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Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to the efficacy of Historic Environment Scotland’s HistoricScot Youth Forum are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.

Scottish Government has provided over £150 million to date in additional support to maintain the capacity and capability of the independent sector.

We have also introduced new incentives for recruitment and retention of dentists in certain remote and rural areas. This will mean that dentists, including orthodontists, who join the NHS Board list in Scotland for the first time can receive up to £25,000 over a two-year period.

Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited has advised us that it has reached agreement to second some of its staff to work for BAE Systems on fabrication work for the Type 26 Frigate programme. The precise details are subject to ongoing commercial discussions between the two companies.

Four bids were submitted for Creative Scotland’s recent tender for a partner organisation to deliver ‘Youth-led Arts Funding For Young People’. The successful organisation will be announced early in the new year.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 requires licensing authorities to maintain and publish a public register of short-term let licences on their website, or other website established for that purpose. The register is required to include a note of the kind and terms of each licence granted by the licensing authority, as well as other information set out in paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 of the Licensing Order.

Licensing authorities are also required to share content of their public register with the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis for statistical analysis purposes. We expect to receive the first quarterly return for processing and analysis early in the new year. This initial return will include data relating to the number of short-term let licence applications received by 31 December 2022, and the status of those applications.

All individuals have a healthcare consultation with an NHS healthcare professional within 24 hours of arrival.

Whilst in prison individuals can self-refer to see the NHS Healthcare team and where needed, SPS staff can also refer prisoners to the healthcare team.

The SPS Drug & Alcohol Strategy, currently under revision, aims to reduce re-offending and drug-related deaths by adopting the principles of recovery to reduce the supply and demand of illegal substances and the harm caused by problematic substance use. The revised Strategy will reflect the national approach to embed Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards across SPS.

The Scottish Government is continuing to consider options for the delivery of a National Towns of Culture scheme. As this progresses, the Scottish Government will consult with the culture and creative sectors and community groups to help inform its decision making.

The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government which includes the work of Trading Standards Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

Whilst the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) is a UK Government body, many of the taxes within its remit apply across the whole of the UK, including Scotland. The OTS provides an independent and objective perspective on taxes such as Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax, which apply in Scotland and are widely considered to be complex and in need of reform.

One of the principles of good tax policy making set out in the Scottish Government's Framework for Tax is ‘convenience’, which states that "tax policy should be as simple, clear and straightforward as possible and opportunities to streamline the tax system should be taken where they arise." The UK Government's decision to close the OTS contrasts with this principle and the Scottish Government's approach to tax policy. The closure was announced without consultation or notice and has led to bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Taxation to call for the decision to be reversed – a call the Scottish Government agrees with.

This information is not held centrally; it is a matter for the individual Health Boards.