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The information on number of households supported by our delivery partners through the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) for 2023-24, has been built into our grant offer letters and will be monitored and captured through regular engagement and dialogue with partners across the year, with subsequent end year evaluation reports next year.

FIF partner 2022-23 evaluation reports are due to be received by end of June.

A number of discussions were held with those involved in the scheme in the weeks prior to the announcement including Circularity Scotland and business groups. To reach a decision on the next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme Scottish Government officials also provided advice to the First Minister and Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity.

We do not require our Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) delivery partners to collect data regarding the physical condition of dwellings, unless this is considered relevant to an individual’s application. This is because, as in previous years, the overarching goal that we set for FIF delivery partners is to provide support to households who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely.

FIF payments are provided on the basis of an holistic assessment of individual circumstances to ascertain their need for emergency support towards the cost of their energy. In some cases issues with damp or mould may be raised as part of this assessment, but they are unlikely to be core factors in determining whether a household should receive assistance.

The annual Scottish House Condition Survey includes information on issues affecting the physical condition of people’s homes, such as damp and mould. The results of the 2021 survey are due to be published on 30 May.

The Scottish Government will consult on the next Climate Change Plan, a draft of which will be published in November 2023. Plans for consultation are still in development.

Scotland's ambitious emissions reduction targets, including targets for reducing emissions every year until reaching net zero by 2045, are set under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The level of these targets are kept under regular review to ensure they are in line with the latest climate science and advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), our independent statutory advisers. We have recently laid draft regulations to modify annual targets for 2021-2029 for technical reasons, to reflect updates to international standards for carbon accounting and in line with the latest advice received from the CCC.

As set out at Section 2.38 of the Ministerial code Ministers must not divulge either who provided the advice or its contents (whether it is from the Law Officers or from anyone else). This applies to all forms of legal advice, including advice on a particular subject or advice associated with clearance of a document.

To enable Ministers to reach a decision on the next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme, a number of discussions were held with those involved in the scheme in the weeks prior to the announcement including Circularity Scotland and business groups. The First Minister then met with Circularity Scotland on 20 April 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to building resilience to the impacts of climate change as part of Scotland's just transition to a net-zero economy and society.

Alongside continuing to deliver over 170 policies and proposals in the current Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme, the Scottish Government is also now developing the next programme. Public consultation is anticipated for the start of 2024 with the aim of publishing a final statutory programme in Autumn 2024.

This third five-year Adaptation Programme will respond to the full range of current and future climate risks for Scotland, as independently identified by the Climate Change Committee in its evidence base for the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022. The Scottish Government is also looking for additional, early actions we can take to address the highest priority risk areas identified by the Climate Change Committee.

While progress is being made, we acknowledge that more needs to be done. Adaptation to the locked in impacts of climate change is a global challenge and we are not alone in needing to accelerate progress.

The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team.

The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team and work is in hand to strengthen the existing, evidence-based approach to delivery, performance and assurance that currently exists across the organisation.