The Scottish Government is working in partnership with members of the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group to produce a consultative strategy aimed at improving standards and quality within the private rented sector in Scotland.

As part of the development of the final strategy, due in summer 2012, the views of local authorities and other key stakeholders will be considered in relation to the form of legislation required to regulate the activities of letting agents in Scotland.

Guidance on the duty of public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity is available to all on the Biodiversity Scotland website:

http://www.biodiversityscotland.gov.uk/duty/.

The Scottish Cities Alliance is focussed on collaborative opportunities for enhancing sustainable economic growth, attracting large scale investment and creating jobs. Consistent with the Government Economic Strategy, it recognises sustainable economic growth as the route to a better, healthier and fairer society.

The Scottish Cities Alliance is a partnership of Scotland’s six cities and the Deputy First Minister, as Cities Minister. The alliance will take forward a programme of collaborative action aimed at optimising the contribution of our cities and their regions to sustainable economic growth and it will determine the appropriate wider engagement that best supports its work.

The Scottish Cities Alliance is focussed on collaborative opportunities for enhancing sustainable economic growth, attracting large scale investment and creating jobs. The Cities Investment Fund will support the alliance in its work and programmes that meet these criteria will be considered.

The Scottish Cities Alliance is a partnership of Scotland’s six cities and the Deputy First Minister, as Cities Minister. It has no legal status, however, its constituent public bodies will continue to be subject to the public sector duty.

The Scottish Government would normally advertise public sector posts for two weeks; this is considered to be good practice.

The Scottish Government does not provide standing guidance on advertising vacancies over the festive period; requests for advice are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Biodiversity conservation can play a variety of roles in promoting the sustainability of cities including contributing to green networks, local food production, flood management, recreation, sense of place and energy efficiency.

Biodiversity will be considered in relation to specific investment programmes and projects, once these have been identified by the Scottish Cities Alliance.