 Rwy'n cael ei ffordd eu hunain o ddwylo cyfrifiadau cyfrifiadau iechyd ac mae'n buddwyd cyfrifiadau i ddar moisture i ddechrau'r cadwy o unDRF, i ddechrau'r cair y hollwyr Ccampus. Gweithredu ystod i'r cyfrifiadau â genedlau c matter o'r dda, sy'n gwneud o'u mythigol. Rydyn ni'n dda iechyd a yn cynhyrchu gyntafбу o cwestiynau raddfaethol ac oedden, ac oedd I yn perffeyddio, rydyn ni, Joyce-Patrick. Ddu y bynnag y Prifydde, mae gael i'r Gweithreduír Government yn gwneud update on the Michelin Scotland innovation park? The Michelin Scotland innovation park is a great example of Team Scotland comprising of the Scottish Government, Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise and, critically, the private sector, such as Michelin working together to deliver change. MSIP continues to make significant progress since it was formally opened in July 2020. MSIP provides job opportunities and skills developed to Dundee and Scotland as a leading global destination for innovation, investment and sustainable mobility and low-carbon energy. Today MSIP has 11 tenants on site, creating 115 jobs, and £2.1 million of funding was announced last week for the MSIP Skills Academy, which is due to be launched later this year. Joe FitzPatrick. I thank the minister for his answer. Can the minister tell us what role MSIP can play in delivering Scotland's ambitious net zero targets, particularly around the use of hydrogen? Can the minister indicate how much involvement and support has come from the UK Government? MSIP is a key example of the ambition that the Scottish Government has for a just transition to net zero by 2045. MSIP will be an international location for innovation in sustainable mobility and low-carbon energy with a strong focus on hydrogen, with a mix of start-up high growth in more mature companies, both inward investors and indigenous research innovation organisations and facilities, including the Skills Academy and incubator facilities for SMEs. MSIP has a strong pipeline of interest and regular contact from companies within the hydrogen sector. Officials continue to engage with the UK Government on the exciting innovative opportunities available at MSIP and to showcase Dundee as a leader in providing essential skills for future and green economic growth. When the closure of Dundee's Michelin factory was announced in 2018, the company committed to involving Unite the Union in the development of the new innovation park to be built on the site. Michelin also committed to offering the first opportunities for re-employment to ex-Michelin staff and to encourage new companies entering the site to do the same. Given that the Scottish Government has already invested £60 million into the site, can the minister confirm precisely how many ex-Michelin staff have been employed at the new park and what meaningful engagement Unite the Union has had in the development of the park? We are, of course, keen that all partners are engaged in all discussions about the development of those very exciting opportunities. It indicates that 115 jobs have been created and the site is on target to hit its targets over the next five years to create more than 800 jobs. Of the employees that were at the site of the 150 employees, my understanding is that all of them have either found another work opportunity or have decided to take another course of action such as retirement. Of course, any employees who are keen to work at the site, I am sure that the businesses that are opening there, on a very regular basis, would be very keen to interact with them and seek to find employment opportunities for them. To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it currently provides to improve road safety. In 2021-22, the Scottish Government invested almost £20 million to support road safety across Scotland. Through trunk road casualty reduction measures, national partnership works, such as the Scottish Safety Camera programme and road safety campaigns and marketing activities that are led by Road Safety Scotland. For 2022-23, we have increased investment to over £37 million. That includes the formation of a new road safety improvement fund, which will allow partners to deliver initiatives to reduce casualties in line with our ambitious targets captured in our road safety framework to 2030. I thank the minister for that answer. Between 2007 and 2018, road casualties across Scotland dropped by nearly 50 per cent. The latest figures for 2020 highlight that the reduction in people injured on our roads has further accelerated during the pandemic and now stands at 69 per cent below 2007 levels. Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a worrying increase in the number of cyclists injured on our roads. What steps is the Government taking to address this issue, along with its local authority partners? We want more people to choose to walk, wheel and cycle to get around, but more people obviously need to feel safe to do so. Gordon MacDonald rightly highlights the worrying increase in injuries to cyclists in recent months. There were 605 pedal cycle casualties in 2020, 13 more than the previous year, and among those were 11 pedal cycle fatalities in 2020, one more than in 2019. We are absolutely determined to reduce those, and the new road safety strategy includes a specific target to reduce deaths and serious injuries of cyclists by 20 per cent by 2030. The Government has also increased the active travel budget, the largest in Scotland's history, to £150 million next year, and we are sustaining our places for everyone programme and more than doubling investment in the national cycle network next year. Much of that delivery will happen in partnership, of course, with local authorities, which is why we are also increasing the capital funding programme and recycling walking safer routes grants this year, which will go directly to local authorities, and that will increase to £35 million from next year. Christine Grahame I ask the minister further to answer what difference the 20-mile-an-hour speed limit and dedicated cycle lanes have had on road traffic accidents in areas such as my constituency in Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale. The Scottish Government absolutely recognises that 20-mile-an-hour speed limit is a key element to reducing those casualties and creating a safer environment for people to walk, wheel or cycle. The recent programme for government has the commitment to ensure that all appropriate roads and built-up areas have a safer speed limit of 20 miles an hour by 2025. We have formed a task group to plan the most effective route for that implementation, but I also welcome the work that the Scottish Borders Council has done in this endeavour in terms of their work on carrying out the 20-mile-an-hour zones within Ms Grahame's constituency. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the aviation industry to discuss the sector's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and what issues were discussed. The Scottish Government engages regularly with aviation stakeholders to discuss the recovery of connectivity. Officials engage with airports and airlines on a daily basis, and I had a very positive meeting last week with Edinburgh Airport. We are committed in this year's programme for government to working with Scotland's airports to help to restore, but also to grow international connectivity while not returning to previous levels of emissions. In addition to our work with Scotland's airports last month, transport Scotland officials had productive meetings with 12 airlines to discuss existing, returning and potential new routes. Given the importance of aviation as an enabler for so many other parts of the economy, it remains our aspiration to help Scotland to become as well-connected as pure nations and regions. The Scottish Affairs Committee's recent report, Airports in Scotland, concluded that the public funding received by Glasgow Prestwick Airport has, quote, ensured that there is not a level playing field across airports in Scotland, leading to a distortion in the market. What is the Scottish Government's response to this conclusion, and can the minister provide any further information about the future of Prestwick Airport? I thank Ms White for her supplementary question. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is obviously required to operate on a commercial basis, and it arms length from Scottish Government in compliance with our obligations under the trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU. In terms of the future of the airport, it remains the intention to return the business to the private sector when the time and the circumstances are right for the business and for the Scottish Government as a shale holder. We are not setting any time frame on that more broadly. We need to recognise the on-going challenges that the pandemic has brought to aviation more generally. We have provided support to the sector with the powers available to us, and within our limited resources we have also provided support to the granting of 100 per cent of non-domestic rates related to eligible aviation businesses for both 2021 and 2022. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding proposed changes to its office estate that could result in job losses in the north-east and elsewhere in Scotland. Although the Scottish Government was not consulted prior to this announcement, officials have been in contact with the Department for Work and Pensions. We are keen to understand the impacts of the change in their estate strategy on individuals and communities and work with them to minimise the risk of any redundancies in Scotland. DWP confirmed that the changes will not affect any public-facing roles, and that where possible DWP staff have been offered opportunities to be redeployed. DWP also indicated that they do not expect to reduce headcounts through this process. I do appreciate that this will be our unsettling time for individuals and they must be our priority. We have made an offer to stand up our support through the initiative for responding to redundancy situations, partnership action for continuing employment or PACE. DWP do not think that PACE support is required at this time, however, this offer will remain open for anyone who requires it if needed. PACE will provide individual skills development and employability support. Last September, the First Minister announced the creation of over 2,000 jobs within Social Security Scotland by the end of this year. The DWP staff at risk of redundancy have a high level of expertise on delivering social security benefits that could prove useful in supporting the roll-out of new devolved benefits. Will the Minister commit to working with the PCS Scotland Trade Union and the DWP to explore the redeployment of these workers to Social Security Scotland, particularly in those areas where there is a high risk of redundancy? The information that we have from DWP is that it does not indicate that it would be reducing headcount through that process. PACE support is required to seek alternative employment, and suitable opportunities include anything that is available through Social Security Scotland or elsewhere. I am sure that the relevant minister would be very happy to pick up that specific aspect. 5. Michelle Thomson To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the UK Chancellor's spring statement will be on Scotland's SMEs. Minister Tom Arthur As with so many other aspects of the spring statement, it was a missed opportunity to help small to medium-sized enterprises, many of which are still reeling from the impact of the pandemic. In the advance of the spring statement, we called on the UK Government to extend the VAT reduction for the hospitality sector, to introduce a temporary reduction of the VAT on fuels and to remove the incoming increase to national insurance contributions. Those measures would have helped to reduce costs for small to medium-sized enterprises across the country, but the Chancellor did not listen. The UK Government's failure to provide adequate support and its decision to press ahead with an increase in national insurance when businesses are faced with the burdens of Covid recovery, inflation and energy costs to name but a few is extremely disappointing to put it mildly. The measures announced at the spring statement are not nearly enough given the pressures on businesses at the moment. We have urged the UK Government to take more action in reserved areas, but they have not done so with this spring statement. If the UK Government is not willing to use their reserved levers, then those powers should be put in the hands of this Parliament instead. Michelle Thomson I thank the minister for that very strong answer. Of course, he highlights the accelerating inflation, rising national insurance and so on. To that I would add borrowing costs. Much more should have been done to support SMEs. Will the minister meet me to discuss some ideas that I have about further specific actions that can be taken to support SMEs in my constituency of Falkirk East and across the sector? I agree absolutely with the member that the Chancellor should have offered more support to SMEs and all those affected by the cost of living crisis. My colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy wrote to the Chancellor urging him to use the tax levers at his disposal to help people and businesses through this crisis. The failure to provide any substantial support to SMEs while refusing to introduce a windfall tax on those profiting from the pandemic and energy crisis is itself an indication of where the Chancellor's priorities lies. The Chancellor should have introduced members in order to raise the revenue that requires to support SMEs. Of course, I would be happy to meet the member to discuss those matters further. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the SNP manifesto commitment for every child to leave school being able to cycle safely. Bike Ability Scotland is the national cycle training programme for school children. The programme is delivered by Cycling Scotland using Transport Scotland grant funding. Bike Ability is now delivered in 31 local authorities across the country. Before the pandemic, 47 per cent of all primary schools in Scotland participated in the programme. In consultation with Transport Scotland, Cycling Scotland adapted bike ability delivery in response to the coronavirus lockdown. In 2021, training was delivered for the children of key workers at 70 childcare hubs across 15 local authorities. As lockdown restrictions have eased, Cycling Scotland has been working closely with participating local authorities to restart delivery, including through issue and guidance, funding and other support. I am very grateful for that answer. Can the minister tell the chamber how many children will leave school in 14 weeks time being able to cycle safety on our roads? As I pointed out during my original answer, clearly the ability for the bike ability scheme to be in its full, most effective fashion has been greatly impacted by the Covid pandemic, which I hope the member would appreciate is understandable. He cannot take heart from the work that Cycling Scotland is undertaking to ensure that the increase in the proportion of schools participating is greatly increasing by September 2023 and is keen to do even more in the years ahead. As the cabinet secretary has already said, just 47 per cent of primary schools deliver on-road training. That is nowhere near enough. Can the cabinet secretary say how she plans to increase that number? Cycling Scotland is already planning for increasing the numbers in the next school year, so it will be anticipating increasing the proportion of schools participating to 57 per cent by September 2023. Of course, we will continue to invest in Cycling Scotland to further grow participation numbers beyond that. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has made of the impact on travel in Scotland following the recent changes to the Highway Code. As Liz Smith will know, changes to the Highway Code came into force on 29 January 2022, aimed at providing better protection for pedestrians and cyclists. A main change to the Highway Code is the introduction of the hierarchy of road users, which places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of that hierarchy. While that is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government would broadly support those changes. Transport Scotland continues to work with partners across the UK, including the Department for Transport, to align future awareness campaigns for any further changes to the Highway Code. While it is too early to have assessed the impacts of those changes thus far, those are being monitored and an assessment will be undertaken at the appropriate time. I am glad to hear that there will be some assessment, because there is no doubt that the policing of those changes is a matter for Police Scotland. On account of the concerns that are being raised by a number of constituents, especially elderly constituents, many drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are not properly adhering to the new code. I wonder what can be done to raise awareness of the changes and ensure that those who are flouting the new regulations are properly dealt with. To respond to some of her points, in January this year, the Department for Transport informed Transport Scotland that it felt unable to embark on a communications or a media plan in advance of those changes coming into effect on 29 January. It instead decided to propose a communication plan in two phases. The first being an awareness raising campaign, which took place in early February, alerting road users to the changes as they came into effect. The second is a broader behaviour change campaign in May and June, which will align with seasonal increases in active travel to help to embed the changes and encourage that understanding that Liz Smith spoke to in her supplementary question. I think that it's fair to say that we were disappointed that the UK Government felt unable to promote those changes ahead of 29 January, and therefore we took the proactive decision to do so ourselves in Scotland. So Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, Road Safety Scotland and Traffic Scotland all used their social media to raise awareness of the changes, and the Scottish Government also provided £75,000 for a three-week awareness raising campaign, which ran in February on radio and on social media. The amendment of rule 126, to add that tailgating will be enforced by police as a dangerous and careless driving offence, has great potential to improve the experience of road users. A report by the co-op from September 2020 highlighted that over half of young drivers felt pressurised to drive faster by other motorists. Does the minister therefore agree with me that this crackdown on inconsiderate driving is a welcome step? I do agree, and I think that co-op highlights a key issue about ensuring that young drivers are supportive, but also that they feel empowered to make the right choices on how they drive their vehicles. We know that too often young drivers are not just the cause of road traffic accidents, but sadly also the victims, and we need to change that. It's just not acceptable for anyone to drive aggressively, or in a way, of course, that lacks courtesy for other road users. Our new road safety framework 2030 has a strategic action to work with partners to change attitudes and behaviours of road users in Scotland. I announced last week an increased funding package of £17 million for our road safety work. The enforcement of road laws, of course, is a matter for Police Scotland, and we will continue to engage with them on a regular basis on this and on other road safety and driver behaviour-related issues.