 Good morning. The first item of business is general questions, and we start with Fulton MacGregor. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle sectarian-related crime. Minister Annabelle Ewing. Sectarian-related crime and the attitudes that underpin it have no place in modern Scotland. That is why we have made an unprecedented investment of £13 million since 2012 to address the issue. That has supported a wide range of work, including supporting, for example, Felly mae d nails panwch gwild y cyll kanwdy, yn eich lleidaf iawn, ac rhaid yn i' inclusionion ffiblog fel Sechegwr dysbêrach arall neu Llywodraeth yn yr Unif hwnneiadau Cylliddone transparency fydd gennym ni'n i datblygu cychymde ammaeg pob gilydd iawn, ac mae'n i ddulgu cynnig eu llaw fe ddatblygu unig cyfiannol mewn ein barchau gydaedd yr neid iawn. Foylai wych yn cael ei fyntio ar zaft vanillae sy'n embergost, ac mae'n i'n i'pin lleif eu bod chefrwm gyntaf. That is due to report shortly. Fulton MacGregor. I thank the minister for that response. The minister will be aware of the recently reported incidents in Coatbridge where the monstrance-blessed sacrament in St Patrick's Church was vandalised and separately a local fast-food shop owner became embroiled in online abuse between rival fans following last Sunday's old firm game. Those incidents followed an attack in the town of Cenotaph last year where graffiti left at the scene pointed to a sectarian element. Given that the Parliament is likely to repeal the offensive behaviour at football bill later today which admittedly is only one part of tackling sectarianism, what other proactive steps is the Government taking to combat this problem which points communities across Scotland, but particularly in the west and central belt? I am aware of the terrible incident that occurred in Coatbridge, an act of mindless vandalism which was deeply offensive to the local community. The Government is clear that any form of hate crime is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We have been working consistently with communities to address attitudes that can lead to this sort of behaviour and we will continue to do so, I can say to Fulton MacGregor. Of course, it takes time to change attitudes, but we are determined to continue to invest as we have been doing in many groups who seek to work with communities to help as to move on from these attitudes of the past. Elaine Smith Thank you, Presiding Officer. Is the minister aware that while successive Scottish Governments have put significant resources into tackling the symptoms of sectarianism, there has been an increase in religious hate crime during that period? With the latest figures showing that Roman Catholics were subject to more attacks than all other religious groups combined and that this is an increasing trend, will the minister now accept Archbishop Tataglia's words from some years ago when he said, and I quote, "...our problem is not so much sectarianism but anti-Catholicism and take targeted action to specifically address discrimination against Roman Catholics in Scotland?" I can assure Elaine Smith that we take the issue of religious bigotry in whatever form it takes very seriously. Indeed, it is unacceptable in 21st century Scotland and we will continue to work with all churches and faith groups and others to ensure that we are working together collectively to further implement the recommendations of Dr Duncan Morrill vis-a-vis his independent advisory group on tackling sectarianism in Scotland, which recommendations, I believe, received cross-party support. I would, of course, be happy to meet Elaine Smith to discuss the issue further, if she wishes. Question 2, Jeremy Balfour. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged by the ban of plastic swalls. On 7 February this year, during a parliamentary debate, I made it clear that we would ensure that a disability adviser would be appointed to the expert panel on single-use plastics, which we are already committed to putting in place. I'm not sure, I can't recollect whether the member was present at that debate. I'm happy to say, Presiding Officer, that I've now appointed Professor Kate Sang, Professor of Gender and Employment Studies at Heriot-Watt University to that position. She will advise on the implications for disabled people of all proposed action, including on plastic straws. Jeremy Balfour. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. We should agree with me that, for many disabled people, paper alternatives have had a mixed response. They often go soggy and give a taste that is not acceptable. Also, greener straws are often more expensive, and wherever scheme comes up, people who require to use straws because of either disability or infirmity will not be financially penalised by any changes. Of course, that is the purpose of the commitment that I have given in respect of making sure that all disability issues are taken on board when we are looking at items that may be under view in respect of action against single-use plastics. I'm conscious, very conscious, that straws are not the only issue that might be out there, and with each one of the categories of items that we are looking at, there may be very specific concerns. There may also be potential solutions to be had from the disabled community, which was an issue that Kate Sang raised with me in her comments when I was speaking to her earlier this week. I absolutely agree with what the member is saying, that nothing we do will negatively impact on the disabled community, and we will be looking very hard for solutions and alternatives in the period between now and any action that might be taken in regard to plastic straws. Question 3, Stuart Stevenson. To ask the Scottish Government how many community asset transfers there have been since the Community Empowerment Scotland Act 2015 came into force and how that compares with the numbers prior to that. Cabinet Secretary, Angela Constance. The first annual report since the asset transfer part of the Community Empowerment Act came into force last year is due by the end of June 2018. Until that time, we will not know how many asset transfers under the Act have taken place across Scotland. We will be undertaking an evaluation of asset transfers in early summer this year. That will tell us the numbers involved and also provide more detail on the experiences of community bodies and the impact of the Act. We are unable to compare with previous numbers as we do not hold information on the number of asset transfers that took place before the Act came into force. Stuart Stevenson. Is the Minister aware of the Tory independent council in Murray's plans to dispose of halls in Bucky, Fenechti and Cullen and elsewhere in Murray? The communities would like to acquire these halls and take them on but the council appears to be very reluctant to provide adequate support to them in a very short period of time over which this might have to be done. Is that something that will usefully inform the operation of the Community Empowerment Act because it appears to fall short of the intention of that act? Mr Stevenson raises an important point. I agree that for community empowerment and asset transfer to work there needs to be help and support provided to community bodies including help and support from local authorities. He may be interested to know that the Scottish Government funds the community ownership support service to support community-based groups in Scotland to take a stake in or ownership of previously publicly owned land or buildings and the community ownership support service to provide an active presence in Mr Stevenson's area and offer individual community groups and public bodies with a very bespoke support service. I could, if Mr Stevenson wishes, put him and or his constituents in touch with the community ownership support services if that would be helpful. Alexander Stewart. Councils have long had the chance to transfer buildings and land into community ownership. The benefits of transfer are clear, community empowerment, local people and asset disposal for local authorities. What reassurances can the cabinet secretary give to this Parliament that the Scottish Government has carried out recent assessments which outline the short-term benefits compared to the long-term commitments that transfer can bring? Mr Stewart raises also an important point because the whole reason that the community empowerment act was to create opportunities for communities on their own terms, not terms that are enforced by statutory bodies, but on their own terms to be proactively involved and improving outcomes on the issues that matter most to them and for them where they choose to become involved in issues that need to be addressed. It is also about enabling to, at a grassroots level, to have that response from the ground up given the evidence shows of the value about locally led solutions. As I said in my original answer to Mr Stevenson, the first annual reports will be produced later on this year. That will give us valuable information about the progress of the act at a local level that will enable the Scottish Government to take further steps in evaluating the overall progress of the act, in particular with regard to improving community outcomes and reducing inequality at a local level. Ivan McKee Thank you, Presiding Officer. The Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project and North East Carers have been based in Trondure Place in my constituency for over 20 years. Last October we submitted a community asset transfer request. That was refused because the site is owned by Jobs and Business Glasgow and Allio, and that is exempt from the act. The organisations are now also under threat of eviction by Jobs and Business Glasgow. The Government can make individual bodies subject to asset transfer provisions by bringing forward an order. Will the Cabinet Secretary undertake to look into this situation and consider whether an order would be appropriate in this case to enable these organisations to stay in their current premises? Cabinet Secretary. I am really keen in this instance to understand more about the situation that Mr McKee describes. I will ask my officials to investigate further. I would endeavour to keep Mr McKee fully updated as well. What is and isn't possible in terms of allios is very much dependent on the legal form of the allio, but I will endeavour to investigate matters further and report back to Mr McKee. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group regarding cold-weather payments. Minister Jeane Freeman. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group was a short-term independently chaired group convened between November 2015 and 2016. The issue of cold-weather payments was discussed a number of times in relation to the issue of cold-weather payments and the minutes that were published on the Scottish Government website. The group published a report in October 2016 that included recommendations relating to cold-weather payments. Both the report and the Scottish Government's response are available online and we will be mindful of those recommendations as we develop our approach to cold-weather payments when that benefit is devolved. I thank the minister for that answer. Could I please ask her that when she is having further discussions about the devolution of this benefit and considering the implementation that she recognises that, for East Kilbride, which everyone knows is a very cold part of the country, in the calculation of cold-weather payments, it is from Bishopton Weather Station which is highly inappropriate and disadvantages for those on pension credits in East Kilbride who should in fact have that entitlement. Minister Jeane Freeman. I thank Ms Fabiani for that additional question. Of course, East Kilbride, as she says, is colder than perhaps the weather station that applies to it but, like many communities, I'm sure it is cold but has a warm heart. The way that this works at the moment is that the current agreement includes the conventions and the Met Office that provides each postcode area to be allocated to one of 94 weather stations covering all parts of Scotland, England and Wales. There are a range of issues and difficulties that have been raised with me from communities and indeed individual members with respect to how cold-weather payments operate in Scotland and we will be taking all of those into account as we develop delivery as we move to take responsibility for it. Mark Griffin. