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Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions of this government.

The Tackling Child Poverty Ministerial Oversight Group, which I will convene, will provide Ministerial-level oversight and assurance of the delivery of the actions set out in Best Start, Bright Futures.

Scottish Government analysis, published in April 2022, estimated that reversing key UK Government welfare changes that have taken place just since 2015 could lift an estimated 70,000 people out of poverty, including 30,000 children, in Scotland this year. We will continue to urge the UK Government to match our ambitions in tackling child poverty head on through reversing its policies such as the benefit cap and child cap and bedroom tax.

Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions of this government.

The Tackling Child Poverty Ministerial Oversight Group, which I will convene, will provide Ministerial-level oversight and assurance of the delivery of the actions set out in Best Start, Bright Futures.

The Scottish Government provides £169 million in funding for the provision of free school meals – which is one of the most generous of anywhere in the UK. All pupils in primaries one to five, and eligible pupils in primary six through to S6, can benefit from free school meals, saving families an average of £400 per eligible child per year.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has announced that the next phase of our free school meal expansion will see them rolled out to all primary six and seven pupils, whose families are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. This will be the next step in fulfilling our commitment to universal provision in primary schools and we are working with partners to take this work forward. Further phases, including a pilot at secondary, are being considered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19812 on‎ 1 August 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-19812 on‎ 1 August 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

We are spending every penny of consequential funding we receive on this programme of work, with spend to date of over £3.6m and the anticipated whole-life cost approximately £400m.

Spending information and quarterly updates were published in July 2023 and is publicly available at Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Work is underway on a stock census to evaluate buildings and explore ways to minimise cost and maximise revenue to ensure the programme can deliver its objectives in full, efficiently and in a reasonable timeframe.

The Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform is exploring proposals for meaningful changes to be introduced to Council Tax, this includes the consideration of approaches to longer term reform of the Council Tax system.

The Scottish Government have provided local authorities with nearly £13.5 billion of funding in 2023-24, a cash increase in local government day to day spending of over £793 million which represents a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent.

I have overall responsibility within my portfolio for support for business, industry and manufacturing.

The Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, under circular economy, is the lead on the Circular Textiles Fund.

The Legal Aid Fund is an open-ended, demand led budget. Last year total expenditure on legal aid was £138.3m. Civil legal aid is available in a wide scope of actions with generous eligibility thresholds and the application is subject to statutory tests which cover the merits of the case and the means available to the applicant. This can include contested divorces and applications for non-harassment orders if the tests are met. Means testing is an important lever for retaining this wide scope.

We are implementing ‘Equally Safe’, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls. This is backed by £19m of annual funding to support 121 projects from 112 organisations that focus on early intervention, prevention as well as support services.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, and ensuring that victims receive the support they need. We have invested significant levels of funding into front line services, as well as working closely with statutory agencies to improve their response to victims and survivors. It is vital that those who suffer domestic abuse have the practical and emotional assistance they need, which is why we are providing £18.5m, through our Victim Centred Approach Fund, for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence.

We support the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) which is at the forefront of improving access to justice offering free legal information and advice to women in Scotland who have or are experiencing gender-based violence. Funding has been provided to the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre through the Scottish Legal Aid Board since 2015 and the Scottish Government continues to provide funding in 2023-24 up to a limit of £230,000. The SWRC provide a range of services, including a national helpline, legal surgeries, advocacy services and online legal guides.

The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing protection for our marine environment in the face of the twin crises of climate change and loss of nature.

Although we are no longer progressing with our proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas, we want to develop a new pathway to enhancing marine protection with all those who will join us round the table. There is a wealth of innovative ideas in our island and coastal communities and we want to hear more of these to help us develop an approach which is fair, just and brings people together.

We are also committed to supporting any group that wishes to pursue community-led marine protection in its local area. We have already seen successful initiatives in Arran and in St Abbs and Eyemouth and we will do everything to support those communities that want to follow in their footsteps.

Additionally, we have an on-going programme of work to implement fisheries management measures in existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where they are yet to be introduced, and to protect some of the most vulnerable priority marine features outside the MPA network.

After the summer recess, we will be consulting on proposals for fisheries management measures in offshore MPAs, beyond 12 nautical miles. The options to be consulted on have been the subject of extensive engagement over many years with a wide range of marine stakeholders. Inshore MPAs and priority marine features also require fisheries management measures and consultation on these inshore measures will take place in 2024.

Another step is the consultation on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters which the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands launched on 21 July. This is a crucial step in safeguarding an important food source for many species, and it could aid the long-term sustainability and resilience of marine ecosystems.

Our Fisheries Management Strategy commits to rolling out Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to key parts of Scotland’s fishing fleet. REM will offer enhanced scientific benefits, enabling us to boost the data and knowledge we have which in turn will help deliver an improved evidence base. This can be of significant benefit to not only the fishing industry but also fisheries managers and could improve our ability to provide enhanced protection to our marine environment going forward.

Broadcasting is reserved to the UK Government. We have not had any recent discussion with the UK Government on this particular issue, however we remain strongly committed to a fairer and more representative service for Scotland, and we will continue to press for its improvement to ensure it better reflects the specific needs and interests of Scottish audiences in terms of all programming, including sport.

We will continue to support expanding the offer for audiences to enjoy Scottish international football and other major sporting events on free-to-air broadcast TV.

Although the Scottish Government cannot influence access rights, and the listed events regime is the responsibility of the UK Government, we maintain a close interest in audience and stakeholder views in Scotland and we meet regularly with representatives of Ofcom and the broadcasters to urge them to consider how they can ensure that audiences in Scotland receive the best possible level of service.