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I have today published our public consultation paper on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland, as set out in our Programme for Government 2022-23. This is available at https://consult.gov.scot/alcohol-policy/alcohol-advertising-and-promotion .

Restricting alcohol advertising and promotion is a crucial element in changing our troubled relationship with alcohol and is one of the World Health Organization’s three best buys to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Alcohol advertising and promotion is seen by, and appealing to, large volumes of children and young people in Scotland. International evidence shows that seeing alcohol marketing is associated with an increased likelihood that children and young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink alcohol, drink more . This is harmful to them in both the short and long term.

It is also likely that alcohol advertising and promotion influences higher-risk drinkers and can be a trigger for those in recovery to drink alcohol and relapse . This is in addition to the likely impact marketing has on our wider society, by normalising alcohol and presenting it as fun, sociable and commonplace. Young people in Scotland , as well as people in recovery and their families , have told us directly that they see a lot of alcohol marketing and want us to take action to tackle this

The consultation paper is wide ranging and covers potential restrictions on all of the major sources of exposure to alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland, including advertising on TV, outdoors, through sports and events sponsorship as well as through branded merchandise and online.

The aim of any restrictions would be to reduce exposure to marketing generally in Scotland which should in turn reduce initiation of drinking and levels of consumption in young people, reduce the potential of relapse for those in recovery and reduce attractiveness of alcohol, and thereby consumption, amongst the general population.

We are seeking responses from all stakeholders to fully understand their views and any concerns they may have about any proposed restrictions. The Scottish Government will be carrying out a programme of engagement with key stakeholders throughout the consultation period to ensure all voices are heard.

The Scottish Government already provides funding to support energy efficiency works which contribute to our net zero target. Between 2018 and 2021, £7 million was made available to Local Authority and registered social landlords through the Energy Efficient Scotland Transition Programme’s Decarbonisation Fund to assist in compliance with the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing.

The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, which launched in August 2020, has been designed to accelerate the delivery of energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating systems in social housing across Scotland. It will make at least £200 million available to registered social landlords until 2026.

Acknowledging that the public sector alone cannot bear the long-term cost of converting homes, the Green Heat Finance Taskforce has been established to assess and recommend ways the public sector, communities and private finance can collaborate to scale up investment. A dedicated sub-group has been established to consider the best routes to financing and funding the retrofit of the existing social housing stock.

The first meeting of the stakeholder review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post-2020 took place on 5 September 2022. We expect the Review Group to conclude by mid-2023.

We wish to see a sustainable future for the Scottish steel sector, building on the long and proud heritage of steelwork in Scotland. We can see real opportunities for the steel sector in the move to a net zero economy, with Zero Waste Scotland commissioning a series of reports looking at the circular opportunities for the energy transition in Scotland to help inform efforts in this area.

The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential. That is why we asked Crown Estate Scotland to introduce the Supply Chain Development Statement as part of the ScotWind leasing round to demonstrate how serious the Scottish Government is about holding developers to account if they do not honour their supply chain commitments and create green jobs.

The Ayrshire Local Action Group received 7.2% of the overall allocation made by Scottish Government to the Community Led Local Development Fund equating to £533,604. The Scottish Government set a maximum amount each LAG could spend on staffing and resourcing. This was a maximum of 15% of their overall allocation or £57,143.

The contract duration for future Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contracts has yet to be determined, and will be informed by an evidence-led process including, consultation with key stakeholders; supplier engagement, and a review of international comparators.

The Ayrshire LAG and South Ayrshire Council Internal Audit have approved and undertaken technical checks on all projects applying for funding. Guidance on these checks is in the public domain.

https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/media/5979/ARIA-Fund-Applicant-Guidance/pdf/ARIA_Fund_22

Only those projects that meet the technical checks progress for consideration by the Local Action Group. Of the twenty seven organisation that applied, seventeen of those progressed to the technical check stage, sixteen of which proceeded to assessment stage.

The Scottish Government is currently considering various options for the continuity of these lifeline ferry services to ensure that we continue to support the communities they serve. The services will be secured in accordance with all relevant legal provisions, including subsidy control and procurement legislation.

A Local Authority cannot apply alone for funding. This funding is not intended to replace core/statutory duties of Local Authorities. Local Authorities may however allocate funding to facilitate the commissioning of recruitment, upskilling and the rebuilding of the Local Action Group (LAG) but are not direct recipients of the funding.

Funding is allocated to Local Action Groups rather than single Local Authorities areas. Local Authority area spend is ongoing and unavailable at present. The LAG allocation breakdown is provided in the following table;

Local Action Group (LAG) Membership has continued with the LEADER membership that was based on a skills matrix. Plans to recruit new LAG members through a procurement process are planned. Representation will be drawn from the public sector, businesses/third sector and community interests.

LAG members may be representatives of wider rural bodies or applying on behalf of organisations they represent. LAG members are not permitted to participate in any decision making process where they have a conflict of interest. This is a standing item on the agenda for the LAG.

There is no allocation of funding to individual LAG members since decisions are taken as a collective LAG.