 Felly ardwe i'r cwestiynau dyn nhw'n ddwyedd easig y cwestiynau dyn nhw yn ystwyff iawn. Felly mwyad gweithio cwestiynau, i'r sylfaen ffordd i ddechrau i gael ei ddweud eich cael ei gweithio, ai'n ddwydd i gweithio gweithio yr iawn ei hollab 갑자기 os yw ei cmwyaf gyda gwasanaeth ei hollab eich cyfrif yn edrych ar gyfer'u cwestiynau. Mae unrhyw yrhaith y退お parwf 소리ïr, a mae unrhyw y formwodyng y cwestiynau o'r parwobyng ym 19 cwestiynau a'r parwodyng. If members wish to ask a supplementary question, they would need to press the request-to-speak button or press the R in the chat function if they are joining us online and to do so at the time of the relevant question. I call question number one, which is from Jim Fairlie. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across the Government are supporting communities to recover from Covid-19. The recovery from the pandemic is an urgent priority for the Government. The policies that we set out in May and delivered within 100 days were bold, ambitious and transformative measures. I want to assure Mr Fairlie that that is only the beginning of the Government's programme and that there is much more that we can and will do to build a fairer and more sustainable country as we continue to drive Scotland's recovery from the pandemic. Those 80 commitments, all delivered, were co-ordinated and targeted policies for demonstrable positive change for the people, families and communities who need it most and for our economy, public services and environment. In my constituency, the North Perth and City Centre Covid-19 community support group was formed during the pandemic. It is an affiliation of community groups across the area, such as Letham for All, North Mutant Community Council, Tullach Net and many others. It mobilised more than 180 volunteers to help with everything from food shopping to delivering prescriptions and to simply being someone to talk to. Does the Scottish Government have any plans to be able to sustain and utilise the skills and resources that those community groups offer? I want to echo the comments that Mr Fairlie has made. I am familiar with a number of the organisations to which he referred, not least of which North Mutant Community Council in my constituency. Those organisations have provided absolutely critical services to members of the public in the city of Perth, as I know similar organisations have done in other parts of the country. With our work with local government, we want to focus on the community-based approach to Covid recovery and to sustain many of the examples of good community initiatives that have come forward during the pandemic, which can act to support individuals, particularly with vulnerability or loneliness within our communities. That was what we envisaged when we brought forward the Community Empowerment Act to enable much greater community participation and engagement, and that will be central to the response that the Government takes forward in relation to supporting organisations to make meaningful impact on their communities. In communities across Scotland, there are many individuals who are still waiting to make an appointment for a face-to-face meeting with their GP. I know that that is an issue that is addressed by the Scottish Government in their plan for NHS recovery. Can the cabinet secretary update us on what the target date might be when we get back to some degree of normality for those who want to meet their GP face-to-face? One of the important points to note here is that the process of meeting the needs of individuals during the pandemic has required many public servants, including general practitioners, to work in different ways, and they have all risen to that challenge. Some of those models of operation are models of operation that we do not want to lose once the pandemic is over. Accessing public services through video consultations, which many GPs have taken forward, is a beneficial way to ensure that the maximum number of people can get the treatment when they require. Of course, there is a very significant role for face-to-face consultations to be undertaken, and general practitioners around the country are working very hard and are envisaged within the NHS recovery plan to maximise the degree of face-to-face consultation that is possible to be undertaken. However, I would not want that to be seen at the expense of us continuing to use different technology advances that have enabled us to deliver healthcare services and other services during the pandemic. The cabinet secretary will recognise that carers are a key section of our community. They are struggling, and many of them are still isolating as case numbers rise to record levels. For some, their care packages were withdrawn at the start of the pandemic, respite care was stopped and carers were left to Coupalone. Can the cabinet secretary tell me when all those services will be restored and where is the remobilisation plan for social care? Those issues are covered in the NHS recovery plan and in the wider steps that we are taking to recover public services that are, in many respects, taken forward by our local authority partners. What partners are doing is trying to re-establish services as safely and sustainably as possible, but Jackie Baillie, in a sense, answers part of her question in her own words with the challenges of rising case numbers and the anxiety that that will cause to individuals who may have some health form abilities as a consequence. We are working closely and in partnership with a variety of different organisations to ensure that we restore services to meet the needs of individuals, but it has to be commensurate with that being safe to do so in the context of the pandemic. Of course, the First Minister will have more to say on that when she addresses Parliament this afternoon. The issue in terms of care in the community is a major issue. I do not know how the Government starts to prioritise it, but in Fife, for example, the numbers of people on waiting lists to get a care package has spiralled out of control. Will the Government look specifically at how they can intervene because the health and social care partnership are saying that they simply cannot recruit the carers in order to provide the care? That is stocking up a major problem as we move into the winter. Mr Rowley puts his finger on a very significant issue, which is the availability of personnel to undertake some essential tasks in our society. We are all hearing across a range of different sectors. Mr Rowley has understandably highlighted the social care sector, but we are hearing it in a number of sectors where there are quite simply not enough people to come forward for recruitment in certain occupations. That is a consequence of the reduction in the number of people available because of the removal of free movement of individuals as a consequence of Brexit. It is undoubtedly having an effect on the number of people available. We are working with health and social care partnerships to maximise the opportunities for recruitment. We will continue to discuss those issues with local authorities and with health boards as we support the recovery of those services, which is essentially undertaken to meet the needs of individuals in our society. To ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across Government will support Inverclyde to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government has provided Inverclyde council with £7,651,250 to support businesses in the area during the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the economic stimulus package in 2020-21, we provided an additional £100,000 to Inverclyde council from the regeneration capital grant fund to ensure the delivery of the new Craig N resource centre in Greenock. Inverclyde council has also been awarded up to £504,804 of funding from the regeneration capital grant fund in 2021-22 to support the delivery of services for the Inverclyde shed, meat make and share project in Greenock. The Scottish Enterprise is also working with the area to deliver regional business support plans and to support regional company growth pilots. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer on his. I am very much aware of some of the challenges that Inverclyde faces even pre-the pandemic. In the recent SDS report on regional skills assessments for West region, which was published in July 2021 at States, Inverclyde is not expected to meet pre-pandemic employment levels in the period up to 2031. My area does need additional assistance to arrest a population decline and also to deal with a raging population demographic. In the light of that, I ask if there is anything further that the Scottish Government would consider doing to support Inverclyde to recover from the pandemic. The Government is open to further discussions with the local community and the local authority on what steps can be taken. A great deal of planning has already been undertaken through the work of the Glasgow city region, which is essentially taking forward a range of different projects that will involve an impact on Inverclyde. The Government will be open to further dialogue beyond the proposals that are advanced in that proposal. The Glasgow city region deal supports three projects in Inverclyde, which will promote growth in the area. The issue that Mr McMillan raises of population decline is one of the central issues in the focus of that work, and the Government stands ready to support Inverclyde Council and local partners in the most effective way that we can to advance some of the priorities that will assist in addressing population decline. I would like to ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across Government will support local authorities in their recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, we have provided Scottish local authorities with an additional £1.5 billion in direct support through the local government fund settlement over and above the regular grant payments for Covid recovery. It is important that we deliver a bold and ambitious recovery plan for Scotland. My priority within Government is to work collectively and collegiately to ensure that that is the case. I recognise the important role that local authorities have to play in this respect, and I am leading engagement to strengthen our partnership with local government to support recovery and to maximise every possible benefit for our citizens. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Can the cabinet secretary outline how the Scottish Government will engage with the hospitality industry in particular and ensure that support is put in place to recover from the effects of Covid and the loss of business? We have provided a tremendous amount of support to the hospitality sector to enable it to shoulder much of the strain that has come during the period of restrictions. We are now operating in a context in which the hospitality sector is able to trade in a fairly close to normal fashion, and we welcome the contribution that the sector can make to the economy. Ministers have been involved in a range of different discussions with the hospitality sector, involving a number of us. I myself have been involved in discussions principally with the Glasgow City Centre community, in which the co-captain will be familiar with her constituency interests and responsibilities, who are very much focused on supporting the recovery of the city centre to enable more footfall and, as a consequence, to boost the work of the hospitality sector. However, the Government is happy to engage further with the sector on steps that we can positively take to address the concerns and aspirations of the hospitality community. What steps will the Scottish Government take to ensure that unrestricted Covid recovery funds spent by councils are spent on appropriate Covid recovery matters, with well-thought-out plans that ensure that the funds get to the people in the communities that need them, and that they deliver value for money for the UK taxpayer? That is an interesting philosophical point in the question that Mr Kerr raises. There is a view, which I think has been pretty predominant within Parliament, that when we distribute funds to local authorities, it should be