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Infection Prevention control (IPC) measures remain important in care homes but with high levels of vaccination and new treatments, the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 has decreased and the protective measures in adult social care including care homes have reduced in response to this.

IPC measures to prevent spread and manage a range of infections are common practice in care homes and will remain of upmost importance during COVID-19 outbreaks, in the same way as they do for other infectious pathogens such as influenza outbreaks. Care home staff have worked incredibly hard to adopt IPC guidance throughout the pandemic.

We are currently reviewing the guidance on the extended use of face coverings by staff in adult social care including care homes. The review is in partnership with ARHAI Scotland, SG Clinicians and Public Health Scotland and is considering the risk of Covid-19 transmission, the current rates within the community and the impact of removing this final layer of protection could have on transmission to vulnerable people, and staffing resources, alongside the human rights and wider harms to individuals in receipt of care or support including individuals whom live in care homes. It is anticipated that this review will be completed by the end of July. As it has been throughout the pandemic, guidance will be updated in line with the results of the review.

COVID-19 Financial Support for Adult Social Care Providers has been in place since the outset of the pandemic and was intended as time-limited financial support as services navigated and responded to COVID-19.

In both 2020-21 and 2021-22, the Scottish Government provided additional funding for COVID-19 costs in full. In 2022-23, the Health and Social Care Portfolio is required to accommodate all further COVID-19 activity, including additional Test & Protect and Vaccinations costs, without any further UK Government consequentials.

Recognising that flexibility is still required for responding to pandemic pressures, we have committed to continuing elements of financial support beyond 30 June 2022, this includes: the Social Care Staff Support Fund until 30 September 2022; and financial support arrangements for testing and vaccinations until the 31 March 2023. In addition, the current local PPE Hub arrangements will continue until 30 September 2022.

The Scottish education system is set up in such a way that decision making is devolved to the most appropriate level, enabling local education authorities to make choices that meet their local circumstances and needs. It is for this reason that the Scottish Government does not prescribe the specific resources to be used in schools. Head teachers are empowered to make these decisions for themselves in liaison with their local authority.

As a result, it was Scottish Ministers' view that Scottish schools should be given the choice on whether their pupils should receive this book and have therefore advised UK Ministers that an ‘opt-in’ process for Scottish schools should be implemented. This is consistent with the approach being taken in Wales.

The current permitted development rights for agricultural and forestry private ways (sometimes referred to as hill tracks) are subject to a prior notification and approval process, through which the planning authority can require changes to the design, manner of construction and route of a proposed private way to minimise potentially harmful impacts, including on peatland. It is for the relevant planning authority to consider each prior notification application on its individual merits.

It is open to the planning authority to refuse prior approval if they consider such impacts cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. Furthermore, if the proposed development would require an environmental impact assessment, the permitted development rights do not apply.

The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of permitted development rights in Scotland. We have committed to consider the permitted development rights for private ways as part of the review programme and we will consult on proposals for change in due course.

The prior notification and approval process introduced in 2014 enables planning authorities to consider the impacts of agricultural and forestry private ways (sometimes referred to as hill tracks) on the environment and local amenity. Through this process, the planning authority can require changes to the design, manner of construction and route of a proposed private way to minimise potentially harmful impacts. It is for the relevant planning authority to consider each prior notification application on its individual merits.

It is open to the planning authority to refuse prior approval if they consider such impacts cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. Furthermore, if the proposed development would require an environmental impact assessment, the permitted development rights do not apply.

The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of permitted development rights in Scotland. We have committed to consider the permitted development rights for private ways as part of the review programme and we will consult on proposals for change in due course.

Scottish Ministers are currently considering the City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed designation of the Edinburgh Short-Term Let Control Area, in accordance with the relevant legislation and Planning Circular 1/2021. There is no statutory timescale for considering such proposals but a decision on the proposal will be made and published as soon as possible.

The Scotland Reserve was established following the 2016 Scotland Act and was effective from 1 April 2017. Amounts allocated annually to the Scotland Reserve since 1 April 2017 are included on the table below as well as details of all other movements within the Scotland Reserve during the relevant financial years.

In line with the requirements of the Scotland Act 1998, Boundaries Scotland must report its recommendations to Scottish Ministers by 1 May 2025. The timing of the review is otherwise a matter for Boundaries Scotland but it is likely that it will start the review this autumn with initial consultation taking place in the first half of 2023.

Proposals for future agricultural support will be co-developed with rural partners through the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) and with wider civil society through a consultation in summer 2022 to inform the introduction of a Scottish Agriculture Bill in 2023.

Scotland’s export performance is published annually in the Export Statistics Scotland (ESS) report at the start of each year and provides the Scottish Government with estimates of Scotland’s international and domestic trade in both good and services, excluding oil and gas. The timing and content of the ESS publication is determined independently of ministers.

ESS relies heavily on company data collected through the Global Connections Survey (GCS). However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the postponement of that survey in 2020 and impacted the publishing the ESS in 2020 and 2021. However, data collection for the GGS 2020 and 2021 data is due to start imminently.

Our most reliable and up to date source of export data is provided by the ESS 2019 report - Export statistics Scotland: 2019 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Based on ESS 2019, the USA is our top international export destination with an estimated value of just over £6bn in total exports.

The dataset on which these statistics is based does not record details of pay or contractual status.

The definition of employment used in school leaver destination statistics includes: those who consider themselves to be employed and in receipt of payment from their employers.