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Scotland’s public transport network currently offers passengers a mix of smartcard, smart payment and digital platforms for their travel needs. Transport Scotland made smartcards interoperable in 2019, and via our £1.1m Smart Pay Grant fund, we’ve supported operators to accept contactless bank payments, with around 98% of buses now enabled for this.

As technology advances, we are committed to progressing with smart, digital and integrated ticketing and payment with operators to facilitate easier, tailored ticketing enhancements to meet local needs.

We are progressing measures in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, setting a smart ticketing delivery framework, enhancing governance, technology and powers. The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board will be established this year, with representatives from different modes, authorities and user groups. Advice will be provided on strategic direction and a smart technological standard for smart ticketing which will be specified by Scottish Ministers. The Act will also enhance the ticketing powers of local authorities, including for ticketing arrangements to include connecting rail and ferry services.

We are refreshing our Smart Delivery Strategy which will set out our approach and timescales to supporting the future of smart ticketing, so it enhances integration, accessibility and satisfaction. This is informed by a public survey that ran in Spring 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving digital access for learners and ensuring that every school aged child has access to a device by the end of this Parliament. We continue to work COSLA to progress delivery of this commitment.

To inform this process we have committed to developing a digital strategy in partnership with COSLA. This will help ensure digital provision supports the wider aims of the education system. Development of this strategy will aim to deliver the right technology, in the right place, with a workforce that knows how to use it and supporting the work to continue the rollout of devices across Scotland.

Information from local authorities indicates that around 280,000 digital devices have already been distributed to learners across Scotland (including 72,000 funded by the Scottish Government in 2020-21). These devices have been distributed in line with our council’s own digital strategies and budgets, recognising it is they who hold delivery for education locally.

From May 2021 until the end of March 2023 £4,367,055 was spent on 3,800 bikes distributed under the Free Bikes pilot. This figure includes the costs associated with various methods of providing maintenance of the bikes and we are unable to disaggregate the figure into parts (a) and (b) of the question.

In the year 2023-24 we have provided £900,000 of funding to the Cycling Scotland Free Bikes Partnership to continue the scheme, in the first quarter of the year the partnership confirmed £219,000 to 13 organisations that will deliver 612 bikes throughout the year, further funding will be confirmed as the programme continues.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02957 on 12 October 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The total number of free bikes issued during the free bikes pilot until the end of March 2023 was 3800. This number relates to bikes issued to school age children between P1 and S6. The bikes would have included a number of specialist and adaptive bikes, which can cost anything between £812 to £2,980.

Cycling Scotland has been awarded further capital grant funding to continue to offering cycles to young people through a free bikes partnership. In the first quarter of the year the partnership confirmed £219,000 to 13 organisations that will deliver 612 bikes throughout the year, further funding will be confirmed as the programme continues.

We continue to work in partnership with local authorities and COSLA on delivery plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a digital device by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026.

This work includes consideration of procurement processes and other costs related to devices, as well as developing a digital strategy for education to help ensure that digital provision supports the wider aims of the education system.

We are currently continuing to develop detailed proposals for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). We will include financial provision for this of up to £1.5m in the 2024-2025 budget.

Following the establishment of the Anti-Racism Observatory we are committed to ensuring its continued funding. The budget allocation for each financial year will be subject to work with those leading the Anti-Racism Observatory as to what is required and will be subject to confirmation in each annual budget.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has three scheduled meetings per year with representatives from the Scottish Police Federation and met with them on 21 December 2022, 10 May 2023 and next scheduled for 21 September 2023. The Scottish Police Federation also meet regularly with senior Scottish Government officials.

Police pay is not discussed in these meetings as negotiations take place through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland. I am delighted that an agreement has now been reached in police officer pay negotiations for 2023-24.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21068 on 14 September 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21068 on 14 September 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers