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We recognise that alternative career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to midwifery careers by providing an alternative route into the profession for those who may not want or be able to choose the undergraduate route, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.

The six islands making up the Carbon Neutral Islands Project have seen significant successes since the last progress report was published on 19 January 2023. An annual report is currently being drafted in collaboration with key stakeholders which we plan to publish later this year.

An Oncology Workforce Review was completed in 2023 with a proposal for an Oncology Transformation Programme for Scotland.

As part of the transformation programme, an Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to support oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a sustainable operating model to improve access to safe, quality services. One of its aims is to reduce unwarranted variation in and inequity of access to oncology services.

A new Clinical Oncology training rotation in NHS Highland is also being explored in an effort to make the North of Scotland a more attractive place to work.

All projects that were allocated funding through European Structural Funds must have met the European Commission's criteria to qualify for support. A full list of projects that were awarded allocations is available on the Scottish Government's website: European Structural and Investment Funds: operations funding - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This information is not held centrally. Since 2024, the statistics for registration and participation are released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on a quarterly basis. Reports can be accessed at NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter Ending March 2024 - NHS dental data monitoring report - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Prior to this, NHS dental registration and participation data was published by PHS annually and can be accessed at Show all releases - Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The situation in the Solway Firth and Northern Channel was unique, as those areas were not covered by our crab and lobster assessment areas. Therefore they did not benefit from the robust evidence base we have used to underpin our decision making.

After listening to concerns, officials met with fishers in that area over concerns of disproportionate impacts on their businesses. In response we adopted a co-management approach that put these fishers in the front seat of a bespoke scientific trial aimed at improving the evidence base and, longer term, developing a time series of data. Vessels participating in this initiative have now been issued with relevant permissions to continue to land, sell and consign berried lobsters.

Our prohibition on fishing vessels landing berried lobster hens from Scotland’s waters is a short-term measure designed to deliver benefits for stock health ahead of this fishing season, and that will be monitored and kept under review. This kind of prohibition is a common fisheries management tool that is already in place across England and the Shetland isles.

There has been an expansion of 15 specialty training posts in Clinical Oncology (and an additional 6 in Medical Oncology) since 2014. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand .

Consultant oncologists have increased by 50%, from 102 headcount ten years ago (March 2014) to 153 headcount in March 2024 .

Internal Medicine Training is a pre-requisite for Clinical Oncology. The Scottish Government has provided funding for the creation of 64 additional Internal Medicine Specialty Training posts since 2021 in order to bolster the front-end supply into oncology.

The Scottish Government is also working with NHS Education for Scotland to increase visibility of careers in clinical oncology.

Any form of violence against women and girls is abhorrent and we recognise that minority ethnic women can experience culturally specific forms of abuse and violence, including from perpetrators outside of their immediate family.

We have established a network of experts to support and inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including consideration of any further action that may be required. This group will ensure the voices and needs of BME women are heard, and the specific issues they face, such as extended family abuse and honour-based abuse, are effectively tackled.

We are currently refreshing the Scottish Government’s Forced Marriage Statutory Guidance. To support the launch of the refreshed guidance, we are producing resources for professionals and the general public to raise awareness about forced marriage. We are working with key partners and sector experts to ensure these resources are effective and widely disseminated across public bodies.

Forced marriage disproportionally impacts minority ethnic communities, which is why we continue to work with our newly established network of experts to inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including work to tackle forced marriage.

It is vital that survivors have access to support services which is why we fund Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline. Additionally, through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we support organisations such as Shakti Women’s Aid, AMINA, Saheliya, Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid and the Multi-Cultural Family Base to undertake vital work to tackle forced marriage.

Operational matters such as decisions around clinical space, office space and picture archiving and communication system access are the responsibility of individual health boards.