for local decision making as to how that money is spent. For the Government to come along and second-guess decisions made at a local level, would possibly attract—Mr Kerr is suggesting not second-guess. I am not quite sure what would be happening if the Government was scrutinising funding decisions taken by local authorities. Indeed, I think that local authorities would frankly rail against such a stance by the Government. I am happy to explore the points that Mr Kerr raises. If he is suggesting to me that the Government should be intervening in those matters, if that is the Conservative's latest position, then I will obviously explore that position. Fundamentally, I believe that a partnership with local government is a reliable and effective way to ensure that communities are well supported in the process. To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage people to engage with and respond to the Covid-19 recovery consultation. On 17 August, the Scottish Government launched a 12-week public consultation to review the legislative powers that have supported our response to Covid. That is a full public consultation open for views through to 9 November, which aims to support Scotland's recovery from Covid. The consultation has been widely publicised on social media and a dedicated webpage has been established with supporting information. We have ensured that the 30 different topics that the consultation covers have been brought to the attention of key stakeholders. We are also considering how best to include the voice of disabled people in the consultation process following representations on that issue during the passage in Parliament of the coronavirus extension and expiry Scotland Act 2021. I am pleased to say that the consultation has already attracted a lot of interest and that more than 1,600 responses have been submitted so far. Fulton MacGregor I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. During the pandemic, we have seen that swift progress was made to set up remote jury centres. It is important that those services can continue to operate in a way that does not impede access to justice. Can the cabinet secretary therefore outline what the Scottish Government's proposals are for helping our justice system to renew and recover from the pandemic? I should say as well that I am just out of the justice committee session this morning with a really useful session with the justice minister. The consultation invites views on 30 specific legislative proposals that have the potential to support Covid recovery, including proposals for justice system reform to ensure the tangible benefits of modernisations and practices adopted during the pandemic can be maintained where that is appropriate to do so. I stress where that is appropriate to do so. Proposals will also cover the response to the impact of Covid in Scotland's justice system specifically, where backlogs have unavoidably built up. There is an opportunity in the consultation to address a number of the aspirations inherent to Mr MacGregor's question, and the Government looks forward to engaging with members of the public on those points. To ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across government will support the north-east to recover from Covid-19 pandemic. We are actively supporting economic recovery in the north-east and have provided close to 100 million pounds to support businesses and additional funding of almost 150 million pounds to councils to help to achieve that. We are also investing 157 million pounds in the Aberyne city region in Murray growth deals and over 14 million pounds to develop the skills needed to support regional economic recovery. Alongside that, we have recently confirmed our intention to commit 500 million pounds capital to support the just transition of the region and Murray to support energy transition, create jobs and maximise the region's full economic potential. There is an opportunity in Covid recovery to address a number of government objectives and inequity in the ability to access fast, low emissions, public transports, and one that has been long been an issue in my constituency in the wider eastern corner of north-east Scotland. Will the Government and its commitment to reopen analysis of the Dice to Ellen rail line look at the wider societal, environmental and economic benefits of such a rail link and base its decisions on wider criteria than simply projected passenger numbers? Will it commit to working with the people in my constituency and my neighbouring constituency on the case for the line, taking into account the workforce changes since Covid and the need for new jobs markets to be accessible to those seeking work in rural areas? I am very happy to commit the Government to engaging on that basis. The strategic developments to which Gillian Martin has referred are significant in north-east Scotland. They provide the opportunity to contribute towards the achievement of the Government's obligations on net zero. We look forward to engaging on those points, which will be the subject of further analysis as we develop those projects. A couple of supplementaries would welcome brief questions and succinct answers. First, Liam Kerr. I met with Fraserborough Harbour on Monday. They detailed in their master plan some ambitious and exciting expansion plans, which could significantly support the north-east recovery from the pandemic and give even more reason to send a train up there as well as road improvements. Does the Scottish Government support Fraserborough Harbour's ambitions, and will the cabinet secretary back its expansion proposals? The Government obviously engages in a range of projects around the country. Resources are challenging—I think that everybody knows that—but I certainly welcome the proposals to which the member refers, and my ministerial colleagues will be happy to engage on any of the proposals that come forward. I thank you, Deputy Presiding Officers. Re-emobilising our NHS will be critical to our Covid recovery in the north-east and ensuring that we have the staff in place to do that is absolutely vital. Will the Deputy First Minister help that process by supporting the district nurses in Dundee who, three years ago, were regraded from a band six to a band seven but have not had that process honoured by NHS Tayside? Does the Deputy First Minister agree that that is a disgraceful situation after the nurses' selfless service in the pandemic? Will his Government intervene to ensure that upgrading is honoured immediately? Is Mr Marr aware that this is an issue that will be the responsibility of NHS Tayside to determine? Obviously, the board must make its decisions appropriate with all of the advice that is available to it, and I will certainly draw his representations to the attention of NHS Tayside as a consequence of our exchange today. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that any legislation that it introduces to support the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic does not seek to allow regulations to be made or changed without being subject to the affirmative parliamentary procedures. I thank Alexander Stewart for asking my first ministerial question. In answering it, I would say that the Government is currently consulting in 30 specific public health, public services and justice system proposals that have potential to support Covid recovery. Given the range of topics and potential scenarios that the consultation covers, the Government cannot commit to the standard affirmative procedure applying in all circumstances in any bills or bills that we bring forward following the consultation. However, I can commit to ensuring that we consider carefully how we ensure that the Scottish Parliament has the ability to effectively scrutinise any regulations that the Government brings forward under future regulations. Of course, any bills or bills that the Government brings forward will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. There will be the opportunity for the delegated powers and law reforms committee and other committees in the chamber to fully consider the procedures that apply to delegated powers. I thank the minister for that response. Under current coronavirus legislation, regulations do not have to be proactively put before the Scottish Parliament if Scottish ministers consider that the regulations need to be made urgently. Does the minister agree that in acting regulations without a prior vote or improving regulations with effect, everyone's lives is unacceptable? Will he rule out the inclusion of such clauses in any legislation that enshrines the temporary coronavirus powers? As the situation with the pandemic has changed, swift action in terms of legal restrictions requirements have been required to be taken by ministers. The emergency coronavirus regulations have required to take effect quickly. That is the case not only when restrictions requirements have required to be imposed quickly but also when restrictions requirements have been lifted because they are no longer necessary. The affirmative procedure allows the swift response to be put restrictions in place and to lift them as soon as they are no longer necessary. To answer the question, there is a time and a place for us to be able to do things, to make things better for people in Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the timescale for the independent public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government will establish a Scottish public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 by the end of this year to scrutinise decisions taken in the course of the pandemic and learn lessons for future pandemics. The Scottish Government is currently inviting views on the draft aims and principles of the inquiry that will shape the terms of reference. Discussions are also ongoing with the United Kingdom Government on the planned UK inquiry to ensure all areas that need to be considered are covered in a way that gives confidence to bereave families and others. I thank the Deputy First Minister for his answer. Given the significant importance of the issues involved, I wonder if it is anticipated that there could perhaps be staggered reporting made as the inquiry, in fact, progresses, for example, by way of interim reports, such that important lessons can be learned and recommendations can be made in a timely manner. I think that Annabelle Ewing makes an absolutely reasonable point, but the process and the timescale of the inquiry will be matters for the chair of the inquiry, operating independently of ministers. We can of course set out some of our expectations as a consequence of our discussions with interested parties. There has been a very good example of the way in which phased reporting can illuminate some of the issues that have been wrestled in the inquiry by Lady Smith into historic abuse, where a number of case studies have reported providing clarity and certainty for many individuals who have suffered in that process. There are models that can operate in the spirit of the points raised by Annabelle Ewing, and I will consider those issues as we establish the terms of reference. I ask what assurances the Scottish Government has had from the UK Government on the decisions on spending on the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic will be taken in Scotland. The UK Government's internal market act has undermined any assurance around decisions on Covid recovery spending in devolved areas being taken in Scotland. The act's spending powers cover a wide range of areas, including some related to Covid recovery. Any such spending could bring the prospect of uncoordinated spending and policy incoherence that could hinder rather than support Covid recovery. The way that the UK Government has used those powers so far offers little assurance, rather than the opposite. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is absolutely crucial that no more devolved powers should be stripped from the Scottish Parliament and that decisions on spending on Covid recovery in Scotland should be firmly placed in the hands of the Scottish Parliament? I agree with that point. The Scottish Government has made it absolutely crystal clear—indeed, the Parliament has made it crystal clear—that the UK Government's internal market act is an unwelcome piece of legislation that undermines the powers of the Scottish Parliament. It is crucial that the powers of the Scottish Parliament are respected, the powers that were supported by people in a referendum in 1997 and subsequently enhanced by the various legislative instruments that have been passed. Our decision-making structure should not be undermined or eroded by the United Kingdom Government. Thank you very much and that concludes portfolio questions on Covid-19. We now move to portfolio questions net zero, energy and transport. Again, if a member wishes to request a supplementary question, I would ask them to press their request-to-speak button or put an R in the chat function if they are joining us virtually during the course of that relevant question. I am conscious that already there are a number of members who have indicated that they want supplementary questions. We are also breaking new ground with four different ministers answering questions in this session, so I would be grateful for brief questions and brief answers wherever possible. We start with question number one, Pam Duncan-Glancy. To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to implement the provisions on pavement parking, prohibiting prohibition in the Transport Scotland Act 2019. Officials are continuing to consult with the local authorities to develop both the secondary legislation and parking standards guidance and with the public on areas contained within the legislation. In addition, local authorities require around 12 months to undertake assessments to consider whether they wish to exempt subject criteria any areas of pavement from the prohibition. As such, the majority of the secondary legislation is likely to be in place by 2022. I thank the minister for his answer. It has now almost been two years since the legislation received royal assent. What funding is the Government providing to aid the implementation of the provisions to ban pavement parking and what assessment has it done of any funding that it has provided on this to date? As the member is aware, the implementation of the parking elements were hindered by Covid and Brexit. However, the work is now well under way. The specific point about funding. Sitting alongside the draft chapters of the parking standards guidance document, which has gone to councils, an initial £1.6 million of funding for those assessments has been distributed. To ask the Scottish Government what further guidance and support it will provide community groups to help them to meet the goal of net zero emissions? We must engage communities right across the country in our journey to net zero. Communities are being supported via the climate challenge fund, as well as through the developing network of climate action hubs and towns. We are also launching a number of national initiatives in the run-up to climate week. Our new website netzero nation dot scott aims to help the public and communities understand how they can play their part in tackling the global climate emergency and provide resources for community action. The website also signposts to further practical and financial support available to communities through other initiatives. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. In my constituency of Midlodau North and Musselborough, there are well over 250 community groups of varying sizes and levels of activity. What financial support might be made available to these groups to assist them on their journey to net zero? There are a number of different Scottish Government funding packages available to communities. For example, I know that one project in the member's constituency in Penicook, the Penicook community development trust, was awarded just under £116,000 this financial year from the climate challenge fund for their Penicook carbon challenge project, which offers free support to help residents and groups to reduce their carbon footprint by tackling waste. Funding that is currently available to support communities in their journey to net zero also includes the Scottish Government community and renewable energy scheme, which provides advice, loans and grant funding, with up to £5.25 million available this financial year to support local community groups to develop renewable energy projects, supporting the growth of community and locally owned energy projects. There is also the energy saving trust programme, which delivers a range of initiatives through the e-bike grant scheme and also provides support to community-based organisations to move to active travel. There is also further community support through the local love campaign, which has been rolled out at a national level. There are a range of different funding streams that community groups can have access to. I would certainly encourage any community group who is looking for advice on funding streams to look to the net zero nation website for further information or the Scottish communities climate action network website, which also has a considerable amount of information in this area. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding action to support small and medium-sized businesses to reduce their carbon emissions as part of a wider effort to reach net zero targets. I meet regularly ministerial colleagues to discuss the collective action being taken across the Scottish Government to support our net zero ambitions. In advance of COP26, we have made targeted commitments to drive opportunities for Scottish businesses and supply chains. For example, an additional £2 billion of infrastructure investment over the current Parliament to help to stimulate demand and create jobs in the transition to net zero. As part of our climate emergency skills action plan, we will also build a toolkit to help small and micro businesses to develop the skills and knowledge that they need to adapt to the demands of the transition to net zero. We are also working across the Scottish Government to finalise plans for the Scottish climate week, which will run from 13-19 September, which will support SMEs across