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As the minister has said, outcurrent eligibility for cold-weather payments is based on weather station mapping and can produce some absurd results we've already heard. I've been told of households in Coatbridge and Bellshill receiving just two payments due to the use of the Bishop in weather station where residents in Airdrie and Holytown have just received their fourth. For people living in towns and sometimes houses right next to each other the cost on the Coatbridge side was £50 this year and sometimes the difference between heat and uneaten. Can the minister give the assurance that cold-spell heat and assessment regulations rely on localised forecasts rather than the postcode to weather station mapping that the DWP uses at present? Minister. Mr Griffin reinforces the point that I'm making that we understand those difficulties and differences. There are other issues around cold-weather payments not least factors around windchill factor and so on. It's not simply the actual temperature as it's recorded but other factors that play a part which affect some of our more rural and indeed island communities. We're mindful of that. However, we need to identify whether we will best get the robust data that would trigger those payments taking account of the points that Mr Griffin and indeed Ms Fabiani have made. That is what I mean when I say that we are mindful of those issues that have been raised with me many times by local communities. I'm clear about the importance of them but we need to work through the basis on which we would secure the data as a social security service in Scotland in order to trigger those payments because what we don't want is to have such a complicated system that people are then in return having to wait too long in order to receive that support. We'll work those matters through and we would happily discuss that with members in due course. Gordon MacDonald To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in the schools for the future programme since 2011. The Scottish Government has provided £269.6 million in capital investment and £41.6 million in revenue investment. Gordon MacDonald I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Edinburgh council is proposing to close and amalgamate two high schools in my constituency, Cury, Community High and Westerhales education centre on a new site causing great concerns among parents at both schools. Parents wish that the schools in the era be refurbished on their existing locations. Under the schools for the future programme, what proportion of rebuilding or refurbishing cost is met by the Scottish Government and how much of the current wave of funding to March 2020 is unallocated? Cabinet secretary First of all the issues that Mr MacDonald raises in relation to the two schools of Cury, Community High and Westerhales education centre are issues for the City of Edinburgh council to consider. In relation to the schools for the future programme it is a shared funding programme between national and local government. The Scottish Government provides two thirds funding support to all secondary school projects and 50 per cent funding support to primary school projects. The programme is fully committed at the present moment supporting 117 school projects across Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce antisocial behaviour. Minister Annabelle Ewing The antisocial behaviour of Scotland Act 2004 provides a wide range of measures for dealing with all forms of antisocial behaviour. Our national strategy is based on prevention, early intervention and diversionary activities. The Scottish Government is currently working with a group of local authorities to use their expertise and knowledge to inform, refresh and update all the guidance documents on tackling antisocial behaviour. Gordon Lindhurst I thank the minister for that answer. In 2016-17 nearly 900 incidents of antisocial behaviour were reported every day to the police in Scotland. That was an increase in the total by something like 10,000 from the year before. Antisocial behaviour is something that features in my case work quite commonly and in Edinburgh it was a 3 per cent rise that year period. Despite that, we have seen a 50 per cent reduction in fixed penalty notices during the same period. Does the minister see fixed penalty notices as a valuable tool for the police and can she explain the trend? Minister Annabelle Ewing To the member there are a number of powers available to relevant authorities to deal with antisocial behaviour depending on the nature of the antisocial behaviour and fixed penalties on the suite of powers. They are a quick way of dealing with certain levels of antisocial behaviour. I do not have the detailed statistics that the member cited in his question in front of me but I do arrange to look into that and get back to the member. Of course we do have to remember that, although antisocial behaviour is of extreme irritation to many of our constituents across Scotland I know that myself from my own case work at the same time. In terms of antisocial behaviour and related crimes those in fact are continuing to fall. I think that we have to look at the picture in the round but I undertake to write to the member vis-a-vis the specific issue about the current statistics on fixed penalty notices. I will try to squeeze in question 7. Ruth Maguire To ask the Scottish Government how it supports social landlords in providing affordable housing that is allocated according to need. Cabinet Secretary Angela Constance has given guidance to support local social landlords to develop allocation policies that comply with the legal framework for allocations and meet the needs of their communities. Ruth Maguire For that answer, this year along with the usual yearly rent increases some of my constituents are facing additional increases due to a rent restructure and will be paying an additional 6 per cent rent for no obvious additional service. Will the cabinet secretary agree with me that, although social landlords must maintain a sustainable business model that must not ignore the real-life experience of their tenants, many of whom have seen no or little increase in their wages and that any increase or restructure should take account of the impact of rent rises on all tenants including those on low-income who are not eligible for housing benefit? Cabinet Secretary All social landlords must understand the importance of keeping rents affordable and meeting the needs of the people that they serve. Landlords need to demonstrate transparency in how rents are calculated and set them in a consistent and transparent way across their stock. They must also not increase rents without regard of affordability. While the Scottish Government does not direct individual social landlords on setting rent levels for their tenants but those landlords have a legal duty to consult with their tenants and register tenant organisations on matters which significantly affect them such as rent setting and restructuring. Thank you. That concludes general questions. We turn now to First Minister.