 The last item of business is general questions. Question 1, Jamie Halcro Johnston. To us, what engagement the Royal Affairs Secretary has had with the fishing industry in communities that may be impacted by its proposals for highly protected marine areas? Minister Lorna Slater. I regularly meet my colleague Mark O'Gian with Scotland's fishing industry to discuss a wide range of issues that are of interest to Scotland. Of course, highly protected marine areas are being there is one of those issues. Just last month she was in Aberdeen for the Skipper's Expo and, more recently, she visited Shetland to meet with fishers there. As my colleague with portfolio responsibility for the area, Maira Macallan has said, this government is committed to listening to the views of people living and working in our coastal and island communities, including fishers as we consider our next steps. Jamie Halcro Johnston Thank you. We all want to see healthy thriving seas and that is something shared ond dar HIMM a'r ddau o'r hyn sydd yn wentlynyddio and o'r ddau o'r ddau o'r ddau o'r sph �nd ac rhai o'r ddau o'r sydd yn mynd i gaelio'r mynd i gaelio'r ddau o'r mynd i gaeliaid y sgol a'r heb yma i rydw i'ch ymwanfaen eich prif o hyn arlinellwgol, phobl i'r prosiectau a— i'r mnffodol i'r gaelio i'r ffwrdd. Maen nhw oedd koes yma yn ei hyn. i ni'n gwybodaeth cael ei gwybodaeth y llwyg. Felly, mae'r plan wedi gwneud y cyfnodol, nid o'r gwbl yn gwneud i'r peth ysgawr, i'w bwysig i'r sektai, i'r gwybodaeth ygafoddiadau drwy'r cyfrifosiwr. Felly, mae'r ddweud y cyfnodol, mae'n cyfrifosiwr, mae'n cyfrifosiwr mewn cyfrifosiwr, mae'n cyfrifosiwr i'r gwybodaeth yn ymgyrchau ysgawr. Felly, mae'n cyfrifosiwr oeddwn i'n gwaith nghael gwybodaeth nesaf. Iewwch, i rhan i'r ministerio. Norwm dwi assessedo yw'r ysgawr o gwaith. Dwi'n gweithio'r cydnogol i wneud muniol ac oeddwn i'r communityau ddylam ac i wneud tudyddau cyfrifiadau, ac rydw i'n gweithio'r communityau. Rydw i'n gweithio, wrth gwrs, gydag iawn o ddigredais o gydag yn ei ddefnyddio cyfrifiadau a'r economu cyfrifiadau. Long term cyfrifiadau o ddylam a'r communityau depend on healthy seas and thriving marine ecosystems. The consultation on HPMAs is at a very early stage in the sense that we have not got any specific details as to where these might be located and we will be working closely with communities as we go forward to work with those communities to shape their creation. Can I ask members to resist any temptation to contribute during questions and responses? Kenneth Gibson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The consultation is in depth, ranging from local communities to the Royal Navy. Does the minister agree that, whilst the views of fishing communities are important, Scotland's waters belong to all 5.4 million people who live here? The opinions of people deeply concerned about environmental degradation caused by scallop dredging, for example, must also be considered when taking steps to protect marine biodiversity and the reduced impact of climate change, and that the areas selected as highly protected marine should surely be those that have been damaged most by human activity. I agree with the member that the views of fishers are very important to this debate, along with other users of our seas. Their livelihoods depend on a healthy marine environment, so it is only right that we listen to what they have to say on this issue. It is also true that Scotland's seas and marine ecosystems are a national asset, and their health matters to us all. We want to have as many voices in this debate as possible, which is why we have chosen to consult early on our proposals, and we will be speaking directly to island and coastal communities over the summer and look forward to hearing the wide range of views that they hold. Fishers know better than anyone that protects in the marine environment is key to safeguarding stocks and their industry. However, it is not the case that the Scottish Government has dropped the ball in terms of marine protected areas, and should ministers not be reviewing NPAs, assessing the evidence of their impact where changes are needed and, if required, strengthening them, rather than imposing arbitrary targets for HPMAs? We know from studies that removing human activities can have benefits for the marine environment and the people who rely on it. We know from evidence elsewhere in the world that fully protecting marine areas has improved benefits over partial protections. There are some studies to that effect. We will continue to work forward with communities in Scotland to understand how best to enhance marine protection so that we can have thriving and sustainable communities. To ask the Scottish Government how many paramedic students have access to paramedic nursing and midwifery student bursaries since its introduction in July 2021. Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson, In 2021-22, academic year eligibility criteria for the nursing and midwifery student bursary was extended to incorporate paramedic science students studying in Scotland and renamed the paramedic nursing and midwifery student bursary. In 2021-22, academic year 670 paramedic science students received the paramedic nursing and midwifery student bursary. In 2022-23, academic year 975 paramedic science students submitted applications for the bursary. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. With a record number of student paramedic sex in the bursary, can the cabinet secretary provide any clarity on how he envisages this increase will impact on paramedic numbers going forward and, importantly, on response times? The bursary is an important part of the Scottish Government's response to making sure that we take forward work to boost our paramedic numbers and also to make sure that we recruit more into the service. I can say that the way in which we consider how demand and capacity are going forward in the Scottish Ambulance Service is through the Demanding Capacity programme, which is operated by the Scottish Ambulance Service to consider what resources are needed for both now and in the future. As part of that programme of work, there has also been a record number of additional staff joining the service since 2020. Some additional 1,388 staff and there will be a further 307 staff will be recruited in this financial year to help the service to maintain its response to patients across the country. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide continuity in education for children living in the MS Victoria in the coming weeks. The Scottish Government works with local authorities and other partners to ensure that all displaced Ukrainians have the support that they need, including access to education. That includes working intensively with the City of Edinburgh Council and the education officers, who are on board the MS Victoria Monday to Friday to support transitions to school or education settings locally or in other local authority areas. Local authorities are best placed to identify and support the education needs of children arriving in their area, and that includes involving parents in the planning process, seeking their views and providing appropriate support during the transition process. Jeremy Balfour. Can I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer? The families living on the MS Victoria have been through unimaginable turmoil and disruption. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that any child already enrolled in an Edinburgh Council school will be provided with accommodation with Immacity to enable a safe and secure transition to their next academic year and to avoid yet more disruption? I thank Jeremy Balfour for the question. It is a very important time for those on MS Victoria, and there is an obligation both on the Scottish Government and all local authorities to ensure that we are doing everything that we can to respond to the requests of people on board MS Victoria. However, I would say that he will be well aware of the housing pressures that are present in Edinburgh, and therefore it is exceptionally difficult to be able to ensure that anyone who wanted to stay in Edinburgh could stay in Edinburgh, particularly in a school placement area. That is why it is very important to ensure that we do not just have an Edinburgh solution but that we have a Scotland-wide solution, and that is why a number of local authorities will be working with City of Edinburgh Council to be able to support families that may need to move outside the Edinburgh area. I wrote to the leader of Glasgow City Council recently about the education of children from MS ambition when they are relocated, and I was told in response that they would likely be required to relocate to other local authorities. Can the Scottish Government outline what support is in place for those children to maintain friendships and connections as they move to other schools, including to ensure that local authorities work together to minimise disruption? It is another very important point to ensure that we are doing everything that we can to provide support when people need to leave either the ambition or the Victoria. I recognise that, although those are a temporary solution using ships, there was a community on board that ship that was very important to people. That is why the matching teams on ambition and now on Victoria are doing everything that they can to respond to personal requests and to ensure that we are doing what we can when they move to another local authority area to support the families in that process to ensure that they are aware of what else is happening within that new council area, what is happening within that school catchment area, to ensure that, where possible, attachments can be kept with other families, or if not, then support is given to ensure that there is a community that is successful and vibrant for people that are leaving both ships to ensure that we are supporting them through that process. Cabinet Secretary, could you outline what support the Scottish Government is providing for displaced Ukrainian students who have settled in Scotland to ensure that they are given as much financial stability as possible during this incredibly traumatic time? While following Russian's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Scottish Government did introduce a change to our student support regulations extending access to financial support for Ukrainian students. Ukrainian students wishing to embark on a further or higher education course in Scotland are now eligible for tuition and living costs support on the same terms as any other Scottish domiciled students, providing they are undertaken an eligible course and have submitted an application to the homes for Ukraine, Ukraine family or the Ukraine extension schemes. Question 5, Willie Rennie. To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to ensure the fair application of funds from Event Scotland and Creative Scotland to every part of Scotland. Cabinet Secretary, Angus Robertson. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Creative Scotland funding reaches individuals, organisations and projects across the whole of the country in each of the 32 local authority areas through its regular and project funding streams, with particular flexibility through its place partnership programme. Event Scotland provides funding to diverse portfolio of arts, cultural and sporting events and festivals that deliver strong social and economic benefits across Scotland. Its national events programme has been designed specifically to support events outwith the local authority areas of Edinburgh and Glasgow to ensure representation across Scotland's local authorities. Between Creative Scotland and Event Scotland, Edinburgh received £52 per person, but Fife only received less than £4 per head. There is a big city bias when it comes to Creative Scotland and Event Scotland, and it is almost as bad in Glasgow. I am planning a creative and event summit in Fife to attract more funds to Fife. Will the Minister join me at that event to try to attract more funds to the kingdom? Can I agree with Willie Rennie that it is a good thing for communities, localities and regions to work together to promote and develop their local culture and arts sector? He will of course appreciate the very good reasons why our national arts organisation and funding body, Creative Scotland, operates at arm's length from Government, but I would strongly encourage Willie Rennie and the culture sector in Fife to continue working with Creative Scotland. Wherever it is appropriate for me to do so, I will support local initiatives to ensure culture and arts reaching its full potential throughout Scotland, including Fife. Rhoda Grant, the cabinet secretary will be aware that Creative