Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business
Good afternoon, colleagues. The first item of business is portfolio question time, and the first portfolio is constitution, external affairs and culture, and parliamentary business. As ever, members who wish to ask a supplementary question should press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question.
International Development Fund Impact (Partner Countries)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is maximising the impact of its international development fund in its partner countries, including any of those affected by high levels of indebtedness. (S6O-04442)
Campaigners are raising concerns that global debt is at its worst level in 30 years, with 34 countries in Africa in debt distress. The Scottish Government remains committed to equitable partnerships with our partner countries to tackle shared global challenges. Our international development fund has been led by our partners to ensure that our portfolio is aligned with their national priorities in order to maximise impact. That has resulted in our programmes focusing on areas that are often neglected and underfunded, such as inclusive education, non-communicable diseases and tackling gender-based violence, with the money delivered through grants rather than loans. We remain committed to global equity and justice.
I am interested in how the Scottish Government plans to engage with international organisations such as the United Nations to advocate the creation of a fairer global debt framework. Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that international aid organisations that are based in Scotland, such as Mercy Corps, could be hit hard as a result of the United Kingdom Government’s decision to slash the international aid budget?
I give Maurice Golden the assurance that the Scottish Government remains closely in touch with multilateral organisations and our partner countries to address the issues that he has identified.
Maurice Golden’s second point requires a lot more attention. In Scotland, we are very fortunate to have charitable organisations and others that do a lot of excellent work internationally. He is right to mention Mercy Corps, which has its European headquarters in Edinburgh. A lot of its grant-in-aid funding comes from countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, so any reductions in overseas development aid budgets are likely to hit such organisations. It is in all our interests to ensure that the talented people and organisations in the sector that are based in Scotland receive the help and support that they need.
I understand that Scotland’s International Development Alliance has previously raised concerns about grant funding from the Scottish international fund going to multinational for-profit organisations. What assessment, if any, has the Scottish Government made of those concerns? Will it review the issue?
I assure Neil Bibby that we keep everything in this policy area under constant review, but I will refer his question to officials to ensure that I provide him with the most up-to-date information. I would be content to meet him, or the organisation that he referred to, to discuss any outstanding issues. There is cross-party consensus on the good work that the Scottish Government is able to deliver in that area, and I want to ensure that it continues to be held in the high regard that it has been thus far.
Historic Environment Scotland (Safe Working Environment for Women)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps Historic Environment Scotland is taking to ensure that women have access to a safe working environment. (S6O-04443)
We hope for a strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence and abuse.
We are committed to ensuring that working environments are inclusive and safe, including on the basis of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. The provision of safe working environments for its staff is an operational matter for Historic Environment Scotland, and I will therefore ask it to write directly to Rachael Hamilton with a full answer to her question.
An employee of Historic Environment Scotland shared a copy of an article that had been published on the HES internal website, which states:
“Excluding people from places such as changing rooms or bathrooms are all explicit forms of transphobia and considered harassment.”
First, cabinet secretary, can you confirm whether Historic Environment Scotland provides single-sex spaces in all buildings? Secondly, do you agree with the statement—
Speak through the chair.
Does the cabinet secretary agree with this statement from HES? If he does not, will the cabinet secretary direct HES to remove the article from its internal website and to issue an apology to its employees?
I repeat the point that I made a moment ago. I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write directly to the member with a full answer to her question. I think that she and other colleagues appreciate that it is important that arm’s-length organisations, whether that is Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland or others, answer such operational questions.
I would be grateful to Rachael Hamilton if she could share the correspondence with me, and I give her an undertaking that I will look at that. I expect Historic Environment Scotland to reply to her directly.
Cultural Activities for Children and Young People (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support cultural activities for children and young people in Glasgow. (S6O-04444)
I thank Pam Duncan-Glancy for her question. The Scottish Government has a long-standing history of supporting youth arts programmes, such as the youth music initiative and Sistema Scotland. YMI and Sistema will receive a 3 per cent uplift in 2025-26, which takes our annual investment for those YMI to £9.79 million and for Sistema to £2.68 million.
In 2024-25, Glasgow City Council received £540,644 through the YMI formula fund, ensuring that every primary school child has access to a year’s free music tuition. A further 28 youth arts projects received YMI funding in the city. Sistema runs Big Noise Govanhill, which works with more than 1,000 local children to provide high-quality music education.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that, yesterday, BBC Scotland announced that the soap opera “River City” will be decommissioned. Equity, the union, says that the move will have a disproportionately negative impact on Scottish performers and the wider production landscape, including in relation to apprenticeships. What reassurance has the Government had from BBC Scotland that it will replace, like-for-like, the apprenticeships and training opportunities for young workers in Glasgow who want to develop a career in television or film?
I commend Pam Duncan-Glancy for her ingenuity in raising yesterday’s announcement by BBC Scotland. My view on the ending of “River City” is that it is to be regretted. Like many people, I have watched it over the past 20 years. I note BBC Scotland’s commitment to three new drama projects. However, I have concerns about the announcement, particularly because of the training opportunities that “River City” has provided over the decades. I have asked the BBC to engage fully with Bectu, Equity and the Writers Guild of Great Britain on that issue. It is important to involve all the trades unions in this. We have a shared agenda of ensuring that screen and television go from strength to strength, and I would be very concerned about anything that might undermine that.
The delivery of multiyear funding is a significant development, and many of the organisations that receive funding support children and young people. Can you provide an assessment of the number and range of organisations that run cultural activities for children and young people and which are benefiting from those plans across Glasgow and Scotland?
The Scottish Government allocated an additional £20 million to Creative Scotland’s multiyear funding programme for 2025-26. Subject to budgetary processes, we will increase the available budget by a further £20 million to £74 million in 2026-27. This is a foundational moment for Scotland’s culture sector, including many organisations that support children and young people. More than 150 organisations—61 per cent of the portfolio—will deliver activity for children and young people, 27 of which we consider to be youth arts organisations. Examples of organisations in Glasgow that will benefit from multiyear funding and which have a focus on youth arts include Scottish Youth Dance and the Children’s Music Foundation in Scotland.
I remind members that they should have their Scottish Parliament background on when they join the proceedings remotely.
Question 4 has been withdrawn. Question 5 was not lodged.
European Single Market (Rejoining)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding rejoining the European single market. (S6O-04447)
The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government in order to set out Scotland’s priorities for its future relationship with the European Union, which includes a return to the single market.
Modelling by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research shows that the UK economy is now 2.5 per cent smaller than it would have been in the European Union. The hard Brexit that was negotiated by the previous Conservative UK Government took the UK out of the EU, the single market and the customs union, and it brought an end to freedom of movement. With independence, Scotland can rejoin the European Union.
The world of 2016, when the Brexit referendum took place, is not the world of today. Security and defence are about much more than weapons and soldiers; energy security and food supply are also vital issues. What actions will the Scottish Government, working with our European partners, undertake in order to increase maritime security in Scottish waters?
Stuart McMillan is right to identify the importance of working together with the European Union, its member states and neighbouring countries such as Norway and Iceland that are not part of the EU, as they are all countries that have an important security dimension around our shores.
Defence is a reserved matter, but notwithstanding that, in the areas in which the Scottish Government has responsibilities, such as the marine sphere and energy sector, it is legitimate to make sure that we have the appropriate levels of security in place. I note, with some concern, that the Royal Navy does not have a single ocean-going conventional patrol craft that is based in Scotland.
United States President Donald Trump is currently threatening trade tariffs against the EU, which we might avoid in the UK because we are no longer part of the EU. Those tariffs would be immensely damaging to key export sectors, such as food and drink, in Scotland. Is it not reckless to talk about rejoining the European single market while such a threat hangs over us?
No, but I take the opportunity to agree with the member that a trade war has no winners, which is why it is incumbent on all of us, across all parties, to use the good offices that we have to communicate that point to those who choose to introduce trade tariffs.
Let us take the example of the Scotch whisky sector in which American companies own Scottish distilleries, American barrels are imported to Scotland to produce Scotch whisky and French or Italian-headquartered companies own significant parts of the sector. We are not immune to tariff decisions, whether we are in the European Union or not. For all of us, the key issue at hand is to persuade decision makers that tariffs are not the best way to ensure economic success, whether that is in the European Union, Scotland and the UK outside the European Union, or the United States of America.
