 The appeal for brevity in questions and responses, not it's gone again. Is that any better? It's come back again. This is not an auspicious start. There is a grouping in this portfolio 2 and 5. I'll take supplementaries on those after both have been answered. The usual appeal for brevity in questions and responses, and I call question number one, Alexander Stewart. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it's supporting the arts sector. As announced on the 17th of October, the Scottish Government's investment in arts and culture will increase, so that in five years our investment will be £100 million higher than it is now. Scottish Government will take decisions about the allocation of this funding in the 2024, 25 and future years subject to the outcome of the Scottish budget process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. In the SNP's 2021 manifesto, it pledged to create a £2 million fund for public artwork. Back in the summer, questions were raised regarding the distribution of these funds with the Scottish Government being unable to confirm at that stage a time frame. Months have passed now, so can I ask the cabinet secretary to give more detail of what the pledge means and when the commitment will be met? Alexander Stewart is working very hard to give him a sneak preview of the budget process, which, unfortunately, I can't do. The draft budget will be published later. It will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and will be presented to Parliament on Tuesday 19 December this year. That will be a date that will be in Mr Stewart's diary, no doubt, being only a few days after he performs with the Scottish Parliament choir. The future of Edinburgh's deaf festival is at threat following the rejection of two successive bids for creative Scotland funding. The festival has been highly praised for its success in showcasing deaf performers, art, culture and heritage in addition to Edinburgh's festival fringe. Can the cabinet secretary outline how the Scottish Government plans to encourage both BSL and deaf communities in the culture and art sector in Scotland to ensure that our vast cultural landscape is inclusive and accessible to all? First, can I take the opportunity to thank Faisal Chowdry for this question and for putting on record the points that he makes about sign language and the use of sign language? He will appreciate that, in terms of creative Scotland funding, that is something for creative Scotland to answer in terms of funds that are provided for. I will be more than happy to write to Faisal Chowdry more generally about the issue of involving sign language and the support for the deaf community in Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of its funding for humanitarian aid to Palestine. We are gravely concerned by the resumption of hostilities over the weekend and reiterate our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and for unfettered access for humanitarian aid for all civilians throughout the Gaza Strip. In October, the Scottish Government acted quickly to commit £500,000 in response to the UN's flash appeal for Gaza and last month we pledged a further £250,000 contribution to that appeal. Those funds will be used to respond to the immediate food, health, shelter and protection needs of people seeking safety in UN shelters, with special consideration for the needs of particularly vulnerable groups, including women, children, people with disability and elderly. Will the support for humanitarian aid be welcome? What is essential to save the many children and innocent civilians who have been killed is an immediate ceasefire. Medical aid for Palestinians say that the bombardment is making it impossible to sustain human life in Gaza and they call on our political leaders to heed the call from 36 human right experts and take action to prevent genocide against the Palestinian people. Does the minister agree with me that Russia Sunik and Keir Starmer need to stop revarricating and demanding immediate ceasefire to bring an end to this massacre? In a letter to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition on 21 November, asking for the UK Government to support a ceasefire on both sides, the First Minister wrote, the support that the UK Government has given to Israel while the devastation in Gaza has grown increases the moral responsibility on it to use whatever influence it has to stop the killing now. We again urge both leaders to join the UN Secretary General and others in the international community in calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on both sides to stop the killing of innocent men, women and children and for unimpeded access for humanitarian aid into all areas of Gaza. To ask the Scottish Government further to the vote on motion S6M-11342 on the situation in the Middle East on 21 November whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken with the UK Government and international bodies to support the humanitarian response. The Scottish Government has been in continuous discussion with the UK Government on this matter. We welcome the additional £60 million committed by the UK Government for Humanitarian Response in Gaza, which Scottish taxpayers have of course contributed to. The Scottish Government has committed £750,000 to the United Nations relief and works agency and on 2 November, the First Minister and I met with the European director to discuss the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Officials have also consulted with various UN agencies and international humanitarian organisations operating under Scotland's humanitarian emergency fund, with whom I will meet in early January. Richard Leonard Can I thank the minister for that reply? We are witnessing before our eyes what experts fear to be an unfolding genocide of the Palestinian people. The death toll defies description. Thousands more are still missing under the rubble of a quarter of a million destroyed buildings. Nowhere is safe a population forced to flee to the south of Gaza only to be bombed when they get there. It is unthinkable that we are witnessing this. It is unconscionable that we should be a participant. We welcome the aid provided by the Scottish Government, but what good is it if we are also providing public funding to arms manufacturers supplying the Israeli Government? Will the Scottish Government agree to stop that funding immediately? Any action taken by Israel must be in accordance with international law. The Geneva convention must be upheld, including protecting citizens, against the consequences of military action. The taking of hostages and discriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, international starvation and forced displacement of a population are prohibited under the Geneva convention. I urge all people to get round the table and bring a quick resolution with a ceasefire and humanitarian aid into the areas. Number of supplementaries. Again, they will need to be brief as well as the responses. First, co-caps. We are hearing dire warnings from the UN officials on the grant in Gaza about the scale of the humanitarian disaster unfolding. Does the minister agree that in order to prevent further deaths it remains urgent that the international community works together to press for an urgent ceasefire? Can she provide any further update regarding the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government in regards to this? I said in an earlier answer that the First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister on 21 November for the UK to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to ask the international criminal court to investigate if war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas and for the UK to recognise the state of Palestine. A junior foreign office minister replied restating UK Government's position in favour of temporary humanitarian pauses that did not address the First Minister's other two calls. We are gravely concerned by the resumption of hostilities and continue to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on both sides in the release of all hostages. Does the minister not think that the approach should be the one taken by my colleague Layla Moran MP in Westminster? She stated that we need a two-state solution. We recently saw pause in fighting which shows that this is possible. We now need to see it replicated as a basis for the creation of a permanent bilateral ceasefire. Can I ask the minister to impress upon the UK Government the importance of action to make this a reality? I am happy to impress on the UK Government at that position. The Scottish Government supports the EU and the UK Government's positions of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders and firmly encourages both Israel and Palestine to reach a sustainable, negotiated settlement under international law, which has, as its foundation, mutual recognition and determination to co-exist peacefully. The recent pause was an example of how it can do that. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of introducing ticket levy schemes at large music venues in Scotland. The Scottish Government fully values the importance of music to Scotland's culture and recognises the role that venues play in supporting the talent pipeline. The Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development met with Music Venue Trust on 20 September to discuss the challenges faced by grass-roots music venues and their proposal to develop a ticket levy. I have recommended that the Music Venue Trust asks the cross-party group for music to convene an industry round table to discuss the proposal. Mark Ruskell I thank the cabinet secretary for that positive response. The Music Venue Trust estimates that a £1 levy on tickets for shows at the two big arenas in Scotland would generate £1 million a year. Of course, the cabinet secretary will be aware that AG Entertainment has now announced plans for a new mega-venue Edinburgh park, where a £1 levy could raise £8,500 at each sold-out show. Does the Government agree that this could really be a significant funding stream where the profits of big culture can be reinvested into grass-roots music, arts and cultural venues? Will the ministers agree to meet me in the new year and the Music Venue Trust to discuss a way forward on the back of the conversations that I understand are now taking place? Mark Ruskell is absolutely right to highlight that new thinking is required about funding, culture and the arts. We have gone through a pivot point through the pandemic. There has been a change in social behaviours and there has been extreme distress in the arts and cultural sector, which we acknowledge, and we have helped to try and support through this difficult period. One needs to look with great seriousness at the potential for additional and parallel funding streams. That is why I think that this is one proposal that is worthy of further consideration and is something that should be looked at more closely. We have supplemented Alexander Stewart this year. Grass-roots music venues are key to supporting emerging Scottish talent, and it is vital that they get that support. However, in Scotland this year, 22 per cent of grass-roots music venues have either closed or are in crisis. What recent conversations has the cabinet secretary had with grass-roots music venues about the concerns for the support of the sector? Not only is this something that has already been the subject of discussions that my colleague held in September with the music venue trust, but she also met with John Whittingdale to discuss the issue. It should be of concern to absolutely everybody if the number of venues right across the country reduces. It is something that Creative Scotland is very seized in. It is something that our enterprise agencies that have responsibility in the Highlands and Islands for the rest of Scotland and the Borders are also very involved in. If Mr Stewart has any particular insights or he has any particular proposals to make, I would be very happy to listen to them. To ask the Scottish Government when the constitution secretary last met the UK Government and what was discussed. My last meeting with the representative of the UK Government was with the British ambassador to China in Beijing on 23 November during my visit to China, which included promotional events in and around St Andrew's Day. Multiple events involving Scottish Government ministers and officials took place in China, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Oslo, Brussels and London. Thanks to everybody who is involved, although it is worth noting that Irish ministers managed to attend St Patrick's Day events in 36 locations around the world. The Westminster Government's autumn statement offered little to help people worried about making it through the winter. There was no energy bill, rebate, no action to reduce grocery bills and nothing to tackle growing poverty and destitution. In contrast this morning, the Scottish Government published its blueprint for social security in an independent Scotland, which includes plans for a minimum income guarantee, scrapping the rape laws and creating a more dynamic economy. It is clear that people in Scotland are suffering from the cost of living crisis, but does the cabinet secretary agree with me that it is time for us to escape the cost of Westminster crisis so that we can build a fairer independent Scotland? I agree wholeheartedly with the member that it is clear that independence is essential to build a fairer and wealthier country and to escape the failed Brexit-based Westminster economic model, which has given us the largest fallen living standards on record and the highest inflation on the G7, as well as high levels of inequality and poverty. Our latest publication, Social Security, in an independent Scotland sets out how independence would enable Scotland to take a new approach to social security designed to tackle poverty and to build financial security. The cabinet secretary mentioned the paper Social Security in an independent Scotland. However, at the same time, this Government has already missed its deadline of transferring new devolved powers to Social Security Scotland by 2020, and earlier this year announced a further three-year delay to the transfer, now due in 2026, a full decade after the Scotland Act 2016. Is the Scottish Government still on track for the 2026 date? In his question, Donald Cameron, of course, missed out the Scottish child payment, which has been widely applauded, not just in Scotland, but first of Scotland, as an extremely significant intervention that is helping to lift thousands of children out of poverty. Of course, with a significant administrative change, there will always be challenges, and I would be happy to get my ministerial colleague responsible for the agency to write to him to give him further details. However, it would be cherlish to not acknowledge the significant advantages that have been brought by Scotland, having not the most significant but a significant impact in terms of social security. It is one incidentally that the United Kingdom is not prepared to match. Neil Bibby Both the Scottish and UK Governments will be aware of the importance of language degrees in securing international co-operation, understanding and trade. The issue of cuts to modern languages at Aberdeen University has been raised with me by both the French and German consulates. What discussions has the cabinet secretary had with the UK Government, the education secretary and consulates regarding this matter? Does he agree with me that these cuts would be a retrograde step not just for students, but for Scotland as a whole? I hear very much what Neil Bibby has to say. I would firstly say that, of course, our universities are autonomous of government. That is a statement of fact. I have noted very carefully the points that have been made by the consulates general who have written to Aberdeen University, which is where I was very proud to study. I have also noted the intervention of Michael Berger, the German ambassador to the UK on the issue of language teaching. He will appreciate that language teaching and learning is something very close to my heart, being somebody who speaks two languages and speaks another language to my own children, which is not English. I understand the value of languages and we should be extremely seized of making sure that we do everything that we can to provide the appropriate level of teaching right through our school system and our university system. It is something that is the subject of discussion between myself and ministerial colleagues. We will be happy to raise with UK Government representatives, which I think was the question that was posed originally. If there are lessons to be learned from elsewhere in the UK, I would be quite happy to look at those, although I would observe that the challenge is throughout the Anglesphere. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reopening of sites that are currently closed due to inspections by Historic Environment Scotland. The Historic Environment Scotland is making good progress on its inspection programme, which is due to conclude at the end of March next year. Of the 70 sites that had access restricted due to high-level masonry issues, there is now full or partial access to 53 of those sites and details of the inspection programme and site reopenings are published on the Historic Environment Scotland website. I am pleased that Historic Environment Scotland continues to put the health and safety of individuals first reopening sites when it is only safe to do so. I thank the minister for that response. She may be aware of the situation at Ravens Craig Castle in Kirkcaldy, which has been closed for a significant period due to inspections carried out by Historic Environment Scotland. Those inspections reveal safety concerns relating to the bridge. Unfortunately, I have been made aware of a number of continued incidents of antisocial behaviour at the site, with use scaling the walls and causing further damage, in some cases throwing stonework from the roof. The preservation of our historic buildings is a crucial part of our cultural inheritance. What more can be done to protect buildings currently closed by Historic Environment Scotland? I am very concerned to hear about the antisocial behaviour issue, and I will take that up with colleagues after question time today. However, I am pleased to confirm that there is now full or partial access to a number of sites in the member's region. I am also pleased to confirm that Historic Environment Scotland would be happy to offer the member a visit to any of the sites that are affected by access restrictions in her region and to discuss matters with our Historic Environment Scotland expert. I would urge Ros McAll to take up that opportunity, but on the antisocial behaviour issue on the particular site that she mentions, I will take that forward straight after question time. Deputy Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to support the arts and culture sector in Glasgow. Scottish Government through Creative Scotland provides support to a number of cultural organisations in Scotland in 2021-22. Creative Scotland awarded £23,629,887 through its regular open and targeted funding to successful applicants from individuals and organisations based on the Glasgow area. Glasgow is, of course, in addition, home to the national performing companies, namely the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer and, of course, celebrate all the institutions that he himself has just listed for the work that he does here. Arts and culture, as he knows, has been part of Glasgow's heritage for decades, but for years now threats and, in some cases, cuts to the sector have made jobs ever more precarious. What plans are in place to bring security to the sector and ensure that Glasgow's share of the funding, promised, is invested in good quality, unionised jobs in Glasgow? I hope that Pam Duncan-Glancy would agree with me that the organisations funded through Creative Scotland do exactly that, as do our national performing companies, as does the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I would also draw her attention to the latest funding round through the Youth Music Initiative Formula Fund, where Glasgow City Council received support of £540,644 to offer music tuition in schools across the city. That includes organisations such as the National Piping Centre, Music Broth, NIOS and AC projects. All of them receive funding, all of them I would hope she would agree provide tremendous additional benefit to the arts and cultural scene in Glasgow, which is vibrant and deserves the support of everybody, including the public of Glasgow, who I would encourage to attend all cultural and arts events from the organisations that we have been discussing as part of this question session. Glasgow's world-leading museums are among the most frequented in Scotland and are major attractions for international visitors. However, colleagues in the city tell me that, unlike Edinburgh or Dundee's major museums, Glasgow's museums do not enjoy national status and therefore do not attract commensurate funding from the Scottish Government. Can I ask what the minister is doing to address this imbalance? Those issues are constantly under review. I would point out from my earlier answer that we have a list of national performing companies that are based in Glasgow and not elsewhere in Scotland. There is a mixed picture of how culture and the arts is funded and which organisations are based where. We need to make sure that there is coverage throughout Scotland that there is equity, but he is absolutely right to draw attention to the fact that the museums in Glasgow are not just first-class, they are world-class and they deserve the support of people in Glasgow. I know that they are already, and for those of us in the rest of Scotland who are looking for a great day out, I would encourage them to visit Glasgow's museums as well. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote and support cultural activities in its other glen constituency. The Scottish Government values the arts and recognises the contribution that cultural activities make to wellbeing the economy and nurturing creative expression, not only in Rutherglen but to all communities across Scotland. Between 1 April 2020 and 31 October 2023, Creative Scotland made 227 awards totaling £856,000 to applicants whose postcodes were in the Rutherglen Scottish parliamentary constituency. That funding was awarded through Creative Scotland's open fund, targeted funding and also through emergency Covid-19 funding. I thank the minister for that answer. The Royal Borough of Rutherglen celebrates its 900th anniversary of being granted the title by King David I of Scotland in 1126 in just over two years time. Plans are well underway to celebrate this anniversary with local organisations, charities and elected members, amongst others, coming together to arrange events throughout 2026. Can the minister advise what the Scottish Government can do to support and promote what will be a community cultural event, the scale of which has likely not been seen in my constituency before? The upcoming anniversary for Rutherglen is an extraordinary symbol of the endurance of the borough. For celebrations such as this in Rutherglen, organisations and individuals can apply to Creative Scotland's open fund and the national lottery award for all to seek support for this event. Creative Scotland may also provide further advice regarding applications and other potential funding opportunities by contacting their inquiry's service. Can I wish my constituency neighbours in Rutherglen all the best in celebrating such a historic milestone? That concludes portfolio questions on constitutional external affairs and culture. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next portfolio to allow front benches to change. The next portfolio is justice and home affairs. I invite members wishing to ask a supplementary to press their request to speak buttons during the relevant question, and I call question number one, Sandesh Gulhane. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it's taking to ensure that all fire and rescue officers in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have access to decontamination facilities. The safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority to both the Scottish Government and the fire service. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continues to make progress through its dedicated contaminants group. It has reviewed processes and procedures to ensure that the risk of contamination has been minimised. That includes a review of all fire stations to ensure that they have site-specific control measures to minimise contamination. It's clearly not a priority to the Scottish Government because a bombshell report found that firefighters are almost twice as likely than the general public to die of cancer. Those serving longer in the fire service increase their risk of cancer, and they suffer from higher mental health issues. That is all due to exposure to contaminant and toxins and re-exposure when they have contaminated kit in equipment. Just like during Covid, when this SNP Government said to cut the bottom of doors off, it is asking firefighters to use wipes on their equipment. That is a danger to our brave firefighters. Minister, why has your Government failed for years to give the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service the budget it needs to invest in proper decontamination equipment that will actually save their life? The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is working closely with the FBU and the University of Central Lancashire and is taking action across all aspects of operations to reduce exposure to contaminants, including investment in new fire appliances and facilities. I will continue to work closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the FBU on this important matter, and I will carefully consider any proposals coming forward that would increase the safety and wellbeing of firefighters. The Scottish Government's commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all fire and rescue service officers is very welcome. With that said, the recent UK Government autumn statement failed to take the necessary action needed to increase investment in vital services such as SFRS. With limited levers available to Scotland to increase our spending power, can the minister outline the impact of the disappointing autumn statement on responding to the real challenges facing those services moving forward? The autumn statement delivered the worst-case scenario for Scotland's finances. The funding provided falls far short of what we needed and makes the challenges for our budget next year even more severe. The Chancellor has failed to provide the funding needed with little consideration on the specific challenges that we face, letting Scotland down on every count. Scotland needed more money for infrastructure, public services and fair pay deals. Instead, he delivered a real-terms reduction in the total block grant. The Chancellor chose to make a discriminant cut to national insurance while depriving public services of vital funding. That shows that the UK Government has the wrong priorities at the wrong time. In the recent Firestorm report, over 90 per cent of firefighters said that they were concerned about the impact of the contaminants on their health, with firefighters saying that they had inadequate changes of uniform, laundry facilities and shouting facilities to decontaminate. As Sandish Gulhane says, they have to rely on baby wipes to try to clean themselves after being exposed to a fire for hours. Does the Scottish Government think that that is acceptable? Scottish Fire Rescue Service is considering the Fire Brigade Union Firestorm report, and it is appropriate that it will work with the FBU and other staff representative bodies to address the issues that have been raised. The cabinet secretary and I did meet with the FBU the week before last, and the Scottish Government will work closely with the SFRS to identify budgetary requirements for 24 to 25. To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for people in contact with the justice system who may be dealing with vulnerabilities such as mental health issues, problematic substance abuse or homelessness? Supporting people in contact with the justice system and ensuring effective access to health housing and other support services is absolutely vital and requires a holistic multi-agency approach, as well as a focus on interventions that can facilitate those links. That is why we are continuing to invest around £134 million per year in community justice services, including community sentences, through-care support and other interventions, enabling access to services to access the underlying causes of offending. I thank the minister for her answer. To stress brief intervention, an initiative that was successfully piloted in Lanarkshire provides quick and compassionate support to people who experience senior stress. How will the Scottish Government ensure that DBI services are integrated into communities and ensure that Police Scotland and other public bodies are trained to direct people to distress brief intervention where it might be appropriate? Police Scotland has been key national partners in the development and implementation of the DBI programme. Frontline staff in Police Scotland, along with their counterparts in the Scottish Ambulance Service, Accident and Emergency, Primary Care and NHS 24, are provided with bespoke DBI training to enable them to assess whether or not a person presenting in distress is appropriate for an offer of referral to DBI support. DBI training continues to be rolled out to staff in those services. DBI is now live in 24 of the 31 health and social care partnership areas, with discussions under way with the remaining areas with a view to being DBI live by the end of March next year. In addition, national pathway to DBI exists via NHS 24 and via national call handling services operated by Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service. 3. Kenneth Gibson Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding the maximum time that a family should be expected to wait for a post-mortem report following the death of a loved one. Lord Advocate. The Crown Office and Procuret of Fiscal Service is committed to providing bereaved families with final confirmation of the cause of death of a loved one as soon as that information is available. In relation to deaths that require further investigation, the Crown Office and Procuret of Fiscal Service aims to conduct and conclude the investigation and advise the nearest relative of the outcome within 12 weeks of receipt of the death report in 80 per cent of cases. Some investigations take longer to establish a final cause of death because of the circumstances of the fatality and the nature of the test required to allow the pathologist to make a final determination. Where that is the situation, nearest relatives are provided with updates on progress and estimated timescales for the completion of the tests. I thank the Lord Advocate for that answer but, of course, families are not always provided with the regular updates nor timescales. Does she agree that waiting more than seven months for a post-mortem report is completely unacceptable? If so, how many families in Scotland have waited seven months or more? After such a time, is it appropriate to tell a family that is a matter? I quote, we are currently considering and in which we hope to reach a decision shortly. If Mr Gibson has a particular case and a particular circumstances that he wishes to bring to my attention for me to comment on that, I am more than happy to do that. I would invite him to make contact with my office and request a meeting with me individually. I would be pleased to do so. I would say in relation to the factors that may cause a delay in a cause of death being established. That very much depends on the circumstances surrounding a death. The pathologist who has conducted the post-mortem examination may require a number of further investigations to be completed, including further toxicological analysis, as well as an input from, for example, other experts in the fields of neuropathology or histopathology. The findings of all those inquiries must then be carefully considered before a cause of death can be confirmed. In a small number of cases where those further investigations cannot be progressed in Scotland, specialist facilities elsewhere may require to be approached to assist and this may result in a delay in the final cause of death being established. An HM inspector of prosecution report is highly critical of pathology services in Scotland, while the chair of the deaths and prison custody action group says that only the Crown Office thinks that fatal accident inquiry system is effective. Many families have told me that they have no faith in how the deaths of loved ones are investigated, yet the SNP Government is complacent. Will the Lord Advocate therefore consider families' calls to transfer those vital functions to a new body, which will be transparent, accountable and independent of the Crown Office? The issue raised by Mr Russell relates to fatal accident inquiries. That is a separate and distinct issue from the one that I am being asked to respond to today. His question also raised issues about the quality of the pathology service in Scotland, and I can respond to that by explaining that the Crown Office and Procater Fiscal Service is the client and the recipient of forensic pathology services in Scotland to allow Procater Fiscal Service to discharge their death investigation duties on behalf of the Lord Advocate. The Crown Office and Procater Fiscal Service would support any improvements to the death investigation process that would minimise the distress caused to families without affecting the thoroughness of the investigation, including the confirmation of a cause of death. Just before calling the next supplementary, I am aware that there are issues with the microphones, including my own by the looks of things, but on the front