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There is no licensing scheme regulating the shooting of woodcock in Scotland. Resident and migratory woodcock can only be shot during the open season, which is between 1 September and 31 January, as set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Outwith these dates, woodcock cannot be taken or killed.

The following table details the precision medicines accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium where the companion diagnostic test is not yet offered by NHS Scotland laboratories, and the anticipated roll-out of the appropriate test.

Validation is required for every companion diagnostic test to ensure the accuracy of the test meets the indication required. A number of tests have completed validation and are currently awaiting implementation throughout the course of 2023. We continue to work with key partners, such as the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomics Medicine (SSNGM), to ensure there is capacity within laboratories for companion diagnostics tests.

*Olaparib (SMC2366) for the treatment of prostate cancer

**Olaparib (SMC2368) for the treatment of ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer requires two companion diagnostics tests in order for patients to access the treatment. One of the tests, BRCA, is available in NHS Scotland labs, however, the other, HRD, is not available due to its complexity. While testing isn’t available in NHS laboratories, it is available through an alternative provider ensuring patients can still access the medicine.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) classifies the overall condition of Scotland’s surface water environment (rivers, lochs, transitional waters, and coastal areas) at 64% in good or better condition. This is compared to England where its Environment Agency classifies only 16% of its surface water environment in good condition. For river and lochs, only, SEPA classifies that 84% are in good or better condition for water quality, 89% for flows and levels (hydrology), 89% for physical condition (morphology) and 88% for access for fish migration.

Avian influenza viruses remain predominantly a pathogen that affects birds with a small number of cases of mammals being infected worldwide. Evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission in the wild remains very limited and the available genomic surveillance data reported by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in the UK does not suggest widespread mammalian adaption of the virus.

The infection of mammals with influenza of avian origin remains uncommon, including in humans. Public Health Scotland (PHS), who lead on public health responses, have established processes in place should a human case of avian influenza be reported in Scotland, in line with any other notifiable disease.

The Scottish Government are working closely with PHS, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on avian flu. Work undertaken by PHS to date includes; contributing to, and adopting interim guidance on the management of contacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 and participating in the UKHSA national incident management team, and a 4 Nations Operational Avian Influenza Subgroup.

PHS are also part of the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group. HAIRS is a multi-agency cross-government horizon scanning and risk assessment group, which acts as a forum to identify and discuss infections with potential for interspecies transfer (particularly zoonotic infections). PHS contribute to risk assessments on avian influenza led from there, including on the risk of avian influenza from mammals.

The Scottish Government recognises that an improved streamlined process for the implementation of new genetic tests linked to a Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved medicine is required. The SMC currently provides early information to National Services Division (NSD) on cancer medicines in clinical development that are expected to require a companion diagnostic through regular horizon scanning reports. To support financial and service planning, the SMC also provides Health Boards – in confidence - with information on medicines that may require a companion diagnostic through regular Forward Look reports, which include emerging new medicines, including Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs).

A key function of the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomics Medicine (SSNGM) is to horizon scan for new medicines to prevent delays for patients getting access to advanced therapies. To support this, the SSNGM has established Scottish Genomics Testing Assessment Groups (SGTAG) for cancer and rare disease. The SGTAG will work with the SMC and others to approve the availability of companion diagnostic tests in the genetic laboratories.

A strategic outline business case was approved in November 2022. A full outline business case, incorporating the findings from the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme, is due for completion in Summer 2023 and will inform the development of the full outline business case. 

In Scotland, wildfowling on the foreshore is a public right. While the Parliament could potentially legislate on wildfowling, the Scottish Government does not have any current plans to bring forward legislation to prevent wildfowling on the foreshore.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on local authority expenditure for the provision of emergency accommodation to households experiencing homelessness. This information would need to be requested from each local authority directly.

The majority of homelessness funding since 1999 has been provided to local authorities through the annual local government finance settlement, which is £13.2 billion in 2023-24. Each local authority is responsible for managing and administering their own budget on the basis of local needs and priorities, and have discretion as to how they use this resource to prevent and respond to homelessness, including providing emergency accommodation. This has been supplemented in recent years by £5.5 million from the Scottish Government’s health and housing budgets for the Housing First pathfinder and identifiable resource as follows:

The Scottish Government believes that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable. Employment law, Equality law and Health and Safety legislation remains reserved to the UK Government. Only with the devolution of further powers will the Scottish Government have the full set of levers to take real action on workplace injustices.

However, in the absence of such powers, we are using our Fair Work policy to promote fairer work practices across the labour market in Scotland.

In the Scottish public sector, while executive non-departmental public bodies have their own HR policies independent of Scottish Government, we’d expect their policies to align with Scottish Government priorities. All public bodies should have in place appropriate HR policies for their staff, which comply with current employment legislation, other relevant guidance, and the standards expected of public sector employees. These should include but not be limited to: grievance procedure, guide to standards of behaviour, disciplinary procedures, whistleblowing, and performance management for all staff.

Since being established in the winter of 2020, as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, a total of £33.595 million in support has been distributed from the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) through our third sector delivery partners, namely Advice Direct Scotland, the Fuel Bank Foundation and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. This includes the full £20 million budgeted for in 2022-23, all of which has been drawn down by delivery partners.

We have agreed an approach to monitoring and evaluation of support provided by delivery partners which seeks to avoid excessive demands for data gathering and reporting, in order to ensure the FIF can be distributed to those most in need. As such, the Scottish Government does not hold this information, although we are aware of the unprecedented demand for support from the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which our partners are providing to households. Based on evaluation reports received to date and ongoing monitoring, we estimate over 100,000 households will have received some form of support.

Further information, including FIF partner publications and evaluations, can be accessed directly on their respective websites linked to below.

The Fuel Bank Foundation - Fuel-Bank-Fuel-Crisis-Report-2023.pdf (fuelbankfoundation.org)

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations – 92717.pdf (sfha.co.uk)

Advice Direct Scotland - Publications – Advice Direct Scotland