Historic Sites
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the heritage sector to conserve historic sites. (S6O-04448)
The Scottish Government delivers support through our sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, which is the lead public body that is responsible for the historic environment. The Scottish Government budget for 2025-26 allocates more than £74 million to Historic Environment Scotland, which will enable the organisation to invest in fair staff pay, operate and maintain its properties, deliver grants to the heritage sector, continue research on climate change and fulfil its advisory and regulatory functions.
Historic Environment Scotland has acknowledged that Scotland has a heritage skills crisis and it has proposed a new register to combat that. Can the cabinet secretary outline what discussions the Scottish Government has had to boost traditional heritage skills provision in Scotland? Can he outline how the Government is working with the college and apprenticeship sectors to make heritage skills an attractive career path for our young people and resolve the crisis in our sector?
Not long ago, I had the good fortune to visit Historic Environment Scotland at Holyrood palace—just across the road from the Parliament—where outstanding apprentices, craftsmen and craftswomen have developed their traditional skills on site. They do remarkable work at the palace, the cathedral and Edinburgh castle.
Sue Webber is right to underline that there has been a crisis in the traditional skills area, but I can give her an absolute assurance that the Scottish Government, the college sector and Historic Environment Scotland are seizing that as an issue. I am keen to keep her apprised of developments in the near future, which I am sure that she will welcome as much as I do.
Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the impact on the heritage sector of the United Kingdom Government’s increase to employer national insurance contributions, and of the implications that it will have for the sector’s ability to conserve historic sites?
The Government has strongly raised our concerns with the UK Treasury about the impact on public services of the increase to employer national insurance contributions. Regarding the impact on the heritage sector, the increase equates to an additional £1.6 million of costs to Historic Environment Scotland.
However, Historic Environment Scotland’s commercial income continues to grow. Reflecting that commercial success, our on-going public service reform work has delivered, with Historic Environment Scotland, a revised business model that will allow it greater financial freedoms to manage its commercial income in the year. That reinvestment into our historic environment, alongside our grant-in-aid funding and HES’s philanthropic and fundraising activities, will provide it with a sound platform to continue to develop for Scotland and to maintain our historic sites.
Dumfries and Galloway is being disproportionately affected by public access restrictions on Historic Environment Scotland buildings. Seven are fully closed, four others have visitor restrictions and almost none of them have plans in place for what work needs to be done, never mind a date to reopen. Local tour companies tell me that it is becoming difficult to tell the story of our region’s history, given that poor access. Will the Government intervene to speed up the process to safely reopen our historic and cultural heritage sites in Dumfries and Galloway?
I very much agree with Mr Smyth: he wishes for those sites to open when they are safe, and I think that we all agree that that should be the case. I commend everybody who is working for Historic Environment Scotland and doing their level best to ensure that that happens as quickly as possible right across the country. I acknowledge, however, that there will be parts of the country where significant closures are in place.
I will ask Historic Environment Scotland for an update on the region and the sites that Mr Smyth asked about in order to get a better understanding of when any work is likely to be conducted and when sites are likely to open. I am sure that HES will be listening very closely to his concerns, and I am sure that we all want to ensure that our sites of historic interest throughout Scotland are able to open as quickly and as safely as possible.
Earlier this month, pilots for national 5 qualifications in roof slating and stone carving started in Edinburgh. Given the skills shortages across the heritage sector, with only 6 per cent of the key traditional building skills that have been defined by Historic Environment Scotland having formal training provision in place, would the cabinet secretary support similar efforts to improve qualifications in traditional skills across Scotland?
I would welcome any initiatives that help in the traditional skills area to ensure that we have the next generation of stone carvers, stonemasons and those with all the other skills that are required to maintain and repair our historic sites. I will look closely at the developments that the member has updated Parliament on, and if he or other colleagues have suggestions on how skills can be developed in the heritage sector or how that could be speeded up, I will be happy to look closely at them.
As I mentioned to Sue Webber, I am optimistic that there will be announcements in the near future, and I think that they will give Foysol Choudhury, Sue Webber and me assurance and confidence about the future in this area.
Independence (Work in 2024-25)
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out in 2024-25 to further the case for Scottish independence. (S6O-04449)
In 2024, the Scottish Government, as part of the “Building a New Scotland” series, published a further four papers covering the topics of culture, our place and role in the world, education and lifelong learning, and justice. In 2025, we will publish a final overview independence paper to complete the prospectus series.
Young Scots who voted yes at 16 will be approaching 30 at the next Scottish election. A political generation has therefore passed with pro-independence parties winning mandates at election after election, but Scotland is no closer to independence. Polling today shows an independence majority in 2026 of 66 seats across three parties. Will the Government take instruction from the people of Scotland, and not Westminster, by committing to put a clear democratic vote for independence on the list ballot next May?
I agree with Ash Regan that the people of Scotland should be able to determine their future.
She is absolutely right about the length of time that has passed since the 2014 referendum. She did not mention, although she could have, that a mechanism exists for there to be a border poll for Northern Ireland, and it is suggested that that might be able to be held every seven years. If it is possible for Northern Ireland, I do not see why it is not possible for Scotland.
This Government remains seized of making the case that people in Scotland, regardless of whether they support or oppose independence—I and this Government support it—should be able to decide as quickly as possible. We require to have a mechanism in place, and we will do everything that we can to ensure that we have a legal and respected process that is recognised around the world so that Scotland can take its rightful place as a member state of the European Union and the international community.
What is the full direct and indirect cost to the taxpayer of the work that has been done and is still to be done? Given the cabinet secretary’s constant refrain that there is not enough money, from which bodies was that money taken?
I cannot give the member the answer that he asks for. However, I regularly update Parliament and colleagues—perhaps even him—on that in answers to written questions, and I will be happy to update him on it.
I think that Liam Kerr appreciates that this Government was elected with a mandate to inform the public about Scottish independence, and that that policy position is supported by the majority of MSPs. It is absolutely right and proper that we do the necessary work. I will be happy to update the member on the work that is done to inform the public about independence, which is, of course, the normal status of countries in the international community.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In my question earlier, I referred to the Scottish international fund. I should have referred to the climate justice fund. I wanted to clarify that at the earliest opportunity.
Thank you, Mr Bibby. That is now on the record.
That concludes portfolio questions on constitutional affairs. Before we move on to the next portfolio, there will be a brief pause to allow the front-bench teams to change.
Justice and Home Affairs
The next portfolio is justice and home affairs.
Again, if members wish to ask a supplementary question, they should press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question. There is quite a bit of interest for supplementary questions in this portfolio, so brevity in those questions and responses would be welcome.
Police Officers (Mental Health Support)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health of police officers and ensure that they have access to the appropriate specialist services. (S6O-04450)
Although that is an operational matter for the chief constable, I am pleased that Police Scotland has signed up to the mental health at work commitment, which prioritises mental health in the workplace. In addition to trauma risk incident management assessments and occupational health counselling, Police Scotland has invested £17 million to enhance welfare provision. That includes a new 24/7 employee assistance programme, direct access to occupational health services, and a greater focus on mental health.
I understand that this potentially strays into operational matters, but I am worried about the signal that is being sent out when serving officers are telling me that the wellbeing team is being diluted and that specialist roles are being removed. Does the Government at least recognise the anxiety that that will cause hard-working officers, who are facing very challenging situations in their front-line roles and are struggling to access dedicated, experienced and suitably qualified support at work?
I very much appreciate Mr Mundell’s concern. We should all recognise every day the role of police officers in serving this country, who very often put themselves in danger to keep us safe.
The day-to-day demands of the job can, of course, take their toll. I hope that the actions that I highlighted to the member highlight the priority that Police Scotland places on supporting the health and wellbeing of the workforce, and how that is supported by the health and wellbeing action plan, which underpins delivery. What is happening is an enhancement of support to officers.
However, I will look into the very specific point and get back to Oliver Mundell.
As the cabinet secretary knows, the Criminal Justice Committee spent a considerable amount of time considering the mental health of police officers, and it expressed concern that specialist counselling services were not available. I appreciate that counselling is provided. However, has the cabinet secretary had the opportunity to look at the issue? Is it included in the action plan?
I recall the evidence that I gave to the committee, which was about the role of police officers and how that needs to be refocused on criminal justice matters, as well as the need for better linkage with health services in relation to their work to signpost and support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
I have outlined various mechanisms through which police officers can access specialist counselling through Police Scotland. I very much welcome, for example, the post-trauma support that is offered to all police officers and staff who are directly involved in potentially very traumatic incidents, and the enhanced employee assistance programme, which provides direct access to occupational health services and has a greater focus on officers’ mental health.
The Thistle (Community Safety Measures)
To ask the Scottish Government what community safety measures it plans to prevent antisocial behaviour, including improper needle disposal, in the area surrounding the Thistle drug consumption facility. (S6O-04451)
The Thistle operates like any other national health service facility and works closely with community safety partners to prevent and address antisocial behaviour.
Through the Thistle oversight group and community engagement forum, the community safety partnership, the alcohol and drug partnership and other stakeholders support the local community and encourage reporting of any concerns.
The CSP reports that there has been no increase in antisocial behaviour and that there has been a decrease in drug paraphernalia. Police Scotland reports that there has been a reduction in local drug dealing. Glasgow City Council collects discarded needles when such needles are reported.
Local policing actively responds to reports to deter criminal activity and enhance public safety. Public support is vital, and Police Scotland encourages the public to report concerns to it or to Crimestoppers.
Approximately two weeks ago, discarded needles and burnt spoons were discovered in a car park across from the Thistle drug consumption facility. Local community representatives have raised serious concerns about the facility’s impact and, in particular, about the risk of children coming into contact with discarded syringes. The finding of that material contradicts official statements, which have downplayed the issue of drug-related litter.
Will the minister clarify how the Government intends to address those reports and outline its plan to maintain a safe environment for residents and visitors? I have seen the situation at first hand, and it is not getting any better in the places that I have visited.
I know that public injecting around the car park to which Ms Wells referred has been an on-going issue. The Thistle facility is specifically aimed at addressing that issue. The Glasgow health and social care partnership has acknowledged the issue, and it continues to engage with the community to tackle it. A spokesperson stated:
“We are aware of the public injecting near the Thistle facility, which has been an on-going concern. This is precisely why the facility has been established in this location. Orion kits are available through all needle exchange services in Glasgow, and providing clean needles and injecting equipment is one of the harm reduction interventions offered by the Thistle.”
In addition, a community engagement forum has been established to address those local concerns. It had its first meeting on 25 February. As the facility establishes itself, regular engagement with the community and businesses will continue. The focus remains on strengthening partnerships with stakeholders before implementing any new actions.
I will allow a brief supplementary, but it will need to be brief, as will the response.
All of us in the Parliament have a responsibility to ensure that we do not inadvertently spread misinformation about a service that seeks to address an issue by using a method that international evidence demonstrates works.
Given that the location for the Thistle project was chosen because community injecting was already happening there, can the minister outline what, if any, substantive evidence has been provided by Police Scotland that suggests that there has been an increase in injecting in the community or, indeed, an increase in the discarding of paraphernalia?
No evidence has been provided to suggest that there has been an increase in injecting or in discarding of paraphernalia. I agree with Audrey Nicoll that we must ensure that accurate information is communicated, both in the chamber and to the local community.
As I said, the Glasgow health and social care partnership has confirmed that it has not been alerted to any specific incidents of antisocial behaviour. Additionally, I point out that no concerns about increased injecting in the community have been raised by stakeholders, including by community representatives at the first community engagement forum meeting, which was held on 25 February.
Rural Crime
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle rural crime. (S6O-04452)
Rural crime impacts individuals, communities and businesses, and the Scottish Government fully supports efforts to tackle it. The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, which is chaired by Police Scotland, brings together key justice and rural sector partners to provide a robust multi-agency approach to preventing rural crime and to support actions that are taken at a local level.
