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The Scottish Government is deeply concerned about the impact that scams can have on individuals and our wider economy, particularly given the ongoing cost of living crisis.

As well as working closely with partners such as Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and Fraud Centre Scotland, we support the publication of a regular CyberScotland Bulletin which provides information on the latest cyber threats, scams, and news.

We have also partnered with The Data Lab to create the Scottish AI Alliance who deliver a free online course, Living with AI (available at livingwithai.me ). This is designed to help people inform themselves about AI and how it is used in our daily lives.

Anybody who has fallen victim to a scam should contact Police Scotland in the first instance. However, they should also be aware of the Scottish Government funded services - Victim Support Scotland and consumeradvice.scot who can help by providing free, emotional and practical help.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21303 on 27 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

Information is not presented in the way requested due to the information being received from numerous stakeholder systems.

From August 2022, when the new legislation came into effect:

Management information received from Police Scotland internal systems on 26 September 2023.

Offences recorded under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 by Police Scotland.

• Legislation went live 6 October 2022:

Section 21 - Proxy Purchase - 2 Crime Reports raised – enquiries ongoing.

• Legislation went live 6 June 2023:

Section 35 – Pyrotechnic in a public place – 4 Crime Reports raised – 2 arrested and report submitted to COPFS, 2 reported to COPFS.

o Section 36 – Pyrotechnic designated sporting/music event. 9 Crime reports raised – 6 reported to COPFS (2 disposed through Early and Effective Intervention), 3 undetected (incidents captured on CCTV – no suspect identified).

Management information received from Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) on 14 September 23.

• A total of seven charges, across five cases, have been reported to COPFS under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.
• Of those seven charges, four (across two cases) are currently pending and awaiting a decision on how to proceed. All of those four charges are for contraventions of S.21(1) (the proxy purchasing charge).
• The remaining three charges, across three cases, were prosecuted in court, with two (both contraventions of S.35(1) – possession of a pyrotechnic article in a public place) still ongoing.
• The third one (a contravention of article 36(1) – possession of a pyrotechnic article in a designated venue or at a designated event) plead guilty to the common law charge of culpably and recklessly igniting a pyrotechnic article within a football stadium, and the accused’s plea of not guilty was accepted to the statutory charge under S.36(1) on that basis.
• Sixty one charges have been reported to COPFS with the statutory aggravation under S.44 for emergency workers.

Management information received from Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) administrative database (COPII).

• The management information received from SCTS (and published by the Scottish Government quarterly being the latest update January 2023-March 2023) indicates that there are no convictions recorded for accused prosecuted for charges under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.

Source: Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) administrative database (COPII).

The Scottish Government acknowledges the findings from Age Scotland’s The Big Survey 2023 and the clear message they tell us.

We remain committed to delivering access to opportunities and services people need to ensure they are healthy, happy and secure in older age.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

We recognise the importance of swimming pools and other sports facilities in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. sportscotland, our national agency for sport, are supporting Scottish Swimming to deliver the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project to accurately understand the current swimming pool provision, life cycle and predict the landscape in the short, medium and long term.

Where house or pet-sitting does not involve payment for services, or other commercial considerations such as benefits in kind, that activity is classed as an ‘informal arrangement’ between individuals. There is no requirement for a short-term let licence.

Where that activity is performed as a paid service by a professional, there would be no requirement for a short-term let licence - if the accommodation is provided for the principal purpose of facilitating the provision of work or services by the guest.

Home exchanges are within scope of the short-term let licensing legislation - they include a commercial consideration in the form of a benefit in kind. The mandatory set of safety standards at the heart of the scheme, such as gas safety certificates and appropriate electrical equipment, still apply to homes being swapped. Anyone interested in using accommodation will wish to be assured that it meets required standards. Additionally, it is beneficial for ‘home swappers’ allowing guests to use their home to be able to advise those guests that the accommodation is licensed and complies with relevant conditions.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Building safety is a matter for the owner - who in this case would be individual local authorities - acting in accordance with the relevant health and safety legislation. Moreover, health and safety legislation is not devolved to the Scottish Government.

It is imperative that there is transparency around the schools where RAAC has been identified and the mitigations that are in place. This is why, on 8 September, a list of the 16 local authorities where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found in some schools was published in a Scottish Government news release ( Local authorities publish RAAC data - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).

The Scottish Government engages regularly with COSLA, both at official and Ministerial level, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our shared commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people and communities of Scotland.

As part of the Verity House Agreement, the First Minister has committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential Team at least twice a year. Most recently this included a meeting on 30 August to discuss the forthcoming Programme for Government and 14 September to discuss progress on a range of topics.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) routinely monitors and publishes vaccination uptake rates for those within education settings. The Scottish Government is working closely with territorial Health Boards and PHS to understand and promote uptake of the MenACWY vaccine in our student population. Regular communication between Health Boards and PHS provides intelligence on uptake levels in specific groups, allowing for targeted responses to improve uptake.

For additional information, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21082 on 19 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

Uptake of vaccinations among young people in Scotland remains high and is delivering lifesaving benefits.

The Scottish Government is committed to making sure that robust measures are in place across Scotland to ensure our partners can identify and support victims of sexual extortion.

The National Child Protection Guidance was updated in August 2023 and supports frontline workers by defining and clarifying the roles and responsibilities for everyone working with children and young people, setting out the foundation for protective action to keep young people safe from harms including sexual exploitation.

The Scottish Government works closely with national and UK service partners including Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland to tackle cyber-crime and online sexual extortion scams. We are also members of Police Scotland’s Multi-Agency Group on Preventing Online Sexual Abuse which helps us to recognise and respond effectively to new and emerging trends in online child sexual abuse and exploitation, such as the financially motivated sexual extortion of our young people.

I chair the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce which convenes key partners involved in tackling organised crime, disrupting the activities of organised crime groups and reducing the harm it causes our communities. In June of this year we published guidance for practitioners on criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults on behalf of the Taskforce.

The Scottish Government’s “Our Delivering Equally Safe” fund has awarded over £110,000 to the South West Grid for Learning to deliver advice to victims of intimate image abuse and to improve awareness of sexual exploitation – or ‘Revenge Porn’ across Scotland. The Safer Scotland website was updated earlier this year to provide information, links to support and advice for victims on reporting intimate image abuse. The Scottish Government’s Parent Club website also offers advice for parents on how to protect their children from online harms. We are currently reviewing the content of the Hub to include advice for parents and carers on sexual extortion as well as other emerging risks for children online.