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NatureScot have already taken a number of actions to make the process for obtaining a licence for a conservation translocation of a beaver within existing range attractive and achievable for landowners.

NatureScot has produced guidance on beaver translocation for applicants, consultees and interested parties which sets out the expectations for engagement with those most likely to be affected. The extent of stakeholder engagement should be proportionate to the proposals.

There are existing environmental appraisals for beaver translocations in the Tay, Forth, Knapdale and Loch Lomond catchments. Proposals that are within range and genuinely low risk are not expected to demonstrate the same level of engagement as proposals in new catchments where there may be new risks and benefits to consider.

A translocation licence application should contain project details as set out in the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations. This includes an assessment of release site suitability, a summary of what stakeholder engagement has been carried out and evidence of landowner permission. NatureScot staff can advise land managers with an interest in receiving beavers within range, and are working with public bodies to identify suitable opportunities on public land.

The application process should not be a barrier for those seeking to release beavers within range. Further information can be found in the following link: https://www.nature.scot/doc/beavers-scotland-conservation-translocation-guidance-applicants-consultees-and-interested-parties

Following the publication of the Scotland’s Beaver Strategy NatureScot will be discussing with the Scottish Beaver Advisory Group what further action might be required to achieve this goal.

Although the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill is a member’s bill, led by Mark Ruskell MSP, the Scottish Government remains committed to its reconsideration and incorporating the European Charter into domestic legislation as soon as practicable to further strengthen the status and standing of local government in Scotland.

On 12 April 2021 the UK Government referred four provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill to the Supreme Court. The referral also covered two provisions from the Local Self-Government Bill: section 4, which creates an obligation to interpret legislation compatibly with the requirements of the Charter in so far as it is possible to do so, and section 5, which gives courts the power to declare legislation to be incompatible with the Charter. In October 2021 the Supreme Court found the provisions referred within each Bill to be outside the competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Preparation for Reconsideration Stage is well underway and Scottish Government lawyers have been working carefully with the UK Government lawyers on amendments to the UNCRC Bill to address the Supreme Court’s judgment.

The Scottish Government has engaged with Mark Ruskell MSP, during this process to support him in taking his bill forward. Mr Ruskell is in agreement that reconsideration of the Local Self-Government Bill should take place after the UNCRC Bill accordingly.

Transport Scotland is undertaking a National Speed Management Review to support a range of policies that help our Government’s national outcomes and indicators. These include related policy drivers such as better road safety and health outcomes, promotion of active travel, climate change mitigation, place making and economic growth.

The review covers comprehensive analysis of all types of speed management policies and initiatives in Scotland as well as a review of what has been introduced in other countries throughout the world.

The process will also include a stakeholder and public consultation later this year to consider their views of whether any changes to speed limit policies, including HGV speed limits and speed management measures should be introduced as part of our speed management plan.

We remain committed to delivering a pilot of universal free school meals in secondary schools to inform our consideration of further expansion, and continue to work with closely with key delivery partners on our free school meal expansion programme.

Energy retail policy is reserved to the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government is fully aware of the challenges that some consumers with prepayment meters faced when trying to access the Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers. We would urge anybody in this position to contact Advice Direct Scotland who will be able to help redeem vouchers ahead of the UK Government’s deadline of 30 June 2023.

The Scottish Government is very disappointed that the UK Government did not choose to extend the Energy Bills Support Scheme – a decision which has left many vulnerable households struggling to pay their bills and heat their homes.

The disproportionate impact of high energy prices on fuel poor households across Scotland will be a key focus of my early ministerial engagement with the UK Government

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government takes a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol. Our 2018 Alcohol Framework contains 20 actions to tackle alcohol related harm.

We want everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight to help reduce the impact of a range of diet-related ill health conditions including liver disease. We continue to implement the wide-ranging actions set out in our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan . This includes our commitment to restrict less healthy food promotions and improving the availability of healthier options when eating out as outlined in our Out Of Home Action Plan .

We also continue to support NHS boards to deliver adult, children and young people’s weight management services in line with our Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention Framework and Public Health Scotland’s National Standards .

Observational studies covering Great Britain are carried out on behalf of the Department for Transport every four or five years. The latest of these was undertaken in 2021 and published in July 2022. Mobile phone use by drivers: Great Britain, 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There is a significant amount of data in the tables but the headline figures are:

Observed mobile phone use (held to ear or held in hand)

Avian influenza in mammals is a notifiable disease and Scottish Ministers have powers to investigate and control the potential spread of influenza of avian origin in non-avian species.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) routinely undertakes diagnostic testing of wild animals found dead under the GB wildlife surveillance scheme. Retrospective and active testing of samples has enabled us to identify and observe clinical signs of influenza of avian origin in mammals and to share this information with official veterinarians to increase their awareness. Samples taken as part of this scheme, since October 2021, have detected the presence of H5N1 influenza in a total of 23 mammals in the UK, of which 5 were detected in Scotland. The detection of the virus does not mean that it was the cause of death of these animals.

The Scottish Government regularly exercises our response to disease outbreaks in collaboration with operational partners and public health colleagues across Great Britain. This includes our response to avian influenza in both birds and mammals.

The infection of mammals with influenza of avian origin remains uncommon, including in humans. Avian influenza viruses remain predominantly a pathogen that affects birds, and globally, given the huge number of kept and wild birds that have been infected, only a small number of findings of naturally acquired Influenza A(H5N1) infections in mammals have been reported.

The Scottish Government is committed to a service design approach to policy making involving user-centred co-development. Appropriate testing and measurement will be applied at each stage of development and following implementation of measures to evaluate their ease, cost and impact against the outcomes of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture.

Examples underway this month include testing the list of measures published on 10 February directly with farmers who engaged in the Testing Actions for Sustainable Farming survey . This is being done through interviews conducted by professional researchers to understand how stakeholders view the measures and their applicability within future agricultural support mechanisms as well as areas for improvement.