 The next item of business is portfolio questions, and the portfolio is justice and veterans. In order to get as many members in as possible, I would prefer short and succinct questions and answers to match. If a member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should do so by pressing the request-to-speak button during the relevant question or by entering the letter R in the chat function during the relevant question. I call question number one, Alasdair To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the court system to clear the current reported backlog of cases. Cabinet Secretary, Keith Brown. In 2021-22, we provided £50 million to support the recover, renew, transform programme for the criminal justice system, which included setting up 60 new solemn and summary courts. For 2022-23, we committed a further £53.2 million, including £26.5 million for the Scottish courts and tribunal service to help them maintain enhanced court capacity. We have also extended funding for remote jury centres for additional three months to support the transition back to juries in court, and we have increased the SCTS resource budget by 3.5 per cent. The latest stats published by SCTS show that those measures are having an impact, but justice agencies have been clear that it will take several years to address the backlog, and we will continue to support that work. Alasdair Anna. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. One of my constituents has been waiting for an update for several months on his case. The local procurator fiscal's office has been unable to give any indication of when his case will be processed, as they say that this is done centrally. Can the cabinet secretary give an indication of whether there are any plans to allow for more local processing of procurator fiscal cases in case that might help ease some of the waiting times? The member will know that the processing of cases is a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of the prosecution system, so I therefore recommend that the member contact the Lord Advocate, both in terms of the specific case and also in terms of the suggestion that he has made about more localised processing, and the Lord Advocate should be able to advise on his query. Yesterday's spending review is devastating for the justice sector, with legal aid, judiciary and courts and tribunal service all receiving a real-terms cut over the next five years. It was described by the Scottish Police Federation as a bad day for the public and a good one for criminals. Another prominent solicitor has said that it is a nail in the coffin for legal aid. Given the substantial cuts to the justice system over the next few years, will the justice system help or hinder the Government's ability to get through the massive 40,000 backlog of cases that is currently sitting in the system? What effect will the justice system have more importantly on victims? There is no question that the 5.2 per cent cuts in the Government's budget will have an impact on all services in Scotland, and it is regrettable that the Conservatives do not feel it within themselves to condemn that cut and to seek a more beneficial settlement for Scotland. However, yesterday was not a budget. Yesterday was the spending review. The budget will come forward in due course. During the process of that budget being decided, I will, of course, put the case for continuing investment in justice services, whether it is a police or a court service. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to involve victims more in the justice system. Enabling victims to take a more prominent role in the justice system is a key commitment in our recently published justice strategy. We are currently consulting on potential legislative reforms that strengthen victims' rights and to improve their experiences, including the establishment of a victims commissioner for Scotland. An independent review of the victim notification scheme is under way to ensure that it is serving victims effectively and we are committed to creating restorative justice services and using the use of victim impact statements in court. The victims task force, co-chair by myself and Lord Advocate, is directly informed by victims' voices and is progressing work to develop a more victim-centred and trauma-informed justice system. A couple of weeks ago, a man was sentenced to three years in prison for repeatedly threatening to kill me and my wife. On one of the many times he was arrested, he was in the next street, two minutes from our front doorstep and I pay tribute to the officers of Police Scotland for their actions in apprehending him. Even though the man has been to court, has had sentencing deferred for background reports and has now been sentenced to this date, not once has anyone in the criminal justice system reached out to me or my wife. In fact, it was through a colleague in this Parliament that I learned that the man had appeared in court because my colleague had read it in a newspaper. What really worries me is that there are so many of our constituents who have had the same experience and are not known where to turn for help. Will the cabinet secretary agree to giving proper consideration to supporting my colleague Jamie Greene's victims bill, which will put victims at the centre of the justice system where they rightly belong? I sympathise with the experience that the member has had. I had a very similar experience with my family being threatened with having the house burnt down by somebody who was subsequently convicted for burning down a house. I know how troubling that can be. I would also concede the point that there is not enough being done to make sure that the victims of, in this case, a threat is acknowledged by the criminal justice system in its various forms. We are trying to make sure that that is recognised right the way through the whole criminal justice system. It is worth acknowledging that it is not necessarily a system in that sense. It has lots of independent parts to it. Some of what Stephen Carey raised is to the court service and to the fiscal service, but what he said will be heard, I am sure, by them. On the matter of supporting Jamie Greene's bill, I was told that it would come forward in the first 100 days of this Parliament. I have not seen the bill yet, so I do not know how I can be expected to say that I will support a bill until I see the provisions of it. From what I do know of it, and from previous discussions, much of it is covered by activity that the Government has already undertaken, but I restate my commitment to say that we will look at it in good faith and see whether there are things that we can work with when it comes forward. I acknowledge the experiences that