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Scotland's ambitious emissions reduction targets, including targets for reducing emissions every year until reaching net zero by 2045, are set under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The level of these targets are kept under regular review to ensure they are in line with the latest climate science and advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), our independent statutory advisers. We have recently laid draft regulations to modify annual targets for 2021-2029 for technical reasons, to reflect updates to international standards for carbon accounting and in line with the latest advice received from the CCC.

NHS Boards are responsible for ensuring they have local policies in place to recruit effectively and retain their staff. They are supported in this through the Scottish Government’s National Workforce Strategy, which sets out the actions it will take in partnership with Boards to plan, attract, train, employ and nurture the health and social care workforce. At national level these actions include increasing workforce supply through international recruitment and providing additional medical and nursing student places.

Since 2014, Scottish Ministers have created 725 expansion posts across a wide range of medical specialties including 20 posts in geriatric medicine. This 32% increase in geriatric medicine training brings the total number of established places to 82 across all years of the Geriatric Medicine training programme.

I refer the Member to answers S6W-15324 on 9 March and S6W-16168 on 24 March 2023.

As stated in answer S6W-15324, the Statutory Guidance for the Scottish Welfare Fund sets out the responsibilities for Local Authorities in their administration of the Fund, including promotion and raising awareness across all potentially eligible individuals. This includes providing information on the Fund and making clear guidance available on how to apply for a grant. Local Authorities are also required to ensure that other services which have contact with people in crisis have up to date information about the Fund, including promotional posters and leaflets.

The Statutory Guidance sets out a requirement for Local Authorities to make provision for applications to be made online, on the phone and face-to-face. Local Authorities are expected to actively promote these channels. This is important to meet the varying needs of applicants, including older people who may not be online.

The Independent Review into the Scottish Welfare Fund published on 24 March 2023. As set out in answer S6W-16168, the Scottish Government is working to publish an Action Plan by the end of Spring 2023. The Action Plan will set out next steps for policy improvements to the Fund across a range of areas, including accessibility and promotion.

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 following table shows the amount of tuition fees paid out by the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) in cash and real terms (in 2021-22 prices) since 2007-08.

In addition to providing free tuition through SAAS, the Scottish Government also provides a block teaching grant to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support universities provide free tuition. Information on the teaching grant, including the allocation amount for AY 2022-23, can be found on SFC’s website.

Source: SG analysis of SAAS and HM Treasury data

Notes: Real terms figures are presented in 2021-22 prices, based on HM Treasury's GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP March 2023 (Quarterly National Accounts) series, published 3 April 2023.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is the owner and operator of Glasgow Subway and they are responsible for decisions and funding for subway operations.

The Scottish Government is providing up to £246 million to SPT, towards the estimated total project cost of £287.5 million for the Subway modernisation programme, which includes: a smartcard ticketing system; new rolling stock and signalling; refurbished stations with improved accessibility.

Operation times are a decision for SPT and this is not a matter they have raised with the Scottish Government.

A consultation on the final Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and its first Delivery Plan will take place over Summer 2023. Publication of the final versions of both the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and the first Delivery Plan will follow in Autumn 2023.

All respondents to the consultation were asked if they consent to their response being published, either anonymously or with their name attached.

Where a respondent has given consent, their response will be published and shared with the independent review.

Where a respondent has not given consent, their response will not be published and their response will not be shared with the independent review.

An independent analysis of the consultation will take full account of all responses. The analysis will be published on gov.scot and passed to the independent review of Adult Disability Payment when it commences.

Planning with People Community engagement and participation guidance contains guidance on major service change to NHS services. An updated version of Planning with People: community engagement and participation guidance was published on 21 April 2023 following consultation with service users and service providers in 2022. The findings of these consultations are included in Annex A of Planning with People. The decision-making process for NHS major service change as set out in this document is unchanged from previous guidance.

This guidance is also supported by documents published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement, including the Quality Framework for Community Engagement and Participation .

Information on the number of students attending a college in Scotland is published by the Scottish Funding Council. The latest publication contains a 10 year timeseries.

College Statistics 2021-22 (sfc.ac.uk)

Due to a recent methodology change, a timeseries isn’t available back to 2007. The below table provides a consistent timeseries of student headcount, enrolments and full-time equivalent figures back to 2007.

The following table reflects the various bursaries and grants that existed since 2007. The types of bursaries and grants that were available each year varied and some replaced others. The bursaries and grants available to students depended on their circumstances as well as the type of course they were studying.