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Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. As Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I regularly meet with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of the equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Ford Ranger vehicles were purchased to a UK specification and framework. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Angloco vehicles were purchased to a SFRS specification. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the Information Commissioner's Office regarding the iVPD during this period.

For further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.

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 Scottish Government is committed to a process of a judge-led inquiry once all legal proceedings are at an end. The exact form of inquiry and necessary engagement in relation to the inquiry will be determined at the point once all legal proceedings are concluded.

The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the iVPD during this period.

For further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.

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 Scottish Government has not had any communications on organised crime with the Scottish Football Association or individual football clubs in the last 24 months.

Scotland’s police officers and staff do a challenging job and it absolutely right that they are supported with their physical and mental wellbeing. Whilst the wellbeing of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, under the supervision of the Scottish Police Authority, the Scottish Government communicates with Police Scotland on a range of health and wellbeing issues.

We understand that Police Scotland has committed to formally submit an action plan to HMICS shortly in response to its Wellbeing Frontline Focus review. The action plan will address the recommendations made by HMICS and provide progress updates on the areas for development identified in the Review. The Scottish Government stands ready to support Police Scotland with the implementation of the recommendations.

Following the announcement on 7 March 2024 that the Scottish Government would be holding a public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell’s murder, immediate preparatory work to set up an Inquiry was commenced. Scottish Ministers have been liaising with the Lord President and the Caldwell family to explore different options for who could lead the Inquiry however, no decision has been taken on this yet.

A statutory Public Inquiry is a significant undertaking and will take time to set up. I will provide further updates to Parliament as work is progressed including, appointing a Chair and setting the Terms of Reference.

The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully.

The iVPD is used to source information for both (i) the annual Official Statistics on police recorded domestic abuse incidents and (ii) social research on the volume and type of police recorded hate crime in Scotland.

As part of producing these reports, Scottish Government statisticians have regular and ongoing communications with their counterparts in Police Scotland about the iVPD and the topics of domestic abuse and hate crime. Examples of this include both the planning of updated publications (such as timings for data receipt and quality assurance) and discussions on any future changes that might be made to the methodology for producing these statistics.

The Scottish Government has not had any communications with the Scottish Football Association or individual football clubs about Police Scotland’s public awareness campaign launched in 2021. The Scottish Government provided Police Scotland with funding through the Serious Organised Crime Small Community Grant Scheme in 2021 for their project working with four football clubs in Glasgow and a production company to develop the video ‘John’s Story’.