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I previously wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee setting out my current thinking on earnings arrestments. A copy of the letter addressed to the Convenor of the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 15 March 2023 can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.

The Key Performance Indicators (KPI) used in monitoring the performance of VoiceAbility are provided below:

Over the last year, the Managed Service Network for children and young people with cancer (MSN), reviewed the Psychology, Physiotherapy and Dietetic Resource. As a result, we agreed to make the existing provision of psychological service permanent to provide certainty and ensure young people have access to psychological support.

In addition, the Scottish Cancer Network, alongside the MSN, is currently undertaking a broader workforce mapping exercise and have established a short life working group to support this. The MSN’s review will be considered by the short life working group. This group, who will complete their mapping exercise this year, will specifically look at how we can upskill our current workforce as well as looking at wider service needs within this population group.

The Scottish Government does not seek to replicate the work of the Cass Review. However, as we have previously stated, the interim findings of that Review continue to be closely considered by both Scottish Government and NHS Scotland, alongside broader national and international evidence. As part of this, officials and senior clinicians from the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland have also met with Dr Cass and members of the Cass Review team to discuss respective approaches.

Our Strategic Action Framework for NHS gender identity service improvement includes a commitment to support the establishment of nationally commissioned Young Person’s Gender Identity Service. Discussions and scoping with NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to consider current and future national provision, are ongoing.

Following discussions with the operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries, it was clear that the associated works required in order to change the date mid-contract would have a cost and impact to all customers.

We will however seek to revert to the previous date that would open the bookings from October, noting that the previous delays were to allow funding to be found to freeze the fares due to the cost of living crisis.

The provision of designated community dog parks is the responsibility of individual local authorities.

Local authorities can consider and use bye-law making powers to create designated enclosed areas in public parks to provide places where dogs can be off lead and places where all dogs must be on a lead.

The Scottish Government would support a local authority using their bye-law making powers in such a manner if it was considered a proportionate step to help promote responsible dog ownership in the community and appropriate by the local authority. Such decisions are however entirely for individual local authorities.

On 23 December 2020 the Scottish Government updated statutory guidance on the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 to highlight that local authorities can consider bye-law making powers to address a specific dog control problem. For example, if there is an area where dogs are often a nuisance, the matter can be raised for consideration by the council who have powers to make appropriate bye-laws (i.e. to keep dogs on leads in particular areas or to ban dogs from places such as children’s playgrounds).

More generally, the Scottish Government carried out a marketing campaign on dog control with the Scottish SPCA in 2021. This campaign has been re-run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on a number of occasions since and directs the public to information about ‘The law on controlling your dog’ on the mygov.scot website at: https://www.mygov.scot/controlling-your-dog

This website makes clear that dog owners are responsible for the actions of their dog, and sets out potential penalties for failing to control dogs.

Ministers and Scottish Government officials have discussed matters relating to the forthcoming Visitor Levy Bill with a wide range of stakeholders including the Association of Scotland's Self Caterers, UK Hospitality, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, the B&B Association, the Scottish Guesthouse and B&B Alliance, the European Tourism Association, Edinburgh Hotels Association, COSLA and individual councils, Visit Scotland and also a number of other relevant organisations and individuals covering a broad range of interests ranging from companies operating significant visitor attractions to Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government is a key partner in Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS), a partnership including the emergency services, third sector organisations and academic researchers. SALFS is responsible for the delivery of the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Strategy 2021 to 2026 . Data on progress of the strategy is available at; Scotland’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report 2019 – 2022 .

SALFS approach to increasing the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that have a defibrillator applied before the ambulance service arrive from 8% to 20%, is to ensure that defibrillators are publicly accessible, registered and there is a data driven approach to their placement.

Work underway includes the SCOT-PAD project, to develop a tool to support organisations and communities with more evidence on the optimal location to place their defibrillator. Progress is also being made in registration of defibrillators with the number of defibrillators in communities across Scotland that are registered with the Circuit doubling since 2019 to almost 5,000.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Local authorities are able to purchase gift cards from the Love Local website hosted by Scotland’s Towns Partnership who are delivering the gift card scheme, working with local authorities.

The Fuel Insecurity Fund was first established by The Scottish Government in the winter of 2020, as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, to help households struggling with their energy costs who were at risk of severely rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely.

The following table gives an overview of the Fuel Insecurity Fund’s budget and distribution since its inception: