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The aim of the 4 Day Working Week public sector pilot is to assess environmental, health and wellbeing benefits, and efficiency gains, that a four-day working week could bring.

An expert partner with industry experience in 4 Day Work Week trials and research has been recruited through a Grant Funding exercise. They will facilitate the design and running of the pilot and support interested public bodies during the course of the pilot. Ministers will consider the findings of this work and will consider whether a final report will be published.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23120 7 December 2023. 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 Scottish Government will commence work on the 4 Day Working Week public sector pilot by the end of the calendar year. The pilot will take place over a 12 month period.

A number of public bodies expressed an interest in the 4DWW public sector pilot. Pilot participants are still being finalised, as are details of when participants will join the 4DWW pilot and initiate changes to their working week. Further details will be provided in due course.

The Scottish Government values and appreciates all the work that Who Cares? Scotland does to support and advocate for all Care Experienced people and we are committed to working with Who Cares? Scotland and other key partners to ensure that we Keep The Promise to care experienced adults and ensure that their voices are heard.

The Scottish Government is bringing forward legislation that will provide further protection to the rights of care experienced, children, young people and adults. This includes:

• A commitment to Scotland being the first UK nation to incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law, ensuring we are a country that respects, protects and fulfils children's rights.
• The Children's Care and Justice (Scotland) Bill, which is presently going through Parliament, and if agreed will bring an end to the placement of 16 and 17 years olds in young offenders institutions, and increase the age of referral to the Children's Hearing System to 18.
• A commitment to a Promise Bill by the end of this Parliamentary session, to make any further legislative changes required to Keep The Promise for children, young people and adults.
  

The term additional support needs under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the 2004 Act) applies where for whatever reason children or young people are unable to benefit from school education without the provision of additional support. Therefore, the information requested in relation to colleges and universities is not applicable.

Local authorities have duties under the 2004 Act to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. Local authorities are supported in fulfilling these duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning. Chapter 3 of the code covers identifying additional support needs and the assessment process.

As set out in Pupils with complex additional support needs: research into provision published on 19 September 2023, there were 241,639 pupils recorded as having additional support needs in 2022.

Funding of £100,000 has been allocated through a Grant Fund Award in the 2023-24 financial year to support the onboarding of an expert partner organisation, with £80,000 being the indicative funding of this award for 2024-25. None of these funds have been spent to date.

The Scottish Government uses a range of techniques to monitor and study fish populations which is critical to inform the management actions put in place to protect species. Internal tagging is used when there is no appropriate alternative method available to answer the specific question being addressed. It is a regulated procedure covered by the Animals (Scientific procedures) Act 1986 and is performed under licence from the Home Office. Alternatives to this method are examined and adopted where possible by the Scottish Government following the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) embedded in the act.

Support for the refurbishment of cultural assets, such as small-scale building renovations, accessibility improvements or installing fixed assets, can be accessed by individuals and organisations applying to Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.

On a select case-by-case basis, a Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) by Creative Scotland may also be authorised to use some of its regular funding towards refurbishment costs. This would require the organisation to demonstrate to Creative Scotland how the refurbishment represents value for money, public benefit and supports the delivery of their overall creative programme.

The external costs associated with the production and publication of the Building a New Scotland paper, ‘Our marine sector in an independent Scotland’, are set out in the following table:

Catering service times across campus provide a robust offering around parliamentary business.  Lunch service timings in the Garden Level Restaurant (11:30-14:30) are based on levels of demand and efficient use of resources in line with parliamentary requirements.  If it is helpful, it is possible to pre-order food on our app, and collect it from the Holyrood room between 11:30 and 2:30, although this does not change the timings, it is a quicker service.

Alternative options are available after 2.30pm including the Coffee Bar where a hot sandwich option can be ordered and the Public Café where hot food options including soup, baked potatoes and a range of sandwiches are on offer.  Hot food is also available from 4pm in Queensberry House Lounge.