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.

We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants – draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.

Measures being progressed in the Housing (Scotland) Bill deliver on a number of commitments from the New deal for Tenants and have been informed by consultation and targeted engagement with stakeholders. The changes build on previous reforms to strengthen tenants’ rights through tenancy reform in 2016 providing private tenants with increased stability and security.

With respect to the effect of legislative change that will affect the private rented sector, the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published shortly and considers the cumulative impact of policy covering the private rented sector in terms of costs, benefits and risks of proposed legislation.

A full breakdown of the organisations that received funding from the 2023-24 Ecosystem Fund, including their core project local authority areas, is available on the Scottish Enterprise website Funding outcomes and information | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024. 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.

As noted in the answer to S6W-24486, there is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides data on dog attacks, broken down by the breed of dog involved.

Data is available from National Records Scotland on deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland. Data is also available from Public Health Scotland on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded. Data on the breed or type of dogs involved is not recorded.

Information on the number of suspected XL Bully dogs that have been abandoned or handed in to animal welfare charities is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

XL Bully owners who have taken the decision to have their dog euthanised can claim up to £200 compensation from the Scottish Government.

To claim compensation, the owner of the XL Bully must have arranged to have their dog euthanised by 31 July 2024. The euthanisation itself can happen after this date, but arrangements must be in place by this date. The Scottish Government must receive any claim by 30 September 2024.

The Scottish Government has so far received 25 claims for compensation following arrangements being made for the euthanisation of an XL Bully dog.

Where an XL Bully dog owner has decided to have their dog euthanised without seeking compensation from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government would not be advised by the owner. Therefore, the number of claims for compensation sent to the Scottish Government may not be a full picture of the number of XL Bully dogs euthanised.

The Scottish Government holds regular discussions with key stakeholders in the renewable energy industry, including Scottish Renewables.

We remain committed to ensuring projects are supported to deliver maximum economic benefits. This includes investing up to £500m over the next five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. Our commercial first approach will stimulate private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector. Sumitomo’s £350 million high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant in the highlands is a significant step which will address a major supply chain constraint for offshore wind projects.? Investment into the sector will support market certainty, create a highly productive, competitive economy, provide thousands of new jobs, embed innovation and boost skills.

In addition, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, which was signed with the onshore wind sector in September 2023, contains a series of commitments that promote supply chain opportunities, including the circularity of wind turbine blades. The onshore wind sector has committed to the delivery of at least one blade treatment facility in Scotland by 2030.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken such a mapping exercise. Local Authorities, as the statutory housing authority for their area, are required to prepare Local Housing Strategies, informed by an assessment of Housing Need and Demand, which considers both the existing supply of housing alongside future requirements. Local Authorities are expected to develop a broad understanding of the extent and location of the Private Rented Sector across their area to support the development of the Local Housing Strategy.

Any violence – including that against public sector staff - is a concern and should not be tolerated. The Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, with over £4 million of funding over the last two years, supports partner organisations, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, to deliver priority activity to help tackle violence. This is supporting the delivery of programmes to help prevent violence across Scotland, such as in the Falkirk Council area – and supports the delivery of the Mentors in Violence Prevention school-based programme, which is now operational in eight schools in the area.

We also worked with partners, including COSLA, education authorities, teaching unions and parents and carers representatives, to publish the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan, which includes specific actions in support of reducing violence and significant disruptive behaviour in schools.

With respect to prospective legislative change that will affect the private rented sector, the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published shortly and this considers the cumulative impact of policy on the private rented sector.