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We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in Parliament and published in 2023.

Work on reviewing the level of MUP has started as part of our overall evaluation, as the impact of MUP is connected to the unit price. We are evaluating the impact of MUP at the current price of 50 pence per unit and will assess what level MUP should be set at going forward, if MUP is to continue. It is important that we have a robust evidence base to support any decision on a change in the level of MUP.

Part of this work includes a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment which will look at the likely costs, benefits and risk of any proposed legislation. This will include how any changes to MUP will interact with any potential changes to excise duty.

The Scottish Government has had regular discussions with Museums Galleries Scotland on its decision to pause its small grants programme during the current cost of living crisis. It was jointly agreed that MGS would pause its programme to determine the best way to make use of the remaining funds it receives from the government and address the sector’s needs and priorities at this time.

MGS has created a new Resilience Fund to better support the sector for the remainder of the year. This was announced to the sector on 12 October.

Education Scotland are currently learning more about the evidence-based Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme and a related screening tool, Language Screen, which assesses four components of oral language skills. However, it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide if specific literacy screening tools and interventions such as NELI and Language Screen meet their strategic aims.

Continued partnership is at the core of delivering and improving the Super Sponsor Scheme. The Scottish Government is grateful to the continued work of local authorities, including City of Edinburgh Council, in their support to displaced people who have had to flee their homeland.

The Scottish Government understand that arrangements underpinning the Super Sponsor Scheme have incurred costs which could be considered out of scope of the various UK tariffs. We continue to urge the UK Government to have parity of funding no matter the route through which someone arrives.

Officials are in discussions with COSLA to finalise a framework through which local authorities will be reimbursed for costs incurred due to the super sponsor scheme as well as engaging directly with City of Edinburgh council to understand and agree costs incurred by the council since the scheme opened for applications.

The Scottish Government would like to offer reassurance that reasonable costs associated with the super sponsor scheme will be met by the Scottish Government.

Funding decisions will be set out in the 2023-24 Scottish Budget later this year.

The announcement of the emergency budget review, as noted in the response to question S6W-11144 on 19 October 2022, confirmed a pause to all non-contracted spend, which included the remaining Youth Music Initiative budget.

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

Non-contracted spend, including the remaining Youth Music Initiative budget, was considered as part of the cost of living emergency budget review following the announcement of the review by the First Minister on 11 August, which was further outlined in the Deputy First Minister’s statement to Parliament on 7 September.

We know that households using prepayment meters are at particular risk of self-rationing and self-disconnection this winter.

While many of the powers in relation to price setting in the energy market remain with the UK Government, the Scottish Government is using all of its available powers to help these vulnerable consumers. The Emergency Budget Review will extend our Fuel Insecurity Fund through 2022-23, making available a further £10million to Third Sector Organisations to support those facing fuel insecurity. We have also provided an additional £1.2million to advice services across Scotland to enhance support available to those seeking advice on paying their bills and energy efficiency.

The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential. That is why we asked Crown Estate Scotland to introduce the Supply Chain Development Statement as part of the ScotWind leasing round to demonstrate how serious the Scottish Government is about holding developers to account if they do not honour their supply chain commitments and create green jobs.