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The £12.8 million of savings outlined in the 2023-24 Spring Budget Revision and published on 1 Feb 2024 was based on expected and planned underspend across various Lifelong Learning and Skills(LLS) budget lines.

The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption. In January 2023, the UK Government replaced EU state aid rules with its own subsidy control regime.

The Scottish Government continue to explore all options to implement ADT in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.

The Scottish Housing Market Review, a quarterly publication which collates a range of previously published statistics, was suspended in January 2024 due to a number of competing work priorities, which included analytical work related to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act as well as other legislative commitments.

The next edition of the Review is due to be published in April 2024, and will include analysis of data released in both Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.

It would be premature to review the impact until at least a year of official data is available to allow for a proper assessment of the impact of the legislative change. This data will be provided as part of the Scottish Government homelessness annual statistical publication in summer 2024. The data will inform a report on a formal review of the legislation, which will be shared with the Social Justice and Social Security Committee as per the commitment of Shona Robison, then Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, at her appearance before the Committee in November 2022.

There is also ongoing monitoring through a monitoring and evaluation framework which was co-produced with local authorities, third sector organisations and people with lived experience of homelessness. This captures the qualitative impact of the legislative change on homelessness services and is used by Scottish Government officials to monitor impact and address any emerging issues.

At 30 September 2023 there were 254 directly employed staff within the Aberdeen City Council area.

The Scottish Government publishes employment figures on a quarterly basis. This data, along with a time series back to 2012 and full explanatory notes, can be found here: Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with Police Scotland about the new safeguards and will continue this regular dialogue with the first set of safeguards now in force, and the second set due to come into force from 1 August 2024 onwards. This will include ongoing consideration of the operational impacts.

The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts confirms the investment in the NHS estate in each parliamentary session as:

2022-23 = £516m

2021-22 = £536m

A link to the Consolidated Accounts for each year is provided:

Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts: year ended 31 March 2022

Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts: year ended 31 March 2023

Since November 2021, sentinel surveillance data have been available for mycoplasma pneumoniae in Scotland through the CARI sentinel surveillance programme. In this programme, sentinel GP practices across Scotland recruit and swab patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. These samples are all tested for ten respiratory pathogens, including mycoplasma pneumoniae. Enhanced surveillance data, primarily relating to symptoms, are collected by an online questionnaire from patients tested in the programme. Analyses from these data suggest that most infections display as a mild respiratory illness. To date, there have been no deaths in 1280 CARI patients positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae (up to week 7) within 28 days of their test. With the information from CARI, GP providers have been advised that they should consider mycoplasma pneumoniae as part of the differential diagnosis for community-acquired pneumonia cases.

PHS separately analyses data on all microbiology laboratory specimen results across Scotland to identify positive mycoplasma pneumoniae test in hospitals or care homes, or as requested in the community (by GPs). These data are reviewed by PHS and NHS Health Boards to identify any clusters or trends resulting in severe disease that warrant further intervention. To date, no unusual outbreaks or evidence of increased severity of disease has been noted and public health guidance on management of cases/clinical treatment remains unchanged.

Mycoplasma pneumonia infection typically is not severe but it can cause a pneumonia that is usually mild in nature. PHS has reviewed routine surveillance data available to them and are reassured that most presentations of mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are of a mild respiratory illness, with children most commonly presenting at GPs with common respiratory symptoms. To date, there have been no deaths in 1280 CARI patients positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae (up to week 7) within 28 days of their test.

The Scottish Government notes that PHS continues to encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene to help stop the spread of winter bugs, including mycoplasma pneumoniae. By keeping hands clean and helping to ensure children practice good respiratory hygiene, the spread of this infection can be reduced. The Scottish Government notes that information on managing the symptoms of common winter illnesses including self-help guides and advice on preventing onward transmission, can be found on NHS Inform. ( https://www.nhsinform.scot/winter-illness/ )

PHS has advised the Scottish Government that mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory infections, particularly in school-aged children. Most infections display as a mild respiratory illness, however, some persons experience severe pneumonia and require hospitalization. Significant cyclical increases in mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are observed every 3–5 years, likely because of changes in the circulating strain.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of many respiratory conditions to re-emerge following cessation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, including lockdowns and physical distancing, implemented as part of the pandemic response. After implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions in response to COVID-19, the frequency of identified mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in Scotland substantially declined beginning in 2020, as was the case for other respiratory infections. Beginning in the autumn of 2023, the United States, China and other countries identified a re-emergence of the infection, a pattern similar to that observed in Scotland.