Scotland to hold events or to take forward climate action with their own teams. He may be aware of research by a chemistry firm Grant Thornton, which suggests that roughly only half of businesses have a net zero strategy despite strong recognition from the business community of the value of strong environmental performance. With such a high proportion of Scottish business in the SME sector, will the Scottish Government put a higher priority on supporting that kind of innovation in the SMEs towards net zero, rather than constantly targeting the few big businesses that Scotland currently has? Everyone has a collective responsibility to play their part in helping to achieve Scotland becoming a net zero nation by 2045, whether it be an individual community or a business level, whether it be an SME or whether it be a major corporation. They all have a part to play in helping to support us in achieving that target. There is a range of action that we have already taken. For example, I mentioned the net zero nation campaign, which is being rolled out in order to inform individuals, communities and businesses on the actions and the opportunities that they can take forward in achieving net zero are all part of the on-going plan, but it is equally important that we also help to support businesses to seize the opportunities that will arise as we go forward in becoming a net zero nation through the new technology that will have to be developed, the deployment of that through new technology across domestic and non-domestic premises, all of which provide opportunities for SMEs across the country to play their part. In the range of work that we are taking forward on the skills academy and on other areas around green skills, we are all about helping to support SMEs across the country to be able to do exactly that. According to research by Citizen Advice Scotland, published earlier this year, Scottish businesses were less likely than businesses across the UK to have introduced decarbonisation measures. Will the Government adopt all the recommendations in that report? Can the cabinet secretary say how much funding is available for the toolkit that he mentioned? The question that has just been asked by Monica Lennon relates back to the answer. I just gave to Mr Whittle. It is important that all parts of our community, including businesses, play their part in helping us to meet that net zero nation. That is why the on-going communication plan, engagement with business organisations, in helping to support them, in helping to inform their members about the work that they can take forward in order to become net zero businesses. The reality is that, from the engagement that I have had with businesses both at an SME level and at a corporate level, they also recognise that becoming net zero becomes a key part of their business and that they recognise that people want to see businesses playing their part in achieving that. That is why we have funding streams through a number of programmes that can support businesses to get loans and grants to a system in decarbonising their operations. A big part of that will be about making sure that we build on that as we progress and going forward. I do not have a specific figure on the toolkit, but the toolkit is an important part of what the business community has asked us for to help to support those businesses that do not have plans just now to put plans in place to assist them in doing that and to make sure that they are taking the necessary action that is required. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent and plans to spend over the next four years on the mitigation of land slips at the rest and be thankful on the A83. We have invested £87 million in the maintenance of the A83 since 2007, including over £15 million in landslide mitigation works to provide additional resilience at the rest and be thankful, including debris netting, bunds and improvements to drainage. Subject to the annual budget process and spending review, our current plan is to spend a further £8.8 million over the coming years on short-term mitigation measures. There is also, as you say, budget set aside for progression of the medium and long-term works within Glencrow, which shows its absolute determination to invest in this road and the short, medium and long-term to help keep our guile open for business and enable residents and visitors alike to travel to and from the area. I thank the minister for that response. Given that he acknowledged that £50 million has been spent, a further £8 million is in the pipeline, and £1 million has recently been spent on extending the catchpits at the rest and be thankful. Does the minister think that that will be enough to withstand a large landslide of, say, 100 tonnes of debris? If so, why does Transport Scotland keep closing the road when it rains? Does he believe, therefore, that now is the time for all alternatives to be explored to maintain access to our guile? Presiding Officer, as Jackie Baillie well knows, because we have met on this issue, there are no certainties about us as we are in the hands of Mother Nature. I know that she would not be sitting there suggesting to me that we should not conduct those measures. We need to do it to minimise the risk here. There is a great deal of effort goes in to ensuring that any risk associated with this route is minimised, but I absolutely agree with her. I hope that I can give her some assurance if she does not have it already. This is a parallel process that is taking place. Every mitigation possible is being deployed, but at exactly the same time, work has gone on in developing proposals for the medium and long term to provide the outcome that we all desire. Can the Scottish Government give assurance to the residents, businesses and visitors of Ireland that the mitigation work that is currently under way is not at the detriment of the long term solution? Can the minister share with Parliament the timeline to find that solution? As I have just said to Jackie Baillie, this is a parallel process. The current mitigation work, the medium term development work and the long term work. We are in the phase at the moment of data gathering to inform the best choice of specific route. That should be concluded by the end of this year. All being well, at that point we will have a clearer picture on the workable options. We will then move to the development of a final proposal for that medium term solution. There are many unknowns here. Ownership of the land, depending on the route, engineering requirements and ground conditions. However, we are working with all haste on that. I do not want to give hostages to fortune, but I think that it is feasible that we would be towards the end of next year to have a firm proposal to take forward, a shovel ready proposal. That is what we would really hope to be at that point. I draw members' attention to my register of interest, as I know of a rented property in North Lanarkshire. To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has commissioned of the likely cost to homeowners and landlords of reaching net zero emissions and housing by 2045. The Scottish Government analysis suggests that the total capital cost of converting our building stock to zero emissions by 2045 is in the region of £33 billion. That includes installation of zero emissions, heat and energy efficiency measures in both domestic and non-domestic buildings, and it does not take account of the business as usual investments that households and businesses would need to make to replace fossil fuel boilers as they reach the end of their lives. Nor the additional investment likely to be needed in wider energy infrastructure. The Government has commissioned a range of further research to understand the wider costs associated with the heat transition, which will be published once it is finalised. I thank the minister for that answer. Recent announcements about decarbonisation of all properties across all tenures across the wider Glasgow city region area put them at a cost of £9 billion to decarbonise their heating and make them energy efficient. Two thirds of those £300,000 are owner-occupied properties and some will be able to afford a contribution, but we know that many, including my constituencies, will not. Can the minister set out the Government plans on how to support low-income owner-occupiers with little savings and what the expectations on those on our occupiers will be and what support will be provided by the Government to enable them to participate fully in that travel towards 2045? I do not think that anyone doubts that this is a mammoth challenge for us all, and it will have a wide range of impacts on people in different tenures and different economic circumstances. The Scottish Government already makes available support, for example, through the Home Energy Scotland loan scheme. Interest-free, unsecured loans of up to £38,500 per home to owner-occupiers to install energy efficiency and heat measures. There is a cash-back scheme that provides eligible households of up to £13,500 towards zero-emission heating systems and energy efficiency measures. There is a range of other schemes, including area-based schemes that have been extended to include zero-emissions heating, and the Scottish Government has introduced a top-up grant to support that. However, as we go forward, the member will be well aware that we will continue to research the scale of the challenge and the steps that need to be taken both by this Government and the UK Government, whose actions will be necessary to make zero-carbon heating systems affordable by comparison with fossil fuel systems. Cabinet Secretary recently told me that it would cost £17,000 per property to upgrade off-gas grid homes from EPC-band EG to EPC-C. There are around 500,000 off-grid homes, and more than 100,000 of those cannot be fitted with a heat pump, so it will cost, even if it was just those upgrades, £1 billion. What analysis is being done on this, and who will be expected to pay? I have already indicated a significant range of measures by which the public pass helps to meet those costs. Obviously, the public pass cannot meet all of them, nor should home owners meet all of them. It is a challenge that we all have to rise to. In relation to heat pumps, I think that most of us would recognise that there is not one single solution that is right for every property in every location. We do not intend to take a mandatory approach to imposing a single solution for all properties. As with Mr Griffin, I am sure that the Government will want to keep Mr Kerr and all parties informed of further work in this area. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported proposals by ScotRail to no longer run 300 train services from May 2022. Let me begin by prying a full picture of the ScotRail proposal. I am sure that Colin Smith is not deliberately trying to give the impression that service levels overall are being reduced. The fact is that, under those proposals, we would see an increase of 100 services per day on the current level. By way of example, Glasgow to Carlisle, Kilmarnock and Dumfries in the member's region would benefit. The review seeks to create a national rail service that meets the country's needs and travel patterns. ScotRail has examined free Covid and expected future demand and developed a proposed timetable that seeks to match service patterns with uptake, with scope for additional future capacity, while recognising the need for financial and environmental sustainability. The proposed timetable is a new starting point, not the end point. It has been designed to accommodate pre-pandemic levels of demand, whilst removing much of the unused capacity on the network. As more people return to using rail, further services that there are demand for will be introduced. The public consultation provides an opportunity for ScotRail customers and businesses to help to shape a reliable and responsive timetable change, and I would encourage people to make their views known. I am sure that the minister does not want to mislead people and imply that the overall number of services will not be reduced compared to pre-pandemic levels, because that is exactly what the proposals are. We will not get