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As at 14 February 2023 there were 370 Ukrainian displaced people in Welcome accommodation in Edinburgh, with a further 1,140 on board MS Victoria. There were 650 Ukrainian displaced people in Welcome accommodation in Glasgow, with a further 995 on board MS Ambition.

Matching teams working on-board both vessels are making offers of accommodation based on the circumstances of guests, including employment, health and personal preferences.

While priority will be given to match those disembarking the ships with local offers of accommodation, some guests will be asked to consider accommodation further afield, in other parts of Scotland. Due to the range of uncertainty, thus far it has not been possible to produce an estimate of how many will remain within Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The SFC’s teaching funding allocation to the Highlands and Islands (H&I) incorporates enhanced funding in recognition of the additional costs associated with delivery in such areas. This amounts to approximately 50% more funding than that provided for city colleges.  

The SFC also currently allocates £8 million annually to colleges across Scotland to specifically reflect the additional costs associated with rurality. The H&I Region receives over two-thirds of this funding (£5.4 million).

The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 allows for new methods of body disposal and we intend to regulate alkaline hydrolysis (also known as water cremation) for use in Scotland. However, all types of body disposal must be equally safe and dignified. We must move forward in a way that ensures the protection of the environment and the public, maintaining their confidence in the process.

It’s therefore important that regulation of water cremation is subject to a similar regulatory framework as other methods before being introduced. This must also interact with the requirements of environmental regulation and national and local planning policy.

We will soon be publishing a full public consultation as part of this process and we will also continue to work closely with the funeral sector to support its delivery of high-quality services to bereaved families.

The Incidents branch sits within the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit in Food Standards Scotland under the direction of the divisional head. The head of Incidents has a team of six incidents officers, each with varying levels of experience. There are no formal requirements for additional skills above those essential for SG employees and most of the training is provided once within the unit. All officers are trained in ‘decision making’ along with other role specific training.

These officers gather the information provided by experts within Food Standards Scotland with regards to scientific risk assessment and risk management options to advise, guide and assist the local authorities who are the competent authority on the ground.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) already has a range of civil sanctions, such as fixed monetary penalties or enforcement undertakings, which it can impose as part of its enforcement of a wider range of existing environmental legislation.

Civil sanctions mean that SEPA has a flexible range of enforcement tools available to deal with any breach of environmental legislation. The Lord Advocate has issued guidance to SEPA on its use of civil sanctions which can be found at Lord Advocates guidelines to SEPA: use of enforcement measures under the regulatory reform (Scotland) act 2014.

In terms of criminal remedies, SEPA would refer such instances to Police Scotland or the relevant police service elsewhere in the UK.

There are 3 dental schools in Scotland at Aberdeen, Dundee, and Glasgow Universities. There are no plans for any new dental courses to be introduced at the current time.

The Scottish Government has provided funding of over £520,000, over the past four years, to support the establishment of an FASD Hub in Scotland with the aim of providing support, training and advice to families, carers and professionals supporting children affected by FASD. This is the first national FASD Hub of its kind within the UK.  

There are no current studies on the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in Scotland. We have provided funding of over £1 million, over the past four years, to the FAAST team at Edinburgh University to support research, evidence and training for professionals, including diagnostic training. As well as improving supports, this work may have contributed to an increase in the reported number of people with FASD who were not previously known to services.

The Scottish Government does not hold the date range of local authority input data however; 27 Local Authorities used their own data to complete the modelling and 4 used national waste composition data based on their recycling performance at the time of modelling.  

The small grants will enable wide-scale public engagement across Scotland for the refreshed New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy. Arrangements for the distribution of the small grants associated are being developed by the strategy’s key partners, the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. Further information will be available in due course.

We know that endometriosis can have a significant impact on people’s lives, and that support for those with the condition is required while we work to improve waiting times.  

To ensure those with endometriosis are receiving consistent and appropriate care we will help support The Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) to implement the new Integrated Endometriosis Referral Care Pathway for NHS Scotland, which has now been approved and will be circulated to all NHS Scotland health boards this year.  

We have invested in research into endometriosis, which is vital to help us achieve better care for those with the condition. We are jointly funding a £250,000 endometriosis research project with Wellbeing of Women and the recipient of the grant will be announced later in March. The research aims to develop improvements into treatment and management options for the condition.  

To ensure that people with endometriosis have access to the most accurate and relevant information and links to further support, we updated the NHS Inform endometriosis page. This includes videos to support those with the condition and to provide information about symptoms and treatment options available.  

The supply of medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Scottish Government officials are regularly updated on any supply disruptions which may arise and will provide advice to the NHS in Scotland on options to address any shortages.