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The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the SBT Reading Schools programme and therefore SBT is responsible for setting the criteria for core, silver and gold accreditation.

Reading Schools encourages a whole-school approach to establishing a healthy reading culture in schools across Scotland. The Reading Schools Accreditation framework details the key areas considered crucial to building and sustaining a whole-school reading culture and are mapped against How Good Is Our School? 4. In order to be accredited, a school must provide evidence of how they have achieved the standard described under each of the key areas. Schools retain their accreditation for three years, before being required to evidence further developments to sustain reading culture.

The SBT Reading Schools Framework can be accessed online here: https://www.readingschools.scot/framework

As part of the application process for energy infrastructure projects, the Scottish Government undertake a full and thorough consultation with stakeholders, including the relevant Local Planning Authorities, to ensure all aspects of the development are considered.

Where it is necessary to understand the environmental impact of an infrastructure project, a full Environment Impact Assessment is required to be undertaken which takes into account the cumulative impacts of the full development.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the victim surcharge broken down in this way.

The victim surcharge came into force in Scotland on 25 November 2019 and applies to all persons who commit an offence on or after that date and who are subsequently convicted and receive a court fine. The amount payable is proportionate to the value of the fine imposed by the court. The surcharge is collected from offenders by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, in the same way it collects fines. Monies are then paid into the Victim Surcharge Fund, administered by the Scottish Government.

We publish an annual report detailing payments into and out of the Victim Surcharge Fund. Victim Surcharge Fund: annual report 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The reduction of £1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). The £1m reduction will result in reduced scope of some projects and delay in implementing other projects.

The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF is provided directly to Local Authorities and the £5 million allocated to this strand for 2024-25 has been redirected to help meet the public sector pay offer. Scottish Ministers have made a commitment to replace this funding in 2025-26. The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF supports the devolved delivery of nature restoration projects that best meet local priorities for climate and nature. It helps Local Authorities to deliver upon their commitment to the Edinburgh Declaration for biodiversity, and to meet their Biodiversity Duty in taking action to conserve biodiversity.

In the period 2021-22 to 2023-24, individual Local Authorities across the Highlands and Islands have received around £2.4 million from the Edinburgh Process NRF strand, to support a range of nature restoration projects.

This funding announcement has not affected the competitive strand of the NRF which is administered by NatureScot. Funding awarded is supporting 14 projects across Scotland including the Highland and Island region in 2024-25, for river and woodland restoration, rainforest regeneration, and restoring coastal habitats. Full details of projects funding by the NRF competitive strand can be found at Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) - Supported Projects | NatureScot.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

The Scottish Government continues to routinely engage with local authorities across Scotland as part of ongoing work ensuring all key stakeholders such as building owners, representative organisations and professional bodies can share information and best practice on RAAC management, where required. Engagement is primarily through the Scottish Government led Cross Sector Working Group but also via Scottish Futures Trust for school estate interests and the Scottish Heads of Property Services (SHoPs) network.

The Scottish Government freeze on public sector marketing expenditure for the remainder of the year is a necessary decision to ensure we have a balanced budget.

There will be some limited Scottish Government marketing activity where costs have already been committed, or an essential need is identified, and the process to identify exceptions is still underway.

The remaining capital budget for coastal change will be distributed in 2025-26. As in all previous years, it will be allocated via a distribution method agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders via the local authority general capital grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.