In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will increase police funding to £1.62 billion, including £57 million in additional resource funding to strengthen front-line services. That investment will allow Police Scotland to enhance community policing, thereby ensuring that communities receive the best possible service from Police Scotland and its work to prevent criminal activity.
In the minister’s contribution to my colleague Rachael Hamilton’s member’s debate on rural crime and equipment theft, she referred to statistics that had been provided by Scotland’s national rural, acquisitive and business prevention team as part of a regular SPARC update. Although those figures provide a snapshot of rural crime, they are not official police statistics.
Why were official figures not used? Does that not suggest that the Scottish Government does not take the rural crime issue as seriously as it should do?
The Scottish Government absolutely recognises the harm that is caused to individuals and communities by rural crime. I wrote to Rachael Hamilton this morning in response to her letter on the issue.
The information that I used in that debate was provided by Police Scotland’s national rural, acquisitive and business prevention team as part of the update that it gave to my officials. Although such updates provide snapshots of rural crime over a period, they are issued to my officials by that team, and the numbers that were quoted are not official police statistics. You may want to get in touch with that team, which can give the statistics to you.
Always speak through the chair, please.
What preventative work has the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime been doing, particularly in relation to disrupting serious organised crime groups that target rural communities across the United Kingdom?
The link between crimes such as equipment theft in rural areas and serious and organised crime is well recognised across the whole UK. Preventing equipment theft is one of the priorities in the current SPARC strategy. The partnership aims to mitigate its effects by sharing intelligence on organised crime groups that operate across the UK and by providing specific information to the rural and farming communities on how best to secure property and prevent it from being stolen.
The work of SPARC also makes a valuable contribution to Scotland’s serious and organised crime strategy. I am pleased to say that, in SPARC’s January update, both the incidents of rural crime and their associated costs to businesses and communities were down, compared with figures for the same point in the previous year.
Earlier this month, I held a drop-in rural crime session, which was generously attended by many cross-party colleagues, the Association of British Insurers, NFU Scotland and the national rural crime unit. After what the minister has just said to Finlay Carson, which repeated verbatim what he just asked her, will she agree to hold a round-table discussion with those organisations and the victims of rural crime to discuss how serious the matter is?
I am happy to sit down and discuss the matter in the first instance with you, Ms Hamilton. I received your letter and I was not aware of the proposed bill that you mentioned in that letter.
Speak through the chair, minister.
I am happy to speak to the member in the first instance.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Applications (Determination Times)
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on victims of crime in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the time taken to determine applications made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. (S6O-04453)
I recognise that timely compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme can help victims in their recovery, both practically and emotionally.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. The Scottish Government provided a total of £18.6 million in funding to the CICA in the past financial year and has budgeted £22.9 million for next year.
Scottish Government officials regularly meet the CICA, and performance is discussed. We understand that the majority of applications are decided within 12 months. However, each case must be decided on its own facts, based on available information, and the process very much relies on other agencies. Some applications will take longer to decide due to on-going court proceedings or the complexity of an injury.
I am dealing with a young victim whose case was sent to the CICA in July 2023. His solicitor had not heard anything by January 2024 and now, in March 2025, the case has not progressed at all. The family has been told that the CICA will now not routinely update victims on the progress of their case. Does the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs agree that that approach does not seem to be very victim centred, and will she make representations to the Ministry of Justice and the CICA that the latter should regularly update victims on the progress of their case?
The short answer is yes.
I recently had a look at the CICA’s customer charter and was somewhat surprised that the body contacts applicants only when it needs information or has made a decision. Bearing in mind that, through the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, the Parliament has focused on trauma-informed practice, I will raise the issue with the MOJ.
For completeness, I am also aware that the CICA is currently reviewing all its contact with applicants and is exploring mechanisms to provide applicants with more regular updates and enhanced information.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Planning Guidance)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is sufficiently resourced to provide appropriate planning guidance or able to respond to planning consultations when required. (S6O-04454)
The Scottish Government has allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service £412.2 million for 2025-26, to ensure that it is properly resourced to keep Scotland safe and exercise all its statutory functions. The budget is £18.8 million higher than the budget for last year. Although, clearly, decisions on how that budget is spent are a matter for the SFRS board and the chief fire officer, the SFRS will continue to respond to planning consultations when required.
