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The following working groups sit under the remit of the Education and Skills portfolio:

National Response to Improving Mathematics in Scotland Short Life Working Group

National Response to Improving Literacy in Scotland Short Life Working Group

NIF Statutory Guidance Working group

National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy External Strategic Working Group

Scottish Government Cross-policy Working Group on Transitions

Improvement and Regulation Working Group

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group

Short Life Working Group on Data Sharing in Relation to Student Sexual Misconduct

Access Data Short-Life Working Group

Short Life Working Group on the Scope of the Accreditation and Regulation Function for the New Qualifications Body

Short Life Working Group on Economic and Social Opportunities for Gaelic

As at October 2023, the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Directorates (HSCD) have 145 specialist advisors from various NHS Scotland territorial and national boards, procured under a Service Level Agreement, working with Scottish Government officials.

The Review of Purpose Built Student Accommodation has now concluded. The recommendations formulated by the Review Steering Group have been submitted to Ministers for consideration. A Ministerial response to the recommendations will follow in due course.

The Scottish Government has no role in the provision of student accommodation, whether in purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) and university and college halls of residence or the private rented. However, we are determined to improve accessibility, affordability and standards in student accommodation.

Our Review of PBSA, which considered a number of issues including supply and affordability, has now concluded and the recommendations formulated by the Review Steering Group have been submitted to Ministers for consideration.

Although cyber security matters are reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is determined to do whatever it can within its powers to build Scotland’s cyber resilience and to reduce the impact of cyber incidents.

The Scottish Government works with a range of national partners including Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland (formerly known as ‘Scottish Business Resilience Centre’), the Digital Office, ScotlandIS, SCVO, Education Scotland and Skills Development Scotland – as part of the CyberScotland Partnership. This partnership aims to manage cyber risks through improving critical security controls across our public, third and private sectors, raising awareness and developing cyber security skills across schools, colleges, universities and the workplace.

Zero Waste Scotland reviewed existing legislation in Europe and beyond and the duty it places on governments to publish circular economy or similar strategies, which is available at the following link Insights into Statutory Obligations of Circular Economy Strategies (zerowastescotland.org.uk) . The review concluded that ‘it would be beneficial to keep obligations for the strategy as broad as possible, with detail to follow as data and evaluation are gathered and released, as this would help Scotland keep pace with new developments.’

Our 2023-24 Programme for Government outlines our commitment to publish a final Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. Before this, a second Route Map consultation will be published later this year, which will inform any new circular economy strategy.

Preliminary work so far has focused on identifying and considering targets in other countries and initial proposals for a circular economy indicators framework. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) has published:

- a review of target setting legislation across Europe Target Setting Legislation A review of UK legislation and statutory Circular Economy targets across Europe;

- a report which highlighted that there is currently no consistent approach to measuring consumption in other countries and that consumption-based targets are rare Consumption Reduction Targets (Legal Status Research) | Zero Waste Scotland ; and

- ZWS has also published initial research on proposals for a circular economy indicators framework in Scotland Proposals for a Circular Economy Indicators Framework for Scotland.

Professor Britton’s 2018 Investigative Review gave 46 recommendations regarding the process of establishing, managing and supporting Independent Reviews in Scotland.

We accepted and agreed with the vast majority of her conclusions and recommendations. The recommendations have already been reflected in a number of inquiries and reviews established in recent years. We are also developing guidance to support inquires and reviews that will build upon Professor Britton’s recommendations and hope to publish that soon. The Scottish Government is also working on a handbook that will clarify and enhance the support that government can offer to independent inquiries.

This work has been fully informed and benefited from Professor Britton’s work and recommendations. All reviews and inquiries in recent years have also benefitted from Professor Britton’s work.

The NatureScot licensing team will prioritise applications for practitioners to use more than two dogs as a means of controlling predators for preventing serious damage, and where there is a high risk of imminent damage, applications can be turned around within 48 hours.

Zero Waste Scotland last provided advice on textiles to the Scottish Government in August 2023.