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The Scottish Government places great importance on community sports and leisure facilities. They are crucial to the wellbeing of all our country and most importantly, for our children and young people to be healthy and active.

We are fully aware that local authorities are facing challenging financial circumstances, particularly in the maintenance and operating of facilities such as swimming pools, largely due to energy costs and other cost of living pressures. In 2023-24, East Lothian Council will receive £221.5 million to fund local services, which equates to an extra £8.1 million to support vital day to day services or an addition 3.8 per cent compared to 2022-23.

Decisions on future local government finance settlements will be the subject of negotiations with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities and will be announced as part of the outcome of future Scottish Budgets.

The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

sport scotland are supporting Scottish Swimming to undertake the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project. This is a detailed piece of work to accurately understand the current pool provision and life cycle, and to predict the landscape in the short, medium, and long term. This important piece of work can help inform future investment decisions both nationally and locally to ensure sustainable facilities, in the right places, to serve their local communities’ needs.

Individuals from NHS Scotland Health Boards fulfilling Service Level Agreements continue to be supported and managed under the policy requirements and the terms and conditions of employment of their substantive role. They will also be expected to meet certain requirements of the host organisation, particularly code of conduct and standards of behaviour.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s babies have the best possible start in life. Before birth, midwives, maternity and other professionals can apply the values and principles of ‘Getting it right for every child’ to support parents in considering their wellbeing, and that of their baby.

As part of their booking process, all women are asked a variety of wellbeing questions, including on alcohol consumption, to assess for additional care needs which may assist them, and their families, to prepare for parenthood and facilitate positive maternal health.

All of Scotland’s young families are entitled to the support of a Health Visitor until a child starts school through the Universal Health Visiting Pathway. Where additional input is required, the pathway provides a gateway to other levels of Health Visiting provision and referrals to more specialised healthcare services.

Additionally we have established The Family Nurse Partnership programme which provides intensive, tailored support to eligible first-time mothers aged 19 and under across Scotland. An expansion of this programme will see an additional 500 families supported per year by the end of 2025.

The only precision medicine accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium where the companion diagnostic test is not yet offered by NHS Scotland laboratories is Pemigatinib (SMC Number 2399).

We are continuing to work closely with key partners, such as the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomics Medicine (SSNGM), to ensure there is capacity within laboratories for companion diagnostics tests to be offered as soon as practically possible.

There has been one case of disciplinary action taken against a Scottish Government employee as a result of a failure to ensure that records are maintained and disposed of in accordance with its record management principles. The disciplinary action was taken in 2018 and the case was dealt with under the minor misconduct procedures.

The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy launched on 31 October 2023. Whilst the policy was written specifically for NHS Scotland, the supporting resources, including line managers guidance and workplace adjustment guidance, are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub which is accessible to the public.

With the publication of the Policy and Supporting Documents having recently taken place, work can now commence on promoting the policy more widely amongst employers across all sectors.

The Scottish Government has continued to use its convening power to meet both trade unions and employers to urge continued dialogue and collaboration over a range of workforce issues, including the ongoing pay negotiations. However, the Scottish Government has been absolutely clear that it has no locus to be involved directly in the national bargaining process. This position is in line with the findings of the Lessons Learned report and respects the national collective bargaining framework.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment on building the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I can confirm that today we are publishing “Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland”.

This is the eighth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, which focuses on Scotland’s marine sector, describing how independence would allow it to achieve its full potential to get the support it needs and the prioritisation it deserves. It includes proposals for how an independent Scotland in the EU would benefit fisheries and seafood businesses, coastal communities and marine science sector, and how Scotland could make a constructive contribution to the development of current and future EU strategic priorities such as reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy, the transition to renewable energy and growing the blue economy. It also sets out details of how Scotland would have a voice on the world stage, with the ability to negotiate for fisheries and other interests at international level, join international bodies and work in partnership with other countries on global marine agendas in our own right.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and more will follow shortly.

Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at www.gov.scot/newscotland

The Scottish Government wishes to see Scotland’s sea connections to Europe enhanced, and are happy to consider any approach for support. A new commercially viable and sustainable service would be of benefit to: those parts of industry where existing supply chains are not optimal; local economies; the selected Scottish port; and would provide some resilience for Scotland from any disruption at other UK ports.

Subsidy control rules limit possible funding for new international ferry services to start-up costs, so any attempt to enhance or add to existing international trading routes would require a commercial foundation. The Scottish Government offers a range of approved grants to encourage transport operators to move freight off road to other more sustainable forms of transport, including by sea.

The Scottish Government recognises the key role that the Scottish maritime sector plays in supporting the economic and social development of our Nation. The Scottish Government has committed to investing at least £580 million from 2021-2026 in lifeline vessels and ports, as part of its Infrastructure Investment Plan. This substantial funding will improve Scotland’s lifeline ferry services by delivering greater resilience to the network, supporting maritime employment across our islands and remote mainland communities.

The visit to the Port of Dunkirk was led by Forth Ports, DFDS and Ptarmigan Shipping, with Douglas Chapman MP also in attendance. The Scottish delegation was supported by Scottish Development International’s office in Paris. Whilst detail on seafarer employment issues was not discussed, the Scottish Government is keen to see maximum benefit derive to Scotland and its citizens from new ferry services to the Continent.

The Scottish Government want to see stronger direct shipping links between Scotland and the EU. A new freight and passenger service would provide increased resilience for exporters, as well as opportunities for inbound tourism and increased employment. However, the operation of a commercial ferry service, including crewing arrangements, is the responsibility of the commercial operator whilst ensuring compliance with the relevant employment legislation and standards.