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I have today published a new, strengthened Scottish Ministerial Code which sets the very highest standards of propriety and integrity.

The changes I have introduced mark the most fundamental developments to the Code since the introduction of Independent Advisers in 2008.

The Code has been restructured into three distinct sections: Ministers' Standards of Conduct; Ministers' Interests; and Ministers and the Procedures of Government. This brings ethical standards and public service values to the forefront, while ensuring that they are supported by the governing rules and procedures that underpin guidance to Ministers.

My 2024 edition of the Code provides an enhanced role for my Independent Advisers on the Code, who can now:

• Launch investigations into alleged breaches without a referral from me;
• Provide me with advice on the appropriate sanctions for a confirmed breach of the Code;
• Recommend to me improvements to strengthen the Code at any time; and
• Play a role in reviewing the processes in place to support Ministers to avoid any conflicts of interest between their private interests and their public duties.

I announced the appointment of my three new Independent Advisers on the Ministerial Code on 6 December and I have published their Terms of Reference alongside my new Code for the first time. These Terms of Reference set out the detail of my Advisers strengthened role and the process of independent scrutiny and advice they can provide to me.

My new Code has been updated throughout to support the highest standards of transparency, integrity, accountability and honesty. For example, the Seven Principles of Public Life have been brought into the body of the Code and updates have been made to ensure that the Code reflects existing rules, guidance and procedure on the use of corporate communication channels and on Ministerial travel and engagements.

The imposition of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions has the potential to seriously impact available funding for public services in Scotland, including for local government staff working in all areas. Estimates suggest that the total cost to local government in Scotland could be £265 million – that is money that will need to be found from within the budget settlement and by councils themselves, including for staff funded through Housing Revenue Accounts.

The Scottish Parliament agreed the general principles of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill in April. In advance of the dates for Stage 2 of the Parliamentary process being agreed, I am proposing to make some amendments to the Bill.

On 9 October the Scottish Government published its response to the independent review of the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS), which signalled our intention to use the Bill to deliver reforms to the VNS that require primary legislation, to ensure we reform the VNS as quickly as possible.

I have already made clear my willingness to amend the provisions that enable a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials. I recognise, however, that there is not enough cross-party support at this time for such a pilot, irrespective of the model. In the interests of building as much consensus as possible, I will no longer pursue this policy and bring forward relevant amendments to remove it from the Bill. I remain committed to exploring the impact of rape myths and improving access to justice for rape victims. As part of this work, I will bring forward amendments to allow for research to be carried out into jury deliberations, which is currently heavily restricted by the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

I also intend to bring forward amendments at Stage 2 so that Scotland retains a 15 person jury in criminal trials. After reflecting carefully on the Criminal Justice Committee’s recommendations, and on the evidence, I believe that the most prudent approach to jury reform, including the abolition of the not proven verdict, is to seek support for a model with two verdicts (guilty and not guilty), 15 jurors, and a two-thirds majority requirement for conviction.

I have written to the Criminal Justice Committee to provide further detail about the planned amendments.

The Scottish Government has conducted a thorough assessment of Commonwealth Games Scotland’s proposal for Glasgow to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. That assessment has been conducted alongside Commonwealth Games Scotland, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Glasgow City Council, the UK Government and, most recently, Commonwealth Games Australia. The collaboration has been extremely positive and productive and has resulted in the finalisation of a strong event proposal that will help to support a new future for the Commonwealth Games and deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland.

On that basis, I have written to the Commonwealth Games Scotland today to inform them that the Scottish Government will give its support for the proposal.

Scotland, and in particular Glasgow has built a track record of successful event delivery, including being the first to host newly modelled events such as the multi-city European Championships in 2018 and the more recent UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. It is because Glasgow is a world class event hosting destination with the facilities and expertise required to deliver an event such as the Commonwealth Games that we are able to proceed. Glasgow will deliver a world -class sporting event which will reimagine the Commonwealth Games for future generations to come and support more of our Commonwealth partners to be able to host future iterations of the event. In return, this proposal will bring economic benefit to businesses in Glasgow and Scotland and support a programme of capital upgrades to a number of existing venues in Glasgow to create an additional legacy for public sports facilities and local communities.

The proposal will also ensure we retain the Commonwealth Games’s significant importance for Scottish sport. The Games allows our athletes to compete under their national flag, marks the pinnacle of sport for some Scottish Sports Governing Bodies and is a key influence in how Scottish performance funding is distributed. Glasgow 2014 provided a catalyst for success for many Scottish athletes, including those who won medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; 25 of the 34 Scots on Team GB have competed for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, including six of the nine medallists. This reimagined model will help to inform future Games and enable the Commonwealth Games Federation to encourage hosts for 2030 and beyond.

No public funding is required from the Scottish Government for the delivery of the event and the Scottish Government will not provide any financial underwriting. This has been clearly communicated in my letter to Commonwealth Games Scotland and will be included in the final legal documentation.

The Commonwealth Games Federation will cover the majority of costs using money secured in a compensation negotiation with the Victorian Government following their withdrawal as hosts in July 2023. The Commonwealth Games Federation have provided a further £20m of funding to support delivery of the event and required contingency: this includes a £5 million investment for Glasgow City Council to utilise for capital upgrades and a cultural programme. The UK Government has agreed to provide a ringfenced contingency funding of up to £2.3m that can be accessed if existing budget funds and contingency have been exceeded and all efforts to reduce costs have been exhausted.

An additional multi million pound investment has also now been accepted to support the Games to take place. The final quantum of investment and the balance of direct funding and contingency provision will be finalised shortly but Commonwealth Games Australia have indicated flexibility in their approach. The Scottish Government is grateful to Commonwealth Games Australia for agreeing to provide financial support to the event in recognition of the importance of the Commonwealth Games to Australia’s sporting system.

The additional amount of funding and investment agreed since negotiations began is in excess of £24 million. That funding will be supplemented by commercial income from ticketing, sponsorship, hospitality and merchandising.

The Scottish Government would like to thank Commonwealth Games Scotland for the leadership they have shown in developing this proposal and to partners, for their engagement and contributions to enable us to reach this point. The Commonwealth Games Scotland Board will now make a formal decision on whether to proceed. If it decides to proceed, it will seek approval to host from the Commonwealth Games Federation and undertake final work with partners to ratify an agreement for Scotland to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Commonwealth Games Federation will make further announcements in due course.

I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

National Records of Scotland have today published: ‘Scotland’s Census 2022: Education, labour market and travel to work’.

Scotland’s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority, awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.

More detail about the schedule for future reports can be found here.

Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 by the First Minister as a Special Adviser for the purpose of providing assistance to the Scottish Ministers.

The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2023-24 was £1,906,963. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI, and civil service pension contribution is reserved and is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

The cost of Special Advisers during 2023-24 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:

The Scottish Government’s analysis is ongoing, but the Bills that appear to require legislative consent include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Renters’ Rights Bill

· Planning and Infrastructure Bill

· Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill

· Railways Bill

· GB Energy Bill

· Digital Information and Smart Data Bill

· Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The Scottish Government will consider the content of all Bills in the King’s Speech before making its recommendation to the Parliament on legislative consent. It will then be for the Scottish Parliament to determine whether to give or withhold consent.