As outlined in my letter to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee dated 27 September 2023, Scottish universities and colleges can bid for one short term grant for a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £25,000 to undertake international projects by 31 March 2024. They can also apply for an additional £10,000 for projects which contain cross sector educational partnerships e.g., with schools, youth work providers, adult learning, and sports organisations and will prioritise placements for disadvantaged groups.

As outlined in the Programme for Government, in 2024-25, we will build on this initial test and learn project to further develop the Scottish Education Exchange Programme.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises ministers and the NHS in the 4 UK Nations, including Scotland, about all aspects of population screening. The UK NSC does not currently recommend screening for cardiac conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in the young (age 12 – 39).

Further to the response to S6W-21420, we continue to develop delivery plans including consideration of the funding and reporting procedures.

The fee per item system of payment affords the opportunity to robustly monitor and evaluate payment reform, building on existing statistical publications. Officials are presently working with partners on the precise details of the data monitoring programme. Evaluation will be a future consideration, once the new system has bedded-in.

Government recognises that it is important that reform is supported by evidence demonstrating the reality of the position on the ground, in order to support the Scottish Government commitment to sustain NHS dental services.

This is not a reduction in the Scottish Government's funding awarded to Creative Scotland. Over the last five years, the Scottish Government has provided over £33m to Creative Scotland to compensate for a shortfall in National Lottery funding. As a result of rising costs and pressure on budgets across government, we are unable to make up the ongoing shortfall this year.

The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture asked the Creative Scotland Board on 27 September to use £6.6m of their reserves to ensure all payments to regularly funded organisations are met in full. I am pleased that the Board approved this approach and will make up the £6.6m shortfall from their funding reserves, which total £17m. This will mean that the regularly funded organisations will not receive reduced funding this financial year.

Subject to the usual Parliamentary processes we will provide the National Lottery shortfall funding of £6.6m to Creative Scotland in 2024-2025.

The changes to examination recall times follow independent best practice guidelines set by NICE, allowing dentists to tailor recalls based on patients’ individual oral health needs. The guidelines can be found online at: Overview | Dental checks: intervals between oral health reviews | Guidance | NICE.

No one will have reduced access to dental examinations if they need them, alongside the annual extended clinical exam, there is a new review examination available, free of charge, as often as the dentist deems it clinically necessary.

On 28 September I wrote jointly with Julie James, Minister for Climate Change in the Welsh Government, to Michael Gove, UK Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, expressing disappointment at the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK Government is significantly changing course on key net zero commitments.

Tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss is one of the most significant challenges facing people and planet this century and the Prime Minister’s statement was an unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations.

There was no prior engagement with the Scottish or Welsh Governments. Because of the weakness of current arrangements, we seek a high level summit and the establishment of a new, mutually respectful partnership to develop an agreed four nation approach to net zero in a collaborative manner. We also continue to strongly urge the UK Government to provide detailed information to enable us to fully assess the implications of the announcement.

On 5 October I made clear the Scottish Government’s position in a call with Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

On 26 October, I wrote to Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State, to express my deep concern about the path chosen by the Prime Minister in abandoning and delaying measures which have been previously committed to by the UK Government. I also seek an urgent response on long-standing proposals from the Scottish Government for action on reserved issues to accelerate the transition to net zero and help deliver both Scottish and UK targets.

I will again raise these issues when I chair the next meeting of the four nations Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Net Zero on 15 November.

At her recent appearance at the Education Committee, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills outlined the rationale for developing a new funding model and that the Scottish Government was at an early stage in its deliberations. The Skills Delivery Landscape Review outlined that there was significant funding within the system that could be better utilised that this commitment is looking to address.

The Scottish Government will update on wider reform including progress on the funding model in the coming months.

The information requested relates to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data and is not held by the Scottish Government.

SQA has advised that it does not collect candidate type data. However it does collect centre type data, which includes “HM Prisons” and they have provided this as set out in the table which has been placed in The Scottish Parliament Information Centre Bib number 64623. Certifications contained within the table may relate to prisoners, prison officers or any other person entered by the prison service.

Police Scotland do not have the legal powers to directly issue antisocial behaviour orders. Local authorities and registered social landlords, in consultation with the police, can apply to the sheriff court for an order where there is evidence that a person (aged at least 12 years) has behaved in an antisocial manner and that an order is necessary for the protection of persons from further antisocial behaviour. There is also the power for a court to make an ASBO on conviction in the criminal court as part of a sentence.