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Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is completely unacceptable. Police Scotland’s National Human Trafficking Unit (NHTU) continues to work closely with partners to monitor the threat, risk and harm posed by those exploiting vulnerable workers in the fishing sector. Police Scotland have collaborated with other law enforcement partners to target those responsible for Modern Slavery in the fishing industry, with several companies subject to both criminal proceedings and also Trafficking Exploitation and Risk Orders (TERO). The first Order of this kind in Scotland related to an investigation in the fishing industry, which is closely monitored by Police Scotland to ensure compliance, mitigate risk and prevent further exploitation. Between 2022 and 2025 we have allocated £480k to the charity Justice and Care who provide specialist Victim Navigators to work alongside the NHTU. Navigators play a vital role in focusing on the victims of human trafficking operations investigations, and are able to offer strategic advice to police officers. This enables our law enforcement organisations to focus on bringing perpetrators to justice in the knowledge that immediate victim support is available. A current fishing industry police investigation is on-going, led by the NHTU, and the services of Victim Navigators are being utilised to fully support the victims.

Many people find a home in the private rented sector and we recognise the contribution that it makes to housing supply in Scotland.

Our New Deal for Tenants consultation set out our vision for a rented sector where all tenants, whether living in private or social rented homes, can access secure, stable, tenancies, with affordable choices - whilst also benefiting from good quality of homes and professional levels of service and rights.

We will continue to work with stakeholders – including the investment sector – to make sure that we build a system where investment in private rented property is viable and welcomed.

We are committed to continuing to consult and engage with landlords. There are no current plans to create a nationally representative landlord panel.

The One Year Job Guarantee (OYJG) scheme was previously facilitated by NHS Education for Scotland. The scheme was closed due to low application numbers.

Scottish government officials have been engaging with health boards on their current position in relation to supply of midwives. It is our understanding that they remain committed to maximising opportunities for newly qualified midwives and officials are exploring all options to support graduates into employment.

We are supporting NHS Boards through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme to improve patient flow through our acute sites and reduce A&E delays. Key actions include: strengthening arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions such as Same Day Emergency Care services; optimising Flow Navigation Centres; enhancing the discharge process - focusing on discharge planning; and reducing length of stay.

Details of impact assessments in relation to the measures set out in the Fiscal Statement will be published in the coming weeks on the Scottish Government’s website.

The average time taken to determine applications for major housing applications for Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24 for each local authority can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/planning-applications-statistics-2023-24-quarterly-april-2023-september-2023/documents/.

The planning application statistics for Q3 and Q4 and the annual statistics 2023-24 are due to be published on 1 October 2024. The statistics will be available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of student midwives recruited who have not been offered posts in NHS Scotland.

Scottish Government officials have been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job offers and supply, with Boards remaining committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified midwives to find employment.

The number of full time equivalent civil servants in 2025-26 across the core Scottish Government and the various Executive Agencies will be informed by the 2025-26 budget in December.

Workforce numbers will be considered in the context of the recently announced recruitment freeze and the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update to Parliament on 4 September.

We currently do not have plans to provide direct training for community councillors in relation to energy infrastructure projects. The Scottish Government provide funding to Planning Aid Scotland who offer tailored training for Community Councils to meet their individual needs.