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Yes, every learning, teaching and play space in Scotland was assessed by local authorities last term.

However, we and our local authority partners recognise the importance of continuing this work and guidance has been updated to advise that every learning, teaching and play space should be monitored at least one full day every week.

Ventilation has been an important feature of our Reducing Risks in Schools guidance since October 2020. This guidance has been regularly updated in line with the latest expert advice.

Local authorities have undertaken a range of work to improve ventilation in schools in line with guidance and expert advice over the course of the pandemic. This work was initially supported with £90 million of Scottish Government funding for Covid logistics that could be used for a range of purposes including ventilation. A further £10 million of Scottish Government funding specifically for ventilation and CO2 monitoring in schools and ELC settings was provided to local authorities at the start of the new academic year in 2021.

A commitment was provided to local authorities to continue discussions regarding the need for any further funding to ensure effective action on ventilation could continue to be taken. The First Minister announced on 11 January that additional capital funding of up to £5 million would be made available to local authorities to support any further urgent remedial work that is needed to ensure good ventilation in schools and ELC settings.

We have not asked local authorities to undercut doors in schools, nor was £300,000 provided to them specifically for these purposes.

My letter to the Education, Children and Young People Committee setting out the example scenario was not guidance, and has not been issued to local authorities. It was a response to a request from the Committee to provide more detail on how costings had been arrived at. The letter stated:

“In order to calculate the £5m schools/ELC ventilation fund, we have assumed an example set of remedial measures which could be taken for each problematic space although this will vary depending on local decisions.”

and

“ It is very important to note that these costs will of course vary significantly in practice, as the precise remedial measures used in each problematic space should be informed by local circumstances and expert assessment by local authority teams .”

Local authorities are fully aware that they should undertake any remedial work in line with Scottish Government guidance on ventilation and expert input. Our guidance already makes clear that when implementing any Covid-safety measures, local authorities must continue to adhere to legal obligations with regard to health and safety, including fire safety. It is of course for local authorities as duty holders to ensure appropriate consultation with all relevant authorities when undertaking works in school buildings.

The City of Edinburgh Council shared this report with officials in the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust last year.

The analysis was based on a sample of 9 schools in May 2021 and showed, for example, that CO2 levels were high because windows were not being opened and rooms were not being flushed during breaks.

The report helped inform the work that the Council subsequently carried out to improve ventilation in schools.

In addition, the report was used to help further develop Scottish Government guidance.

The report was also shared with the expert Ventilation Short Life Working Group to inform their work.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05818 on 2 February 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

While the site continues to operate on the basis of the current operational functions there is no cause to look towards any environmental remediation. As outlined in the previous answer, any environmental remediation follows in a situation where operational licences are being handed back and are dealt with on a regulatory basis. The polluter pays principles are used to ensure that the land can be remediated to another purpose if this is required. When dealing with potentially contaminated land through either the development planning system, or if voluntary remediation is undertaken, it is for the developer or landowner to investigate and assess the extent of contamination and undertake any remediation that would be required. These remain hypothetical scenarios as the current site is operating and continuing to produce steel.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland. To fulfil this commitment the Scottish Government has ongoing engagement through a variety of fora with statutory public bodies, Commissioners and other key stakeholders to identify any issues in relation to child protection policies, processes and procedures and resolved collaboratively.

The following issues have been raised in the last 12 months:

• Bairns’ Hoose and the Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviews: Partnership working on the development of these initiatives including collaboratively resolving issues as they arise.
•  Coronavirus: The operation and continued need for Coronavirus (Scotland) 2020 Act provisions relating to Child Protection Orders, Child Assessment Orders and other aspects of Children’s Hearings processes. The use of other flexibilities and streamlining of certain requirements detailed in the Adaptations to local child protection responses and learning from earlier stages of the pandemic which informed the updating of this guidance.
• Domestic abuse: Support and protection for children experiencing domestic abuse, with a focussed discussion at the Children and Families Collective Leadership Group and follow up cross-Government engagement and action.
• Education: The role of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) in sharing information about child protection concerns, with follow up engagement with GTCS planned.
• Human trafficking and exploitation: Reviewing the application of Lord Advocate’s Instructions for Prosecutors when considering Prosecution of Victims of Human Trafficking and Exploitation . The Scottish Government worked closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Office of the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, Police Scotland and Scottish Prison Service to assess the application of the instructions in cases where individuals may have been victims of trafficking or exploitation.
• Implementation of the : National resources and action to support local implementation with discussion and decisions on next steps taken by the National Child Protection Guidance Implementation Steering Group.
• Online safety: Developing a Scottish response to the UK Government’s draft Online Safety Bill, working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Ofcom, the Office of the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland and Police Scotland on the devolved implications and agreeing where the legislation needs to go further to ensure children are as safe as possible when using the internet.
• Orkney: Progress in addressing areas for improvement identified during the 2019 joint inspection of services for children and young people in need of care and protection in Orkney, with follow up engagement with the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Orkney Partnership.
• Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children: Working closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Office of the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland and Social Work Scotland on the UK Government’s decision to mandate the National Transfer Scheme; and the child welfare implications arising from the Nationality and Borders Bill, particularly changes to how Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children have their ages assessed. This work has underpinned the decision of the Social Justice Cabinet Secretary to lodge a Legislative Consent Memorandum recommending that consent be withheld in relation to two clauses Bill.

The Scottish Government owning the Steelworks for a short period of time enabled all parties to achieve what they required from the sale and purchase of the business. The Scottish Government in doing so, supported the recommencement of Steel Production in Scotland and protected the livelihood of families across the Lanarkshire Steel communities.

The Dalzell Steelworks were owned for a short period of time by the Scottish Government to assist in the facilitation of the transfer of ownership of the Steelworks between TATA Steel UK and Liberty House.

On 2 September 2021 the Scottish Government published the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, which replaces the 2014 National Child Protection Guidance.

The revision of this guidance was undertaken through a collaborative process informed by extensive public and stakeholder engagement over a period of two and a half years. The review was overseen by a National Guidance Steering Group comprised of representatives from stakeholder organisations and other key interests.

The Scottish Government ran a formal public consultation on draft guidance between 21 October 2020 and 31 January 2021. A total of 159 consultation responses were received from a wide range of organisations and individuals. Where respondents have given their permission, responses have been published on . In addition to the public consultation, seven virtual stakeholder engagement events were held during November and December 2020. These events were used to engage with Child Protection Committees and practitioners, with a facilitated discussion structured around the consultation questions. An independent analysis of consultation responses was commissioned and engagement was undertaken with many respondents to better understand their views and reflect in final draft.

The key themes emerging from the engagement process were: status of the guidance and degree of local variance; ensuring an appropriate balance between the current context and direction of travel as the aspirations of The Promise are realised; clarity on the timing of the refresh of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) and further guidance on the role of the named person; the balance of support and protection regarding poverty and neglect; accessibility and usability of the guidance; inclusion of practice notes; expectations of timescales for implementation.

Feedback and proposed changes were considered by the Steering Group at every stage of the engagement process. Where there was agreement, the drafts were updated. Feedback along with rationale for decisions was then given to those who had provided comment. On 2 September 2021 the Scottish Government published a consultation report which included the independent analysis of consultation responses and engagement activity and the Scottish Government’s response.