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The Scottish Government draws on the best available international evidence when developing policy, including considering the effects of public health legislation in other countries such as Ireland.

The Scottish Government is a member of the British-Irish Council Drug and Alcohol Work Sector. The Scottish Government engages with officials from Ireland and the UK nations as part of that Work Sector to discuss policy developments including in relation alcohol harm.

The Scottish Government recognises that improving children’s dietary health and increasing levels of healthy weight are complex issues that require a range of collaborative actions by governments and stakeholders.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving adolescents’ diets including through range of actions, for instance strengthening the provision of balanced and nutritious school meals food to children and young people. Eligible pupils in Primary 6 through to Secondary 6 can benefit from free school meals in Scotland.

In addition, the Scottish Government initiated a partnership between Young Scot and the Scottish Grocers Federation to explore and pilot use of the Young Scot National Entitlement Card to buy healthier options.

The Scottish Government continues to focus on improving the food environment to support young people to make healthier choices including future regulation of promotions of foods high in salt, sugar and fat. We also welcome the UK Government's move to introduce legislation to restrict advertising of less healthy food and drink and will be supporting its implementation in Scotland.

From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious. This increase would not reflect an actual change in the severity of accidents occurring on Scottish roads but would instead reflect more accurate recording.

The following tables presents the total number of personal injury collisions (Slight, Serious and Fatal) for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).

The Scottish Government does not intend to publish the legal or other advice obtained by NatureScot regarding which areas of land should be covered by a 16AA licence under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

It is for NatureScot to determine whether to publish this advice.

NatureScot met with Police Scotland and the National Wildlife Crime Unit towards the end of October 2024 to discuss the changes to the grouse moor condition. As the licensing authority, NatureScot were not required to seek approval from Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns of some conservation organisations regarding section 16AA of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, where a grouse shooting licence area is determined solely by the applicant. It is considered that there is the potential for the area to be very tightly defined so that it excludes most of the area where relevant offences might take place.

NatureScot have added a condition to licences so that certain relevant offences committed anywhere on the landholding can be taken into consideration as to whether to revoke or suspend a licence.

We are considering whether any further steps need to be taken to address this issue.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable and to offer a full range of birth place options within their region. Service planning and delivery is the responsibility of NHS Boards and it is important that these services are safe, sustainable and meet the needs of local populations.

Women in Caithness can choose to give birth with the support of a midwife, whether at home or in the midwife-led unit at Caithness General Hospital. If the mother or baby are assessed to be at higher risk, then they are advised to give birth at the consultant unit at Raigmore Hospital. To minimise the need for women to travel, NHS Highland provides weekly obstetric-run antenatal clinics and scanning services in Caithness, and helps with travel and accommodation costs for women who need to travel for care. This is the same model of care which operates across all rural areas in the NHS Highland region. We particularly recognise the importance of patient transport and work is commencing to develop guidance on Pre-hospital Maternity and Neonatal Care and Remote & Rural Intrapartum Transfers.

We are exploring a new long term conditions strategy to better recognise the fact that many people living with long term conditions need the same types of support and care, regardless of their condition.

The Scottish Government agrees with the comment made by NatureScot that raptor persecution undertaken in connection with grouse moor management could take place anywhere on a property, not just on the grouse moor itself.

NatureScot introduced a new condition to enable them to revoke or suspend a licence where there is evidence of raptor persecution, connected to the grouse moor but outside of the licensed area. The condition added by NatureScot is an alternative to amending the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. However, we will monitor the situation and, if necessary, consider amending the legislation.

There has been no new awards made under Freight Facilities Grant in any of the previous three financial years but funding for the Freight Facilities Grant is contained in the 2025-26 Scottish budget