 I remind colleagues of the Covid-related measures in that face coverings should be worn while moving around the chamber and the wider Holyrood campus. The next item of business is general questions, as ever, that I'd appreciate succinct questions and answers to match. I start with question number one, Pam Duncan-Glancy. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Incorporation Scotland Bill. Minister Clare Haughey. We remain committed to the incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law to the maximum extent possible as soon as practicable. While the Supreme Court judgment means that the bill cannot receive royal assent in its current form, we are urgently and carefully considering the most effective way forward for this legislation to ensure that incorporation can happen as quickly as possible with confidence that any amendment to the bill do not attract further challenge. Our preference is to address the Supreme Court's judgment by returning the bill to parliament via the consideration stage. In parallel with planning for that, we are also exploring options for extending our powers to incorporate the UNCRC beyond those available under the current devolution settlement. The Deputy First Minister has shared a copy of his exchange with the Secretary of State about that in an update to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. Next Wednesday will mark a year since the UNCRC bill was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament. I am concerned about the letter that the minister refers to, because it suggests that, in the reconsideration process, the Government is seeking further powers in order to make the bill competent, rather than working with the UK Government to make the bill competent within the powers that it currently holds. Political points going over the constitution by the Scottish Government has already delayed the bill, and it seems that it will continue to do so. In the meantime, young people have no idea what timescale the Government is working to, or how long the process will take. They need reassurance that the Government remains committed to their rights and to bringing the bill within the Parliament's competence as soon as possible, and they deserve to know when the UNCRC incorporation will be a reality. When will the Government bring back the bill? I thank Pam Duncan-Glancy for her further question. The Deputy First Minister has committed to keeping Parliament and the committee updated in the progress of progressing the bill. However, I think that it is really important to recognise that the majority of the work in relation to the implementation of the UNCRC is continuing at pace. Ruth Syllomantry, Stephanie Callaghan, will join us online. Make it right is the aim of a campaign led by the young people of North Lanarkshire that is encouraging other local children to better understand their rights. The young people have even created and started their own social media video. Can I ask what steps the Scottish Government is taking to involve young people themselves in raising awareness of children's rights ahead of incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child? The Scottish Government officials are due to meet North Lanarkshire Council later this month to learn more about the excellent project and how we can share good practice. The Scottish Government commissioned Young Scot and Children in Scotland to work with children and young people to develop resources to raise awareness of children's rights across all sectors. The materials were published in September 2020 to coincide with the introduction of the UNCRC-built Parliament. There is also good work under way in schools, uniseffs at rights respecting school awards, provides a framework to embed the UNCRC strategically and practically into schools, ensuring awareness of children's rights among children and young people. The children's Parliament has recently launched a complementary resource called Dignity in Schools, which aims to demonstrate ways in which primary schools can adopt a rights-based approach and help to make rights real for children. People get fed up when our two Governments can't just sort things out especially when it comes to an issue of rights for children. We heard last week about the number of children locked up in prison when they shouldn't be, so this matter is real. Rather than hunting for a never-ending battle with the Conservatives, when will the Government sort this out? We need a date. Presiding Officer, as I gave my answer to Pam Duncan-Glancy, the Scottish Government is working at pace at this. The Deputy First Minister will write to the relevant committee on that. 2. Richard Leonard on co-operative development in Scotland. Minister Ivan McKee I surprise agencies to support the growth of co-operative and other alternative business models, which we know can deliver strong outcomes on fair work and benefits to local communities. The Scottish Government is determined to significantly increase the number of co-operative, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses in Scotland while supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities. A recently published 10-year national strategy for economic transformation sets out our commitment to undertake and publish a review of how best to do that. I thank the Minister for that answer. The Scottish Government has stated that its goal is the creation of 500 employee-owned businesses by 2030. In 2018, it set up a Scotland for Employee Ownership group to achieve that. Cooperatives and employee ownership were mentioned again in last week's economic strategy. The problem is that the co-operative development team in Scottish Enterprise was dismantled. Scottish Enterprise acts the budget for co-operative awareness raising. Grant support to cover 30 per cent of the cost of the transaction to convert to a worker-owned business has been withdrawn. The Scotland for Employee Ownership group has become little more than a ministerial photo opportunity. As a result, Scotland is not going up, it is going down the UK league table of worker ownership. When will the Scottish Government finally address that? Stop paying lip service, put in place a credible industrial strategy, back it with the resources that it needs and ensure that it really is serious about co-operative development? I thank the member for the question. Just to clarify, co-operative development Scotland is the arm of Scottish Enterprise that works in partnerships with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South East Scotland to support company growth through collaborative, co-operative and employee ownership. In terms of the number of businesses in that regard, Scotland continues to be ahead of the rest of the UK with regard to that. Obviously, we are focused right across the whole alternative business model space, including social enterprises, and the member will be aware that social enterprises have doubled their funding to almost £2 million over three years to support the activity that is happening in that regard. The resources are in place, and co-operative development Scotland continues to work as part of Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government remains committed, as we have highlighted in the national economic strategy to developing co-operative social enterprises and other alternative business models. In Scotland, because it recognises the value that it brings to communities and to Scotland's employees and to Scotland's economies of work. Question 3, Willie Coffey. To ask the Scottish Government how its investment has built the wider Ayrshire economy. The transformational £103 million Scottish Government investment in the Ayrshire growth deal supports projects that identify the greatest potential for long-term inclusive growth. Regional partnerships have estimated that across Ayrshire the deal will create 7,000 new jobs and unlock an additional £300 million from the private sector. Projects included will transform the regional economy through high-value job creation, strong regional supply chains, tackling weak productivity and delivering skills across Ayrshire. Additionally, Ayrshire has benefited from investment from a range of regeneration programmes supporting development and delivery of local solutions to tackling poverty and disadvantage in communities across Ayrshire. Willie Coffey. Thank you Minister for that answer. Could you confirm that the investments made by the SNP Government are making a positive impact to the Ayrshire economy, in particular at Priswick airport, where the financial intervention has saved many jobs directly, saved even more jobs in the wider economy and will support the potential for thousands more jobs across Ayrshire in association with the Ayrshire growth deal? Without our intervention, in 2013, Priswick airport would have closed and the result of hundreds of jobs would have been lost and were otherwise saved by our action at that time. We were clear that closure would have a significant impact on the local economy, not just because of jobs lost in the airport but in the various other businesses that rely on the airport being operational. Our investment through the growth deal projects, including in and around Priswick airport, will be £30 million over the course of the deal. Four space and aerospace projects will benefit from this investment, and those projects will deliver significant economic benefits, playing a key role in signalling Priswick as a major inward investment destination to the international space market. Regional partners have estimated that across the deal over 7,000 new jobs will be created as a result of the deal. Within Priswick, that number is expected to be over 2,700 direct, indirect and construction jobs. In a letter to the Scottish Government, the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee notes that projects in the Ayrshire growth deal have seen an increase in costs since the projects went to Tainter. They write that contingency funds may be required by councils for some projects, but budget pressures may make this impossible. What funding will the Scottish Government provide? Will it guarantee all projects that they are involved in will be fully funded and delivered on time? The member will be aware that the growth deal money is obviously—some of that money has obviously been agreed between the Governments and working with local partners to direct how those funds are spent. We are clearly well aware, as the whole economy is, of on-going cost pressures within the construction sector and other sectors. The Scottish Government procurement team is working hard to do what it can to mitigate that and to provide advice and support where possible to partners across the public sector that are facing those on-going cost challenges. I would like to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any safety issues on the trunk road network in my constituency of Perthshire, South and Cynroshire. The trunk road network in Scotland is subject to an annual road safety review based on statistics recorded by Police Scotland and measures are then prioritised where they are expected to contribute to the Scottish Government's 2030 casualty reduction targets. That process has identified road safety investigations on the A85A9 and the M90, which are currently under way. Those considered trends have recorded injury accidents, as well as focusing on vulnerable groups such as motorcyclists. Any recommendations for improvement works such as signing, resurfacing and speed management emerging from those will be considered and prioritised for construction as appropriate. The minister may be aware that there is a growing community concern about the planned new junction on the A9 at Sianafut east of Ocdrardder. Residents have got concerns about road safety and speeding issues, the locations of the proposed junction and the fact that it appears to have been scaled back from a two-way to a one-way system. Will the minister agree to meet me on site to discuss the concerns with local representatives? I am aware that the Sianafut junction proposals are intended to support developments identified in the Perth and Cymru local development plan and that those addressed junction issues that would otherwise exist on the A9. The design of any new junction on the A9 would, of course, be subject to a safety audit and other design checks. I recognise that, as Mr Fairlie has outlined, concerns have been raised by the members of the community that he represents. As I understand it, those mainly relate to local roads access to existing communities and new developments. I would, of course, be more than happy to meet with Mr Fairlie on-site and with members of the community that he represents, because it is absolutely essential that we get road safety improvements right for the communities that they serve. 