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The Pain Management Task Force oversees the implementation of the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery in Scotland. Discussions at the Task Force are centred around delivery of the actions in the Implementation Plan rather than condition specific issues. While there have been no specific discussions on migraine-related issues at the Task Force, many of the actions in the Plan discussed at each Task Force meeting will benefit people with migraine, such as updated quality prescribing guidelines and the creation of a chronic pain Knowledge Hub, a resource available to all NHS Scotland staff and third sector organisations to deepen their understanding of chronic pain.

Widespread stakeholder participation is essential if we are to successfully develop a new National Marine Plan for Scotland that helps deliver our statutory targets, supports sustainable economic growth and protects our marine environment. We remain committed to our vision for engaging stakeholders throughout the development of NMP2 and we want everyone who uses, relies on or has an interest in Scotland's seas to have the opportunity to contribute when considering Scotland’s marine space.

In developing the NMP2, we are adopting a blue economy approach - considering our marine economy, local communities, and the environment altogether. The timeline for the development of the plan has been designed to allow for sufficient opportunity for meaningful engagement with stakeholders throughout the process. A public consultation on the NMP2 Planning Position Statement will take place in late 2024 allowing stakeholders to submit their views. A further public consultation for the NMP2 Draft Plan will take place in late 2025.

The timeline also allows for the NMP2 team to host events dedicated to cross-sector discussion and collaboration. Our first National Marine Planning Forum took place on 15 June 2023, providing an opportunity for everyone with an interest in the plan to input into its development at an early stage and discuss the key themes to be addressed in the plan. A further NMP2 forum will be held in winter 2024 specifically designed to bring together stakeholders and promote cooperation between sectors. The forum will facilitate discussions between stakeholders pertinent to the cross-sector issues that exist in the marine environment and give stakeholders the opportunity to collaborate and devise solutions to these issues that can influence NMP2. The NMP2 team will actively seek this feedback at the forum with the intention of integrating it into future policy development from NMP2.

A Steering Group has been established to provide advice on the statutory assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for NMP2, which are used to understand potential impacts on marine sectors and the marine environment from the proposals in the plan. The Steering Group is formed of stakeholders from various sectors who regularly meet with NMP2 officials to advise on the development of the statutory assessment and Sustainability Appraisal.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will provide the coordinated overarching planning framework for sustainable development. It will incorporate within the planning framework policy developed in relevant areas - such as marine environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaption, energy and fisheries - and consider the interaction between these policies in planning decisions. This includes the pathway to deliver net zero and the approach to delivering a green recovery established in the Climate Change Plan 2018 – 2032.

The Marine Directorate will explore, with stakeholders, the potential options for spatial policies as part of the NMP2 process, taking into account the need for protection of the marine environment to serve as a strong platform providing opportunities for sustainable development of our existing and growing marine sectors. NMP2 is intended as a high-level strategic framework which would not contain detailed marine spatial plans or measures.

There is a Sectoral Marine Plan supporting offshore wind development, which provides the spatial framework for the sustainable development of this sector in our seas.

We want all people with epilepsy to be able to access the best possible care and support. Since October 2020 we have committed almost £650,000 towards projects which specifically improve the health and wellbeing of people with epilepsy.

In 2022-23 Scottish Government funded Epilepsy Scotland to work with NHS Lothian in piloting mental health screening and intervention for people with epilepsy.

We are working hard to improve support for those whose mental health is affected by long term physical health conditions, such as epilepsy, and in 2023 published a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy jointly with COSLA, which incorporates a focus on wellbeing and prevention.

One of the Strategy’s priorities is that “People with mental health conditions, including those with co-existing health conditions, experience improved quality and length of life, free from stigma and discrimination.”

Our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has been a key development on prevention and early intervention in recent years, addressing a number of mental health and wellbeing concerns. It has a focus on at risk groups including those with a long-term health condition or disability.

As noted in the answer to PQ S6W-30096, planned engagement with stakeholders will commence in the next few months. This will include assessing the various views offered in the responses received to the previous Scottish Government consultation on occasional licence policy.

As noted in the ‘Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 - fee review: consultation responses’ document on the Scottish Government website, some respondents suggested a scalable fee structure. i.e. the level of the occasional licence fee should be dependent on the size of the event.

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 set out in the Scottish Government’s response to question S6W-30400 on 18 October 2024, planned engagement with stakeholders will commence in the next few months. No timescale has been set for concluding this work, but this would be agreed in discussion with said stakeholders.

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 Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 will continue to apply to the award of contracts by devolved Scottish contracting authorities.

Regulations made under section 115 of the Procurement Act 2023 will set out the procedures to be followed when a contracting authority awards a contract under procurement arrangements put in place under the other jurisdiction’s regime.

Short-term settlements from the former UK Government, lack of inflation proofing and reduced capital allocations have resulted in the Scottish Government being forced to take difficult decisions that have negatively impacted our ability to deliver land-based climate change measures such as woodland creation and peatland restoration at the scale required. There is currently no UK Government agricultural funding commitment from 2025.

The UK Government must commit to urgent, meaningful engagement on a sufficient, ring-fenced, multi-year programme funding settlement. The Scottish Government has sought early engagement with the UK Government to work towards a reset in the relationship, with an emphasis on the value of regular engagement and collaboration, while respecting devolution.

The Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) met on 16 September 2024, its first meeting with the new UK Government and the first meeting since September 2023. It was a positive meeting between Ministers from the Four Nations with an agreement on a shared programme of work.

The current agricultural funding allocation is a historical percentage based on decades old agricultural production figures. We need to come to a position that provides the long-term assurance required for our respective Agricultural Reform Programmes and to meet our shared nature and climate obligations.

Putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures remains a top government priority. We want to achieve this as soon as possible, however developing the evidence based and effective fisheries management measures for over 160 inshore sites is a complex and challenging process.

Statutory social, economic and environmental impact assessments are currently being undertaken for inshore MPAs and we will then undertake a public consultation within the current Programme for Government timeframe. Final fisheries management measures will then be implemented as soon as possible once the consultation responses have been analysed and a final decision on the measures taken.

Section 119 of the Procurement Act 2023 amends the scope of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, and Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, so as to be clear that they extend only to devolved Scottish authorities.

Devolved Scottish authorities will continue to be subject to these regulations when awarding contracts or framework agreements, and there is no reason for this to delay the procurement or award of such contracts.

When devolved Scottish authorities award a contract from a framework advertised and awarded under the terms of the Procurement Act 2023, then relevant elements of the rules established by that Act will apply to the call-off procedure. Similarly, when other authorities award contracts from a framework agreement awarded under the Scottish regulations, then relevant elements of those rules will apply to the call-off procedure. Regulations made under section 115 of the Procurement Act 2023 will set this out.