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The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

The Scottish Energy Statistics Hub is an interactive tool which compiles data from over 70 different sources with different time lags for each data source. The Hub currently contains data beyond 2021-22, such as renewable electricity projects within the planning system in Scotland which is available up to and including the first quarter of 2024.

Due to technical issues there is currently a delay in updating statistics on the Hub. However, key energy statistics are published on the Scottish Government website.

In respect of offshore consenting, we have been planning for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time and aim to determine offshore wind farm applications within 12 months where possible, however we have been clear that more complex applications may take longer. The average timeline to determine consents for offshore wind is currently 11 months (down from 17 months pre 2015).Each application must be considered on its own merit, balancing the needs of all maritime users and the natural environment. Maintaining this balance will continue to enhance Scotland’s place as a world-leading destination for offshore wind investment.

Forth Green Freeport’s recently submitted full business case details ambitions to create 34,500 direct jobs, comprising 16,000 direct jobs and 18,500 jobs supported indirectly in supply chains and through wages, and up to £7.9 billion in investment.

The full business case is currently being appraised by Scottish and UK governments. Upon approval, it will unlock up to £25m seed capital funding to support enabling works. The commitments made by the Green Freeports in their business cases will be subject to robust monitoring and reporting requirements, enshrining their commitments across a number of key dimensions.

The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

Despite the reserved nature of telecommunications in the UK, the Scottish Government has chosen to step in and make substantial investments in both broadband and mobile digital connectivity across Scotland.

The over-£600 million investment in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme is building upon our strong track record of delivery, with Scottish Government led programmes delivering improved broadband to over one million properties so far.

Through a rolling Open Market Review, the Scottish Government continuously monitors broadband coverage across Scotland. This process enables the identification of premises that are eligible for future publicly subsided interventions, including those to be delivered through the UK Government’s Project Gigabit broadband investment, for which the Scottish Government will act as contracting authority for local and regional procurements.

We also recognise how vital access to mobile connectivity is, especially in rural areas. We have recently published an evaluation of our £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill Programme, which has delivered 4G connectivity to 55 ‘notspots’ across rural and island Scotland, highlighting the transformational benefits that this new coverage is delivering to businesses and communities alike.

As part of the 2023-24 COVID-19 and flu winter vaccination programme NHS Scotland delivered over 3.57 million winter vaccines, including 1,387,766 COVID-19 vaccines, 1,647,596 adult flu vaccines and 538,580 child flu vaccines. Uptake dropped across almost all groups, but remained strong in the highest risk groups, with over 85% of care home residents and almost 85% of those aged over 75 vaccinated for both vaccines, the groups mostly likely to be admitted to hospital with these illnesses. We continued to surpass the World Health Organisation’s flu target of 75% uptake for those aged 65 and over, achieving 79.8%.

The primary aim of the vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness and the vaccine offer is to those most likely to directly benefit from vaccination, particularly those with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of hospitalisation. The data from last winter’s programme shows that uptake remained strong within these eligible groups and meets the primary aim of the winter programme.

There were however certain groups where uptake was far lower than expected, for both COVID-19 and flu, notably pregnant women, frontline health and social care workers and those at clinical risk, although uptake in those with a weakened immune system was better than for more general at risk conditions.

The emergence of the new, and theoretically more dangerous variant BA.2.86 in late summer 2023 resulted in us deciding to pull forward the programme to protect those at higher risk. We appointed those at higher risk into all and any spare appointments at the start and middle of the programme, meaning that those at lower risk, who had been prompted to book, found it hard to find spare appointments until November and December. It is difficult to quantify, but we believe that some individuals may have not come forward due to this difficulty.

The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) has already undertaken various pieces of work to understand why overall uptake has decreased and we have incorporated that learning into our planning for this winter campaign. Communicating why annual revaccination (or bi-annual in the case of COVID for higher risk groups) remains necessary and important is key, as is reiterating the value of these vaccines, and the real health risk to some people in contracting these viruses over the winter period.

We will continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland and the NHS Boards to ensure the successful delivery of Scotland’s vaccination programmes.

Any consultation with the public regarding timetables is an operational matter for Scotrail as the train operating company.

The Scottish Government welcomes the innovation, continuous improvement and efficiency that Health Board delivery teams have demonstrated to make best use of resources and funding throughout our national vaccination programmes, which remain a key public health intervention.

The Scottish Government provided £80 million on an National Resource Allocation formula (NRAC) basis to cover local Board vaccine delivery costs for the full financial year 2023/24.

These funds were allocated to the following programmes, the largest of which was the winter Seasonal Flu & COVID-19 booster programme:

• Spring 2023 COVID-19 programme
• 6 months – 4 years at risk COVID-19 programme
• changes to the COVID-19 primary rolling offer
• COVID-19 vaccination out-with seasonal programmes for the clinically extremely vulnerable and for travel or visa purposes
• Winter Seasonal Flu & COVID-19 booster programme 2023

Boards also used this funding to deliver across the full range of other vaccine programmes. A breakdown of investment provided to each Health Board is as follows.

The Scottish Government has allocated £548,723 in this financial year 2024/25 to the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the Reading Schools Programme. Since the Scottish Government began funding the programme in 2018, SBT have received a total of £1,592,923, including this year.

SBT also received funding of £28,750 from Scottish Government in 2023-24, to deliver a Reading Schools Early Years pilot in seven childcare settings across Angus.