 The First Item of Business is General Questions, and I call Sharon Dowie. To ask the Scottish Government what road improvements are being carried out in the A77 and A70 to address any challenges that are faced by road users. The Scottish Government continues to invest in the safe and efficient operation of the A77. Planned improvements for 2023 include slope stability works at Glengol, and the upgrade of a number of existing labour eyes, upgrades of the Whitlets Dutch house roundabouts and improvements to existing drainage at Cairran. Since 2007, the Scottish Government has invested approximately £64 million on five separate road schemes on the A77, including the recent completion of the £29 million Mable bypass, which opened in January of 2022. The A70 is out local authority road. The A77 is a vital trade link between the Central Belt, Ayrshire and Northern Ireland, and the A70 could become a strategic link into the heart of Rabiburn's homeland in Ayrshire. Those are very important roads for local people for trade and for tourism. The lack of good public transport links means that people rely on the A78 and A77, but the roads are crumbling and there is a major safety concern, especially in dark winter nights. Will the SNP focus on improving those vital roads, or has the coalition deal with the Greens stopped any chance of extra investment in the roads in Ayrshire? I very much understand the sentiment of Mr O's question. We have invested particularly in the A77 and I will detail some of the spending relation to maintenance thus far, but I recognise some of the challenges that she has outlined in relation to connectivity and public transport. There are challenges across Scotland at the current time, and that is why I am focused on how we can better improve delivering that modal shift from car on to rail and on to bus. One of the ways in which we do that is through a very generous concessory bus travel scheme, which means that almost half of the population in Scotland can travel for free by bus. To the specifics of Mr O's question in relation to the A77, recommendation 40 of the STPR2, which was published in December of last year, includes improvements on the A77. Of course, the cabinet secretary will deliver a statement to that end later today. On the maintenance spend in 2022-23, investment has continued so far. This year, £9 million has been spent specifically on the A77. The following schemes have been completed in this year alone. A north end of Kilmarnock bypass has been resurfaced. The A77 to the B7038 Cudam interchange has been resurfacing. We have had resurfacing on Dutchhuis. I will not go through the further detail. Mr O's asked me a parliamentary question on this, a written parliamentary question before, but I hope that reassures her the level of investment coming from this Government into the routes that she has asked about today. The Maball bypass on the A77, which opened in February last year, represented £29 million of Scottish Government investment and was described as a dream come true by those who campaign for it. If the Scottish Government has any data or means of assessing the difference that project has had on the experience of road users. The member may remember opening the Maball bypass only this time last year. I know how significantly transformative that project has been for the local community already. Transport Scotland is planning to undertake evaluation of the bypass this year. We will look at data collection from the spring. That will be in line with the Scottish Trunk Road infrastructure project evaluation, which is hugely important. It will look at the scheme objectives, the operation, the environment too, and the completed evaluation will be published on Transport Scotland's website. A further evaluation will be undertaken three years after opening. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Corporation Scotland Bill, including the latest discussions that it had with the UK Government. Preparations for reconsideration stage are well under way. That includes engagement with the UK Government officials on proposed amendments to bring the bill within legislative competence. Discussions with UK Government officials currently focus on what the Supreme Court judgment means for the application of the UNCRC compatibility duty when a public authority is acting under powers conferred by UKAC's in devolved areas. My officials are exploring options and Parliament will be updated on what that means for the provisions in the bill after those have been carefully considered. The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scotland's law as far as is possible within devolved competence. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for that answer, but looking at the minutes of the varied committees and groups that are involved in this with Government representatives, there have been varying responses to people about asking updates on the bill. In September last year, the Scottish Government was still on track to have the bill by the end of the year. October last year, we therefore have no timeline as yet. November last year, we cannot say whether the amended bill will be presented to Parliament before the end of the year. Back in October again, we are fairly confident that the amendments that we have proposed will address legislative competence. What is the position, cabinet secretary? Have amendments been drafted? Are they sitting with the UK Government? What is the deadline for the date of response from the UK Government on that? I can assure Mr Whitfield that, of course, we have been looking at detailed amendments, but I point out to him that we are not the only player in this. The difficulty is that it is exceptionally complex when you are looking at not just what is happening and the views of the Scottish Government but also the sovereignty of the UK Parliament and the Supreme Court judgment. I appreciate that that has taken longer than any of us would have hoped. However, particularly given the overall approach to the UK Government on the issues of the powers of this Parliament, it is very important that we understand the views of the UK Government. We take time to ensure that we do and whether those have implications on how we amend the bill, but I can assure the member that our programme of work to embed children's rights continues at pace and that that is not reliant on the development of the bill. That work is continuing. Before we move on to question 3, I would again emphasise how helpful it would be if questions and responses were concise, and I call Audrey Nicholl. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the stakeholders regarding retraining and upskilling the north-east energy sector workforce. The oil and gas sector and its highly skilled workforce have long been at the forefront of energy innovation and have a really important role to play in Scotland's energy transition. On 2 November, in partnership with industry and skills development Scotland, we held an offshore energy skills summit with key stakeholders that focused on delivering a just transition for the offshore energy workforce, including sharing views and insights and encouraging greater collaboration and pinpointing where more action is required. Of course, throughout our recently published energy strategy and just transition plan, we have also set out a pathway to ensure a fair and just transition for energy workforce. During a recent visit to a geodeata specialist company in the north-east, I heard about the way remote technologies are offering opportunities for workforces to be located elsewhere and, in some cases, outwith Scotland. Can the minister outline how the Scottish Government is supporting businesses to utilise their extensive knowledge base in sub-sea marine engineering, including developing remote technologies, while at the same time attracting and securing the future workforce in the north-east and across Scotland? I thank the member for raising that, and I visited many companies myself and involved in taking forward such technologies. It is really incredible to see the innovation that is out there, particularly in the north-east of Scotland in the offshore sector, where people are looking at opportunities in clean energy and renewable energy as part of the energy transition. In Scotland, of course, we have got the most advanced hub in Europe for the testing and demonstration of marine energy technologies, so we are hopefully ideally placed to both shape and benefit the future potential of the global marine energy market. We have also supported a number of initiatives such as £18.25 million to waive energy Scotland and £75 million for the energy transition fund, and there are a number of other measures under way, much of which I referred to in the draft plan that has just been published. It is a really important agenda that we are intending to support. The energy strategy trumpets a figure of 77,000 low-carbon energy jobs by 2050, but the Scottish Government has no idea what those jobs are, no road map for how they will be delivered and no idea what the average salaries of those jobs will be and, thus, whether they are comparable to the current ones. Does the minister understand why the energy strategy was also forced to report? The majority of respondents to the survey of workers tended to express low confidence in a just transition for the sector, and the oil and gas workers believed that the impact on their jobs would be negative. I just point out to the member that it is not the Scottish Government that is simply trumpeting those figures, as he phrases it. This is the results of research from the likes of RGU in Aberdeen, in his own region, and I suggest that he visits that esteemed university and discusses with them the research that we are quoting in our draft plan, which says that it is estimated that we can have the number of jobs going from 19,000 in 2019 to 77,000 by 2050 as a result of the just energy transition in terms of the number of low-carbon jobs. That is a net gain in jobs for the member's region. He should be celebrating that, and the measures that he has taken by the Government to bring that to reality. He should speak to the many organisations out there that agree with the Scottish Government that this has got massive potential to deliver new jobs for the member's constituents. Question number four has been withdrawn. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging increased patronage on rail routes serving Mid Scotland and Fife. Minister Jenny Gilruth. The Scottish Government is investing in the new railway to Cameron bridge and Leven and the electrification of rail services in Fife. ScotRail's recently launched half-price ticket offer is just one way in which the Scottish Government funding is helping to ensure a publicly owned and operated ScotRail can deliver real benefits and savings for passengers. Additionally, once launched, the ScotRail peak fairs pilot will apply to all routes for the whole six months, encouraging people back to rail. I thank the minister for the answer. As she knows, the cost of peak rail travel remains prohibitively expensive for many, and she will know that in Fife the cost per mile is more expensive than the rest of Scotland, and we have some of the most restrictive peak travel measures put in place. In her reply, she said that the pilot on peak fairs would apply to all routes. At the committee last week, the cabinet secretary threw a doubt on that, and he said that there was not the resources to provide for every route. The pilots would be limited to particular routes. In the Cwria newspaper last week, a spokesperson for the Scottish Government said that it would apply to all routes. Can she give me confidence and clarity that that will apply to all routes across mid-Scotland and Fife? There has been confusion created by the cabinet secretary last week. I recognise the point that Mr Matheson's appearance last week reiterated the Scottish Government's commitment to remove peak fairs via a six-month pilot. For clarification, the peak fairs pilot will apply to all routes for the full six months during the next financial year. It is true to say that work in the precise methodology and design is on-going, and my officials in transport Scotland are working very closely with ScotRail Holdings and ScotRail to deliver maximum benefit to that extent. I reiterate that the pilot, backed by £15 million of Scottish Government investment, will apply to all ScotRail routes for the whole six months. I hope that that reassures the member. Last June, I asked the minister when we were going to get a decision about the Nubara stag and the proposal for a Nubara railway station. She said that she would promise to share those timescales with me. It is six months on. When are we going to get a decision? As far as I understand it, the Nubara detailed options appraisal is currently being reviewed by officials, and a response is going to be provided imminently. Transport Scotland officials have been working to give advice more broadly to set transit key stages at the on-going appraisal that I mentioned. I am more than happy to write to Mr Rennie on the update to that work, but it is on-going as I have outlined. To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve transport connectivity for Scotland's islands. The Scottish Government is taking forward a range of actions to improve connectivity for our island communities. Work on the islands connectivity plan is under way. The draft long-term plan for vessels and ports was published in December of last year, with formal public consultation to begin this year. Earlier this month, I announced further significant investment in our ferry network, with a commitment to four new major vessels to serve Islay and the Sky Triangle routes, alongside further port investment at Tarbot, Lachmadi and Uyg. I have also recently announced a six-month fair freeze on our ferry networks. Thank the minister for that answer. The minister will not need reminding that Scotland's ferries fleet is ageing and increasingly unreliable, with breakdowns often leaving communities cut off. As has been raised in this chamber far too many times, we need serious investment in our ferries fleet and we need it to start and be on-going from now. However, we should also be giving consideration to fixed links, assessing the economic and social benefits where fixed links are feasible and consulting with island communities themselves on what transport options they want. How the Scottish Government is undertaking work into fixed links for some of our islands and some of our mainland communities and how they are engaging with local stakeholders, including residents and businesses. I was in Arran on Monday of this week, engaging with the local community there. I guess regularly, as Transport Minister, with local communities on the issues that he has raised. It is worth pointing out that there has been significant investment from this Government in the last year alone. We have bought and deployed an additional vessel on the AMV LaFriza. We have chartered the AMV Arrow to provide additional capacity on the network. We have made significant progress in the construction of vessels 801 and 802. We have commissioned two new vessels for Isla and progressed that additional investment in our key ports and harbours. I mentioned in my initial response that additional funding will be provided to the tune of £150 million to provide seamal additionality to provide two further major vessels. That is important because it will bring a degree of standardisation to the fleet. To the member's point on fixed links, that was considered through SEPR 2. The cabinet secretary will give an update on SEPR 2 later this afternoon. I am sure that he will be able to provide the member with further detail. Orkney ferries are old and in need of replacement, and the council there has been asking for assistance from the Scottish Government for many years and are yet to receive it. Will the Scottish Government now agree to run those services or at the very least provide access to seamal to replace those ferries and lease them back to the council? I think that it will catch the start of Ms Grant's question, but in relation to local authority ferries, of course, I recognise some of the financial challenges here, but it is worth saying that we do provide significant funding to support local authorities in the delivery of those vessels. We have provided over £136 million in the past five years alone to support the running of those services. The Deputy First Minister has already committed, as part of the budget process, to that further work that the member alluded to, with both Shetland and Orkney in developing their fleet replacement plans, recognising the challenges that those islands face. We are also aware of the growing need for local authorities to replace their ageing ferry fleets and infrastructure, and while responsibility for funding replacement infrastructure remains wholly with councils, we are committed to continuing that engagement, and I look forward to the outcome of that on-going work with my officials in Transport Scotland and Orkney and Shetland. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on zero tolerance of sexual harassment and supporting victims of abuse. Cabinet Secretary, Keith Brown. The Scottish Government is committed to building a safer Scotland free of sexual harassment and sexist behaviour. We are determined to tackle the scourge of sexual harassment wherever it happens, whether it is in public spaces, places of education or in workplaces. Through Scotland's equally safe strategy, we are tackling the underlying attitudes and inequalities and the culture that perpetuates that behaviour. We also support victims of abuse by investing record levels of funding, including significant levels of funding and front-line services, to support victims of violence against women and girls. If the Scottish National Party Government has zero tolerance of sexual harassment, if they support victims of abuse, why was Patrick Grady allowed back into the Scottish National Party after he was suspended for sexual assault? His victim said, the decision to give Grady his job back while I've lost mine is a slap in the face to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment. What does the Government have to say to the person that Patrick Grady abused? Cabinet Secretary, I will remind members that questions that are put to Ministers of the Scottish Government must be on matters for which the Scottish Government has general responsibility. We will therefore move on to the next question, which is question number 8, Julian Martin. I'll say that again. To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling the gender pay gap. 2022, Scotland's median gender pay gap for full-time employees was 3.7 per cent, which was lower than the UK at 8.3 per cent, and that's been the case since 2003. Of course, we're not complacent and we're undertaking a range of actions, including investing £15 million in the coming year to contribute to the design of our year-round system of school-age childcare for those families and those incomes, and additional £20.4 million for local carer support from 2022 to 2023, and funding up to £700,000 to close the gap from 2021 to 2024, as well as turning £20,000 to flexibility works in 2022-23 to support employers to address pay gaps and offer flexible working. Thank you, Minister, for that answer and proof that progressive policies are making a difference. In the last Parliament in the Economy and Fair Work Committee's inquiry into the gender pay gap, we found that social care workers are disproportionately female, and low pay in this sector contributed to our gender pay gap. I'd like to ask the Minister how the proposals of the national care service seek to improve pay and conditions for this mainly female workforce, and how an improved care offer might mean that less women need to leave work to meet unmet caring responsibilities. The fair work agenda is at the heart of the Government's proposals for a national care service, and also from April 23, adult social care workers will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour. That represents a 14.7 per cent increase for those workers in the last two years, and we will transfer £100 million to deliver that uplift, taking recurring funding for those workers to £600 million per year. The national care service will also pave the way for the introduction of the full collective bargaining across the social care sector, which will further help to support improved pay and standardised terms and conditions. I hope that we assure the member that fair work is at the heart of our motivation for setting up a national care service.