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In light of the UK Government failing to ensure English and Welsh XL Bully dog owners cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been left with little choice to decide to replicate the new safeguards in Scotland. Through replicating the new regime, this will ensure owners in England and Wales have no ability to evade the new controls in England and Wales by selling their dogs to people in Scotland.

More generally, we are considering how best the preventative dog control regime in the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 could be improved. The need for the new safeguards for XL Bully dogs specifically arises separately from the general Scottish Government continuing policy focus on ‘deed, not breed’.

The British Veterinary Association are members of the Dog Control Coalition and I met with members of Dog Control Coalition on 22 November 2023. This was prior to the Scottish Government announcement on 11 January 2024.

During the meeting, concerns were expressed about the introduction of the new safeguards in England and Wales including the impact this may have on the veterinary profession.

The Scottish Government keeps all dog legislation under review, and I can confirm to the member that I will be planning to engage with key stakeholders going forward to help understand the impact of the regulations that will introduce new safeguards on XL Bully dogs, if approved by Parliament.

Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council received funding from the Scottish Government’s Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund (PECF) during 2017-2021. High-level PCEF outcomes are set out in Grant Offer Letters, and are as follows:

• A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristics
• Reduced levels of hate crime
• Increased community participation, engagement and community cohesion
• Addressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life

Impact Funding Partners (formerly named as The Voluntary Action Fund) were the fund managers for PECF, acting on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund manager engaged with organisations directly to agree on workplans and set specific objectives and outcomes.

I wrote to the then UK Government Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, on 14 November 2023 seeking clarity from the UK Government on whether XL Bully dog owners would be committing the offence of sale of an XL Bully dog if a dog owner living in England and Wales sought to do that outside of England and Wales.

The UK Government were unable to give a definitive answer indicating it would be ‘unlikely’ an offence would be committed in such a situation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on‎ 23 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on  23 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24481 on 24 January 2023. 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 .l

NHS Boards are responsible for implementing the National Code of Practice for GP premises.

The NHSScotland National Primary Care (GP) Premises Group has been set up to consider all matters relating to GP Premises including:

• Oversight of the implementation of the Code of Practice for GP Premises.
• Implementation of GP Sustainability Loans.
• Consideration and review of available guidance.
• Consideration of appropriate schedules of accommodation within Primary Care premises, and specifically that of General Practice occupied areas and how this may affect reimbursement.
• Provide a platform for the Scottish Government to present papers/proposals to the group.
• Provide a platform for the BMA to present papers to the group.
• Provide a platform for the NHS Boards to present papers to the group.
• Ensure the Rent Review Process is consistent and supports the intent of the GP contract where required.
• Standardise approaches, e.g. standardise leases across Scotland.

Health Boards are represented on a regional basis alongside the BMA, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders.

More than 100 projects have received support from the Green Jobs Fund.

Jobs created through the Green Jobs Fund are categorised as green jobs if they meet certain criteria including being defined as:

• Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.
• Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

118 projects have been forecast to create up to 6,956 green jobs.