The SFRS aims to review planning documents if it is appropriate to do so for firefighting and fire safety operations, and it will continually review and develop its operational response to any new and emerging technology or site, to keep communities safe and ensure the highest level of preparedness.
As the minister will be aware, the number of applications for battery energy storage systems across Scotland has increased dramatically, and many communities have expressed concern about the potential implications for fire safety. Developers currently have to rely on the fire service in England for guidance on their plans, as the SFRS has not issued any such guidance. Does the minister consider that to be acceptable? If not, will she instruct the SFRS to produce Scotland-specific guidance on fire safety for battery energy storage sites?
I know that, through regulations, the issue is both devolved and reserved, but the SFRS provides guidance under the National Fire Chiefs Council’s grid scale planning guidance.
The Scottish Government is aware of calls for guidance and further advice on battery energy storage systems, including in relation to fire safety. The Scottish Government’s planning department is in the process of commissioning independent consultants to prepare planning advice on BES systems. That work has progressed with input from Heads of Planning Scotland and the industry. The intention is that the advice will set out information on the relevant regulatory regimes that are applicable in Scotland and on their interface with the planning system, recognising the long-established principle that the planning system does not seek to duplicate other regulatory controls.
There are a couple of supplementary questions, but they will need to be brief.
What assessment has the Scottish Government made of the impact of the United Kingdom Government’s employer national insurance hike on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services?
I have met the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in recent weeks. The rise in national insurance for its staff is a huge concern, and I am looking at having on-going conversations with the service in that regard.
The minister will be aware of the Health and Safety Executive’s identification of contraventions in health and safety at the Walls, Hillswick and Bressay fire stations in Shetland. How will the Scottish Government support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and ensure that it is sufficiently resourced to address the HSE improvement notice and its deadline of 22 August 2025?
Last week, I met His Majesty’s chief inspector and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on that point, and I was reassured by both of them that work will be progressed. I am happy to keep the member updated on that.
Drug Use Harm (Criminal Justice and Public Health)
To ask the Scottish Government how the criminal justice system applies its public health approach to reducing the harm caused by drug use. (S6O-04455)
Through the national mission on drugs, the Scottish Government continues to invest in a wide range of evidence-based measures to save lives and reduce harms. We are implementing a range of public health responses to tackle the harms that are caused by drugs. For example, naloxone has been rolled out across the prison estate and to front-line police officers, who used it more than 580 times up to December 2024.
We are well aware that people in the justice system can have very complex needs and may be vulnerable, which necessitates working holistically and focusing on prevention and appropriate interventions. That is why “The Vision for Justice in Scotland” recognises the importance of justice partners working together to apply a public health approach.
Nearly two years ago, the Government published a document called “A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland”, which set out pretty clearly the limitations that devolved powers put on us in the application of a public health approach to harm reduction for drugs. There will always be more that we can do in the criminal justice system with devolved powers, but can the cabinet secretary update Parliament on what discussions have been had with the new United Kingdom Government about giving this Parliament the power to change aspects of the criminal law on drugs to enable the fuller implementation of that policy from 2023?
I assure Mr Harvie that the Government’s position remains that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and other relevant legislation should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, not least so that we can be fully powered to follow all the international evidence that tells us what works to save lives at the end of the day. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is almost as old as me, and it has more holes than some cheese—I was going to say Swiss cheese, but I did not want to offend the Swiss. It is an outdated piece of legislation. Forgive me, Presiding Officer, because I know that this is a serious matter. We want to be able to implement what works to save lives.
We have a number of supplementary questions, so they will need to be very brief, as will the responses.
On my recent visit to HM Prison Low Moss, I was concerned to hear about the ever-increasing use of technology to smuggle drugs into prisons. What preventative work is being done by the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that prisoners do not take drugs in our prisons?
I have visited Low Moss prison and will do so again next week. During my visits to all our establishments, I have seen at first hand the strong and committed recovery agenda in our prisons. It is clear that on-going work with partners such as the Scottish Recovery Consortium and the Scottish Drugs Forum is having a positive and sincere effect on the individuals in custody who are on their own recovery journey.
