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This is a matter between the University and UK Government, and general UK Government budgeting is continuing to be reviewed. However, the Scottish Government recognises the University’s unique track record and further potential as the UK’s foremost supercomputing centre, and we will continue to work to influence UK Government public finance discussions to positively benefit our economy and key sectors, including computing and AI.

Since the announcement of the freeze on marketing expenditure, the following public health campaigns have subsequently been assessed and approved to run in 2024-25 in line with the process set out in the answer to question S6W-30726 on 20 November 2024, and the desired health outcomes and aims that need to be achieved for each.

• Early Cancer Detection – Detect Cancer Earlier

• Dementia Stigma

• Appropriate Use of NHS Services - Right Care Right Place

• Adult Mental Health

• Organ Donation & Tissue

• Winter Vaccines (delivered by Public Health Scotland)

• The Importance of Home Recovery - Home First

• Sexual Assault Referral Centres

• Abortion Safe Access Zones

All activity is developed and evaluated against SMART objectives to help deliver policy outcomes, which includes actions that contribute to improving or saving lives. Where there is substantial spend on paid-for media, quantitative evaluation is carried out by an independent research agency to assess campaign performance. Return on investment is considered to assess the number of people in a target audience who can be reached, and how frequently, via a particular media channel to ensure campaigns are delivered cost-effectively.

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.

The freeze on public sector marketing expenditure was part of a wider exercise to introduce the necessary emergency spending controls to achieve a balanced budget. Cabinet Secretaries were given a directive to freeze all marketing expenditure with immediate effect, with any spend deemed essential then requiring to be assessed accordingly in line with individual policy priorities and outcomes, and approved by the First Minister before proceeding. Many campaigns have gone ahead.

Further details on this process are set out in the answer to question S6W-30726 on 20 November 2024, alongside the now approved public health campaigns listed in the answer to question S6W-30729 on 20 November 2024. 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.

All Scottish Government media planning and buying is proposed by media agencies appointed in call-off arrangements from the Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services Frameworks. The Providers of the Framework services have all been successful as a result of competition which evaluates Quality and Price, therefore offering the Most Economically Advantageous Tender(s) within the market place.

Media agencies take an evidence-based approach to developing a media strategy to deliver campaign objectives reflecting audience media consumption. All media plans and schedules procured in the call-off arrangements from media agencies are robustly assessed by Scottish Government marketing teams, across a range of different criteria including audience reach and frequency by channel; effectiveness of the media mix in delivering against SMART marketing objectives and policy outcomes; along-side quality and price.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on the type of employee as part of the Public Sector Employment data collection.

Some of the trend information on headcount can be obtained from the data sources below:

NHS Scotland Workforce data: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence

Scottish Government Workforce data: Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Police Officer numbers: Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 30 June 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Please note that the statistics on Police Officer numbers are provided in terms of Full-Time Equivalent, not headcount.

Following the implementation of emergency spending controls (which included the public sector marketing expenditure freeze), a process was put in place across all policy areas to rigorously assess which essential marketing expenditure should still proceed in 2024-25 and what activity can be halted or postponed. This assessment process is aligned with the 4 key priorities of the Scottish Government and with individual policy outcomes. All Scottish Government marketing expenditure with an essential need for 2024-25 is subject to the First Minister’s approval.

For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health marketing campaigns and remains committed to the importance that campaigns have in communicating public health priorities. It should be noted, however, that marketing is just one of a number of interventions that can affect health outcomes.

As detailed in the answer to question S6W-30730 on 20 November 2024, individual campaign requirements were assessed on a case by case basis further to the implementation of emergency spending controls, and decisions on whether or not to proceed with planned activity were taken in line with Scottish Government priorities, the desired policy aims and outcomes, and budget impact. 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.

As part of the process to assess essential marketing expenditure for 2024-25, the use of paid-for-media activity is considered where it is required to help achieve specific policy outcomes. This can include a requirement to reach specific audiences or to ensure audiences are presented with messages a number of times to achieve the desired impact.

Marketing activity and campaigns that are without expenditure, such as no-cost approaches that have no external production, service or media costs, continue to support delivery of policy outcomes as part of the communications mix.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:

The spend on employing temporary staff in the 9 month period of January to September 2024 was £7,504,000. The spend on employing temporary staff from 2012-2023 was provided in the answer to question S6W-25927 on 14 March 2024. 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.

To note, these figures relate to both agency staff and contractors.

The Gaelic and Scots Team has a sponsorship role for Bòrd na Gidhlig and meets with officers in the body regularly and consistently. The nature of the sponsorship duties combined with the Gaelic and Scots Team’s policy role requires close working at different levels and on a range of subjects. The Gaelic and Scots Team is in contact with Bòrd na Gidhlig every week and this pattern of working has been in place for the last five years and before. In addition, Bòrd na Gidhlig Chair and CEO meet with ministers at least twice a year; with Scottish Government directors at least twice a year and officials from the Gaelic and Scots Division support these meetings. Gaelic and Scots officials arrange quarterly meetings and regular media meetings with the senior team at Bòrd na Gidhlig.