5. Brian Whittle To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to increase the number of jobs in offshore wind and the wider green economy. I thank the member for the question. The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential. We will drive forward offshore wind skills development, working with stakeholders to focus on the opportunities for diversification and skills transfer from our oil and gas sector, in line with our commitment to adjust transition. The introduction of Scotland's supply chain development statements demonstrates how serious the Scottish Government is about holding developers to account if they do not honour their supply chain commitments and create green jobs. To make the most of opportunities in development of the green economy, we must ensure that our education system produces skills, a skilled workforce, appropriate for future jobs. We missed that boat with the development of offshore wind. We now have opportunities with offshore wind, hydrogen and electric power and all the associated servicing skills. I can ask what the Scottish Government is doing to embed the green economy into the education system. I thank the member for the question. It is not easy to overstate, it really cannot be overstated, what an enormous opportunity Scotland is. 25 gigawatt is a number that does not mean much to many people, but it is huge. The Scotland leasing round will provide a strong pipeline of projects through this decade and beyond, and to prepare our workforce for those skills, we have the future skills development plan and the climate emergency skills action plan. It is absolutely vital that we equip the people of Scotland, young people coming up the way, people transitioning from high carbon industries and people returning to work with the skills that they need. Our national strategy for economic transformation commits to lifelong learning for all people of Scotland and the appropriate skills development that we need for the green industrial revelation. Given the importance of transitioning from oil and gas to green energy such as offshore wind, this is a matter of great importance to businesses and residents in Aberdeen South and North Concord and my constituency and the wider north-east. Can I ask the minister how the Scottish Government is engaging with north-east employers in the energy sector, particularly with this week being Scottish apprenticeship week, to ensure that support is in place to train apprentices and re-skill existing employees? I thank the member for the question. Of course, the north-east has enormous potential not only in offshore wind but in green hydrogen. Looking at the Scottish port and the opportunities in Aberdeen in this respect in particular, the Scottish Government is completely committed to supporting the north-east through the energy transition and that includes with skills development. The Scottish Government previously promised to deliver 130,000 green jobs by 2020, but just a sixth of that number have been delivered. Latest figures reveal that the number of green jobs is now falling with a loss of nearly 3,000 since 2014. Will the Scottish Government support Labour's call for the £700 million from the Scotland licence and all annual income to be ring-fenced for investment in the creation of green jobs? Applicants to the Scotland leasing round were required to submit a supply chain development statement setting out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact, including jobs. Developers can update their statements throughout the development phase. The introduction of the statement demonstrates how serious the Scottish Government is about holding developers to account if they do not support their supply chain commitments. We fully expect developers and OEMs to be engaging with the domestic supply chain to create green jobs and to fulfil their commitments. To ask the Scottish Government how the country's transport system can help to improve economic growth. We have a vision for a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping to deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors. All of our investment in transport aligns with that vision as we have set out in the second strategic transport projects review. By focusing investment on sustainable transport options and continuing to invest in green innovation, we are making Scotland more accessible for residents, visitors and businesses and supporting Scotland's workforce. Last week's so-called national strategy for economic transformation said of the country's transport network that there remains opportunities to improve connections within and between certain areas and it said of the trunk road network that it's a crucial facilitator for national and local delivery of goods. Given that, is the minister now prepared to break free of the shackles of the extremist greens and commit to properly funding improvements on the A77, A75, A83, A9 and A96? Minister Dinegal Roof. Thank you, Mr Simpson, for his supplementary question. I remind him that, since 2007, this Government has invested approximately £9.5 billion in managing, maintaining and improving Scotland's trunk road and motorway network. The £3 billion investment to dual, of course, the A9 between Perth and Inverness is one of the biggest transport infrastructure projects in Scotland's history. To his substantive point regarding the national strategy for economic transformation, it sets out the priorities for Scotland's economy as well as the actions that are needed to maximise the opportunities of the next decade to achieve our vision of a wellbeing economy. Scotland's transport network has been identified as a key driver to help to achieve the ambitions and vision outlined in the refreshed strategy. He will also be aware that the recently announced strategic transport project review 2 is highlighted as a means to improve connectivity and infrastructure that he touched upon. The SDPR2 is currently out for public consultation until April. I will be very welcome to meet Mr Simpson next week and perhaps we can discuss some of those matters in more detail. A very brief supplementary view on it. The minister will be aware of the reopening of the Bathgate air-tree line, which has brought great economic and social benefits to my constituency and right across central Scotland. Can the minister identify how many transport projects the Scottish Government has invested in? I am sure that Graham Simpson will want to welcome them all and the economic contribution that they have made. Minister, I bear in mind that you can write with further detail. Ms Hislop is absolutely right to highlight the huge investment that the SMP Government has made in transport infrastructure for rail alone. We have invested £1 billion, including £300 million on the AirJet to Bathgate rail link improvement, which brought three new stations and a 31 per cent increase in the number of passengers at existing stations, investments in electrification of all rail routes between Edgbrain Glasgow and to Stirling, Alwa and Dumblane. Thank you very much indeed minister. That concludes general questions and we will be a slight pause before we move to the next item of business.