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Currently children and young people learn about a variety of substances including alcohol, medicines, drugs, tobacco and solvents in the school curriculum. They explore the impact risk taking behaviour has on life choices and health.

Paid for marketing channels are not used within the school setting. There is no recorded spend for Scottish Government marketing for anti-smoking campaigns within schools during this time frame.

ASSIST was a licensed, peer-led, school-based smoking prevention programme that encouraged the dissemination of non-smoking norms. The ASSIST pilot ran between 2014-2015 and 2016-2017.

According to data obtained via the Public Contracts Scotland Contract Register, the Scottish Government currently has one active contract that includes the requirement to install cavity wall insulation. This is the Managing Agent for the Heat in Buildings Scotland National Scheme (HIBS), which oversees the delivery of the Warmer Homes Scotland programme (WHS).

The Managing Agent and all installation sub-contractors are required to have the skills outlined in the PAS 2030:2019 and PAS 2035:2019 standards (note: adherence with the new PAS 2035:2023 standard shall be required from 31 March 2025). These PAS standards ensure a consistent, high-quality approach to retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, focusing on assessment, design, and installation practices.

At procurement phase, the suppliers were required to demonstrate that they had appropriately skilled staff and to provide a detailed implementation plan on how they would organise their team and resources in order to meet both the contract requirements and PAS 2035 standards. In addition to having the essential skills and experience, the supplier is required to continue to develop and improve their workforce - sharing knowledge and skills with their sub-contractors.

Each installation completed is also subject to multiple quality inspections with further independent audit inspections carried out on a sample of work at various stages of the WHS Customer Journey.

A link to the Contract Award Notice for the HIBS Managing Agent contract is provided for information.

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN481760

Scottish Government are unable to provide this information at present.

The recently announced £102 million apprenticeship funding for 2025-26 represents a projection of the funding Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will spend to support 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship (MA) starts and 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) starts, as well as MAs and FAs already in training.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are currently completing the contract/grant award process for 2025-26 so are unable to confirm the exact figure until all contracts are accepted by providers.

It should be noted that SDS are exercising a Plus 1 extension period to the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) contracts for 2025-26, therefore providers are allocated the same volumes as they were awarded at the start of the 2024-25 contract year.

The 2024-25 MA awards have been published and can be accessed via the link below for further insight into the distribution of provision: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/1r4etei1/modern-apprenticeships-april-24-25-contracts-by-framework.pdf

Foundation Apprenticeship Grant Awards totalling 2,500 opportunities have been issued to existing SDS-funded learning providers, including Local Authorities and Independent Learning Providers, for delivery commencing in academic year
2025-26. SDS is unable to confirm an exact figure until all contract awards are accepted by providers.

It should be noted that the Scottish Funding Council also support both Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships, and will provide 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship opportunities this year.

Through the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) annual allocations process, universities are allocated funding for the provision of funded undergraduate places for eligible Scottish domiciled students. It is then for the universities themselves to decide how to distribute these places along with postgraduate and alternatively funded undergraduate places between faculties and the courses they offer. Universities are responsible for their own admissions policies but should consider their long-term stability by actively diversifying their international student intake and seeking alternative funding sources. Indicative allocations of funding for 2025-26 will be published on SFC’s website in the next few weeks.

VisitScotland is responsible for producing, and maintaining, guidance on the operation of the Visitor Levy. Following the outcome of the meetings with stakeholders, as referred to in the response to the question in S6W-35723 on
25 March 2025, we will work with VisitScotland as they consider any changes to guidance. This may include further information in relation to those operating their business within a local area with a Visitor Levy scheme.

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

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published to accompany the introduction of the then Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill 2023. The BRIA can be found on the Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/visitor-levy-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/

The BRIA was written using the best available information at the time, based on evidence gathered from engagement with relevant stakeholders. Local authorities are encouraged to actively consider the varying capacities of businesses in the local area. It is important that the administrative requirements on smaller businesses are minimised. If a council introduces a visitor levy it is required to establish a visitor levy forum, with members from businesses, communities, and tourism organisations, to provide the council with views on a visitor levy scheme.

An online reporting and payment platform is being developed by some Councils with the Improvement Service. This platform will be for use by businesses across Scotland to remit the visitor levy to the Council if their accommodation is liable and will help. This standardised system will help streamline the returns process and support businesses operating across multiple authorities.

While universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual institutions, including Edinburgh, as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges.

In line with our Fair Work principles, the Scottish Government expects universities to work with trade unions and staff representatives to reach the right decisions and ensure workers are treated fairly; and for workers to have appropriate channels for maintaining constructive and meaningful dialogue with the University. The Scottish Government expects universities to make every effort to protect jobs. Compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other cost saving measures have been fully explored.

The Scottish Government recognises the pivotal role played by Scotland’s world-class universities in our economy and wider society. Ministers listened closely to the sector in the development of this year’s budget, and are investing over £1.1 billion in university teaching and research.

We know that many carers experience mental, physical, employment and financial impacts as a result of their caring role. We recognise that a highly effective mental health system must address all levels of need. It means recognising and responding to the many underlying social determinants, circumstances and inequalities that can affect people's mental health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government’s National Carers Strategy (https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-carers-strategy/) published in December 2022 sets out our cross-government approach to carer support and recognition, and sets out the importance of carers, including young carers, and their mental health.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Delivery Plan and the Workforce Action Plan were published jointly with COSLA in November 2023. Actions in the Delivery Plan cover a wide spectrum, from maintaining good mental wellbeing, to support in communities, to ensuring specialist services are available whenever needed.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan recognises the valuable role of carers and sets out our ambition to both improve carer awareness training for the mental health and wellbeing workforce and also improve access to wellbeing support for carers.

Our National Wellbeing Hub provides advice for unpaid carers, with information and resources to support carers to look after their mental health and wellbeing.

The National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions was published in September 2023. It aims to improve access to and the quality of psychological therapies and interventions so that people accessing help, including unpaid carers, have positive experiences.

Support for carers is one of the aims of the Core Mental Health Standards, which includes signposting to support and resources when needed. These standards were developed with the input of individuals with lived experience, including carers and set out clear expectations for what services will provide and to let individuals, their families and carers know what they can expect from a secondary mental health service. They emphasise the involvement of carers in care planning and decision-making, as well as the importance of gathering and acting on carer feedback.

Scottish Government grant making is allocated across portfolios to various parts of the third sector to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not specifically classified as allocated to geographical areas for third-sector organisations to deliver local services. Consequently the information requested is not available.

Details on region specific funding can be sourced from the regions Third Sector Interface (TSI) or via SCVO's funding tracker - https://funding.scot/

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6O-02021 on 16 March 2023 All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website