Stephen Carey and the cabinet secretary have articulated. The Scottish Government has stated that it will introduce pioneering new restorative justice services through the launch of the restorative justice hubs. That has been welcomed by stakeholders. I wonder whether the cabinet secretary shares my view that it represents a critical step towards putting victims at the heart of the justice system. I very much do welcome that. It relates to the previous point that was made by Stephen Carey that the justice system has to be more about a judicial process and a finding of guilt or innocence at the end of it, if it is to mean meaningful justice to those who come up against the justice system. I very much welcome the launch of those pioneering hubs, paving the way for restorative justice services being rolled out across Scotland. I was delighted yesterday to meet the staff and hear from survivors yesterday. I know that there are groups, including women's groups, that have real concerns, although generally being supportive of these restorative hubs, but it is clear to me from talking to the survivors the way in which that could potentially meet a real need for those who have been victims, but want to or survivors of, in particular, sexual assault and rape, of having a more meaningful justice outcome at the end of it, although it can only ever be undertaken with the consent and the active support of those who are victims and survivors. To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities scrutiny will have in relation to the recently published consultation document on police complaints, investigations and misconduct legislation. Each local authority has established individual scrutiny arrangements to align with local requirements, and I commend the work of local scrutiny committees and the work that they have undertaken with Police Scotland to review arrangements in line with Dame Eilish's recommendations. The public consultation on police complaints, investigations and misconduct launched on the 24th of May, beginning our 12-week public consultation period, where we welcome views on our plans for future legislation. The Government has invited local authorities, via COSLA, to discuss our plans for a legislative change in December 2021, and again, following the launch of the consultation, we are keen to engage with local authorities directly to hear their views. I ask how local authority and regional feedback on issues will be addressed in response to the specific regional or local authority issues at that time? It is vital that the needs of local communities are understood and reflected in the planning and delivery of police services. The SPA, the Scottish Police Authority, engages local authorities, COSLA and local policing teams to understand how policing is delivered locally. COSLA, Police Scotland and the SPA recently completed a review of the local police planning process, and the revised joint approach was approved by COSLA and presented to SPA in March 2022. Work has begun to progress implementation. Those local police plans are developed by Police Scotland's local area and divisional commanders, who engage with local authorities. I am happy to ask the chief constable to write to the member on the specifics of this case. Female officers' career destroyed by a boys' club culture, a disgraceful rangers malicious prosecution scandal, senior officers quitting the dodge investigation, over seven years to learn how a man died on a five-street, so when is the consultation expected to fix the SNP's broken police complaints system? Cabinet Secretary, I do appreciate that there was a focus on the role of local authority scrutiny, but perhaps the cabinet secretary could nonetheless, given the seriousness of the issue, respond, but it wasn't directly a supplementary question. So if the cabinet secretary wouldn't mind just responding on this occasion. Just to say none of the cases, I think, bear on the substantive question, which was about local authority scrutiny of local policing plans, but I'm happy if the member wants to raise it with me again to respond to him directly. Could we have less sedentary commentary? I'm in the chair. I've decided it wasn't relevant to the overarching substantive question, and that has become a feature in recent weeks. There are ways to make it a supplementary question. That did not meet the mark, but the cabinet secretary has indicated to respond to the member in writing. Question 4, Pam Gozo. As the Scottish Government, how many police Scotland officers have retired in this financial year? Police Scotland have informed me that there have been 169 police officers of various ranks who have retired from Police Scotland between 1 April 2022 and 26 May 2022. A further 265 police officers have intimated their intention to retire before 30 June 2022. Therefore, Police Scotland expects a total of 434 police officers to have retired at the end of quarter 1 of this financial year. I thank the cabinet secretary for that right answer. There are fewer than 17,000 officers in Police Scotland for the first time ever. It is suggested that one in 10 officers are considering leaving Police Scotland after the introduction of the pension arrangements. The recent pay offer has been brandy disgraceful, and the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation says that spending review will be flat cash for police and officer numbers will plummet. Cabinet secretary, what action will the Scottish Government take to prevent a mass exodus of police officers biding their time until retirement? It is really hard to know where to begin with a question like that. It is simply not the case that there have never been less than 17,000 police officers before in Scotland. It is also true to say that the pay rise, which was awarded this year from the Scottish Government, was matched by a UK pay offer of zero—no pay increase last year. It is also true to say that we have substantially more officers per head in Scotland. For the officer's start in Police Scotland, on a salary of £5,000 per year more than they do in England and Wales. The idea that the Conservatives should be lecturing this Government on properly funding Police Scotland is a bit rich. It is also true to say that we have seen the results of that investment in Police Scotland over the years, where we have some of the lowest crime levels—certainly lower than any in Wales—but some of the lowest crime levels that we have seen since 1974. Of course, we want to continue to prioritise policing. We will do so against the back end of a 5.2 per cent cut from the UK Government. Wouldn't it be useful if, for once, the Conservatives could congratulate the police officers in the work that they do and talk to their own bosses in London to improve the grant to this Parliament so that we can look after our police officers and, indeed, all our public services? I do not know my breath waiting for that to happen. Scotland has significantly more police than elsewhere in the UK. Statistics from Scottish Crime and Justice Survey have shown that around one in eight adults in Scotland experienced crime in 2019-20 compared to one in five in 0809. A rate that remains lower than England and Wales, with an equivalent figure of 13.3 per cent. