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The Scottish Household Survey 1 is published annually and contains statistics on internet access and use by a number of categories. The publication contains statistics covering internet access by household income, Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile, tenure, and urban-rural classification, as well as internet usage by age, disability, household income, and SIMD quintile. Additionally, the publication contains information on access to smart appliances, methods of access (e.g. smartphone, tablet, personal computer, laptop etc.), and confidence in using the internet by age and tenure

Furthermore, the Scottish Government is taking forward evaluations of digital infrastructure projects which will enable understanding of the impacts of investment. We have published the Digital Appraisal Manual for Scotland 2 and, informed by this guidance, are taking forward evaluations of the Scottish 4G Infill Programme, and R100 Programme. Evaluations will involve research engaging with affected areas and communities, and allow for gathering of evidence on how people and businesses are using this infrastructure, the associated benefits (e.g. productivity, wellbeing, environmental), and barriers to access.

By embedding best practice in appraisal and evaluation in digital policy making in Scotland, we will not only be able to monitor the effectiveness of our investments as impacts materialise, but we will also be best placed to refine our evidence base and develop effective policies in future.

1. Scottish Household Survey: publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

2. Digital appraisal manual for Scotland: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The CivTech challenge on ethical and explainable AI has directly lead to the recent launch of the Scottish AI Register.

The AI Register, developed in collaboration with Finnish start-up Saidot, as part of the challenge was launched in March 2023. It makes transparent the development and use of AI in the public sector, and offers the public a simple and effective platform to have a say in how AI is used to make decisions and deliver public services.

Central and core funding are the same funding category, therefore, the funding provided below excludes funding related to specific projects. Core funding allocated to Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is presented in the table below. Information prior to 2017-18 is unavailable as it was deleted in accordance with our standard records management practice, before the date of your request. Therefore, core funding allocated to the Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs from 2018-19 has been provided.

Funding allocated in financial year 2021/22 has been provided, however it is also publicly available at:

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Table: Total funding allocated to Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs by financial year, from 2018-19 to 2022-23

Source: Scottish Government Enterprise Accounting System (SEAS) records.

The University of Strathclyde, through a PhD project co-supervised with Marine Directorate staff, is involved in data collation and stock assessment modelling for demersal fish stocks in the Clyde. The project uses fisheries-dependent data (from logbooks for landings), routine Marine Directorate on-board observer sampling data (for fish not officially landed), and fisheries-independent data from the Scottish West Coast groundfish survey. The PhD project is in the writing-up phase, aiming to submit at the end of the summer 2023.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the suffering of those who were infected with HIV or hepatitis as a result of NHS treatment in the 1970s and 1980s and welcomed the publication in April 2023 of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s second interim report on compensation.

I recently met UK and Welsh Ministers and the Permanent Secretary for the Northern Ireland Department of Health to seek to ensure progress on the Inquiry’s report. There is a common determination to provide appropriate redress for victims of this dreadful tragedy.

The UK Government's position that there is a moral case for compensation to be paid was welcomed and Ministers and the Northern Ireland Permanent Secretary looked forward to working together in considering the recommendations in the report to enable a response as soon as possible after the Inquiry concludes. It was noted however that this does not preclude earlier announcements as work progresses and it was agreed that a further meeting would take place in the coming weeks to take stock of progress.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme continues to provide ongoing financial support and all beneficiaries on the schemes - both infected individuals and bereaved partners - received an interim compensation payment of £100,000, following the Inquiry's recommendation in its first interim report of July 2022.

Scottish public authorities exercise their functions in accordance with all relevant legal requirements, including those set out in legislation passed by the UK Parliament relating to reserved matters.

The Scottish Government has no functions in connection with which it may be required to report persons to the Home Office on the grounds of immigration status. Other public authorities may, however, be subject to such requirements.

The sharing of personal information between public authorities must be considered in line with relevant data protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR.

Funding allocated to Scottish Drugs Forum for both core and specific project is presented in the following table. Information prior to 2017-18 is unavailable as it was deleted in accordance with our standard records management practice, before the date of your request. Therefore, funding allocated to the Scottish Drugs Forum from 2018-19 has been provided.

Funding allocated in financial year 2021-22 has been provided, however it is also publicly available at: National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Women’s Health Plan sets out actions which aim to address women’s health inequalities by raising awareness around women’s health, improving access to health care for women across their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls.

NHS Boards are responsible for determining and delivering the services required by their local populations. For NHS Boards that cover remote and rural settings, local planning is expected to take account of the particular needs of these populations. Integration Authorities also engage and consult with a range of stakeholders, and work with local communities and professionals to improve outcomes and sustainability of provision through service redesign.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and have people at the centre of their care.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) make a valued contribution to delivering services and supporting patients and families who require specialist care. The Scottish Government has invested over £2.4 million annually in the Specialist Nursing and Care Fund since 2015, which continues to increase access to CNS nationally.

The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland; however, the statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS Boards and integrated health and social care partnerships. Operational decisions, including whether there is a need for lymphocytic leukaemia specialist nurses, are therefore matters for those bodies.

However, within cancer services we have piloted 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) programmes. This approach will ensure patients with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of cancer have dedicated person-centred support to discuss their specific circumstances.

We are working closely with affected Boards to ensure that unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via Public Dental Service clinics.