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As set out in the answer to S6W-07830 on 29 April 2022, we have had no further discussions with Circularity Scotland Ltd regarding any estimated numbers of reverse vending machines since the publication of the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for our Deposit Return Scheme, and do not recognise the figure of around 5,000.

. 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) The information requested is not held centrally.

(b) The Scottish Government recognises that accurate data on long COVID prevalence and symptoms is needed to forecast and plan for the need for healthcare services arising from long COVID. Public Health Scotland will lead on surveillance of long COVID. It is currently anticipated that this surveillance will be undertaken via the EAVE II study, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh ( About EAVE II | The University of Edinburgh ). Funded by the Medical Research Council, the EAVE II study has used a pseudonymised patient dataset to track the COVID-19 pandemic across Scotland. In a separate project funded by the Chief Scientist Office, the EAVE II dataset will be used to create a tool to identify people at greatest risk of developing long COVID. The findings will in due course provide information about the number of people diagnosed with long COVID and their use of health services, including among residents of care homes.

The powers required to legislate in respect of company acquisition and ownership are reserved to the UK Parliament and, as such, the Scottish Government does not have the power to take action in this area. In addition recent legislative change in the UK via the National Security and Investment Act enables an increased screening of acquisitions on grounds, for example, of national security. This reflects similar change in EU legislation.

These legislative mechanisms notwithstanding, company acquisition remains a commercial decision to be undertaken by two private entities. The Scottish Government and Enterprise Agencies therefore aim to work with businesses in Scotland, domestic and overseas owned, to ensure Scottish operations are not only secured here but opportunities for growth are pursued.

Scottish Enterprise research suggests acquisition can be an important route for companies with growth potential to achieve their ambitions; either Scottish companies who acquire other businesses or Scottish companies acquired by businesses from other parts of the UK and internationally. This is not unique to Scotland and is a feature of similar economies.

In addition both our Inward Investment and Global Capital Investment Plans place maximum emphasis in supporting good quality investment into Scotland aligning with our values as a nation and delivering our net zero economy supported by good green jobs. We will therefore continue to work closely with those Scottish and overseas-owned businesses and organisations with whom those values most closely align.

On 17 March Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) announced their plan to close a number of back-office sites across the UK and collocate others. The Scottish Government was not consulted prior to the announcement, however, have subsequently contacted DWP to gain an understanding of the impact of this change. DWP outlined they do not intend to reduce staff headcount through this change process. Should the situation change, the Scottish Government stands ready to provide the support necessary including through Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, (PACE), which provides individual skills development and employability support.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07984 on 29 April 2022.. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07984 on 29 April 2022. 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

Work to embed the MAT standards by local services and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is a crucial and significant undertaking. To support progress, we are providing multi-year funding to HSCPs specifically for the standards and have set up a MAT support team, based within Public Health Scotland to lead this work.

I have committed to update Parliament on the progress of MAT standards on a six monthly basis and will be returning to Parliament in June to provide an update on progress on embedding the standards.

Local progress from each HSCP area is currently being evaluated and a report will be published in June to coincide with the update to Parliament. This report will be a collation of process, data and lived experience evaluation. This will be followed in short order during the summer with a report providing more detail of work undertaken in each area.

April 2022 is not the end of line for the standards and what happens post April is as equally important. From now and over the life of the National Mission, work will continue on the standards to make sure they are not only embedded, but are improving and are sustainable.

We want all pupils to respect their peers and staff, and are supporting a number of programmes to promote positive relationships and behaviour. This includes good behaviour management, restorative approaches and programmes to help develop social, emotional and behavioural skills.

There are a range of strategies and programmes which schools can and do use to improve relationships and behaviour in schools. These include a range of relationship based and trauma informed approaches including those that are nurturing and restorative, and curriculum based programmes that develop social, emotional and behavioural needs.

The National Improvement Hub provides all of our practitioners, parents and young people themselves with specific good practice models to review. We, and partners across the education sector, advocate an approach for schools and local authorities to work with pupils on the underlying reasons behind inappropriate behaviour. We published guidance in 2018 ‘Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour’ to support local authorities, education settings, practitioners and partners to further improve the ethos and culture, and relationships and behaviour in Scottish schools. This is in addition to national guidance on the prevention and management of exclusion from school which was published in 2017.

The Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools is considering the next round of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research which was delayed due to COVID-19. The research informs the further development of policy, guidance and support by providing a clear and robust picture of current relationships and behaviour, and of policy and practice in this area.

Since 2011 the Energy Saving Trust (EST),on behalf of the Scottish Government has maintained a database of all community and locally owned (CoLo) renewable energy installations in Scotland and produces a report on the information it contains each year.

Over the next few years each project will go through project development and consenting processes, respond to geographical and technological requirements, and find a route to market. There are several variables to be considered across these processes, including aspects such as grid connection and the impact of offshore wind developments on various environmental receptors.

To add to my response of 31 March 2022, it is not possible at this stage to predict how long each of the 17 ScotWind projects awarded lease options will take to pass through the project development and consenting process, achieve connections to the onshore grid network and subsequently to undergo construction. For each project this is a complex and multi-faceted process involving a number of variables, including the iterative review of offshore wind planning assumptions, impacts arising from environmental assessments, consultative processes, investment decisions with regard to supporting supply chain activity, success in securing power supply agreements though the Contracts for Difference regime, and potential challenges to be addressed in design and construction with regard to physical conditions and the application of innovative floating wind technologies being pioneered at GW scale in a number of projects. These variables are dynamic and are capable of affecting the size and nature of projects as well as the speed at which they will progress. Their impact cannot be predicted with accuracy at this stage.

Forward planning with regard to potential generating capacity, which may be expected from ScotWind and other offshore renewables developments, informs our thinking and is continually reviewed. This type of forward planning will next be reflected in the Government’s Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan due to be published for consultation this autumn.