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It is imperative that all institutions support victims of sexual assault, and that victims feel comfortable in reporting incidents to their institutions and to the Police.

The Scottish Government has received assurances from the Principal of the University of Edinburgh that it is committed to tackling gender-based violence, and that it would not discourage a student from making a report to the Police. Further discussions with the institution are planned.

The Parking Standards Guidance document relating to the enforcement of the new parking prohibitions contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is being developed in consultation with local authorities through the Parking Standards Stakeholder Working Group and will be issued to local authorities at the same time as the Enforcement Regulations come into force. This is expected to be in December 2023.

Despite ongoing significant pressures, we continue to see progress in reducing long waits following the introduction of targets in July 2022. The latest Public Health Scotland data shows:

• The total number of patients waiting than more two years for a new outpatient appointment was reduced by 60 per cent in six months;
• 18 of 30 inpatient / day-case specialities have fewer than ten patients waiting more than two years
• 61 per cent of new outpatient specialties have fewer than 10 patients waiting over 78 weeks.

We have also progressed significant immediate and long term solutions to support Boards to clear their remaining long waits. In addition to the targets introduced last year, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery is supporting Boards to maximise their capacity and increase theatre efficiencies, including through Active Clinical Referral Treatment and Patient Initiated Review.

Four National Treatment Centres will also open this year, providing significant additional capacity for orthopaedics, ophthalmic and diagnostic treatment. This includes NTC-Fife and NTC-Highland, which opened in March and April respectively, and NTC-Forth Valley and the second phase of the NHS Golden Jubilee which will open later in the year.

In September 2022, the Scottish Government published the report from our consultation on proposals to make regulations under sections 17 to 19 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016, which could introduce restrictions on the following:

• advertising
• brand-sharing in products and services
• free distribution and nominal pricing
• sponsorship of an activity, event or person

The responses, together with the analysis report will inform our next steps, which we are currently considering. Any action we seek to take will build on the regulations already in place to restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of vaping products to under 18s.

Scotland is in a global competition to attract talent. By taking us out of the EU and ending free movement, the UK Government has recklessly hindered our ability to attract people to Scotland. We want to build Scotland’s reputation as a career destination, promoting our growth sectors to students and workers across the UK and beyond.

The Scottish Government will launch a Talent Attraction and Migration Service in 2023. The service will support people who are thinking of moving to Scotland or who have just moved here. It will provide good quality information and advice to help people and their dependents settle into their communities. The service will also support employers based in Scotland to use the immigration system to help meet their skills needs. We are conducting research to understand users' needs and the barriers they face. Once we have concluded this discovery work, we will identify suppliers to deliver the service.

Furthermore, our Rural Visa Pilot proposal, published in September 2022, offers settlement support to migrants to promote integration within pilot communities.

The Scottish Government is tackling marine litter with actions detailed in our Marine Litter Strategy, which aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. Our Strategy and action plan was refreshed in September 2022 and focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets. The Strategy will drive forward our work over the next five years and co-ordinate the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem.

The many actions include: improving the management of end of life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy; working across the UK administrations to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic; and developing international solutions to prevent spills of plastic pellets (nurdles), which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife. In addition to preventative actions, we are also supporting litter removal, whether off shore through the funding of KIMO’s Fishing for Litter scheme, or at our rivers, with Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Upstream Battle project.

Arrangements where a person occupies accommodation as their only or principal home are not considered short-term lets. Interpretation and application of the licensing scheme to specific circumstances is a matter for licensing authorities. We continue to monitor operation of the scheme as a whole, taking a responsive approach. We have also committed to undertaking a review in 2024.

The content of the Bill has not been finalised but the majority of the measures being considered for inclusion have already been subject to consultation. In late 2021, the New Deal for Tenants consultation was issued seeking views on a wide range of rented sector reform measures, including the introduction of a national system of rent control. A joint Scottish Government/ COSLA consultation was held on proposals for new prevention of homelessness duties early in 2022. The responses to both consultations are informing the development of our proposals.

The UK Government’s own economic modelling shows that the agriculture and semi-processing sectors will lose out because of the UK-Australia trade deal. The approach taken in the negotiation of that deal also does not align with our Vision for Trade, which references the benefits of trade agreements but makes clear that these must include appropriate safeguards for our producers in sensitive sectors, like beef and lamb. The former Secretary of State for DEFRA, George Eustice MP, who was in post while these recent trade deals were negotiated, expressed a similar view when he said in the UK Parliament on 14 November 2022 that “Wedid not need to give Australia or New Zealand full liberalisation in beef and sheep – it was not in our economic interest to do so”. Also, and in sharp contrast, the recent EU trade deal with New Zealand seems to have secured significantly stronger protections for domestic EU producers.

Overall, the gains for Scottish food producers of the UK-Australia trade deal are marginal. While tariffs will be removed on a range of exports, these only benefit certain products such as Scotch Whisky. These gains are offset by the liberal market access the UK has agreed which will allow the import of agri-food products, often produced on a mass scale and to lower standards of production than in Scotland. This will have an adverse impact on our agri-food producers and economy.

Tariff liberalisation may benefit consumers by marginally increasing choice and reducing the price of imported products, for example red meat, wine, dairy and eggs. However, there is a greater risk to the Scottish economy if this displaces domestic products.

Ultimately, these Trade deals go nowhere near replacing the lost trade from the disastrous Brexit deal the UK Government negotiated with the EU.

The annual summary analysis report will be published on or before‎ 1 May on the Sustainable Scotland Network website ( Sustainable Scotland Network - The Sustainable Scotland Network ).