In 2022-23, £200,000 was awarded to the Green Action Trust to support nature restoration and ecological connectivity across the Central Scotland Green Network.

In addition, our Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) helps to support ecological connectivity including through nature networks. Through the Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF in 2022-23, local authorities shared a direct allocation of £5 million to support nature restoration. During 2022-23 we awarded funding to 78 projects, totalling £12.9m worth of investments in nature. Details of projects funded to date from the competitive strand are available on NatureScot’s website at: https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/scottish-government-nature-restoration-fund-nrf .

The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of protecting the welfare of fish at the time of slaughter and takes this very seriously.

We will carefully consider any recommendations made by the Animal Welfare Committee concerning the welfare of fish at the time of slaughter. However, due to a lack of clear communication from the UK Government, we do not yet have a timescale for when the report will be published.

The A&E departments across NHS Scotland currently include:

• 30 large consultant-led Emergency Departments; and
• 60 minor injuries units and community units.

At the end of the Action 15 commitment of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027, an additional 179.2 whole-time equivalent mental health professionals were recruited to A&E settings.

The Scottish Government does not currently collect the requested data on the total number of mental health professionals based in A&E departments. While data regarding the number of staff in post is available for specific mental health professional groups in NHS Scotland, this cannot be broken down by settings such as A&E.

The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme – offering vouchers worth up to £5,000 for eligible properties - currently has 50 suppliers registered to deliver services.

The list of registered suppliers is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is only listing suppliers who are actively participating in the scheme and is kept up to date here: Find a supplier | Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband .

Through our Fair Work First policy, we are applying Fair Work criteria to as many public contracts as we can. Employers are being asked to commit to adopting a range of fair work practices including: no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts; and fair pay including payment of the real Living Wage.

The Scottish Government considers fair pay as a clear way that an employer can demonstrate a commitment to their workforce alongside wider Fair Work First criteria. We routinely apply Fair Work criteria including the real Living Wage in our contracts. And while public bodies are responsible for their own procurement decisions, we are engaging with relevant sectors to encourage this approach across the whole of the public sector in Scotland.

• In May 2021 we published updated statutory guidance issued under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to reflect development of the Scottish Government’s policy on Fair Work First, including payment of the real Living Wage and its application within Scottish public procurement.
• We are updating our best practice guidance to support the practical application of Fair Work First through public procurement.
• We have developed tools and guidance to help public bodies identify and address how they can optimise the economic, social and environmental outcomes of their procurement activity. These include a focus on Fair Work First including the real Living Wage.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Royal College of Radiologists, to discuss areas of mutual interest.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Royal College of Pathologists, to discuss areas of mutual interest.

Social Security Scotland does not currently produce information relating to Change of Circumstances but we do routinely publish information about Adult Disability Payment, including processing times of new applications.

These statistics were most recently published in March 2023, covering up to end January 2023, and are available at:

Social Security Scotland - Social Security Scotland statistics: publications

The next publication, covering up to end April 2023, will be published on 13 June.

Social Security Scotland is committed to giving clients timely decisions, while allowing sufficient time to ensure the necessary information is in place to get decisions right the first time. Clients can advise us of a change of circumstance for a number of reasons, and if the change is relevant to their entitlement, a review would be carried out. Every case is individual and processing times will vary.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Scottish Committee of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, to discuss areas of mutual interest.

The Scottish Government takes the improvement of welfare for all animals in Scotland very seriously and is keen to progress a consultation on the cage use for laying hens, alongside other animal welfare commitments

Consultation on phasing out cage use for laying hens was originally intended to be delivered jointly across the UK. However, progress on a number of important pieces of animal welfare legislation have been significantly delayed due to UK Government timetabling.

I have repeatedly expressed the Scottish Government’s disappointment and the need for urgency on a number important animal welfare issues, where joint working across GB has been previously agreed. Sadly no further clarity has been provided by UK Ministers.

While Scottish Ministers remain committed to introducing joint legislation where it is sensible and logical to do so in the interests of animal welfare, further consideration will be given to how we can best deliver our commitments going forward.