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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. As a result, some elements have been suspended including public funding for the mechanised and chemical control of bracken.

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.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Lyme disease remains a focus for our work. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and clinicians through both the Awareness Raising and Health Professionals Education Sub-Groups.

Ministers have given permission to councils’ requests that 556 National Housing Trust (NHT) mid-market rent homes be converted to social rent as part of agreed NHT exit strategies. We do not collate data on other mid-market homes within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which may have converted to social rent but these cases will have been minimal.

Operation Close Pass is an ongoing exercise carried out by Police Scotland and aligns with the latest version of the Highway Code introduced in January 2022 which highlights leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds. In the complementary 'Give Cycle Space' campaign funded by Transport Scotland, 62% of drivers report being more likely to give at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking a cyclist. Based on research by West Midlands Police (available publicly) we know that Operation Close Pass can reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the road by as much as 20%. The Scottish Government will continue to support Police Scotland with Operation Close Pass in 2023-24 on specific dates or at locations as determined.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets over this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

Funding for the construction of Changing Places Toilets has not yet been allocated. Further information about this fund will be available in the coming months. We have recently published our Changing Places Toilets: Planning Guide and an accompanying easy read for people who are planning to develop Changing Places Toilets now.

The Scottish Government has engaged with representatives of the Health and Safety Executive on this tragic incident and understand that it is now subject of a live police investigation and not a matter that the Scottish Government can comment on.

Recognising the challenging economic circumstances for businesses, the Scottish Budget 2023-24, published on 15 December 2022, delivers a strong non-domestic rates package to support business.

In addition to the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row, ensuring that over 95% of properties in Scotland, including all small and medium sized properties, pay a lower tax rate than they would in other devolved nations, the Budget included a package of reliefs worth an estimated £744 million. This includes the UK’s most generous Small Business Bonus Scheme relief which will take 100,000 properties out of rates altogether and also Rural Rates relief which provides up to 100% relief for properties in rural areas.

To incentivise and promote Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme, parts of properties used solely to house reverse vending machines will not be liable to pay rates from 1 April 2023.

Within the powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, we are delivering support packages for Scottish businesses that are not available elsewhere in the UK.

Given most of the levers to respond to the challenges that businesses are facing are reserved, we continue to urge the UK Government to use all the powers at its disposal to tackle this cost of living crisis on the scale required, including access to borrowing, providing benefits and support to households, VAT on fuel, taxation of windfall profits and regulation of the energy market.

Scottish Government and COSLA will shortly set out a Data Strategy for Health and Social Care, which will articulate the first set of principles and deliverables needed to improve the access and use of data.

The diagnosis and care of people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is largely managed and coordinated by primary care, as people with ME/CFS experience a wide spectrum of symptoms and commonly require input from clinicians from a variety of specialisms. This can include referral to consultant-led care within neurological services where appropriate.

People living with ME/CFS who need assessment or provision of care by a consultant or other professional can access this after an appropriate GP referral. Individuals can be referred to any further services as required for investigation, management and support, including within neurological services.

The SCI-Diabetes eHealth Clinical Lead provides regular updates to the Scottish Diabetes Group and Managed Clinical Networks in order to ensure that the clinical community is aware of the functionality of the dashboard and how they can work together to continuously improve it.

Any individual healthcare professional or clinical team can submit a change request to SCI-Diabetes team. Any change request made to the SCI-Diabetes system must demonstrate how the change will support clinical care and improve patient care more broadly.