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The 2023-24 mandate letters (published in September) set out the First Minister’s intention to hold six monthly discussions on progress. The First Minister is currently in the process of meeting with each Cabinet Secretary to discuss progress against 2023-24 mandate letter objectives. These meetings are due to be concluded over the next month.

The Scottish Government is increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m next financial year to £196.6m. This is the first step on the route to investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-2026 we aim to provide an additional £25m to the culture sector. This commitment to additional funding despite the challenging budget situation signals our confidence in the Scottish culture sector.

Through this increased investment we want to drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.

We will continue to work with the culture sector to identify barriers to immediate and long-term recovery. The Scottish Government will also continue to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.

The Scottish Government recognises the emerging seaweed industry is growing in scale and can provide a host of benefits to local communities, the environment, and contribute to the sustainable development of a Blue Economy through production of innovative and low-carbon products.

We commissioned research on ' Understanding the potential scale for seaweed-based industries in Scotland ', which was published in February 2022. This report explores the key areas of growth potential for the seaweed sector and the wider economic and social impacts of possible growth scenarios. As a result of this report, and to ensure that the seaweed sector in Scotland develops sustainably, the Scottish Government is funding, in partnership with Crown Estate Scotland, a 3-year business development manager position at the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association to support the growth ambitions of the Scottish seaweed sector.

Much has already been delivered under the Hydro Nation Strategy, as set out in the annual reports.

https://www.gov.scot/policies/water/hydro-nation/

Going forward the programme will continue to benefit from Scottish Government spend, with a proposed £2.8 million allocated to 2024-25, and will deliver through the additional input of partners such as The James Hutton Institute and Scottish Water, who benefit from Scottish Government funding, and the Hydro Nation Chair.

Complaints made to Creative Scotland are handled in line with their published Complaints Handling Procedure , which is available to download on Creative Scotland’s website. In 2023, six formal complaints were made and all have been successfully resolved in line with their published procedure.

Scottish Government guidance on pupils changing their names and pronouns is contained within the Supporting Transgender Pupils In Schools Guidance. This is available from Supporting transgender young people in schools: guidance for Scottish schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government has not considered expanding the Infrastructure Investment Plan to include any additional projects that were not originally included in the plan.

No funding was provided by the Scottish Government directly to the Al-Mahdi Foundation in 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23878 on
‎ 8 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 .

The economic impacts of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, which contains provisions to licence the activity of grouse shooting, are set out in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill, and in the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment