The Scottish Government continually monitors its operations and delivery through the application of effective workforce controls at the organisational level. We prioritise our resources to support the elected government’s agenda, with workforce controls allowing flexibility to deploy resources as required. These controls are routinely monitored and adjusted to respond to the financial position and delivery requirements of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "excellence at sport ", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023.

In terms of performance sports, sportscotland and Scottish sports often punch above their weight. There are currently 144 Scottish athletes on UK Sport/sportscotland Podium and Podium Potential World-Class Programmes. Over the past four Commonwealth Games, Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and Summer Olympics and Paralympics cycles, Team Scotland has achieved a series of "best ever" results.

In addition, sportscotland recently announced record annual investment figures to support the delivery of sport and physical activity. Across 2023–2024, sportscotland will invest up to £36.7 million of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding into Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGBs), local authorities, and wider national partners. This includes significant investment and support for grassroots sport in Scotland, supporting local authority partners in the delivery of community and school sport through Community Sport Hubs (CSHs) and the Active Schools Network.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government has no current plans to discuss with the UK Government the licensing of testosterone treatments for perimenopause or menopause for use in Scotland. As noted in the answer to question S6W-18294, on 14 June 2023, regulations for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines are currently reserved to the UK Government and are the responsibility of the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). For a medicine to be routinely prescribed, it firstly needs to receive a licence from the MHRA. It is the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation (licence). Whether to submit an application to the MHRA is a decision made by a pharmaceutical company. The application process requires a company to provide data demonstrating the quality, safety and efficacy of the medicine.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR’s) Health Technology and Assessment Programme (HTA) is considering several research applications against the call ‘Testosterone for the treatment of menopause symptoms beyond altered sexual function’. Any applications will be considered by the HTA funding committee in mid-November, with final outcomes known early December 2023. This should help identify any substantive new evidence on the use of testosterone to support pharmaceutical companies in applying to the MHRA for a licence.

The Scottish Government is supportive of the NIHR’s backing for this important research and will monitor the outcomes from the programme.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

To date, Cunninghame Housing Association has received a total of £5,066,374.16 for the project at Windermere Park Annan.

The Dumb Dumpers Hotline, which closed earlier this year, was one of a number of ways for members of the public to report flytipping, The following table shows the number of reports made through the Dumb Dumpers Hotline only.

The Scottish Government is clear that there is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind in sport, or indeed wider society and we are working to ensure there is real and lasting change on this issue.

While there is clearly a long way to go, there have been some significant positive steps taken towards delivering change within the sport in recent months, and the Scottish Government has confidence that the necessary steps are being taken.

To ensure transparency around the progress made against the recommendations, sport scotland are publishing quarterly progress updates. The most recent update was published on 25 July and can be accessed on the sport scotland website.

In the following table, the number of resignations and retirements within More Homes Division over the requested period is shown, subject to the following restrictions:

1. Where a value relates to fewer than 5 individuals, that value has been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].

2. Resignations only includes those who resigned from the Scottish Government and its agencies, not those who moved internally.

The slowing of social rented approvals and starts has not been escalated. The AHSP risk register has not been changed on that basis.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS recognises the importance of attendance at Children’s Hearings for those in prisons and their families and remains committed to working with GEOAmey and all Multi-Agency Liaison Group partners, to improve contract performance.

SPS, The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration and GEOAmey are working collaboratively to address the current challenges in service delivery. SPS is also continuing to support GEOAmey in improving their staff recruitment and retention to meet the current and future demand for service in this important area of the Justice Sector.

Our More Homes area teams work closely with partners to deliver the programme. Capital spend capacity is reviewed regularly and can change throughout the year.