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The 14 Combined Sewer Overflows identified by Scottish Water catchment studies since 2015 as being at risk of spilling during dry weather are a high priority under Scottish Water’s Improving Urban Waters Route Map. Any reports of dry weather spills are also investigated for potential operational reasons, such as blockages, and Scottish Water follows established reporting requirements for pollution incidents and provides this information in their annual reports: Annual Reports - Scottish Water . New technology is being trialled with a view to identifying and solving problems before customers and the environment are affected.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland’s report and will carefully consider its recommendations.

The Scottish Government has already taken action to address the gaps in data on out-of-area placements specifically for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs through the implementation of the recommendations made within the Coming Home Implementation Report.

This work is being carried out in partnership with COSLA and brings practitioners, professionals and people with lived experience together to progress these recommendations which aim to significantly reduce inappropriate out-of-area placements experienced by people with learning disabilities and complex care needs.

We launched Dynamic Support Registers across Scotland in May 2023 to improve monitoring of out-of-area placements and to help local areas to plan for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs. Integration Authorities are operationalising these local Dynamic Support Registers and will also report data from them using a new national reporting system.

The operation of Dynamic Support Registers by all Integration Authorities was agreed through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Scottish Government and COSLA.

The Scottish Government has provided funding for 190 properties for energy efficiency measures through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme since it was established in April 2020.

We consulted on powers required to realise the Vision for Agriculture. The Scottish Government has repeatedly made clear that there will be no funding cliff edge for our farmers and crofters.

We do though face the reality that EU Exit means that we no longer have long-term certainty of funding.

The level of support available is dependent on the UK Government responding to our numerous requests for confirmation of the level of future funding that will be provided to replace current support. HM Treasury have provided yearly allocations for the current UK Parliamentary term, but as of yet, there is no funding commitment from 2025.

The Scottish Government fully understands the frustration expressed by stakeholders over the lack of future budget clarity, and the impact this has on the development of future policy.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to provide financial support for homes to use Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil for heat. However, we already offer a comprehensive support package for domestic heat and energy efficiency measures through our Home Energy Scotland service.

As we deliver our Heat in Buildings programme our delivery programmes and support mechanisms will support the phase out of fossil fuel heating systems towards zero emissions heating systems in existing buildings, in tandem with achieving a good standard of energy efficiency across all buildings, in line with our strategic priorities.

In line with the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change, we agree that bioenergy – such as biomass, bio-heating oil and bio-propane - should only be used in those applications where its carbon reduction impact is maximised, where alternative options are not available, and where it comes from sustainable sources. We recognise that, for a small number of homes, bioenergy might offer the only feasible way to reduce emissions from heating to displacing fossil fuels, especially where electric heating or heat pumps are unsuitable. We will therefore consider how such homes may be dealt with under any future regulatory system.

While it has published historic data for reported overflows for 2018-22 at Overflow Spill Data - Scottish Water , the reasons for spills is not available for historic events reported to SEPA, and this information is not correlated to rainfall data. However, Scottish Water publishes all reportable pollution events each year to SEPA and this information can be found at: Annual Reports - Scottish Water .

Tables published on the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-workforce-planning-advisory-group-initial-teacher-education-intake-figures-2022/ show provisional information received from universities on intakes to initial teacher education in 2022-23. These are not official statistics, but indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency is due to publish the official data in January 2024

Scottish Water’s list of high priority assets identified for investment under Improving Urban Waters commitments can be found at High Priority UIDs.pdf (scottishwater.co.uk) . There are currently 163 High Priority Unsatisfactory Intermittent Discharge (UID) needs across Scotland, 155 Medium priority UID and 259 Low priority UID needs. Whilst this list is not updated annually, classification and prioritisation of unsatisfactory combined sewer overflows is ongoing in response to instances of pollution and water quality monitoring. More information about how these assets have been prioritised is available at: Prioritisation of Sewer Overflows in Scotland - Scottish Water

The Agricultural Reform Route Map sets out the proposed timescales for information and interaction with the agricultural industry. As we continue to make progress with the Agriculture Reform Programme, there will be further opportunities to share key information with farmers, crofters and landowners to help them plan and prepare for change.

Scottish Government is leading on development of the new payment system, and the intention is to create a system that is streamlined, accessible, and administered internally.