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Scottish Ministers have carefully considered the findings of the 2021 National Marine Plan Review. In our Programme for Government 2022-23, Scottish Ministers committed to start the process of developing a new National Marine Plan, to address the global climate and nature crises by carefully managing increasing competition for space and resources in the marine environment. Scottish Ministers will formally commence this process via the publication of its Statement of Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy in the coming weeks.

Scottish Government are working with the UK Health Security Agency to secure further allocations for Scotland from additional vaccine supplies arriving in the UK, to protect high risk groups against monkeypox. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be able to request vaccines from these to meet their service delivery requirements.

The Scottish Government is not aware of concerns being raised by Unison regarding unsafe working practices at NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

The Health Secretary has been absolutely clear that when someone raises concerns about safe staffing and patient safety, it must be treated with the utmost seriousness.

All eligible individuals will be offered a safe and effective vaccine that has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and in line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice. JCVI have consistently said that ‘simplicity is the cornerstone of a successful public health vaccination programme’ and allowing a choice of vaccine is not possible for logistical and planning reasons.

For Winter 2022, the JCVI has advised using Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines that target the original and Omicron strains of Covid-19. For those with specific allergies, or conditions which contraindicate these vaccines, an alternative is available in exceptional circumstances. If an individual has concerns about a medical condition or allergy then they should highlight this to the local vaccinator who would be best placed to advise.

SQA delivered a priority appeals process for learners requiring the outcome of an appeal for immediate progression to university, college, training or employment this year. These appeals were completed on 5 September and students informed of the outcomes.

Further industrial action has been averted following SQA’s unions accepting a pay offer on 23 September, and SQA is currently reviewing the remaining appeals with the aim of completing these by the end of October.

The Scottish Government’s Social Enterprise Strategy was launched in 2016 and sets out a wide-ranging, ambitious and long-term programme to develop the potential of Scotland's social enterprise sector.

The latest Social Enterprise Action Plan was published on 24th March 2021 and covers the period 2021-24 and is available at: Social enterprise: action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In 2021-22 we spent over £7M in supporting social enterprise and expect to spend over £6M in 2022-23. £15M was distributed through COVID support funds in 2021-22.

Funding is provided to third sector organisations, including social enterprises, from across Scottish Government portfolios and is not collated centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10987 on 27 September 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

The information regarding the value of each local authority's reserves in real terms in 2022-23, and how this compares with the equivalent value in 2006-07 is set out in the following table.

A public consultation was held early in the process of developing the new strategy. Over 250 responses were received, which are being independently analysed and will be reported in the Autumn. We are also holding a series of workshops with people with lived experience of cancer in September 2022 to help us gain further insight into the consultation responses and hear directly about peoples’ experiences of cancer. Respondents include those with blood cancers and blood cancer charities.

In addition, we are holding meetings with third sector representatives including those working on blood cancers. All their views will contribute to the evidence that will inform the new cancer strategy.