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National Records of Scotland were last contacted by the Church of Scientology in 2022 with regards to religious and belief bodies nominating to the Registrar General members they wish to be registered as empowered to solemnise marriages under Section 9 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.

We have not identified any other instances of SG contact with the Church of Scientology.

The information requested on the number of phlebotomists employed by NHS boards in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022 is not centrally available.

Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments are not specifically allocated to the horticulture sector. However, our Census Data does identify holdings that are either of specialist horticulture and permanent crop type or which have at least 2 hectares of horticultural crops on the holding. In 2022, BPS payments worth approx. £22.6 million (8.13% of total BPS expenditure) were paid to businesses using these holdings.

It should be noted that as BPS payments are issued at a business level, some of these payments will be to businesses with additional farming activity which is not considered as horticulture.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of biodiversity and nature restoration, and the urgent need for action at home and abroad to tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. This is why our Global Affairs Framework makes clear that Scotland will play its full role, engaging with international networks on biodiversity protection and nature restoration to make positive contributions and cooperate with others.

Our biodiversity strategy sets out our vision to be nature-positive, halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and reversing declines by 2045. Achieving these goals will require significant efforts and – as part of these – we will continue to implement our international obligations, engage with international partners to cooperate and share best practice, and actively participate in multilateral fora where possible.

I recognise the need for urgent action in Inverclyde following the publication of the National Records of Scotland data on alcohol-specific deaths during 2022. It shows that with 28 deaths Inverclyde had the highest age standardised mortality rate for alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland – at 33 per 100,000 of population.

We are providing and will continue to provide funding to statutory and community services operating in Inverclyde as part of the Government’s plan to help tackle this public health emergency. We have committed to continue our financial support to the Inverclyde Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service as well as supporting the contributions made by community Link Workers and others working in the local area. We will also continue to provide support through accessible community Funds to local initiatives such as Moving On, which I visited earlier this month, to hear from people impacted by alcohol and drugs.

I am fully committed to do everything in my power to tackle alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, working with partners including Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships and third sector organisations to ensure that local needs are met, and that funding is making the maximum impact in all local areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21068 on 14 September 2023. 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 Scottish Government has not confirmed budgets for 2024-25.

A national STIs and Safer Sex awareness campaign led by Public Health Scotland launched in July.The first phase is focussed on condom use and knowing the signs and symptoms of STIs.A second phase planned for later in 2023 will focus on testing.

A national project to develop online STI testing has been underway since 2021. The Scottish Government provided £0.5 million for an initial pilot in NHS Lothian and scoping work is now being carried out for a national service.

In addition, we are currently developing a new Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus plan, which is due to be published by the end of Summer 2023 and will set out our priorities for the next three years. A key focus of the plan will be improving the accessibility of sexual health services, including STI testing.

The Scottish Government will publish a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan in Autumn this year, which will include further action on nicotine vaping products.

We work with Public Health Scotland, Scottish Government analysts and a range of academics and stakeholders to understand the evidence. This is an ongoing process to ensure that the Tobacco Action Plan is based on the latest evidence.

In May 2023 we published “Vaping – understanding the prevalence and trends among adults and children – research” ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/understanding-prevalence-trends-vaping-adults-children/pages/2/ ). This analysis of data on vaping from twelve surveys conducted at UK or regional level, with a focus on current use, ever tried and dual use of vaping products, and differences by socio-economic status. It helps understand the potential extent of any issues.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21068 on 14 September 2023. 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