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The OCTAVE trial funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) is a collaborative project involving the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Oxford, Liverpool, Imperial College London and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This research work is investigating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK in 2021 in up to 5,000 people from certain clinically at-risk patient groups who have impaired immune system function through underlying disease or drug treatment.

Further information is available here:

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The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) constantly review all published and unpublished data to inform vaccination policy recommendation. The JCVI have reviewed data already on this topic and will do so in an on-going basis.

Work to preserve and increase the stock of grey partridge has traditionally been led by shooting interests such as the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

GWCT lead on the PARTRIDGE project in the UK, supported by the EU via the Interreg North Sea Region programme. It show-cases how new and improved management solutions can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services at 10 demonstration sites across the region. There are two demonstration sites in Scotland at Balgonie Farm in Fife and Whitburgh Farms in East Lothian promoting land management techniques specifically to benefit grey partridge .

More widely, the protection of Scotland’s biodiversity is a key priority for the Scottish Government, and we are committed to doing more to safeguard our species and habitats. Our high level Statement of Intent on biodiversity, published in December 2020, signalled our ambitions for biodiversity in Scotland, and the development of a new post-2020 biodiversity strategy. We have committed £7 million to date to the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and recently launched a new £10 million Nature Restoration Fund to help finance projects that support nature recovery and address climate change. Action to restore biodiversity is also central to our Green Recovery from Covid-19.

The information requested is not held centrally. Details of the funding awarded to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is published in annual reports and accounts available at and . Details of Scottish Government funding provided to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are published in their Annual Financial statements available on their website at .

Budget allocations to areas of the Scottish Government are published in annual Draft Budget documents available on the Scottish Government’s website at .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00633 on 13 July 2021. 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

There is no ring-fenced procurement budget for COP26. The Scottish Government, and relevant agencies / bodies, have procured a number of contracts among suppliers for COP26, with a total value of £416,240 through Scotland-based businesses, and £24,612 through businesses without a base in Scotland, being spent to date. Procurement is in line with relevant legislation and guidance and using existing contracts and frameworks, which include an assessment with environmental, social and/or labour laws.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00633 on‎ 13 July 2021. 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

The level of capital investment in digital infrastructure in each financial year since 2015-16 is provided in the following table:

Delivery of new fibre infrastructure is a key component part of a number of Scottish Government digital infrastructure programmes. It is therefore not possible to single out the costs solely attributed to fibre infrastructure.

The level of capital investment in digital infrastructure in each financial year since 2015-16 is provided in the following table:

Reducing flood risk is a priority for this Government and we will continue to support authorities to deliver actions that protect our communities. The Scottish Government engages regularly with local authorities, including Falkirk Council, on a wide range of flood risk management issues to ensure Scotland is resilient to the challenges of flood risk and climatic pressures.

Flood Risk Management Strategies and Plans are published every six years, as part of the duties of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (“the Act”). National and local working groups provide a forum for discussion on issues in relation to implementation of the Act including monitoring progress of the actions resulting from the Strategies and Plans. Most recently the Scottish Government met with local authorities at the SCOTS Flood Risk Management Group, which included Falkirk Council, at the end of May 2021.

Flood Risk Management Strategies were published by SEPA in 2015. These set out proposals for 42 flood protection schemes which were prioritised according to their cost benefit ratio and taking into account a series of additional criteria, encompassing the environmental and social impacts of flooding.

It is for local authorities to commission and take forward these Schemes. In July 2016, it was agreed by Scottish Ministers and COSLA that 80% of the flood component of the General Capital Grant would be distributed according to the SEPA prioritisation of flood protection schemes set out in the Flood Risk Management Strategies. 40 of the prioritised schemes were deemed to be eligible for grant funding.

Of the 42 prioritised schemes 9 are complete, 5 are under construction and the others are at various stages of development. 7 other schemes commissioned by local authorities prior to 2016 have also been completed since 2016.