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To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in mitigating climate change, the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the scheme, offering support to as wide a number of beneficiaries as possible.

Significant budget cuts arising from the UK Government reneging on public commitments that farmers and crofters would not be worse off as a result of the EU Exit, has led to the difficult decision to suspend some elements of the 2023 round, including public funding for the mechanised and chemical control of bracken.

The suspension of mechanical and chemical bracken control applies to applications for AECS funding in 2023 and there are no plans to offer alternative funding in 2023.

Manual bracken control continues to be offered, and this is often the preferred treatment method on species rich grassland and other habitats offering high biodiversity value.

Those with existing AECS contracts or new contracts, following the 2022 AECS awards announced on 19 January 2023, which contain bracken control through chemical and mechanical means will continue to be supported.

Decisions on future rounds of AECS will be taken once detail is confirmed on the budgetary position for 2024 onwards.

Support for heather restoration through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has been suspended since 2020 following advice from NatureScot that the commonly used chemical treatment was not tested for use in rough grazing and upland areas. This treatment had negative implications for biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

As there is no suitable alternative, this option was suspended. If in future, a chemical treatment is approved by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) for use in upland areas this decision will be reviewed. Existing commitments at the time of suspension were removed without penalty.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14876 on 28 February 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish government has provided grant funding for marketing campaigns to Quality Meat Scotland and we have also supplied funding to the Scottish Venison association for the marketing of venison.

The funding to QMS was over two years and is as follows:

July 2018: £200,000 To support a range of key activities behind the Scotch Lamb promotional campaign in 2018.

November 2018: £125,000 To support key activities behind the Specially Selected Pork promotional campaign in 2019.

October 2019: £200,000 To support a targeted initiative in the Meat with Integrity Campaign and a fuller range of key activities behind the Scotch Lamb promotional campaign in 2019.

The funding to the Scottish Venison Association was as follows:

March-May 2021: £60,000 To support an online campaign as part of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Covid recovery programme to support Scottish Venison producers and processors.

Maintenance of its estate and the allocation of its capital budget is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

SFRS is currently conducting an options appraisal exercise to identify the best and most economic options for the 14 fire stations identified with Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) roof construction.

SFRS is also continuing to work with partner agencies to explore if there is potential for greater shared services across all of its estate and in particular those fire stations which require significant capital maintenance because of the defective RAAC roofing.

The Scottish Government established the Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of violence against women and girls services to develop a new funding model to ensure victims have access to high-quality, accessible specialist support.

The call for written evidence is one part of the overall data collection process undertaken by the Review team, which includes around 80 engagement sessions with stakeholders. The final report will be considered by Ministers once complete, and it would be premature to comment on the views expressed by those who submitted responses before the Review has analysed all data collected and made recommendations.

The final report and the evidence provided to the Review will also inform the upcoming refresh of the Equally Safe strategy.

The Scottish Government has not conducted any analysis of the impact of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021.

The Scottish Government routinely publishes the latest data and information on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland, including the number of people temporarily housed on the MS Ambition. As published on 23 February, there were around 995 guests onboard the MS Ambition as at 14 February 2023, occupying 475 cabins. The next update is expected to be published in late March.

The data are provisional management information from live operational systems and are subject to change. The number of displaced people from Ukraine in welcome accommodation on M/S Ambition is reported directly by operational teams.

The published tables and accompanying methodology notes for the February publication can be found here: Supporting documents - Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - February 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government routinely publishes the latest data and information on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland, including the number of people temporarily housed on the MS Ambition. As published on 23 February, there were around 995 guests onboard the MS Ambition as at 14 February 2023, occupying 475 cabins. The next update is expected to be published in late March.

The data are provisional management information from live operational systems and are subject to change. The number of displaced people from Ukraine in welcome accommodation on M/S Ambition is reported directly by operational teams.

The published tables and accompanying methodology notes for the February publication can be found here: Supporting documents - Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - February 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The main piece of legislation that controls the sale of alcohol in Scotland is the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. The administration of the alcohol licensing regime is devolved to independent local Licensing Boards – in effect the 32 Scottish Local Authorities.

Licensing Boards can grant general extensions of licensed hours if they consider it appropriate to do so in connection with a special event of local or national significance.

The Scottish Ministers do not have a power to grant a general extension of licensed hours, unlike the Home Secretary under the England and Wales alcohol licensing regime.