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The Scottish Government position is that pesticides should be authorised on a case by case basis where the available scientific evidence shows they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health, animals and the environment. An emergency authorisation for the use of the herbicide product Asulox has been approved for bracken control in 2022 in limited and controlled circumstances.

There is a need to move away from the use of emergency authorisations as the solution and look into more sustainable, long-term alternatives to Asulox. Officials have been instructed to begin talks with the other UK administrations and the Health and Safety Executive, to further engage stakeholders and those working on alternative solutions, to ensure we have more sustainable forms of bracken control going forward.

We remain committed to making regulations under section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 to enable marriages to become civil partnerships.

We are currently in discussion with the UK Government on reserved consequential legislation and will consider timings once these discussions have completed.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care attends regular meetings with his counterparts in the UK and other Devolved Administrations to ensure that the Scottish Government is represented in relation to public health incidents which require a coordinated 4 Nations response.

Additionally, Public Health Scotland (PHS) are leading on the response in Scotland and are working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Wales and Northern Ireland HSC Health Protection Agency to ensure a coordinated response to monkeypox in the UK. Where appropriate, Scottish Government officials are also represented on 4 nations groups established to support these coordination efforts.

The 2021-22 season has seen the UK’s largest outbreak of avian flu to date, which has affected wild bird populations, including some internationally important seabird populations.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds reported to Defra’s GB national helpline. As of 10 August 2022, 588 wild birds from multiple locations across Scotland, consisting of 29 species, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These figures capture information on the general location and strains of avian influenza that are present in wild birds and are not an indication of the total estimated mortality. More information, including the findings of HPAI in wild birds are available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-outbreaks/#wildbirds .

In addition to the GB surveillance programme, NatureScot and other relevant parties have been carrying out monitoring at key seabird colonies across Scotland to collect data on bird numbers and any mortality events. While the full extent of mortality is unknown, some seabird colonies have clearly been affected by the current avian influenza outbreak. Colony surveys will be undertaken during the 2023 breeding season to assess the status of seabird colonies

The Scottish Government is aware that food producers and retailers, as well as many other businesses, are struggling under the current trading conditions that are arising from the effects of Brexit, the conflict in Ukraine and the increasing costs of doing business more generally. That is why we are working closely with industry to mitigate these challenges.

We are taking a range of actions, within a limited budget and the restrictions of devolution, to help those facing the combined impact of higher energy bills and interest rate rises. This includes almost £3 billion in this financial year that will help households facing the increased cost of living, providing services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK. This is helping to reduce everyday costs, increase incomes and is expected to indirectly support communities and local businesses.

In conversations with business the specific support they need most falls within the reserved responsibilities of the UK Government. Among those measures businesses are seeking help to address are energy price caps, VAT reduction on business energy bills, expansion of shortage occupation lists, support in handling business debt and pausing the National Insurance increase. I have written to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to urge the UK Government to take action on these matters.

We continue to urge UK Ministers to use all the powers and fiscal headroom at their disposal to address the cost of living and business crisis.

The Scottish Government is aware that all businesses, particularly small ones, are struggling under the current trading conditions that are arising from the effects of Brexit, the conflict in Ukraine and the increasing costs of doing business more generally. That is why we are working closely with businesses to mitigate these challenges.

We are taking a range of actions, within a limited budget and the restrictions of devolution, to help those facing the combined impact of higher energy bills and interest rate rises. This includes almost £3 billion in this financial year that will help households facing the increased cost of living, providing services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK. This is helping to reduce everyday costs, increase incomes and expected to indirectly support communities and local businesses.

In conversations with business the specific support they need most falls within the reserved responsibilities of the UK Government. Among those measures businesses are seeking help to address are energy price caps, VAT reduction on business energy bills, expansion of shortage occupation lists, support in handling business debt and pausing the National Insurance increase. I have written to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to urge the UK Government to take action on these matters.

We continue to urge UK Ministers to use all the powers and fiscal headroom at their disposal to address the cost of living and business crisis.

In this government’s first 100 days, we established six pilot schemes to provide free bikes for school age children who cannot afford one. A further four pilots were then established by the end of 2021. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing different approaches and delivery models to help inform a national rollout.

The total number of bikes issued to date is 2067. We expect to have issued 3000 bikes by the end of the pilot period. The bikes include adapted and non-standard bikes to cater for a range of needs.

We do not record data on bike numbers at local authority level. However, considering bikes issued and associated training and promotion sessions, free bikes activities have taken place in 20 of 32 local authority areas. The 9 pilots are running across a range of locations including in urban, rural and island communities.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have confirmed that, since the opt-out option was included on the NHS Organ Donation Register in 2015/16, no donations have proceeded in Scotland where a potential donor has registered an opt out decision.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10083 on16 August 2022. 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.

In 2021 Play Scotland published its progress review of Scotland’s Play Strategy which identified eight broad recommendations for next steps on play in Scotland, including that government and others should “maintain a focus on playful learning and play in schools”. Play Scotland’s progress review is available at: https://www.playscotland.org/resources/progress-review-of-scotlands-play-strategy-2021/.

In 2020 the Scottish Government and Education Scotland published ‘Realising the Ambition: Being Me – Practice Guidance for Early Years in Scotland’. This national guidance for staff working with children and families from pre-birth until the end of Primary 1 and beyond, draws on research, evidence and theory and includes guidance on play pedagogy across the early level of Curriculum for Excellence. On 27 July 2022, Education Scotland launched an updated and strengthened version of the Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit, available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/early-level-play-pedagogy-toolkit/.

Individual school inspection reports consider play pedagogy alongside the variety of early level pedagogical approaches adopted by schools. They report on outcomes for learners and make reference to the quality of children’s experiences.