Chamber and committees

NatureScot have met with the Scottish Raptor Study Group on multiple occasions to discuss concerns around proposed changes to Schedule 1 bird monitoring licences.

They are due to meet again with the Scottish Raptor Study Group and other relevant stakeholders on 14 March 2025.

The Scottish Government publishes local authority analysis using a three-year pooled data set to ensure sufficient sample sizes. As set out in the Scottish House Condition Survey 2023 Key Findings Report (available at Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings - gov.scot) the lack of SHCS data for 2020 and the enforced changes for 2021 cause issues with the production of this analysis for two reasons.

Firstly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the SHCS survey was suspended and there is no data for 2020. Secondly, the data from the 2021 external+ SHCS is not directly comparable with that for earlier years, due to methodological differences, and therefore it would not be appropriate to combine it with the data for 2019 (or earlier) to produce a multi-year analysis.

As we require three years of data to produce local authority analysis, we won’t be able to return to the usual approach for producing local authority estimates from the SHCS until the 2024 wave of the SHCS has been published in early 2026. We will then be able to produce local authority estimates from the SHCS based on a three-year average for 2022 to 2024.

I can confirm that where it is not reasonably practicable for licence holders to notify the landowner(s) or land manager(s) in advance of planned activity, the licence holder must notify NatureScot and include the reason for not being able to notify the landowner or land manager directly.

Public Health Scotland publish data in relation to the number of GP practices currently operating in Scotland – the data can be accessed at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/primary-care/general-practice/general-practice-data/general-practice-list-size-and-demographics-information/.

Scottish Government does not hold details on GP recruitment at a practice level. However, more general information on GP vacancies can be found in the 2024 General Practice Workforce Survey: https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/2gdpo04l/generalpracticeworkforcesurvey2024_revised.html.

216 people were discharged to an interim care home bed placement through the 2023 interim care beds funding. The scheme was open between 10 January and 31 March 2023. The average cost per placement was £1108.22. This varied by placement in practice dependant on length of stay.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key area, where technical opportunities need to be balanced with public interests. To this end the Scottish AI Alliance, a partnership between the Scottish Government and the Data Lab, have launched a series of People’s Panel events. These events are intended to capture public thoughts on how and where they would like to see AI used, and what they expect from their public servants as they use it.

Within the Scottish public sector we are already making significant use of AI through our Centre for Excellence in Automation, resulting in greater efficiency and productivity across government. More widely, the Scottish AI Register reflects AI use cases as diverse as protecting children at risk of harm, or transcribing public consultation interviews.

We continue to work closely with UK Government AI Policy teams to develop a culture of curiosity and openness to the opportunities which AI can provide us. The Scottish AI Taskforce has been set up to encourage and develop a shared knowledge and appreciation for AI, this helps avoid duplication of effort and ensure good governance awareness.

In relation to digitisation, In March 2021 the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA, launched an updated Digital Strategy, with a renewed focus on delivering high quality digital public services, and a commitment to the use of digital technology as a tool to better serve the Scottish people.

Our digital service design tool supports staff in ensuring that the services we develop have people at their heart, with extensive consideration of service users and the level of service they expect from government.

This process has helped us, for example, to deliver ScotAccount, an online service allowing users to access public services and verify identity in one place, it has also allowed us to offer increased usability and accessibility across the nation.

The use of digital technologies offer us significant opportunity to improve and enhance the lives of our citizens, and please rest assured these opportunities remain at the heart of the Scottish Government’s priorities.

The Aerospace, Defence, Marine & Security Industry Leadership Group (ADMS ILG) was a partnership of key public and private sector players and last met in 2018.

Two bodies have since succeeded that entity; the Aerospace and Defence Industry Leadership Group (ADILG) has its origins in the ministerial-chaired Aerospace Response Group (ARG) that was established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following agreement by members at an ARG meeting on 15 March 2021, the ARG transitioned from a government-convened body into the new, industry-led body which absorbed the remaining work of the ARG. Secretariat is provided by ADS Scotland and it continues to meet regularly with public sector partners attending at the invitation of the group.

