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The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the hospitality and night-time industry, having been the hardest hit of all sectors from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost crises.

The Scottish Budget 2023-24 ensures the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row and supports a package of rates relief worth an estimated £749 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Around half of properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are eligible for 100% relief this financial year. Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2024-25 will be made as part of the Scottish Budget, which will be published on 19 December.

The Scottish Government is also supporting the sector through the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and through the New Deal for Business Group. In addition, the Town Centre Action Plan aims to revitalise our towns and town centres, which contributes to supporting the night-time economy.

Our recent request of the UK Government for a reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector was rejected.

As with the current Rail services Decarbonisation Action Plan, the refreshed plan will consider the decarbonisation of all rail routes in Scotland.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. These duties include the making of Traffic Regulation Orders for such things as restricting access on roads to certain types of vehicles as they see fit, such as bus gates.

It is therefore for local authorities to determine what vehicles should be permitted depending on the local specific circumstances and not an area where Scottish Ministers would intervene. Notwithstanding this, Aberdeen City Council has confirmed that the recently opened bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre, supported by Transport Scotland’s Bus Partnership Fund, do permit coaches.

The Scottish Government does not currently collect data on national reuse rates in Scotland.

Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in summer and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan in autumn we will shortly consult on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which flows from these recent publications.

Targeted consultation with Members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group, on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan will be undertaken in the coming weeks, with the aim of publishing a completed Plan in early 2024.

Free bus travel is one of several services provided through the National Entitlement Card. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for transport operators to remove cards from cardholders due to the impact this may have on access to other services, such as free school meals.

Tackling allegations of antisocial behaviour are matters for the police and local authorities using the enforcement powers and resources available to them. The Scottish Government will continue to work with these partners to explore and strengthen options to tackle antisocial behaviour.

We are developing a new palliative care strategy to achieve the very highest standards of care right up to the end of life, and to ensure high-quality palliative care wherever and whenever it is needed.

As part of work being undertaken to develop the strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs, now and in the future. This includes consideration of the research that has been carried out by Marie Curie.

The Programme for Government 2021-22 and 2022-23 committed to a Student Mental Health Action Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy respectively.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in Summer 2023 and is supported by a Mental Health Workforce Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan, published in autumn 2023. The Student Mental Health Plan, which flows from these, will be published in early 2024.

There is, therefore, no ongoing requirement for these Plans to feature in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

As part of work being undertaken to develop the new palliative care strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs now and in the future, both nationally and locally.

We are working with local health and social care partnerships to identify how best we can support a local population based approach to palliative care, so that everyone can access specialist and general palliative care as needed by each person, whatever their illness or condition.

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group was established to advise on the implementation of Programme for Government commitments related to student mental health, which have now been met in full. In addition, the Group was remitted to assist in the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan and act as a consultative body for gathering evidence and feedback.

Meetings of the Group were paused in January 2023, to await publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan.

Members of the Group will shortly be consulted on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which has been informed by the now published Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and attendant Plans.