that there to be a change in schools. I think that schools are doing more to promote apprenticeships as a good destination for young people, but, of course, we need to continue to do more in that regard. Through the array of activity that we are undertaking through the developing young workforce, we will continue to promote apprenticeships as a very good option for all young people. I have heard that SMEs need to be upskilling, but for micro-SMEs, accessing the funding available can be difficult. They do not have the time or resources to look at funding or complete applications, and the red tape is resulting in fewer people being taken on. What action will the Scottish Government take to simplify the process to take on apprentices or upskill current staff? In terms of the suggestion that fewer apprentices have been taken on, that is not the case. We see the last set of statistics show that there are 1.8 times the number of MAs at the same time. Last year, it is nearly twice the number, so it is important that we place that on the record. However, I recognise that it is incumbent on us to hear that feedback. My clear position—I have discussed this with Skills Development Scotland before—is that they continuously look at the process for applying for support and where improvements are needed. That is what I expect them to undertake. I appreciate the minister's answer so far. Can he comment more widely on any Scottish Government plans to strengthen the partnership working between secondary schools, businesses and colleges, particularly on trade apprenticeships, to ensure that young people are getting a chance to get a taster of this and make fully informed career choices? I will certainly do my level best to square that circle. I agree that there is a need to make sure that we improve the experience of young people in relation to work-based learning. Fundamentally, that is what our developing young workforce initiative is all about—it is making progress, and it will continue to do that. What assessment has made of the current levels of unmet need and staff vacancies in social care? The Scottish Government is aware that there are significant pressures facing the social care sector at present, including high levels of unmet need, and the situation is under constant review. We recognise that levels of unavailable staff due to absence and vacancies are key challenges in addressing unmet need. The cross-sectoral adult social care gold group meets fortnightly, providing strategic national oversight on system pressures and resilience alongside key partners. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and I have recently restarted fortnightly meetings with reps from local areas, facing the most acute social care pressures with discussion focused on reducing system pressures. A series of lessons learned events are being planned with health and social care partnerships to explore learning and sharing of best practice in responding to recent system pressures with the first event scheduled on 25 March 2022. In October of last year, in response to the anticipated system pressures, the Scottish Government announced £300 million in winter pressures funding to increase social care capacity. The minister did not say what the current assessed level of vacancies is, but I can tell him in Dumfries and Galloway that there are over 100 vacancies, 3,000 hours of unmet need at the moment, and that has caused significant levels of delayed discharge. Surely the minister will accept that, several months after the Government announced what level of pay there was going to be for carers, it is clearly not working to fill those vacancies. Unless the Government increased that pay rise, we are going to continue to have this crisis of unmet need and a huge level of vacancies. We are well aware of vacancies and we have done a lot to ensure that we get more folk into social care and retain staff that we have. Over the peace in terms of health and social care, we have gotten 1,000 additional folk in post in recent times. The Scottish Government is fully committed to the principles of fair work, and that is why we announced the two recent pay rises that we did. We pay more here than on Wales, which is Labour Run, and the site of the border 2. We know that there is more to do, and that is why we are committed to national pay bargaining in our national care service proposals, but we will do more before then in partnership with COSLA and others. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the consultation on a draft national plan to end the need for food banks. No one should have to rely on charitable food provision, which is why we are developing a national plan to end the need for food banks. There have been more than 400 responses to our consultation, and they will now be independently analysed and inform our final national plan. My aim is that this plan will further progress our human rights approach and strengthen our cash first response. There are early indications that this approach is making a difference, with the Truswell Trust reporting a marked reduction in the number of emergency food bank parcels in Scotland between April and September 2021, compared to 2019. Colin Beattie I thank the cabinet secretary for our response. I welcome the announcement from the Scottish Government that they plan to increase eight Scottish social security benefits by 6% from 1 April. I hope that this will help to support my constituents who have been impacted by UK Government welfare cuts. Does the cabinet secretary, however, share my concerns about the growing demand for food banks and the impact UK Government welfare cuts have had on the most vulnerable in our society? Yes, I do, and that is why I am committed to publishing a plan that will use the powers that we have to make food banks the last port of call. We have been doing all we can to mitigate the impact, and last year we invested over £2.5 billion to support low-income households, but we do that with one hand tied. The member referred to benefit cuts, and we know that of course the devastating cut to universal credit was the biggest overnight cut to benefits since the welfare state was established. Yesterday's statement from the Chancellor was a missed opportunity that completely failed to help those in need as evidence by the devastating analysis carried out by the Resolution Foundation and the Joseph Renfryd Foundation. 5. Liam McArthur Thank you to ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding matching Ukrainian refugees with households in Scotland that are registered under the homes for Ukraine scheme. Thank you, Presiding Officer. We continue to work closely with the UK Government on the designer operation of the homes for Ukraine scheme. We are focused on ensuring a smooth and early flow of data to support the operation of the Scottish Government's supersponsor programme and meet our objectives for a warm and well-delivered welcome for all those who arrive in Scotland. I met Lord Richard Harrington to emphasise that need just yesterday. 5. Liam McArthur I thank the Minister for that response and also for his engagement on some of the issues that have arisen at a local level in Orkney over recent weeks. While 150,000, myself included, have signed up to the homes for Ukraine scheme, so far only around 12,000 Ukrainian refugees have been given permission to come to the UK, as the barbaric selling of cities like Mariupol continues, an estimated 10 million Ukrainians have already fled their homes. Can the Minister confirm when he expects the matching of refugees to individual households in Scotland to begin? Can he also say what further support has been provided to local councils to ensure that they can meet the needs of those arriving from Ukraine? I thank Liam McArthur for that question. Obviously, we are still reliant on the UK Government's immigration system to work at pace to get through the visa applications and to ensure that that data then comes to the Scottish Government. We are maintaining the pressure on the UK Government to ensure that that happens at pace, given everything that he has said in terms of the situation on the ground. In terms of support for local authorities, we have provided over £13 million of support that is going to be distributed to local authorities to acknowledge the work that is going to be required from them. That is over and above the £10,500 commitment to local authorities that will be coming from the UK Government per person arriving from Ukraine. Question 6, Liam Kerr. Do you ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what assessment it has made of GP numbers and surgery provision in the north-east? Health and social care partnerships are responsible for assessing the needs of their patients and ensuring that GPs are contracted or otherwise engaged to meet those needs. The Scottish Government funds GP practices in the north-east and elsewhere, of course, based on their estimated share of overall national workload. Thank you, cabinet secretary, for that answer. Last week, the people of Aberdeen learned that the Great Western doctor's surgery with 10,000 patients might have to take drastic measures due to a lack of GPs in the north-east. When I asked about similar situations at Cardin, I got weasel words and fudge. Combined with Great Western, there could be 18,500 patients affected here. The people of the north-east do not want your standard pivot to what is happening in England or how many GPs there are in the central belt. They want a clear answer. What is he doing to increase the number of GPs in Aberdeen and the north-east, and in what year does he project that there will be enough? There is a lot happening in Scotland and particularly in the north-east. For example, we have to rediscover the joy programme that has to be piloted in four rural health boards in the north of Scotland. It has been expanded to Tayside as well. On top of that, of course, we have the golden hello scheme where there are shortages of GPs. He says that he does not want me to pivot, but, of course, he cannot hide away from the fact that this Government has a commitment to increase GP numbers by 2027 by 800. We are four years into that commitment and we have increased GP numbers by over 250. On top of that, of course, in Scotland we do have more GPs—he might not want to hear it—but we do have more GPs than the rest of the UK. In Scotland we have—he might not want to hear it, but he should listen—in Scotland we have 94 GPs per 100,000. We have his parties in charge in England, of course. That number is 76 per 100,000. One of the key reasons used to justify the tendering of old Aberdeen medical practice was to improve the sustainability of GP services in the city, yet many of the city's practices are now facing closure and unsustainable GP to patient ratios, which poses a threat to patient care. Last time I asked the cabinet secretary to meet with those affected, he said that he would consider it, but when I followed up with him I was told that he did not have time. Three months have passed, so I am asking the cabinet secretary again, will he meet with staff and patients to hear their concerns? Briefly, cabinet secretary. Of course I would consider meeting Mercedes Villasalba. Last time she raised the issue with me, I gave her the details of the health and social care partnership, where those issues are being taken forward. When I looked at the old Aberdeen medical practice, which was raised a moment ago, my understanding from my conversations with the board is that more skills and more resources are now available to the practice, and that is good for the patients of old Aberdeen medical practice. Of course, given the pressures on my diary at that time, I said to Mercedes Villasalba, and I say again when, of course, the diary allows, that I would be more than happy to meet with her and indeed to meet campaigners, too. To ask the Scottish Government how it is making the streets safer for women and girls. The Scottish Government is taking a broad range of actions to ensure that women and girls are and feel safe within our communities. We are improving our laws, we are investing in policing and we have proposed new national planning policy embedding human rights and equality in decision making to deliver at better places for everyone. Our public health approach to reducing violence, including the equally safe strategy, continues to have a decisive focus on preventing violence and tackling the underlying attitudes that perpetuate it. Our new two-year delivering equally safe fund will award £38 million to projects that focus on early intervention and prevention. I am particularly interested in asking about the excellent Don't Be That Guy video campaign and how it has been rolled out to get to the target audience of young men. I would like to know future plans for any other campaigns and materials and specifically how we are assisting those who work with our young people with materials that can help them tackle male behaviours that intimidate women and girls and ultimately put them at risk. Police Scotland recently launched the Don't Be That Guy public awareness campaign asking men to challenge their own and, I think, importantly each other's behaviours and attitudes towards women. I think that this was an important message for Scottish society, including for policing as individuals and as a service. The campaign has generated a lot of interest. It seems to be very well received and it will be good in time to see its impact. Police Scotland has advised me that over 6 million people worldwide have seen the Don't Be That Guy film and over 80,000 people have visited the website. Government organisations and police services across the UK and beyond are changing the focus of their public communication on sexual violence to align with the Don't Be That Guy strategy. Police Scotland is developing a number of public campaigns for the forthcoming year, targeting men and under the Don't Be That Guy banner related to different aspects of men's violence. Thank you. That concludes general questions. Before we move on to the next item of business, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery Lisbeth Homans, Speaker of the Flemish Parliament.