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The SFC’s Fiscal Sustainability Report is an important contribution to the debate on fiscal sustainability and highlights potential impacts of demographic change on the Scottish public finances over the next fifty years. These challenges are not unique to Scotland, and are prevalent in many high-income countries. However, Scotland lacks a full range of levers to deal with these in the way that other countries can, particularly over migration.

Within the powers at its disposal, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the public finances are on a sustainable trajectory. This will mean growing our economy and by extension our tax base, and embedding delivery and value for money at the heart of our public services. Central to this will be overseeing public service reform, focused on delivering more efficient, person-centred public services. The Fiscal Framework review will also be vital and must ensure the Scottish Government and Parliament has the necessary powers to manage the risks we face within our devolved responsibilities, and to support economic recovery. The Scottish Government’s approach to managing the public finances over the medium-term is set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy, due to be published in May 2023.

In 2023 we will also launch a new Talent Attraction and Migration Service for Scotland, and publish an Addressing Depopulation Action Plan. And we will continue to press the UK Government to make the vital immigration reforms required to meet Scotland’s needs.

While the Scottish Government will continue to manage the public finances diligently with the powers we have, it is our view that the current constitutional settlement is insufficient to properly tackle the long-term challenges that Scotland faces. Ultimately, Scotland must be independent with full control over the economy and powers over migration to secure the stability of our public finances.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16686 on 28 April 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 is currently in the process of developing three sectoral Just Transition Plans, on Transport, Buildings and Construction, and Land Use and Agriculture, following our commitment to deliver Just Transition Plans for high-emitting sectors. We will also be taking account of consultation responses to revise the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

We have shared preliminary discussion material for each Plan with the Just Transition Commission, who continue to advise on current progress and next steps. As advised by the Commission, discussion papers for each Plan are due to be shared publicly in the coming weeks. These will support extensive public and stakeholder engagement over the summer, to inform the drafting of full Plans over the course of the next year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16943 on 28 April 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

As per my answer to S6W-13155, the Government plans to introduce a new Housing Bill as soon as possible after the summer recess. The exact timing and scope of that Bill is currently subject to consideration as we continue to deliver our emergency response to support tenants through the ongoing cost of living crisis.

We are greatly concerned by reports of children and under-age young people obtaining nicotine vaping products (NVPs). NVPs are an age restricted product and should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. Laws are also in place which ban the purchase of vaping products for under-18s (proxy purchase), and stores need to have an age verification policy for the sale of tobacco and NVPs.

In October 2022, we wrote to all registered retailers of these products to remind them of their duty of sale and we regularly meet with Trading Standards on enforcement activity.

There are already regulations in place which restrict the marketing and promotion of vaping products to under 18s. Our recent consultation proposed additional restrictions and we are considering next steps. Any action we seek to take will build on the regulations already in place.

We will also publish our refreshed Tobacco Action Plan this year, which will include actions to reduce vaping among young people. We are reviewing vaping education for young people in schools and have also funded ASH Scotland to work with a range of youth organisations on the risks associated with vaping.

Despite ongoing significant pressures, we continue to see progress in reducing long waits following the introduction of targets in July 2022. The latest Public Health Scotland data shows:

• The total number of patients waiting than more two years for a new outpatient appointment was reduced by 60 per cent in six months;
• 18 of 30 inpatient / day-case specialities have fewer than ten patients waiting more than two years
• 61 per cent of new outpatient specialties have fewer than 10 patients waiting over 78 weeks.

We have also progressed significant immediate and long term solutions to support Boards to clear their remaining long waits. In addition to the targets introduced last year, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery is supporting Boards to maximise their capacity and increase theatre efficiencies, including through Active Clinical Referral Treatment and Patient Initiated Review.

Four National Treatment Centres will also open this year, providing significant additional capacity for orthopaedics, ophthalmic and diagnostic treatment. This includes NTC-Fife and NTC-Highland, which opened in March and April respectively, and NTC-Forth Valley and the second phase of the NHS Golden Jubilee which will open later in the year.

Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £121.9 million as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2023-24. This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness, the medium and long term solutions at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and improvements to the A96 corridor as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year.

£4,346 was allocated during 2022-2023 to NHS Health Boards for the provision of small hot food appliances for all doctors in training. Health Boards were invited to liaise with their local British Medical Association representative with regards to the number required and location of appliances.

Since the inception of work to better understand the Arrochar litter sink in 2017, we have determined that approximately half of the litter has originated from the River Clyde catchment, and half from the open sea. We are using this knowledge to focus efforts on tackling the source of the litter over which we can have most influence, that from the River Clyde.

As such, the recently updated Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland includes actions on riverine litter, to prevent it and to support its removal. Our key delivery partner Keep Scotland Beautiful and their Upstream Battle project enables communities, businesses, and schools on the River Clyde to develop local solutions to reduce littering, and also support its clean-up. This initiative also supports citizen science and the outputs will inform further riverine litter policy, aiming to reduce and intercept litter before it reaches our seas. In addition, we are also engaging with Glasgow City Council to consider more options to increase litter removal from the River Clyde.