Scotland is cutting funds to organisations in the highlands and islands and adding to that the community cash back fund is only providing funding to one organisation based in the region. Given our rich culture, those cuts are going to have a devastating impact. That could impact on pivotal organisations such as Edencourt Theatre on their outreach programme. I want to go back to the drawing board and reconsider those allocations. Cabinet secretary. Firstly, I think Rhoda Grant would acknowledge that the allocation of funding from Creative Scotland is a matter for Creative Scotland, and I would encourage her and colleagues throughout the highlands and islands who believe that there should be a different method of allocating their funding to make their views heard. This government is very keen to support multi-annual funding solutions to arts organisations, including the regularly funded organisations in the highlands and islands. She has mentioned Edencourt, which is one of the jewels in our artistic sector. I agree with her that we need to make sure that the entire country has the level of support that is appropriate for the culture and arts sector. Any input that she wants to make with Creative Scotland, I would be grateful if she would copy me in. Question 6, Clare Baker. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its target of harping the child obesity rate by 2030. Our aim to have childhood obesity by 2030 was deliberately ambitious and part of our public health priority to ensure that Scotland is a place where children have a healthy weight. A range of factors, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost crisis, will have impacted on childhood obesity levels. The Scottish Government has delivered a range of actions from our diet and healthy weight delivery plan and remains committed to taking forward further actions, including forthcoming regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt between now and 2030. Thank you. I have to say that deliberately ambitious is a new way of describing a lack of delivery from the Government. In the recent statement on the health weight consultation, the minister said that she would not take mandatory measures on energy drinks due to a lack of data, with the most recent insufficient data, which was published by the Government, dated February 2021. Does the minister recognise that we can all see an explosion in consumption among children and young people as the energy drinks market has expanded? If the Government will not take action because of a lack of data, what are they going to do to improve the evidence base because the lack of action here is very disappointing? I thank Clare Baker for that question, and I think that she raises a very relevant point. Although we do not intend to proceed with legislation at this time, we recognise that this is an issue of concern to parents and teachers. We continue to support voluntary measures to restrict the sale of energy drinks to children and will keep this under review and how we can strengthen those. We will consider additional information gathering and analysis, including relation to energy drink consumption, to support further consideration for mandatory measures in the future. We are facing a childhood obesity epidemic here in Scotland. When the pledge was announced in 2018, the prevalence of childhood obesity was 14 per cent. Latest reports now show that it is 18 per cent, that is a 4 per cent increase. As a practicing NHS GP, I can tell you that childhood obesity leads to a host of health issues for children into adulthood, including type 2 diabetes, respiratory and high blood pressure. I think that it is an important message for parents who might be listening and are struggling to work out how to help their children. It is really important that we avoid the latest fads and do not put your children on to diets. Support them to make healthy choices, and hopefully your child will grow out of obesity. I recently met with Obesity Action Scotland and told me of some great programmes in certain parts of the country. Can I have a question, please, Mr Gohani? Absolutely, Presiding Officer, but please see your GP. The consultation by the Minister is the four consultation on the issue of restricting promotions on junk foods. Will the Government be committed that this will be the last consultation and some action will follow? Minister, I think it's clear that whenever we're making policy to ensure we make the best policy that is relatable to everybody and hits the targets that we intend and make the changes that we intend, we have to continue to consult. I can't promise standing here that this will be the final consultation or not, but it is absolutely key to consult to get the right policies. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the final report of the independent review of the skills delivery landscape. Minister Graham Day, as I outlined during Tuesday's debate in college regionalisation, the Scottish Government is clear that reform is needed and we won't shy away from making decisions that will improve outcomes for learners and employers. I welcome the Wither's review and am very much minded to follow the broad direction of travel outlined. However, it is right that the Scottish Government takes a little bit of time to consider the detailed recommendations and the practicalities and consequences of implementing them, working with all those who will be impacted and others. James Wither suggests that giving universities the freedom to utilise funding to deliver degree-level learning in a variety of different ways, including part-time learning, and learning as part of an apprenticeship is a way to uplift the current cap in university places. Can I ask what the minister's view is in that proposal? The member raises an important point. The Wither's review, among other things, does open a discussion around different routes to positive destinations, how they might be expanded and gradually apprenticeships. I have had an initial discussion with the University of Scotland on how the review engages or might engage their sector, and over the course of the summer I will be doing further engagement with them, as I will be with other stakeholders. However, Wither's is clear that there is no lack of investment in the post-school education and skills sector. It is a question of how best we deploy that funding to meet future need.