To reassure Mr Harvie, here is something that we can do under devolution. For decades, the USA has had positive results on regression, recidivism and public safety using continuous drug abstinence monitoring technology. Australia and New Zealand have moved ahead with that, and England has it in its family law courts. Will the cabinet secretary consider a trial of that technology in Scotland to see whether the positive outcomes that have been seen elsewhere happen here?
I am very open to developments in technology and will consider how any advancement could play a role in the management of offenders, including those in custody. We have the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019, and, of course, the electronic monitoring commercial contract in Scotland allows for new technological capabilities.
Foysol Choudhury—very briefly.
Given that drug use is an issue that crosses portfolios, what discussions has the cabinet secretary had with ministerial colleagues on ensuring that there is wraparound support for offenders in cases where drugs have played a role, particularly those with drug treatment and testing orders, leading to lower reoffending rates?
I hope that I have managed to convey to Parliament that as the Minister for Drugs Policy, which was my post before I became Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, cross-Government and cross-portfolio working was at the heart of all my endeavours, and it is still an endeavour that I maintain. I engage closely with education and health colleagues. It is important that we work with our colleagues in local government and health services—particularly with those in local government who have a responsibility for the supervision of drug testing and treatment orders, which most certainly have a very important role to play.
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. (S6O-04456)
The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is an independent public body, which, since its inception in 1999, has investigated and reviewed alleged miscarriages of justice in Scotland. The commission’s aim is to investigate all cases efficiently without undue delay and to a consistently high standard, and to strengthen public confidence in the ability of the Scottish criminal justice system to address miscarriages of justice.
The Scottish Government regularly meets the independent Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to discuss the commission’s operation, including its delivery of its strategic objectives. At present, we have no plans to review the commission’s operation.
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a director of the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation Scotland—MOJO. Following the quashing of the conviction of Andrew Malkinson in England, there has been extensive criticism of the performance of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in England, and the chair of that commission has resigned.
The referral rate in Scotland is similar to that in England at roughly 4 per cent, and people who are involved in appeals believe that the Scottish system is not working. I am aware of a case in which the commission acknowledged someone’s innocence but still refused to refer to appeal. How has the justice secretary assured herself about the performance of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission?
I appreciate Mr Rennie’s question. I point out that the referral rate from the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is nearly 5 per cent, which is almost double that for the equivalent body in England and Wales. When the review that is being undertaken by the Law Commission is complete, we will, of course, consider what applicability, if any, it has for Scotland.
I put on record that applicants have the right to request a review if they are unsatisfied by the decision of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations (Policing)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported claims that policing of pro-Palestinian rallies and demonstrations has been disproportionate and heavy handed. (S6O-04457)
The operational policing of protests and demonstrations is rightly a matter for Police Scotland. We support Police Scotland, as a rights-based organisation, to take appropriate and proportionate action in response to any criminal offences and maintain public order at or around those events.
Police Scotland’s priority will always be public safety. The right to peaceful public assembly and freedom of expression are important rights that the Scottish Government is committed to uphold. That is why we have funded the Centre for Good Relations to run training courses to upskill stewards and marshals involved in facilitating marches, parades and protests. That training is available free of charge and has received very positive feedback.
Last month, six protesters were arrested for protesting against a supermarket stocking Israeli-produced goods. One of those people, a woman in her 60s, remains on remand. Firearms officers turned up at that protest, as they have done at other protests where there has been no public safety threat at all.
That follows instances of protesters being denied their right to assembly and protest, and people of colour being treated differently from white people. Does the minister agree that a review of Police Scotland’s guidance on the policing of protests to ensure the facilitation of the rights to protest and freedom of expression would be helpful? Does she believe that firearms should not be deployed for such incidents and that, at a time of overcrowding in our prisons, remanding people for peaceful protest is not appropriate?
As briefly as possible, minister.
I know that Scotland has a proud tradition of activism and peaceful protest. I am concerned to hear what Maggie Chapman has stated, and I will write to her on that.
That concludes portfolio questions on justice and home affairs.
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