We are in the process of analysing the approximately 1650 responses to our consultation which closed on 8 March 2024. This will allow us to take into account the feedback and perspectives from those who responded as we consider next steps. This follows the commitments made to develop proposals for legislative change, including in relation to Heat in Buildings as established in the Programme for Government where the legislative programme for 2023-24 is set out.

As set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is committed to “Introduce a Natural Environment Bill, putting in place key legislative changes and statutory targets to restore and protect nature” before the end of the current parliamentary term.

Future legislative programmes will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government in the usual way. Meantime, we continue to take action to deliver nature restoration through, for example, our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund, which has already committed nearly £40 million since 2021.

We will set out the high-level principles of ADT, including how it will support emissions reductions in due course.

Since 2011, Transport Scotland has invested over £65 million on behalf of Scottish Ministers to support the installation of public EV charge points across Scotland as part of the ChargePlace Scotland public EV charging network. As a direct result, Scotland has the best provision of public charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London, and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region.

Last year, the Scottish Government published Vision for world class public electric vehicle charging network | Transport Scotland , highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. Through the £30m EV Infrastructure Fund we are supporting local authorities across Scotland to work with the private sector to leverage an additional £30m of private investment to continue to grow the provision of EV charging in Scotland at pace and scale.

Since 2021, 1,232 additional public EV charge points have been added to the Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland network. We do not hold information relating to any other public electric vehicle charging networks.

Since 2021 a total of 15,615 EV charge points have been supported through Scottish Government grant funding for fleet, business, third sector and domestic charge point installations.

SFRS’s new wildfire strategy was created with partnership at its heart. The strategy considers the increased risk of wildfire and changing climate in Scotland; the latest developments in wildfire management, training, and operational procedures; and the advances in technology that have been made in PPE and equipment.

The assessment of wildfire risk lies, first and foremost, with landowners/land managers. However, through the Scottish Wildfire Forum, a wildfire danger assessment is carried out every 5-7 days by a third-party expert. When the risk of wildfire reaches very high or extreme then the assessment is circulated across a wide network of key contacts, including public sector and private interests to ensure as wide a coverage as possible.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service works closely with land managers, communities and other safety partners to prevent these incidents ever occurring. SFRS remains ready and able to respond to any instance of wildfire that occurs across Scotland.

We have no plans at this time to consult on introducing an independent regulator for Scottish football. However, I am hosting a round table meeting on the subject of Enhancing Scottish Football on 8th May and I look forward to on interesting discussion on a range of topics.

The Scottish Government has not allocated any funding specifically to promote public awareness to improve the understanding of and or reduce the stigma associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, however the Scottish Government is working to ensure that all neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, have access the support they need.

The Scottish Government and the National Autism Implementation Team launched a Neuro-affirming Community of Practice Community of Practice in October 2023. This Community of Practice is being developed to ensure that healthcare professionals are better equipped to understand the wants and needs of neurodivergent people, including people with ADHD. There has been positive engagement across health boards.

Education Scotland supports the implementation of inclusive practice for all children and young people, including those who may experience the characteristics of ADHD. A formal diagnosis of ADHD is not required for a child or young people to be provided with appropriate support through the staged level of intervention approach.

Additionally, last year, resources on ADHD were published on Education Scotland’s website, covering the common features, positive traits and challenges of ADHD. This was accompanied by a webinar, attended by over 300 individuals.

The Strategic Board for Education (SBTE) is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, including tackling geographical and subject-specific challenges. SBTE is also working to improve the promotion of teaching as a valued career.

The Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working group (HTRRWG) are currently in the process of developing a new workplan. As this group is a sub-group of SBTE, members have agreed that the HTRRWG workplan should align with and complement the overarching aim and outcomes of the SBTE workplan. This work is ongoing and will be discussed further at future meetings of the HTRRWG, minutes of which will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

Up to 1,000 new applicants will be offered awards in 2024-25. The actual number of applications received will be monitored by ILF Scotland and Scottish Government.

As of March 2024, 1,897 people in Scotland, and 344 people in Northern Ireland were in receipt of an Independent Living Fund award. These figures do not include Transition Fund awards.