benches I am aware that broadcasting is not affecting broadcasting, but it is clearly not helping in terms of the audio in the chamber, but it is being investigated. I propose just to continue for the time being. Postmortem scanners have been trailed in Lancashire and have been reported to decrease the time taken for postmortem's results in certain cases, the need for an invasive postmortem and removal of organ. Can the Lord Advocate advise what discussion the Scottish Government has had with the Crown Office and Procater Fiscal Service regarding the potential time-saving qualities of postmortem scanners in Scotland? The specific issue raised by this point is not in a position to respond to, but there has been significant efforts made by the Crown Office and Procater Fiscal Service and the Scottish Police authorities and pathologists to reduce the time taken to provide final reports of families and to consider the wider concept of improvements to the way in which pathology services are delivered. The Crown Office regularly meets with the current pathology providers to discuss and seek to help to resolve any on-going issues and to identify any improvements to the quality of a service that can be provided for nearest relatives. The Crown Office has a series of contracts and service-level agreements with universities, local authorities and the NHS for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland. The current pathology contract extensions are in the main in place until the end of March 2024 and work is on-going with all pathology providers on a service redesign to streamline the nature and number of contracts to ensure resilience and efficiency through negotiation and service co-design. There is an identification of need for improvement, but in relation to the issue of scanners, I can provide further information on that specific issue. Question 4 has been withdrawn. Question 5 was not lodged. Question 6, Ivan McKee. To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with the Scottish Prison Service to provide inmates, including those on-remand with vocational skills, to help them to secure employment when they leave prison and help to address Scotland's skills challenges. The Scottish Prison Service provides a range of vocational skills and qualifications that support personal development and help with securing employment on release for individuals in custody. In addition, contracted services providers, including third sector and statutory providers, support people in areas such as CV writing and interview skills. Through working with stakeholders, the prison service is also seeking to understand the skills gaps that are currently faced by various employment markets by gaining an understanding of the needs of those areas. The prison service is seeking to address those shortages by establishing working relationships between employers and prisons across Scotland. I am sure that I agree that Scotland's economy and businesses continue to suffer from skills shortages. We should take every opportunity to meet that need and to support individuals in the criminal justice system to reduce re-offending. Companies and organisations that I speak to, including AMAY and the construction industry training board and others, are keen to support in that regard. What is the Scottish Government doing working with the SPS to enable businesses to provide training and leading to employment opportunities to suitable inmates in advance of their release? The Scottish Prison Service regularly engages with national and local organisations in order to provide opportunities for skill enhancement. Examples of that include Robertson's construction at HMP Perth, which enables engagement and a bespoke training package focusing on the skills that are required within the construction industry. Today, Green King has also launched a training kitchen at HMP Grampian, which provides bespoke training packages to work in an industrial kitchen, leading to interview and potential employment on release. SPS hosts national events to local organisations and employers that are open to employing people with convictions. The most recent event that was held at HMP Lomos focused on the hospitality sector. Paulman Young is an institution of education. Participation is a vital aspect of being in prison. A recent inspection report said that it is, however, not sufficient participation of young offenders because we are spending too long in their cells. Can the cabinet secretary assure me that whatever education and training is offered is relevant? Is she able to get back to me on the question of whether she is satisfied that enough young people are participating in education training at Paulman Young's institution? I will write to Ms McNeill with further detail. As you would expect, I have looked at the inspector's report closely. I know that Ms McNeill is aware of the value of purposeful activity. There are, of course, some issues with that in and around if someone has been convicted or not. There would be certain offence behaviour programmes that would not be appropriate until someone is convicted and the prison rules are a little bit different in terms of remand and sentence prisoners. Nonetheless, the point that she makes about the importance of purposeful and, in particular, educational activity is well made. Dix Jure is a tremendous organisation in Deniston that provides a halfway between prison and general society for men due to be released from prisons across the central belt. It is a key tool in stopping that re-offending cycle. Similarly, turning point 218 on Bath Street in Glasgow provides an equally essential service supporting female offenders with complex needs. Funding cuts now mean that both of those services are likely to be closed. Surely the minister agrees that this is a false economy. What is she doing to help sustain those services? I am well acquainted with both services that Mr Sweeney narrates. Could I stress that any cuts most certainly are not my cuts? Decisions about the provision and commissioning of individual community justice services are, of course, taken at a local level. If I can reassure him that this Government continues to invest £134 million in community justice services, that is ring-fenced, as is the £123 million to local authorities. I also state that I have not asked any local authority to reduce any specific funding within that. Question 7, James Dornan. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the SFA and SPFL regarding the recent upsurge and use of pyrotechnics within football stadia. The Scottish Government has been engaging regularly with the SFA and the SPFL for some time about our shared concerns over the misuse of pyrotechnics in football. Most recently, I met with the SPFL and the SFA and Football Safety Officers Association Scotland last week, on 30 November, when we agreed on the need for a multi-agency approach to tackle this issue. I look forward to working with football and other key partners to develop this approach in coming weeks. James Dornan. I thank the minister for that response and for the positive response that it was. Is not it the truth that today neither the football authorities, the police nor the clubs themselves have been willing to take the required action to combat the illegal use of these extremely dangerous fireworks? Given the unwillingness for strong action to be taken and the lack of political will within football in my view strongly overdue introduction of some kind of strict liability, will the Scottish Government commit to taking seriously the introduction of a minister for football such as being introduced for English football by the Westminster Government to tackle both the issue of pyros and many of the other anti-social and illegal behaviours regularly seen at Scottish football clubs? However, our preferred solution has always been that the footballing authorities themselves are proactively involved in delivering a robust and lasting solution to tackle any unacceptable conduct by what is a minority of people. As I said to Mr Dornan from my recent discussions with those involved, I know that there is a collective will to try and tackle this, and as I have already indicated, we will be taking forward a multi-agency approach to tackle this issue, and I look forward to working with our partners on this. I know that Police Scotland will continue to engage with the SFA and SPFL in regard to the new fireworks legislation and on-going issues at individual fixtures. To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland and criminal justice stakeholders to prevent criminal gangs from using so-called county lines for illegal business activities. County lines and the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults involved is a significant concern for the Scottish Government. Partners on the Serious Organised Crime Task Force, which I chair, continue to use every means at its disposal to disrupt Serious Organised Crime, including county lines activity, and to raise awareness of the serious harm that causes to individuals, including young people and our communities. The Serious Organised Crime Task Force progress report, which was published last week, details some of the work on-going, including projects such as the action for children early intervention service, and the county lines intensification week that was undertaken by Police Scotland. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. According to the Scottish Crime Campus 2022 multi-agency strategic threat assessment, the north of Scotland is disproportionately impacted by county lines with three quarters of county lines active across Aberdeen city, Aberdeenshire and Murray. During a recent national county lines intensification week, officers safeguarded 17 young vulnerable people and engaged with 650 others. Can the cabinet secretary outline what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that a whole-system multi-agency approach is being taken to identify and safeguard vulnerable young people from further exploitation, in particular the north-east, where county lines activity is particularly prevalent? The safety of our young people, who are being exploited by organised crime, is of course paramount. Child protection procedures must be activated immediately where there are concerns. We have published guidance for practitioners on behalf of the Serious Organised Crime Task Force earlier this year. The guidance helps practitioners identify those at risk from being exploited by Serious Organised Crime groups, including those at risk of involvement in county lines or cacooing and what they should do to keep young people safe. Police Scotland in the north-east has instigated operation protector to address issues associated with Serious Organised Crime, including exploitation and county lines. We have also provided funding through the small community grants scheme to the drug-harm charity Daniel Spargo Mab's Foundation to deliver inputs and interactive theatre activity, discussing drug harms to pupils at nine secondary schools across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Murray, and there have been 150 participants to date. Thank you very much, cabinet secretary. That concludes the portfolio questions on justice and home affairs. I thank members for their patience and perseverance due to the earlier problems with the microphones. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front benches to change.