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a) The Scottish Government collect data on police recorded crimes. In 2020-21 the police recorded 30,344 crimes of drugs possession, in 2021-22 they recorded 23,747 crimes of drugs possession and in 2022-23 they recorded 22,356 crimes of drugs possession. Scottish Government also publish additional information on Drugs Seizures and Offender Characteristics . The most recent publication contains data relating to the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years. Table 4b of this publication (copied below) provides estimated numbers of drug possession crimes by drug classification. The data presented in this table is based on a random sample of cases recorded by the police. As this analysis is based on a sample of police records (rather than all records), the counts presented in the table are estimates. The true value may differ slightly from the findings presented below due to sampling error.

Estimated number of drug possession crimes by drug classification, 2020-21 to 2021-22

The Scottish Government (SG) is clear that tackling alcohol related harm remains a key public health priority, including in relation to children and young people. To assess trends on an ongoing basis a number of sources are considered, including this SG report and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The SG continues to utilise, and further develop, public health surveillance data to better understand drug and alcohol trends, particularly amongst younger people.

The 2018 Alcohol Framework sets out the SG's commitment to put the voice of children and young people at the heart of developing preventive measures on alcohol harm. In line with this specific engagement, projects with children and young people have been undertaken in the development of both the continuation and new level of MUP and the public consultation on potential measures to restrict alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland. In addition to this the SG is investing £1.5 million in Planet Youth, sometimes referred to as the Icelandic Model, which is an evidence based model for substance use prevention.

Financial planning for the significant challenges our public finances continue to face took place in advance of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance's update on the 2023-24 in-year budget changes on 21 November.

The difficult decisions which have had to be made have allowed us to help balance the Scottish Government's budget while still progressing implementation of our mental health and wellbeing strategy from a revised direct budget of £260.3 million.

The in-year budget changes impacted on a number of planned new programmes which could not proceed as anticipated. Planned increased funding to existing programmes were also not able to be progressed.

Despite the savings made, we have continued to focus on delivery of our mental health and wellbeing strategy and recently published delivery plan, which includes commitments around mental health services and specific programmes of work around learning disability and autism, and cross-cutting trauma work.

The campaign aims to achieve the following objectives among the target audience by the end of the campaign period:

• To deliver 40% prompted campaign recognition.
• To achieve 30% of campaign recognisers claiming to have taken any action as a result of seeing the campaign (including liking/sharing campaign content, talking about the campaign with friend, communicate with a child/teenager about health impact of vaping).
• To deliver an increase in the number of parents / carers who have spoken to their child about the risks of vaping in the last two months.

This information is not held centrally.

Scotland’s water environment is one of our most important national assets. The Scottish Government sets out it’s objectives and action programmes for protecting and improving Scotland's water environment in the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP), which the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) produces on our behalf every six years (currently covering 2021-2027). Each year the Scottish Government provides SEPA with a grant from the Water Environment Fund (WEF) to support their work to deliver the RBMP. WEF is targeted on projects which will derive the greatest benefit to Scotland’s rivers and neighbouring communities and is currently focussed on projects which restore rivers and improve fish migration.

Some projects to remove Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) were previously funded under WEF. However, in recent years funding for INNS projects has been provided through other funding streams such as The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) (total £3.24 million); The Tweed Invasives Project (£100,000); NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund; The Scottish Rural Development Programme’s (SRDP) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) (2020-2022 £20,392) and the Forestry Grant Scheme (£730,000 to date). Prioritising funding in this way enables more effective use of resources and greater benefits for biodiversity.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), published and adopted on 13 February 2023, places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and already gives strong support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Electricity networks are central to the delivery of the ambitions set out in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. The Scottish Government’s response to the Electricity Networks Commissioner’s recommendations makes clear our commitment to delivering a just transition to net zero emissions by 2045. The UK Government must implement the recommendations swiftly, to ensure the grid is not a barrier to net zero. It is vital that the UK Government builds a high standard of co-design and collaboration with devolved governments to ensure that the recommendations are fit for purpose. It is also important that the Scottish Government is integral to the overall governance structures set up to oversee implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Following the most recent request from the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group and Hospice UK on 20 November for remedial funding to address their estimated deficits, as well as a new national funding framework and arrangements to future proof partnership and funding arrangements, I convened a round table with independent hospices and Health and Social Care Partnerships on 5 December. I indicated that unfortunately, their ask for funding remains unaffordable.

The financial position across Scottish Government is extremely challenging and work is ongoing to identify measures to address the continued challenges in 2023-24 and beyond.

Integration Joint Boards are responsible for the governance, planning, and resourcing of adult palliative care services, including hospices, using the integrated budget under their control. We will therefore also continue to work with Integration Joint Boards and independent hospices to explore solutions and options for longer term sustainable planning and funding for the hospice sector.

As set out in the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, we see a vital role for energy storage and flexibility to support efficient matching of energy supply and demand for power from heat, transport and industry.

We recognise that the recommendations in the Nick Winser Report represent a step-change in policy relating to electricity networks and, if implemented effectively, could be transformational for our energy system.

It will be critical that Scotland’s ambitions and devolved responsibilities are recognised as the recommendations are implemented.

We are reviewing available evidence to inform our position relating to electricity storage and flexibility as part of the publication of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by Summer 2024.

Since 2008 the Scottish Government has made available capital funding of £42 million per year to enable local authorities to invest in flood protection measures. Currently 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to introduce, upgrade and maintain other flood resilience measures set out in Local Flood Risk Management Plans.

The 2020 Programme for Government committed an additional £150 million over the course of this Parliament for flood risk management actions, which is being allocated on an annual basis to support the delivery of flood resilience actions.