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The response to the analysis of responses to the Access to Information Rights in Scotland consultation will be published today. The response concludes that the fundamentals of the access to information rights regime, provided by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), remain fit for purpose. The Scottish Government therefore does not propose to introduce new primary legislation to amend FOI law within the current session of the Scottish Parliament.

Rather, the Scottish Government proposes to address issues which have been raised in the post-legislative scrutiny process within the framework provided by the existing primary legislation – including through the use of existing secondary legislation making powers.

This includes a commitment to a future consultation on extension of FOISA to private and third sector care homes, and care at home services, with that consultation to take place once the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill has been passed by the Parliament. The full response will become available shortly on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835217252

Scotland's Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan 2023-27 has been published today by Scottish Government and COSLA. This strategy – which is a world first in its dedicated focus on self-harm - is an early deliverable from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan published earlier this month.

The views of people with lived experience of self-harm, and insights from services that support them are at the centre of the strategy. This has shaped our vision, which is for people who have self-harmed, of who are thinking of self-harming, to receive compassionate, recovery-focused support, without fear of stigma or discrimination.

• The three year action plan – which will prioritise support for people which evidence suggests are at higher risk of self-harm - focuses on three areas:deepening knowledge and compassionate understanding of self-harm to reduce stigma and discrimination;
• building support and services across Scotland;
• and improving and sharing data and evidence.

We have already invested £1.5m in the development of new, bespoke self-harm support services over the last two years through Self-Harm Network Scotland, and early evidence shows this is having a positive impact. We are committing a further £1.5 million to back delivery of the action plan, and this will secure the continuation of these vital services over the next 2 years (2024-25 and 2025-26).

We are extremely grateful to all the people who have contributed to this important work over the last 18 months, particularly those who shared their own experiences of self-harm to help shape our approach.

The Behaviour in Scottish Schools research has been published today and is available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835216668 .

I will update Parliament on the Government’s response, including the behaviour summit process, in a Parliamentary statement on 29 November.

Our aim is to introduce a Bill that strikes an appropriate balance in applying to significant landholdings whilst not disproportionately impacting smaller businesses and farms. A suite of impact assessments is being developed for Bill introduction, which will further help to inform final policy proposals. Final decisions on the Bill’s contents will be made in due course by Ministers and the Bill will be published on the Scottish Parliament website following its introduction in line with the established legislative process for Bills.

Product safety is a reserved matter; however, the Scottish Government provides grant funding to the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to undertake a program of enforcement against the sale of illicit fireworks in Scotland. This work extends to ports and fast parcel outlets, as well as online sales from outwith Scotland. The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 also includes a proxy purchase and supply offence, to prevent the illegal supply of fireworks to those under the age of 18.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

List of Scottish Government Ministers and Senior Civil Servants attending at COP28

Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Scotland

Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition

Colin McAllister, Chief of Staff to the First Minister, Co-ordination of the Special Advisers (SpAds) team

Leanne Dobson, Special Adviser Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition

Emily Mackintosh, Senior Communications Special Adviser

Richard Rollison, Director for International Trade and Investment

Jemima Gordon-Duff, Deputy Director International Climate Change

Junior officials are also attending but names are redacted due to the FOI protocol.

In early 2024, the Scottish Government will proactively release a report on COP28 setting out what was achieved, who went, what they did and how much it cost.

The Scottish Government will confirm the final position for the Flexible Workforce Development Fund in 23/24 in the coming weeks.