people back on our trains by taking that train away. Will the SNP Green Government rule out reducing the overall number of rail services compared to pre-pandemic levels, when that new timetable is introduced in May 2022? It is frankly baffling that a member of Parliament can sit here and call for a never-ending increase in services with no consideration for the cost. There has been a direction of travel set by this Government pre-pandemic that saw services increase stations open up, and that is the journey that we are on. I have yet, as a parliamentarian, to encounter any set of draft proposals that are perfect or, indeed, are not ultimately amended in some form as the associated processes are worked through. It is important that people work in the consultation. In doing that, we have to be realistic. We cannot run services that are little utilised as we build back. We need to match services to demand and build from there. Alongside all of that, we will be delivering a raft of improvements such as decarbonisation of the network, new stations and a modal shift for freight from road to rail. I wonder if the minister could tell us what has changed in rail services in Scotland since the SNP came into power in 2007. A very great deal, and for the better, is the answer. Under this Government, communities and businesses have benefited from significant investment across Scotland's railways. We have seen that in terms of the number of seats on trains, in the stations that have reopened. We have seen it in decarbonisation. That, as I said earlier, is the direction of travel. To characterise that, since 2008, prior to the pandemic, there were 190,000 more seats on our trains compared to 2008. Is this a taste of things to come when ScotRail is nationalised? That is exactly the kind of question that I would have expected from Mr Simpson. The direction of travel that has been set by this Government is very clear—investment in rail, decarbonisation of rail and a great deal of support for rail. That is where we are going. To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that water scarcity reporting is accurate and reflective of all areas of Scotland. Minister Mary McCall. SIPA is responsible for the forecast monitoring and reporting of the situation facing Scotland's water resources and produces a weekly report on that. Of course, on-the-ground information from local authorities is absolutely crucial in understanding the impact that drought is having on water supplies. That is why a dedicated reporting line has been set up, enabling local authorities to provide real-time information to the Scottish Government and to SIPA and the Scottish Government to very much value the monitoring and assessment work that was on in that regard. I thank the minister for that answer. It was alarming to have constituents contact me during the summer to advise that their private water supplies were lower dry and that we were a standing start of supplying emergency drinking water. I would like to note my thanks to the assistance from the Scottish Government to my many constituents who are not on mains water supply due to the rerality of their properties. I ask that the minister commits to ensuring the robustness of water scarcity reporting so that both spheres of government can react to the very real humanitarian crisis when indicators suggest that private water supplies are at risk. I understand the member's concerns and as someone who personally relies on a private water supply, I understand the concerns of those who have experienced scarcity. In recognition of those scarcity events this summer, the Scottish Government acted quickly to fund a scheme for the provision of supplies of bottled water. That scheme is on top of an existing, non-means-tested grant of £800, which is already available to owners and users of private water supplies to make improvements to their system. The national water scarcity plan sets out clearly how water scarcity levels are determined by SIPA and how they are informed using a scientific approach and current research. I ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide Glasgow City Council to implement the recommendations in the report by the Connectivity Commission, including funding for the proposed metro system. Pauline McNeill will of course be aware that this work was commissioned by Glasgow City Council, and it will be for the council to determine if it wishes to implement the commission's recommendations. However, we are progressing the second strategic transport projects review, which is considering the case for a Glasgow metro, and the Scottish Government is working collaboratively with Glasgow City Council on that. Decisions on future funding will be made after SDPR 2 is concluded, and it is part of the Scottish budget process. Of course, the Glasgow City Region local authorities have over £1 billion in their growth deal infrastructure fund, of which the Scottish Government committed £500 million to use for investment in infrastructure, such as the Glasgow metro. Pauline McNeill will be aware that it is one of the biggest projects that Glasgow intends to support to transition to sustainable transport, so it is a really important project. However, from press reports, the private finance that the leader of the council is seeking does look uncertain, so I wonder if the minister will share some of my concerns that this needs to be nailed down. Glasgow City's intention to at least partly fund the metro system with private finance raises some questions on whether the necessary progress is going to be made in a reasonable timescale. I totally accept that there is a collaboration, but I just hope that the Scottish Government can assure me that it will take a strong interest in Glasgow being Scotland's largest city, because we desperately need a project that will help us to transition to net zero, and that looks like it could be the one. The fact that the project features an STPR2 is a recognition of its national importance. Thank you very much indeed. That brings us to an end portfolio questions. We will be short before we move to the next item of business.