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The Scottish Government allocates a budget of £70,000 per annum to the Ready Scotland campaign, comprising a website, social media, radio and digital advertising. If required spend is likely to exceed this figure, facility exists within the relevant Scottish Government Directorate to increase the available funding.

This £70,000 budget has been in place each year since 2019-20. The actual amount spent on the Ready Scotland campaign in each financial year fluctuates markedly due to the variable number of Amber or Red weather warnings each year which require a campaign activation.

The costs in the table show the actual spend at financial year end. In the case of 2022-23 the total costs is shown as the actual spend at 31 October 2022. 

A list of all projects recommended for support through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund can be found on the Scottish Governments Website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/regeneration-capital-grant-fund-rcgf-recommended-projects-2014-2022/ .

The Town Centre Capital Fund was allocated to local authorities in 2019-20.

The National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG) provides advice on the off-label uses of certain cancer medicines, which are out with the remit of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCMAG provided rapid national decisions regarding the use of cancer medicines (sometimes out with the licensed indication for the medicine) to help meet the overall aim of reducing patient risk of COVID-19 infection and to mitigate the potential burden on cancer services.

Cancer services remain under considerable pressure, and cancer patients continue to be vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. As a result, it was agreed that existing COVID-19 NCMAG advice would remain in place until the end of March 2023, after which it will be withdrawn. More generally, extant Scottish Government guidance states that unless there is a specific clinical reason, clinicians should not continue to use an unlicensed medicine or a medicine off-label where there is an available licensed medicine, which has been accepted for routine use by the SMC.

Place Directors are senior civil servants (directors or deputy directors) who volunteer for the role alongside their day-to-day responsibilities. Each Place Director represents Scottish Government in one of Scotland’s 32 local authority and Community Planning Partnership areas. They don't receive any additional remuneration beyond their existing salary.

The role of Place Directors is to understand, promote and support how public services work together and with communities, to improve wellbeing and outcomes on local and national priorities. They provide a bridge between local areas and the Scottish Government, providing two-way intelligence, constructive criticism and, where valuable, support for local capacity building. Their strategic role complements the more detailed responsibility of civil servants in relevant Scottish Government policy teams for testing and supporting how specific policies, services and reform programmes are taken forward in places across Scotland.

Provisions within Part 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, introduce a temporary cap on in-tenancy rent increases. The cap is set at 0% until at least 31 March 2023.

This means that a landlord is able to set the rent for any new tenancy and is allowed to put the rent up between one tenant moving out and the next tenant moving in.

Where a tenant remains the same person, but is required, in line with statutory processes, to be issued with a new tenancy agreement, the rent cap provisions within the Act do not apply.

Scottish Ministers are committed to developing a Scottish school milk scheme to replace current subsidy arrangements. We are working with stakeholders and local authority partners to develop a fully funded universal school milk scheme for primary and special schools, and a pilot in secondary schools within the current parliamentary term.

Procurement for vessels 801 and 802 was the responsibility of CMAL. Scottish Ministers were not aware of any potential impropriety in CMAL’s procurement process.

Following the Disclosure Scotland allegations, Scottish Ministers asked the Permanent Secretary to speak with the Auditor General on this matter and we welcome confirmation that Audit Scotland will be looking at the substance of the allegations and deciding if further audit work is required.

COPFS aims to conduct its investigation and advise the next of kin of the outcome within 12 weeks of the initial report of the death in at least 80% of cases.

Reporting years 2020-21 and 2021-22 saw increases in deaths reported to COPFS of 44% and 40% respectively, reflecting a combination of factors including, but not restricted to, excess deaths attributable directly to COVID-19, local GPs having less contact with patients in the community and being unable to certify deaths, and changes in the process of dealing with and reporting deaths in the community.

The number of cases requiring further investigation, because no cause of death was immediately apparent, has therefore increased, with 7085 post-mortem examinations instructed in 2021-22, an increase of 742 on the previous year. The following table shows the numbers and percentage of deaths requiring further investigation for the last two reporting years and the first two quarters of the current year.

Progress against the published performance target is monitored regularly and has improved significantly this reporting year.

The Scottish Government are developing an expert group that will be reporting on smoking cessation services early next year. We are also committed to working with our NHS cessation coordinators and pharmacy colleagues across Scotland to refocus and remobilise these services to ensure we are reaching those in our communities who are in most need of support to quit.

In addition, next year we will publish a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan which will include a range of evidence-based interventions with an emphasis on reducing smoking and vaping among children and young people.

We welcome the findings of the report which adds to the picture of health across Scotland. Scottish Government is targeting the three biggest factors that impact preventable ill-health. These are tobacco use, diet and alcohol.

Our vision is to have a Tobacco-Free Scotland by lowering smoking rates across our communities to below 5% by 2034. In autumn 2023, we will publish a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan. As part of this we are considering a range of evidence-based interventions with an emphasis on reducing smoking and vaping.

Our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan sets out how we are taking wide-ranging action to support healthier choices. This includes a challenging aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet related health inequalities. Our Public Heath (Restriction of Promotions) Bill will restrict the promotion of unhealthier food and drink and will be introduced as part of the 2022-23 legislative session.

We are evaluating the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) at the current price of 50 pence per unit and will assess what level MUP should be set at going forward, if MUP is to continue.

We will soon consult on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion to protect children and young people, and those in recovery. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, we will introduce legislation within the lifetime of this parliament.