The Scottish Space Leadership Council, meanwhile, had its origins as an ADMS ILG working group, but opted to move away from the ADMS ILG and has evolved to become an independent organisation - Space Scotland - that serves the Scottish Space eco-system and meets on a quarterly basis.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to ending violence against women and girls. As part of this commitment, in March 2024, the Scottish Government published a new framework on preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

The framework sets out guidance for schools on recording and monitoring incidents of gender-based violence. Schools will have their own reporting and recording systems connected to their local authority system or as a grant-aided or independent school. If a behaviour is covered by the definition of GBV provided in the framework, it should be recorded in the Bullying and Equalities module of SEEMiS, or under an equivalent section of a schools’ recording system. The Bullying and Equalities Module of SEEMiS should not be interpreted as being focused solely on bullying; it is designed to capture a range of behaviours related to equalities, and includes ‘GBV’ as a specific category.

Schools will have separate recording systems for incidents where a staff member is affected by a GBV incident, connected to their Health and Safety at Work or Dignity at Work policies. It is important that such incidents are part of the same monitoring and evaluation systems to capture a whole school picture of prevalence.

Finally, the joint relationships and behaviour in schools action plan includes an action to review all current processes for recording incidents, to identify potential means of streamlining processes and improving consistency. That work is scheduled to begin later this year.

The Scottish Government have published and commissioned several research papers to inform the development of Scottish Income Tax policy, all of which have been shared with Ministers upon conclusion of the work.

HMRC has published three pieces of research reports commissioned by the Scottish Government:

1.Estimating Scottish taxpayer behaviour in response to Scottish Income Tax changes introduced in 2018 to 2019: Estimating Scottish taxpayer behaviour in response to Scottish Income Tax changes introduced in 2018 to 2019 - GOV.UK

2.Intra-UK migration of individuals between Scotland & rUK: movements in numbers and income: Intra-UK migration of individuals: movements in numbers and income - GOV.UK

3.Labour market participation and intra-UK cross-border migration of Scottish taxpayers: Labour market participation and intra-UK migration of taxpayers - GOV.UK

In December 2021, The Scottish Government also published its own evaluation of the 2018-19 reforms: Scottish Income Tax: 2018-19 policy evaluation - gov.scot/

The Tax Strategy reaffirms our commitment to evaluate the impacts of our tax policies. This includes enhancing the evidence base on the links between tax and economic competitiveness, and fully evaluating the impacts of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 changes to the Scottish Income Tax system.

Improving gender balance and tackling inequity within STEM learning and careers is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s STEM Education and Training Strategy. To support schools challenge long-established stereotypes, a range of resources have been developed by Education Scotland, based around understanding bias and highlighting the impact of inequality.

Education Scotland also work with organisations, including Tech She Can and Code Club, to promote female role models and provide professional learning for Computing Science teachers. In addition, the Scottish Government has provided over £800,000 to Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) to promote Computing Science as a subject for all, helping to challenge gender stereotypes.

As a result of the STEM Education and Training Strategy, SSERC continues to deliver the Young STEM Leader Programme which enables young people to inspire, lead and mentor through delivery of inspirational STEM activities. Since its inception, over 20,000 young people have engaged with the programme, with 51% of awards being completed by female participants.

The Scottish Government is also investing in programmes designed to increase the engagement of young people in STEM activity. This includes £70,000 of funding to Digital Xtra to support their work on the development of digital technology skills and over £90,000 to support Edinburgh Science’s ‘Generation Science’ workshops and Prosper’s ‘Stemovators’ programme.

Through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle we have established a systematic approach to curriculum improvement including in respect of Science and Technology. This exercise provides a further opportunity to ensure STEM subjects are attractive to all learners, particularly girls.