Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15796 on 22 March 2023. 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 S6W-15795 on 22 March 2023. 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

We are working closely with the dental sector to ensure it has the support necessary to offer continuity of NHS care to patients. This includes Scottish Government providing Scottish Dental Access Initiative Grants and Recruitment and Retention Allowances to dentists and dental practices.

Scottish Dental Access Initiative Grants support pays out a potential £100,000 for the first surgery, and £25,000 per additional surgery to practices setting up a new NHS practice, or extending an existing NHS practice. The Recruitment and Retention Allowance provides up to £37,500 across three years to eligible NHS dentists in qualifying areas.

There are significant limits on any action that the Scottish Government can take in this area. Regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government, with responsibility for consumer enforcement, which is a pillar of consumer protection, split between trading standards officers and Trading Standards Scotland.

Trading Standards Scotland is funded directly by the UK Government with funding for trading standards officers delivered through Barnett formula consequentials. It is for local authorities to assess their individual local circumstances to inform their decisions on how they best support their trading standards departments.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collate or hold this data. Details of hen harrier nest sites on RSPB and non-RSPB nature reserves are collated and analysed through the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme coordinated by British Trust for Ornithology. Annual data from 2016-2020 relating to the breeding success of hen harrier nest sites are available from their website at Hen Harrier | Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme

The Scottish Government does not believe it is necessary to hold information on the number of successful and unsuccessful hen harrier nest sites on RSPB and non-RSPB nature reserves prior to introducing any legislation on the licensing of grouse moors.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13278 on 12 January 2023. 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

There have been no discussions with Police Scotland which have resulted in a delay to implementing the short-term lets licensing scheme.

During 2022 officials have engaged regularly with licensing authorities and partners, including Police Scotland, to prepare for the start of short-term let licensing on 1 October 2022. Police Scotland is now completing fit and proper person checks as part of the process undertaken by licensing authorities to determine licensing applications from new and existing short-term let hosts. Although resourcing is a matter for Police Scotland to consider, they have been planning this for some time and we remain engaged to support this element of the scheme.

In recognition of the wider cost of living crisis that is placing pressure on existing short-term let hosts and businesses, we have announced that we will introduce legislation in January 2023 to extend the deadline for existing hosts to apply for a licence from 1 April 2023 to 1 October 2023. This is not a pause and we encourage hosts to keep applying throughout this period.

The Scottish Government does not believe it is necessary to make a specific assessment of the implications of its policies of the reported greater success rate of hen harrier nests on non-RSPB nature reserves compared to RSPB nature reserves.

Hen harrier success rates are dependent on a number of different factors, as set out in the response to PQs S5W-20621 and S5W-26208. A significant reason for the lower productivity on RSPB reserves is because several are on Orkney where there is a high level of polygyny (males having 2-3 females). As males cannot provision up to 3 nests, failure of the 2nd & 3rd females is regular with fewer young raised (than a monogamous pair) even if they are successful.

We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in Parliament and published in 2023.

We will review the final evaluation report from Public Health Scotland before drawing overall conclusions on whether the policy has achieved its aims.

We are concerned by evidence about the financial strain some economically vulnerable groups are experiencing, such as those dependent on alcohol. We are working on a range of actions to make alcohol treatment services more accessible to those who need them, to support individuals to reduce their alcohol consumption.

Anyone worried about affording essentials like food or fuel should contact their local authority where they can be put in contact with local advice and support.

Our cost of living website provides information on the wide range of advice and financial support available.