Chamber and committees

There are no current vacancies within the Nominated Officer team and the wider Directorate of Internal Audit and Assurance can provide surge capacity when needed.

The Scottish Government ensured a comprehensive evaluation of the 2023-24 Ecosystem Fund was undertaken by Scottish Enterprise. The Fund provided vital stimulus to organisations supporting start-ups, reaching over 13,000 direct beneficiaries across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is developing the third phase of the Ecosystem Fund, building on the success of previous rounds. This follows a comprehensive evaluation of the 2023-24 phase conducted by Scottish Enterprise. Further information about the next phase will be released in due course.

As an employer, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the workplace is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation, where work related concerns, problems or issues can be raised and responded to.

Under the Scottish Government's grievance policy, line managers are expected to deal with concerns about inappropriate behaviour at an early stage and on an informal basis, where appropriate.

The number of formal complaints about bullying reported by civil servants in the Scottish Government since 2021 is provided in the following table:

To understand the impact of Land Reform Bill proposals on businesses, the Scottish Government conducted a Scottish firms impact test, involving engagement with landowners, land agents and representative organisations of land-based businesses.

Full detail of this assessment of anticipated impacts can be found in the .Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government has carried out economic analysis of impacts of the provisions of the Land Reform Bill. This is set out in the. Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).

The One Year Job Guarantee (OYJG) scheme was previously facilitated by NHS Education for Scotland. The scheme was closed due to low application numbers.

Scottish government officials have been engaging with health boards on their current position in relation to supply of midwives. It is our understanding that they remain committed to maximising opportunities for newly qualified midwives and officials are exploring all options to support graduates into employment.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of student midwives recruited who have not been offered posts in NHS Scotland.

Scottish Government officials have been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job offers and supply, with Boards remaining committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified midwives to find employment.

We currently do not have plans to provide direct training for community councillors in relation to energy infrastructure projects. The Scottish Government provide funding to Planning Aid Scotland who offer tailored training for Community Councils to meet their individual needs.

The Scottish Government ensures all non-UK vessels landing into Scotland are authorised to do so by meeting detailed regulations which includes vessel tracking and daily electronic catch reporting, and the requirement to complete Port State Control and export documentation. Officers from the Marine Directorate verify documentation by undertaking risk-based remote and physical inspections at ports. The Scottish Government also inspect non-UK vessels at sea using Marine Protection Vessels and surveillance aircraft. Additionally, the Scottish Government is further developing a program of detailed analysis of vessels fishing Scottish waters but landing in another state. This involves working closely with the EU and other third countries to improve data sharing, including sales and inspection data.