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Our current advice is based on the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), as set out in its 2016 report Vitamin D and Health. SACN advises all devolved nations and UK Government on nutrition related matters.

Factors such as age and sex are considered by SACN when developing dietary recommendations, alongside additional requirements for pregnancy and lactation or differences by ethnic group or body weight.

The SACN report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report

Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause excess calcium to build up in the body, and this can weaken bones and damage the kidneys and the heart. Our advice is that:

• adults and children over 11 should avoid daily high dose vitamin D supplements containing more than 100 micrograms (4000 IU)
• children aged 1 to 10 years should avoid supplements with more than 50 micrograms (2000 IU)
• infants under 12 months should have no more than 25 micrograms a day (1000 IU).

Some people have certain medical conditions which mean they may not be able to safely take as much. They should seek advice from their clinician if they have any doubts. If a clinician has advised someone to take a different amount of vitamin D, they should follow their advice.

No specific recommendations on maximum dosages have been made by SACN based on weight.

Our advice is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups/

We will continue to be guided by SACN and will review our advice as necessary based on their recommendations.

The Electronic Duty of Care (edoc) system has been operational since January 2014. We are taking forward the commitment to move towards the use of a mandatory system for waste monitoring as part of our work to implement an electronic waste tracking system, set out in our update to the Climate Change Plan.

A range of trials have been undertaken as part of work to develop an electronic waste tracking system, including as part of a GovTech Catalyst competition. In 2019, as part of phase 1 of the competition, 5 technology suppliers each developed proof of concept electronic waste tracking solutions. Of these, 2 were selected and developed into prototype systems to test the key elements of waste tracking in 2020. These proof of concepts and prototypes were informed and tested by a user research panel of businesses, which currently includes around 450 businesses operating across Scotland.

Ministers have no current plans to use the discretionary power to align with European Union legislation provided through the UK Withdrawal from the EU (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021, but will do so where appropriate to maintain and advance the high standards Scotland has enjoyed as part of the EU.

The development of an electronic system for hazardous waste is being taken forward through a multi-agency project which proposes to implement a mandatory electronic waste tracking system. We plan on consulting on these proposals in the Autumn. Accurate costs and staffing hours for this multi-agency project are not held centrally.

The transfrontier shipment of waste is a reserved matter. We will work with Defra to consider any changes to improve data collection on transfrontier shipment of waste.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently delivered by the UK Government. The UK Government do not currently consider dementia as an industrial injury.

Statistics detailing a range of information on the Scottish Welfare Fund including application numbers and awards are published on the Scottish Government website monthly, quarterly and annually. The annual update for 2020-21 lists application numbers and awards by local authority area for each year since the Fund began in 2013. These statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/sg-social-security-scotland-stats-publications/

Bus services played an essential role in keeping Scotland moving safely during the coronavirus pandemic – and have an equally important part to play as we gradually start to return to some sense of normality.

Today I am announcing that up to £42 million in funding will be made available between 4 October 2021 and 31 March 2022 to support bus operators to maintain services.

With the easing of restrictions, more people are now using local bus services and I continue to encourage people to do so safely and in particular, to continue adhering to rules on the wearing of face coverings unless exempt.

In total, we had made up to £96.8 million available in 2021-22. Because passenger numbers have risen, I am pleased to report that the required funding for this financial year is now forecast at £88.2 million. We will continue to monitor that closely to ensure that bus operators have the funding they need to continue to maintain services, but also to ensure that we are not over or under paying them.

Last year we added an additional £1.1 million to the annual £3 million voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund and have committed a further £570,000 this year, enabling more families/carers and young carers to take a break from caring, including families of loved ones with dementia.

Recently we launched a £1.4 million holiday voucher scheme for tourism businesses to sign up to help low income families, unpaid carers and disadvantaged young people enjoy a break. The scheme will open for applications from these groups in October 2021.

Scottish Ministers advised the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee throughout the course of their inquiry leading to publication in Dec 2020 of its report “The Procurement and Construction of Ferry Vessels in Scotland” that, as part of a drive for continuous improvement, a review would be undertaken of the current legal constraints and governance arrangements for the existing tripartite of CMAL, Transport Scotland and David MacBrayne Limited including its subsidiaries. We have already advised this review is underway and provided further details to the committee on 11 March 2021 and the answers to S6W-01516 and S6W-01517 on 6 August 2021

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 Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is an autonomous Higher Education Institution (HEI), and as such has responsibility for its own strategic and operational decision making, including those related to the rebuilding of the Mackintosh building. The GSA has made clear its intention to rebuild the Mackintosh as a fully functioning art school, engaging fully with the local community in taking this forward.

All category A listed buildings, including the Mackintosh, are of significant cultural and historic importance to Scotland and are defined in Historic Environment Scotland (HES) guidance as buildings of “outstanding special architectural or historic interest”. HES, as the lead public body for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment, will continue to work with the GSA, Glasgow City Council and other interested parties on the complex issues surrounding the rebuild of the Mackintosh building.

All Scottish HEIs in receipt of public funding must comply with the terms of their Financial Memorandum with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and the principles of good governance set out in the Scottish Code of Good HE Governance.

The SFC continues to engage regularly with the GSA at senior management and board level on a range of issues, such as institutional governance, its plans for the delivery of high quality education, and the use of its estates for this purpose. This includes the Mackintosh and the approach the GSA is taking to inform decisions around its rebuilding.

The GSA will shortly publish the first stage of this process, the Strategic Outline Business Case (OBC), which was developed in accordance with UK and Scottish Government guidance and includes input from a range of internal and external stakeholders.