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Scottish Government committed to reviewing the home education guidance in December 2019. This has now been updated following thorough consultation with stakeholders and the general public.

The updated guidance will be published on 23 January 2025 on the Government website here https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911357

The updated home education guidance reflects the changing context in which home education takes place in Scotland and sets out a child’s rights-based approach to home education.

Scottish Ministers want all those involved in a child’s education to be informed and equipped regarding home education, to better understand the circumstances and choices made by parents, and the responsibilities that parents take on when choosing to home educate.

With this updated guidance, Scottish Ministers continue to encourage local authorities and parents to work together to develop trust, mutual respect and a positive relationship that functions in the best educational interests of the child.

We know that people who inject drugs are at higher risk of contracting blood borne viruses (BBVs), bacterial infections and injection site wounds.

The Scottish Government has committed to effectively eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health threat in Scotland and to driving improvement through focusing on intensifying case finding and treatment initiation, and ensuring that people who inject drugs have access to, and take up, i) optimal harm reduction services and ii) if deemed clinically ready, antiviral therapy to prevent the onward transmission of infection.

The Scottish Governments ‘Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan’ also aims for everyone in Scotland to have good sexual health and wellbeing, with high quality, innovative, sexual health and BBV prevention, care and support available to those who need it, in a timely manner and irrespective of age, sex, gender, sexual identity or location. We have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects alongside the action plan which will drive improvement in the areas identified.

In addition, the ‘HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan’ sets out prioritised actions towards achieving our goal of zero people contracting HIV within Scotland by 2030. This aligns with wider global strategic aims, including UNAIDS’ goal “to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.” Alongside the plan we have funded a National Coordinator post to oversee coordination of this Delivery Plan and to work with locally identified HIVTE Champions at NHS Board level towards delivery of actions to support elimination.

Specifically in Glasgow, The WAND (Wound management, Assessment of injecting risk, Naloxone supply and Dry blood-spot test for BBV) model has been implemented in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. WAND has proved effective in engaging with people who inject drugs and who are not in contact with traditional services, reflecting the requirement of MAT Standard 4, and providing them with a unique level of support to address these issues. Other areas are also trailing the model.

The number of publicly funded rural schools in Scotland since 2013 is set out in the following table. Schools were counted as rural if the postcode of the school was classified as accessible rural and remote rural under the Scottish Government’s 6-fold urban rural classification system. Information on a comparable basis is not available prior to 2013.

Our next formal update will be as part of a parliamentary debate currently planned for early June, subject to ministerial and parliamentary timetables. It is planned that this debate will focus on AI and its current and future impact in the Health sector.

However the Scottish AI Alliance provide monthly updates on the meeting of the Scottish AI Taskforce. This group of public servants meet to discuss and share AI challenges and opportunities, with the intention of avoiding duplication and ensuring shared best practice. These meetings offer a good overview of the public sector approach to AI, and you can find minutes and details from these meeting on the Alliance website. Public Sector AI - Taskforce — Scottish AI Alliance

We are also currently working on our response to the recent publication of the UK Government AI Action Plan, and that response will include a public sector component.

The AI Register remains the intended source of publicly available information on AI in use across the Scottish public sector. Work is on-going to encourage use across Scotland and to build completion of the register into our procurement and development processes.

Implementation and evaluation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026 is managed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).

Consideration will be given to an evaluation of the delivery of this strategy as it continues into 2026. Recommendations and actions are continually reviewed by MSN CYPC and the 2023-24 MSN CYPC Annual Report has been published on the MSN CYPC website – www.msncypc.Inhs.scot.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes annual data on 16 to 25 year olds with cancer in Scotland in their incidence statistics. The latest report is available on the PHS website

PHS also publishes information on cancer in children (ages 0 to 14) and young people (ages 15 to 24) in Scotland

Children and young people with cancer in Scotland 9 May 2023 - Children and young people with cancer in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The member may wish to contact Network Rail.

The patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes provide financial assistance for patients and authorised escorts travelling to hospital appointments, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

The focus of the schemes is the provision of financial support to those on low incomes in receipt of certain benefits and residents of the Highlands and Islands, recognising the access challenges faced by these patient groups. However, Health Boards also have the discretion to reimburse patient travel expenses where it is viewed to be an extension of treatment costs and deemed to be clinically necessary. This allows flexibility within the schemes for Boards to provide support, where appropriate, to those who need it but would not otherwise qualify.

Where travel is necessary, Health Boards are expected to support patients and their families in identifying and accessing available support. NHS Boards provide advice on eligibility and assistance available with bookings and advance payments, where necessary.

The Scottish Government does not hold responsibility for the recording and monitoring of staff grades and structures across the public sector, so we can only respond in relation to our own staffing.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used in a number of policy areas and for a diverse range of purposes. Generally these activities will make up a small proportion of a staff members’ daily duties, while AI may be one technology among many deployed for a particular solution, so we only have a small number of staff whose job role is primarily focused on the deployment of AI.

Recently published FOI release (Scottish Government staffing and salary statistics: FOI release - gov.scot) shares that in 2024 we had 6 data scientists, and a wide range of functions involved in the preparation of data, design of digital services, and support functions which could be related to the use or deployment of AI.

The Scottish Budget announced 40% hospitality relief in 2025-26 for properties with rateable values up to and including £51,000, and capped at £110,000 per business.

Secondary legislation for this relief will be laid before the Scottish Parliament. It is the Scottish Government's intention that the relief will cover the same property uses as the 100% islands and remote areas hospitality relief in place for 2024-25 as set out in The Non-Domestic Rates (Islands and Remote Areas Hospitality Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, with the additional inclusion of music venues with a capacity of up to 1,500 and rateable values up to and including £51,000.