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The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates the use of animals in scientific procedures in the UK. This is a reserved area of legislation.

The Scottish Government asks the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to liaise with research institutes and outline their responsibilities.

The SFC have advised that they require institutions to comply with the Concordat to Support Research Integrity. The Concordat sets out principles and commitments to ensure that research produced by or in collaboration with UK universities is underpinned by the highest standards of rigour and integrity and that the public, government, business, and international partners can continue to have confidence in that research.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the total number of on-street bike hangers across Scotland, or on the demand for bike hangers. Individual local authorities may hold this information for their respective areas.

The Scottish Government is extremely sympathetic to the extent to which the announcement to replace the SQA has been troubling for staff concerned about their jobs and careers.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills attended a SQA staff Q&A session on 29 June 2021 and met SQA Unions on 29 July 2021 to discuss staff concerns. Scottish Government officials continue to have direct engagement with SQA Union representatives, meeting on 12 August and 23 September 2021. In addition Professor Ken Muir, in his role as Independent Advisor on the replacement of SQA and reform of Education Scotland, is engaging with staff and unions in both organisations to inform his work.

The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with staff and unions throughout this period of uncertainty and beyond. Matters raised by staff and unions are under active consideration and we are committed to ensuring that the employment rights of staff are protected and that trade unions and staff are fully consulted and informed.

In line with our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that high quality, person centred bereavement care and support is available for those who need it. It is important to reflect that each individual and family’s experience of bereavement is unique as are their support requirements. That is why there is a broad range of bereavement care available in the short and long term for those who need it, particularly at this difficult time.

Each hospital will have its own arrangements in place to support bereaved families, as bereavement services are commissioned on a local basis to meet the needs of each area’s population. To ensure effective support, health and social care professionals who work with people around the time of death and bereavement receive education and training from NHS Education for Scotland.

For families, there is also a range of helpful information around bereavement and grief on the NHS Inform website: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/death-and-bereavement/coping-with-grief

Since 2016 the Scottish Government has funded Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland and Child Bereavement UK to provide support to individuals and families who have been bereaved. This can be both short and longer term. For example, an Early Support service is available for families for the first 6 months. Beyond 6 months a counselling service is available, if required. If longer term support is needed Cruse will help find appropriate support, such as befriending support for bereaved parents through Compassionate Friends or referral to statutory psychological services.

Looking forward, work on how to best support families after the death of a child will also form part of the new child death review system launched by the Scottish Government in collaboration with Health Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate on 1 October 2021. https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/governance_and_assurance/deaths_of_children_reviews.aspx

In total, 107 organisations applied to either the first round of funding (2019-2020), the main PIMH Fund (2020-2023) or the Small Grants Fund (2021-2023). Some organisations applied more than once. 33 organisations were successful across all funding rounds (31%). 74 were unsuccessful .

To October 2021, £1,815,641.09 has been distributed to successful organisations via these Funds.

The available information is provided in the following table which has been produced from the Scottish Government’s criminal proceedings database .

People proceeded against with a Domestic Abuse identifier or statutory aggravation recorded against the main charge, by type of court, 2019-20.

We have made no specific assessment of the number of hospital appointments that have been missed on the mainland as a result of delays or cancellations on the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry route.

We recognise the impact that ferry disruption has on island communities, and are taking steps to address resilience across the network. The MV Glen Sannox is due to be delivered next year which will improve vessel resilience on this route.

Whenever there is disruption, CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) do their best to assist passengers with a need to travel, particularly those with medical appointments, and will always do everything possible to accommodate passengers on alternative sailings.

In order to address capacity issues, a new policy has been put in place to ensure anyone with a short notice medical appointment who cannot book a vehicle can travel as a foot passenger and CFL will arrange a taxi.

The Scottish Government accepted recommendation 22 of the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates, which proposed a condition to tackle a known tax avoidance measure that all owners or occupiers of self-catering properties must provide evidence of 70 days of actual letting per year in order to qualify as non-domestic.

The Scottish Budget 2021-22 stated: “Due to COVID-19, the implementation of the requirement that self-catering properties be let for 70 days or more in order to be classed as non-domestic, as recommended by the independent Barclay Review of non-domestic rates, was initially delayed and will now be in place for 2021-22.” The Scottish Government will shortly lay secondary legislation with the Scottish Parliament to deliver this change although how the changes will be administered is a matter for independent Local Assessors.

The valuation of all non-domestic property is a matter for Scottish Assessors, including requests for information pertaining to the non-domestic property. Assessors may request information from a proprietor, tenant or occupier of a property as well as any other relevant person for the purposes of valuation and a response is required by legislation to be returned within 28 days. These information provision obligations are applied to all non-domestic properties, including self-catering properties. As set out in the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act, failure to respond within that period may result in a civil penalty.

In 2020-21 and 2021-22, Assessors received additional resources to support the implementation of the Barclay Review.

The Scottish Government recognise that the recent rises in energy prices, and the increase in the price cap authorised by Ofgem, can only have a negative impact on fuel poor households.

While energy markets are a reserved matter, we are taking action, within our powers, to support people who are struggling with their heating bills through the winter. On Friday 29 October we announced a £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund to provide direct support with fuel costs for low income households. This funding will be delivered through a range of organisations including registered social landlords, Advice Direct Scotland and the Fuel Bank Foundation. It is part of a wider £41 million package of funding designed to help people on low incomes who are facing financial insecurity over the winter.

Hydrogen policy officials are currently working on the development of the Hydrogen Action Plan. The five year Hydrogen Action Plan will be published shortly and will set out the actions that the Scottish Government will take to support Scottish supply chain activity and drive the development of a low-cost hydrogen capability to meet that 5GW ambition by 2030.

The Scottish Government’s upcoming Hydrogen Action Plan will be supported by a five year £100m programme of investment to help develop the hydrogen economy in Scotland.