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I set out in my statement my expectations for how this funding should be used, which reflected key themes from the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research. We are currently in discussions with COSLA regarding the distribution of this funding and we will write out to local authorities in due course.

We published guidance in 2017, ‘ Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour’ to support local authorities, education settings, practitioners and partners to further improve the ethos and culture, and relationships and behaviour, in Scottish schools. This is in addition to national guidance on the prevention and management of exclusion from school that was published in 2017, ‘ Included, Engaged and Involved – Part 2 – preventing and managing school exclusions’.

Education Scotland also provide guidance on developing a local relationship and behaviour policies https://education.gov.scot/media/ycofs2fq/national-relationships-policy-guidance-for-schools.pdf

Following the publication of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023, we are currently working with the Scottish Advisory Group for Relationships and Behaviour in Schools to develop a national action plan and as part of this development we will consider whether any additional guidance is required.

I was clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November that I encourage, in the strongest possible terms, more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools. Recording and monitoring plays an essential role in helping schools identify recurring patterns of behaviour and ensuring early intervention and appropriate support.

Our national guidance on monitoring and recording incidents of bullying in schools makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of abusive or violent behaviour. The Scottish Government is currently considering this guidance as part of the review into the national anti-bullying guidance, ‘Respect for All’. In particular, updates to this guidance will be informed by the forthcoming second phase of Education Scotland’s thematic inspection looking at good practice in responding to bullying. Updated Respect for All Guidance will be published in 2024.

We are currently in discussions with COSLA regarding the distribution of this funding. We will write out to local authorities in due course to set out our expectations regarding the use of the funding.

A summary of discussions at the summits can be found at: Health and wellbeing in schools - Schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The findings from the summit will inform the national action plan which we expect to be published early in the new year.

The term additional support needs under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the 2004 Act) applies where for whatever reason children or young people are unable to benefit from school education without the provision of additional support. Therefore, the information requested in relation to colleges and universities is not applicable.

There are no national recommended standards or benchmarks for the caseload of school staff working with children and young people with additional support needs. School staffing decisions are the responsibility of individual local authorities. Therefore the information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

All teachers are responsible for supporting pupils with additional support needs, not just those teachers whose role is specifically related to additional support for learning. The ratio of pupils to teachers has remained at its lowest since 2009.

The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) published in 2020 provided an important springboard for net zero skills planning and we have made good progress since its publication.

The recent CESAP Pathfinder publication highlights that investment in net zero is progressing, with nearly £90 billion in green investments currently underway or planned in the next three years. This progress in building a strong skills base and creating green jobs is underpinned by the findings in the PwC Green Barometer. The Pathfinder also provides a strong evidential underpinning across apprenticeships, further education, and higher education that will inform next steps.

It is important that our education and skills landscape is flexible, adaptable, and easier to navigate for employers, learners, and training providers. The Scottish Government intends to fully align green skills policy and planning behind its wider net zero priorities and we will therefore integrate the next phase of our work on green skills into the Just Transition Plans, Green Industrial Strategy and Rural Delivery Plan, rather than through a separate CESAP update.

The CESAP Implementation Steering Group, now chaired by myself, will continue to play a critical role in informing our net zero transition, sending strong signals to the education and skills system on the need for urgent action to tackle net zero, and supporting the development of relevant strategies, including the Just Transition Plans, Green Industrial Strategy and Rural Delivery Plan.

The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) regulations 2012 (“the PPC regulations”) require that SEPA make impartial assessments of all PPC Permit applications and make decisions relating to environmental permits in accordance with these regulations. Whilst Scottish Ministers do have the ability to intervene in the PPC process by way of a direction, they would not normally do so in the absence of exceptional circumstances.

The key policy levers available to Scottish Ministers to manage capacity are in planning. We responded to the Review’s recommendation, that no further planning permission for incineration facilities beyond what was already in place should be granted. This was addressed in National Planning Framework 4, which is clear that Scottish Government will not support development proposals for energy-from-waste facilities except under very limited circumstances.

This policy, alongside the development of an indicative cap for the amount of residual waste treatment needed, will serve to limit and gradually reduce Scotland’s incineration capacity. This approach will ensure we have an appropriate treatment capacity to manage our waste today, and that this treatment capacity declines as we move towards our circular economy and carbon reduction goals.

The commitment to facilitate the co-production of guidance on community engagement is a key commitment made in response to the incineration review and we are currently considering the best approach and timing for delivering it.

Scottish Government has met with eNGOs and community groups five times since June 2022 to discuss recommendations from the incineration review, including a meeting between myself and the Dovesdale Action Group in September. As part of this meeting, the Group was asked for views on where this work could be particularly valuable in improving the community engagement processes. I would welcome thoughts from all community groups interested in the incineration review.

Our published analysis of health board data on ME/CFS care has established a clearer picture of the variation in service provision around Scotland.

We are considering these findings in identifying areas where there is the potential to further explore or support aspects of service development, and the resource required to do this.

In doing so, we are seeking to ensure that learning from the introduction of models of care for Long COVID is used to benefit the management of other long-term and complex conditions, including ME/CFS, where appropriate.