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The Freight Facilities Grant funding allocated in each year since 2021 was:

• 2021-22 - £1,350,000;
• 2022-23 - £1,400,000;
• 2023-24 - £1,400,000; and
• 2024-25 - £0.00.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is currently undertaking research to better understand portion sizes of foods commonly sold by independent out of home businesses in Scotland. The findings will be published later in 2025 on the FSS website and accessible at the nutrition research hub. When published this will be shared with those who have signed up to receive notifications.

Whilst the organisational focus of Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is to support positive changes to the food environment, they remain committed to providing consumers with consistent messaging around a healthy balanced diet. As detailed within the Public Health Nutrition strategy, FSS continue to deliver consistent dietary advice using existing tools such as Eat Well, Your Way and building on the previous successes of our campaigns to increase awareness of advice on vitamin D supplementation during the winter months.

Local Authority Environmental Health Departments have powers under the Nutrition and Health Claims (Scotland) Regulations 2007 to enforce the requirements of Regulation 1924/2006 applying to businesses making claims about the nutrition content or health benefit of a particular food.

While our response to the Independent Review of Audiology is implemented, we continue to work with the NHS, Third Sector and private providers to identify an appropriate model of community care for any future service reform, and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience inform this work.

The Scottish Government does not hold any information relating to individual NHS Board delivery of audiology services.

A progress report on the Fair Work Action Plan (FWAP) was included in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) annual report in 2024. It is anticipated that the next FWAP progress report will be published alongside the third NSET annual report later this year. This will provide updates on the FWAP outcome progress indicators, in line with the approach set out in the Fair Work Evidence Plan.

Oversight of the FWAP is provided by the Fair Work Oversight Group who meet biannually to consider progress against outcomes.

While employment law is reserved, the Scottish Government is using the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and collective bargaining, with a focus on low-paid and precarious sectors, including through our flagship Fair Work First policy. Work is ongoing through the Fair Work in Social Care Group to finalise an approach to sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector. Although complex, once developed and introduced, this will encourage improvements in the terms and conditions of the social care workforce, specific to the roles and responsibilities across this sector.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting collective bargaining and, despite financial constraints, we continue to provide funding and support to trade unions, recognising their role in advancing fair work across Scotland.

This is an operational matter for SOSE, and I have asked them to respond to you directly.

The Cass Review only considered services offered by NHS England, and the report’s 32 recommendations are made to NHS England. As such, NHS England holds responsibility for implementing these recommendations.

The Scottish Government did, however, commit to closely consider the Review’s findings in the context of NHS Scotland services. Accordingly, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland convened a multidisciplinary team to consider the Review’s recommendations and how they might be applicable to Scotland, which published its findings on 5 July 2024. The Scottish Government has accepted this report and its recommendations.

A “Task and Finish” group, supported by the Scottish Government’s Chief Operating Officer’s Directorate, has now been convened to design a sustainable model for young people’s gender identity services, and the work of this group will be shaped by the multidisciplinary team’s recommendations. Additionally, as recommended by the report, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde ended self-referrals to the Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic in August 2024, and the health board is taking forward work to move young people’s gender identity services into a paediatric clinical setting.

As part of its competent authority role Food Standards Scotland monitors and enforces regulations in marine waters, slaughterhouses, standalone cutting plants, game handling establishments, feed, and wine business, throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, this includes on the Islands and all rural areas where a business is located.