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Details of the number of candidates awarded SCQF Level 5 National Progression Award in Beekeeping between 2018 and 2022, broken down by Education Authority are set out in the following table:

The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, is a significant and traumatic event for women and their families. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering high-quality, sensitive bereavement care and support, and has provided funding to Sands UK to develop the National Bereavement Care Pathways in Scotland. The pathways are currently being piloted in 9 Health Boards in Scotland, and the remaining Boards will join later this year. A link to the National Bereavement Care Pathway can be found here: Home | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)

Scottish Government grant funding is also provided to a range of other third sector pregnancy and baby loss organisations who provide care, advice and support to women and families. Baby Loss Retreat, who offer 2 days respite for families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss, has successfully applied for funding over the last 3 years.

The First Minister has announced that a Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 weeks will launch this Summer. Along with an entry in the book, there will also be a commemorative certificate, which is intended to give recognition and comfort to those who want to record their loss. The service is free of charge and will be entirely voluntary.

The Scottish Parliament approved the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations in 2020. The Regulations are wholly within devolved competence. There is an agreed and published process between UK Government and devolved governments for excluding certain areas from the UK Internal Market Act.

We have been following that process for excluding the deposit return scheme regulations from the Internal Market Act and this has been the subject of discussion with the UK Government for many months. I will keep Parliament updated on the exclusion process.

On single-use vapes, we expect Zero Waste Scotland to submit its report on the review of the environmental impacts and management of single-use vapes in May, and we will consider its findings. Should our preferred course of action require an exclusion we will follow the agreed process.

The Scottish Government last met with the Royal Mail Group on 13 March 2023.

The purpose of that meeting was to seek assurance that the on-going industrial action, and Royal Mail’s plans for reform, would not have an unfair impact on those living in Scotland’s communities, especially the more remote and rural ones.

We are broadly supportive of the workforce action because of the threat of reform to the Universal Service Obligation.

In our Scottish Government procurement: annual report 2021 to 2022 we reported that 94% of our contractors are committed to paying the real Living Wage, an increase of 2% points over the previous year. The Scottish Government considers Fair Work criteria on a case-by-case basis and requires suppliers to pay the real Living Wage to workers involved in the delivery of our contracts where it is relevant to the contract, non-discriminatory and proportionate to do so. We do not hold information about the specific number of contractor staff who benefit from this commitment.

The Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee (SRAC) has identified pulmonary rehabilitation as one of the initial priorities for the implementation of the Respiratory Care Action Plan.

To take forward this key priority, a sub-group has been established comprised of clinical specialists and services managers from across Scotland, as well as third sector representatives. The group have completed a scoping exercise to determine areas of good practice and areas that require improvement. The aim of this group will be to develop ‘best practice guidelines’ for the delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation services across Scotland. This work is also being supported by the respiratory programmes managed by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.

The necessary pause to face to face pulmonary rehab groups during the pandemic has inevitably led to a build-up of people waiting for treatment, and services continue to experience significant pressure as a result of this.

Our NHS Recovery Plan, published in August 2021, backed by over £1 billion of funding, sets out our vision for health and social care over the next 5 years, and will support the increase in access to services such as pulmonary rehabilitation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15072 on 16 March 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15073 on 16 March 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 .

Neither the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care nor the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport have met with NHS Boards to discuss pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Both organisations serve different functions. Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd oversees, on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, the delivery of rail services by ScotRail Trains Ltd.

Consideration of the appropriate arrangements concluded the current structure to be consistent with Scottish Government guidance on best practice for governance of such bodies.