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Published forecast figures on green job numbers are derived from projects where funding from the Green Jobs Fund has already been agreed and, in financial year 2024-25, support will continue for projects where commitments have been contractually agreed.

It is important to recognise that the Green Jobs Fund forms a relatively small part of the Scottish Government’s broader investment in the transition to net zero. This includes many institutions, funding packages and investment vehicles which provide advice, support and financial assistance for businesses at the forefront to building Scotland’s green economy. The forthcoming Green Industrial Strategy will provide further strategic direction on how such investment should be directed in future.

Crown Estate Scotland received £756 million in option fees from the initial ScotWind auctions in 2022-23. As set out in the 2022 Resource spending review, and subsequent budget publications, these funds were initially profiled to be drawn down by the Scottish Government over a three year period as follows:

2022-23 - £96 million

2023-24 - £310 million

2024-25 - £350 million

The final drawdown for 2022-23 was £96 million as planned. Drawdowns for 2023-24 and subsequent years are only finalised at the very end of March when the Scottish Government has more certainty over its financial position.

At the time of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget the planned drawdown for 2024-25 was decreased to £200 million reflecting the need to ensure sufficient funds were available to balance the 2023-24 financial position. Given the recent improvement to the 2023-24 position it is now likely that this will not be required in 2023-24 and therefore may be used to support future financial years.

In 2017, the Scottish Government asked the Scottish Land Commission to look at the potential for introducing a form of land value based tax in Scotland. One of their key findings was that, although the theoretical case for the introduction of a land value tax is strong, there is a lack of empirical evidence that land value taxes have actually delivered the theoretical benefits attributed to them. They went on to note that to date no country has ever replaced existing taxes on land and property with a single tax and most people today accept that the idea of a single tax is not practical in the 21st century. These findings were published by the Scottish Land Commission in October 2018.

Following the publication of these findings, the Scottish Government has not carried out any further modelling of a land value tax. However, the Scottish Government has continued to engage with academics and stakeholders with an interest in this topic.

We believe that the power to tax wealth should be devolved to this Parliament, so that it can be designed to work fairly and effectively in a Scottish-specific context. Any analysis of wealth taxes, therefore, must consider the limits of powers currently devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

We will continue to consider any tax proposals in line with our core tax principles which are set out in the Framework for Tax and believe that those with the broadest shoulders should contribute the most.

There can be many reasons for delays in determining applications including requests for and submission of additional information, delays with responses from statutory consultees and the requirement for a legal agreement. The specific reasons for the time taken to determine individual major planning applications would be held by the individual planning authority making the determination.

The average timescale for all major applications determined without a processing agreement was 35.2 weeks in Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24. Due to the low number of applications involved, average determination timescales are volatile and can be affected by one or two lengthy cases. In the same period, 23 of the 57 major applications not subject to processing agreements were determined within the statutory timescale, and 46 of those 57 major applications determined within the same period were determined in a time faster than the national average.

I am not currently scheduled to meet with representatives from Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT). However, officials are in ongoing dialogue with CRT on all aspects of its programme and keep me fully updated. I will be happy to meet with CRT officials in the future, should this be helpful.

I last met with representatives of Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) on 14 September 2023 to discuss its funding level for 2023-24. Regeneration officials met with CRT on 27 November to build on discussions from that meeting and are in ongoing discussion with CRT.

The Scottish Government is committed to making sure that the necessary resources and support are available for professionals and volunteers working in child protection roles.

We are working with partners and the workforce who support children and families to improve the skills, knowledge and shared values of all those who contribute to the national outcomes for children, young people and families through the implementation of Getting It Right for Every Child, UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, The Promise, and through delivery of our Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme.

The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland was updated in August 2023 and supports everyone who works with children, young people and their families in Scotland by outlining responsibilities and expectations regarding child protection. The National Guidance will be updated as necessary to remain up to date with significant legislative, policy or practice changes.

Last year, we commissioned the Scottish Social Services Council to lead on a refresh of the Common Core training framework for the workforce providing support to children, young people and families. The Framework focuses on the core skills, values and learning the workforce requires to deliver holistic family support and rights-based practice in accordance with UNCRC and GIRFEC principles.

We have also worked with partners on the development of NHS Education for Scotland eLearning resources to support health professionals in their child and adult protection roles. In 2022 four eLearning modules were published on Turas Learn, thereby improving accessibility to high quality learning and consistency in practice across Scotland.

Furthermore, we continue to work with partners to support the workforce to develop a wider trauma-informed approach to the provision of care. As part of the National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP), we continue to rollout 'Transforming Connections', a tailored ‘Trauma-Skilled’ level training and coaching package, to people who work alongside care experienced children and young people in priority sectors of the Children and Families workforce in Scotland.

To support the child protection workforce with learning and development, the Scottish Government is funding a National Learning and Development Co-ordinator post for two years. The post holder has worked with a stakeholder group and Scottish Government colleagues refreshed the National Framework for Child Protection Learning and Development in Scotland, which was published on 1 March 2024, and to develop a range of resources for Child Protection Committees (CPCs) which will be made available on a Knowledge Hub site later in March 2024. CPCs are the key local bodies for developing, implementing and improving child protection strategy across and between agencies, bodies and the local community.

Child abuse and neglect have significant detrimental effects on children and young people’s emotional, physical and mental health, social development, education and future employment.

Scotland’s approach to child protection is set within the “Getting It Right For Every Child” (GIRFEC) approach to planning and providing support and care to children and families. The GIRFEC approach supports prevention of child abuse and neglect by driving forward a multi-agency approach to working with and supporting children and young people.

The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, updated in 2023, provides information to support practitioners to identify and respond to cases of child abuse and neglect. We are also developing national multi-agency training on inter-agency referral discussions (IRD), which are the start of the formal process of information sharing, assessment, analysis and decision-making following reported concerns about abuse or neglect of a child or young person. This will further support practitioners to prevent and intervene early so risk and harm to children and young people is recognised and acted on quickly and effectively.

We continue to learn from good practice both in Scotland and internationally to deliver positive action to reduce child abuse and neglect including initiatives like Scotland’s baby box, the Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods, Parent Club and universal free school meals for children from primary 1-5.

Responsibility for delivery of Primary Medical Services rests with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships, and delivery plans should take account of local population health need. To assist local partners, in November 2023 the Scottish Government published The General Practice Access Principles [ General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ]. This report sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how general medical services should be delivered. To support general practice, we have significantly expanded the primary care multi-disciplinary team workforce to support GPs and practice teams ensuring more people get the right care in the right place at the right time.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing more in General Practices servicing disadvantaged areas through targeted action like the Inclusion Health Action in General Practice project in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, with £1.3 million funding dedicated so far, and stabilising our Community Link Worker capacity in Glasgow, with £3.6 million funding already confirmed for three years from 2024-25 to 2026-27.