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Stopping smoking at any time is one of the best things you can do for your health, and the health of those around you.

We work alongside YoungScot, schools and further education institutions when developing our campaigns to ensure young people are aware of the dangers of smoking and the importance of making healthy life choices.

NHS Inform has information around smoking and weight gain, 'Myths' which can be used to address individual’s concerns over this issue.

www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/stopping-smoking/when-you-stop/myths

Any future anti-smoking campaigns will address these concerns to ensure that individuals are supported to stop smoking.

The Hydrogen Economy Cluster will raise awareness of the opportunities in the hydrogen economy, support a Team Scotland approach and provide practical steps to help companies realise opportunities in hydrogen and associated low-carbon markets. The cluster will be pan-Scotland and will play a key role in helping the energy and oil and gas supply chain move into hydrogen production, distribution and/or key areas of hydrogen demand such as transport and low-carbon heat.

Hydrogen policy officials are currently working with the Enterprise Agencies on the development of the Hydrogen Economy Cluster and further details will be available in 2022.

The commitment to recruit 800 additional GPs is based on GP headcount and we remain on track to meet that commitment by 2027 as originally set out.

We have taken a number of actions to fulfil this commitment, including increasing the number of medical places at universities, and taking steps to encourage medical graduates to choose general practice. To that end, between 2015-16 and 2021-22 the Scottish Government will have increased the annual intake of medical places in Scottish universities from 848 to 1117 (269 places, a 32% increase). The majority of these new places are focused on general practice.

By increasing the amount of undergraduate curriculum that is delivered in general practice to 25%. We are confident increased exposure to general practice will encourage more students to train as GPs. With an increase of 89 GPs in 2019-20 we are now confident we are starting to see the positive impact of these actions.

There is already a process in place for doing this across the Common Travel Area, and work continues to add additional countries to this service. Full details are available on NHS Inform – see https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/after-your-vaccine/get-a-record-of-your-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-status/ .

We are continuing to make progress within this age cohort. With 582,135
people aged 18-29 (70%) having their second dose of the COVID -19
vaccination, and 659,241 people aged 18-29 ( 79%) having their first dose
of the vaccine, as at 30 November.

The latest figures on vaccinations are published and can be viewed at: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/phs.covid.19#!/vizhome/COVID-19
DailyDashboard_15960160643010/Overview

We have encouraged uptake by utilising a range of communication channels,
including TV, radio, digital and social, to encourage younger people to get
vaccinated and we have also shared messaging and resources with
organisations, such as Young Scot and the Scottish Professional Football
League (SPFL).

We published an updated evidence paper on the Covid 19 status certification scheme on Friday 19 November 2021.

Public Heath Scotland also publish a weekly COVID-19 statistical report which includes the number of times the NHS Scotland COVID Status App has been downloaded. As at 15 November 2021 this is 1.5 million times. The statistical information for the app is provided by Apple and Google and we do not receive a breakdown by age or demographic.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh have provided a full list of 2021 RSE Saltire Research Awards on their website. This includes 13 Scottish higher education institutions, across the 93 awardees:

• Edinburgh College of Art
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Heriot Watt University
• Queen Margaret University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Dundee
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of St Andrews
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the Highlands and Islands
• University of the West of Scotland
  

The Scottish Funding Council Saltire Emerging Researcher Scheme awarded 9 Scottish university consortia funding to promote mobility between Scotland and European research partners:

• EaSI-CAT (East of Scotland Industrial Catalysis) Doctoral Training Programme
• Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities
• Scottish Graduate School of Social Science
• SAGES – Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment & Society
• SICSA – Scottish Informatics & Computer Science Alliance
• ScotCHEM – Scottish Universities Chemistry Research Pool
• SULSA – Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance
• SUPA – Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
• MASTS – Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland

The Scottish Government’s recovery plan for sexual health and blood borne virus services, Reset and Rebuild, includes an action to widen access to PrEP to a much broader range of people, including those who do not access sexual health services. The plan acknowledges that this will require novel models of care and access to PrEP in settings that people who do not currently access it will find acceptable.

In the plan, the Scottish Government has committed to working with stakeholders to support and develop a number of research projects to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on service users and providers, including piloting an evaluation of new care pathways, such as a community based PrEP service.

The recovery plan also makes available an additional £0.5 million of funding, on top of the existing funding provided to third sector delivery organisations, to support specific recovery actions, particularly those focussed on testing, HIV and Hepatitis C elimination.

Finally, the Scottish Government has established an HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal Oversight Group, which will support delivery of a proposal for how Scotland can eliminate HIV transmission by 2030. The action to widen access to PrEP will form a key part of the final proposal, which is expected to be delivered by Autumn 2022.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of energy generated from solar PV in contributing to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s energy supply and contributing to the just transition to a net zero emissions society by 2045.

In support of this, the Scottish Government will, in consultation with the sector, establish a vision for the future of solar in the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. This vision will set out the scale of ambition for solar generation in Scotland.

We have also recently published guidance for public sector bodies: ‘Public Sector Leadership on the Global Climate Emergency’. The guidance sets out milestones for accelerated efforts towards the use of 100% renewable electricity on the public sector estate alongside continuing to reduce electricity usage, and, highlights the important role solar power projects can play in decarbonising the public sector estate.

Full details of how to access your Covid Status can be found on NHS Inform. This includes downloading the NHS Scotland Covid Status App or accessing your status on the existing online portal. From this portal, you can generate a downloadable PDF or request a printed copy to be posted out to you. See https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/after-your-vaccine/get-a-record-of-your-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-status/ .