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, although the Tories talked off on justice matters, it is the SNP who are trusted to tackle crime and protect communities, which is why we were resoundingly re-elected a little over a year ago? I absolutely agree, and it is interesting that, whenever we point out the differences between Scotland and the rest of the UK, how animated the Conservative benches has become a wonder why that might be a degree of embarrassment. I absolutely agree with the member that Scotland is a safer country since the SNP Government took office. Recorded crime remains at one of the lowest levels since 1974 and is down 41 per cent since 2006-07, yet to hear any recognition of that from the Conservatives. As the member rightly points out, there are some 32 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland compared to around 23 in England and Wales. More generally, we are investing an additional £188 million across the justice system in 2022-23. That is more than three times what the Conservatives asked for, so we are looking after Police Scotland will continue to try to do so in a very difficult budgetary situation. To summarise a letter from Police Scotland to the Criminal Justice Committee about the impact of recent changes to pension computation, they say that it could result in up to 1,300 or police officers who could take advantage of those changes. I know that the cabinet secretary is aware of that, but is the cabinet secretary also aware that the Scottish Police Federation is saying explicitly that that is not the reason that so many police officers plan to leave? They say that their members are overworked, undervalued and the constant disruption of rest days and cancellation of annual leave is taking a toll on them physically and mentally. I wonder if the cabinet secretary would acknowledge that he is aware of this letter and that this is the most critical issue facing the police service now. I ask the cabinet secretary what he is thinking about doing to address this. I think that what we have to do is try to ensure that we provide the resources to Police Scotland. Of course, some of the things that Pauline McNeill talks about are not within the gift of the Government to change. Those are dealt with by operational decisions for the chief constable. It is right that they should do that. I do not have anybody suggesting that we should change that so that the Government becomes directly involved. I do not think that that would be a good idea, but it is also true to say that we have had a situation with retirement. I have spoken to the Police Federation, the SPA and the chief constable, and the top of the list is the retirement caused by the particular change in pensions that underlies the figures that I just gave. Of course, we have an interest in the wellbeing of police officers. We will continue to talk to the Scottish Police Federation and do whatever we can to make sure that services and resources are provided to look after our police officers. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary or community safety minister have had with ministerial colleagues regarding action to ensure the safety of women attending abortion clinics in Glasgow. The cabinet secretary and I are kept up to date on the discussions held in the buffer zones working group. This is chaired by the minister for public health, women's health and sport. We will make the chief constable aware of issues that have been raised when they next meet. The right to peaceful public assembly and freedom of expression are rights that we are committed to uphold, but those should never be used to promote hatred or justify intimidating or otherwise criminal behaviour. Of course, operational policing decisions are a matter for Police Scotland and decision making on appropriate action to safeguard public safety is a matter for them. I thank the minister for that answer. Whilst the Government fails to take direct action, women are being victimised when they should be receiving support. Protests are not just undermining patients but are undermining staff too. We have heard the Government say that they are supportive of buffer zones and we have heard the First Minister say that protesters should protest outside Parliament, not medical settings, but women are still being harassed. What conversations the Government is having with COSLA about how local authorities can be supported to introduce laws and what discussions are happening with Police Scotland on the action that they are able to take to protect women? I thank the member for that question. It is some very important points that she has raised. I am very sympathetic to the intention behind the question. On the recent incidents that we have seen at the Sandford Clinic, I would like to confirm for the member that Police Scotland was called on both occasions when the protest took place. The police asked the protesters to stop using voice amplification devices and took formal statements from members of staff. Police Scotland has existing powers available to them to deal with any disorder or criminality that is arising from the protest. The Scottish Government has been clear that the intimidation and harassment of women as they access healthcare is completely unacceptable. I know that Scottish Government officials have already made Police Scotland aware of concerns that have been raised with them. In particular, the concerning reports about the protests that we have seen at Sandford. I know that Police Scotland has taken statements with regard to what went on there. The women's health minister, Marie Todd, has convened a working group with partners such as COSLA, Police Scotland and affected councils and health boards to look at how to address vigils and protests that take place outside abortion clinics. I will commit to keeping the member updated on progress. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to any sexual exploitation in Scotland. Commercial sexual exploitation is recognised as a form of gendered violence within equally safe Scotland's strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls. As part of the delivery of the strategy, the Scottish Government supports a range of measures, including the provision of over £400,000 through the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, to address commercial sexual exploitation and support those that are affected. In addition, our victim-centred approach fund provides TARA projects with £622,000 to support women's traffic for this purpose. In addition, we are progressing the programme for government commitment to develop a model for Scotland that effectively tackles and challenges men's demand for prostitution. It is still permissible to buy sex in Scotland while we do recognise that it is gendered violence. This is feeding demand for trafficking. We know that there are people actively trying to traffic men and women and children to Scotland because they know that those fleeing from war situations are very vulnerable. If there is a timeframe for the implementation of a model for Scotland in order to close this loophole and allow those exploiters to operate in their midst. I thank the member for raising what is a very important issue. The Scottish Government has at the moment a multi-agency group that is continuing to work and to make as much progress as possible on the topic of commercial sexual exploitation, because, as the member has outlined, there are some things that are going on at the moment. I am committed to progressing work on the agenda. As the member will know, there is much work going on behind the scenes here. Unfortunately, I am not able to confirm for the member today what the timeframe on the issue that the member has raised. However, I commit to keeping the member updated on that work. To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on any difficulties faced by veterans in Scotland, including on the prevalence of mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse. Improving veterans data continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government. The member will be aware that Scotland's census 2022 included for the first time a question on previous service with armed forces. We have also identified additional sources of regular data collection, for example by including the same question in the Scottish household and health surveys. In addition, there is a veterans marker in the new drug and alcohol information system, a national database that shows data relating to specialist drug and alcohol treatment from services across Scotland. It seems that the new census is £150 million over budget and might not provide us with the information that we need. It is also clear that there is a lack of data relating to specific issues of veterans. Without such data, we cannot fully understand and provide the correct help for veterans. In view of the need for this data, what steps will the Scottish Government take to ensure that future statistical releases include specific data on issues of veterans, such as mental health waiting times, so that we can more accurately assess the scale of those problems? I have mentioned the steps that we are taking. I should say that I have tried for years, over a decade, to get information from the UK Government on veterans, and it has been refused virtually every turn. Perhaps if the member could have a word with his colleagues in the MOD and ask them to help to provide data about veterans in Scotland, that would be helpful. I have mentioned how we can get information in relation to the census. I have mentioned how we can get information into what is called DAISY in relation to addiction services. It is also true to say that we have published the mental health action plan, which will establish the network through the implementation board, which has been mentioned previously, which will have on it representatives in the Scottish Veterans Care Network. That and all the different veterans organisations that we deal with can help us to get a more rounded picture of the needs of veterans across Scotland. In March of this year, services that provide mental health support to armed forces veterans were given a very important funding boost when the Scottish Government announced £1.4 million for combat stress, and a further £666,000 for veterans' first point. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what improvements the Government expects to see to the lives and experiences of our veterans as a result of that funding? I acknowledge that the improvements in the lives and experience of veterans are not released because of the funding that has been mentioned previously, which is substantially down to the work that Graham Day carried out as Veterans Minister. The funding ensures that Scotland's veterans can access appropriate support, and it includes funding for specialist veterans and peer support workers who understand the experiences of those who have served and ensure that veterans and their families are directed to the help that they need when they need it. We are also providing funding to support the implementation of the veterans' mental health and wellbeing action plan, including the recently announced £50,000 for the CME campaign, which will challenge mental health stigma and discrimination experienced by veterans and hopefully change attitudes and behaviours so that veterans with experience of mental health problems are respected, valued and empowered. I expect those developments to deliver significant improvements to the lives and experiences of veterans in Scotland. Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. That concludes portfolio questions on justice and veterans, and there will be a very short pause before we move on to the next item, being portfolio questions on finance and the economy to allow front-bench teams to move positions should they wish. Thank you. Okay, the next portfolio is finance and the economy. If a member wishes to ask a supplementary question, they should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question, or pressing an R in the chat function, if they are joining us remotely. I call question number one, Richard Leonard. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I remind members of my register of interests? To ask the Scottish Government what discussions finance ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding support for the Grangemouth refinery, including any future investment. Minister Richard Lochhead. Through the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, the Scottish Government and partners have initiated work to develop a just transition plan for the wider Grangemouth industrial complex of which the refineries and integral part. As we work to understand how to deliver a just transition to the whole of the country, ministers, as well as you can expect, engage with ministerial finance colleagues as appropriate. In line with the principles of a just transition, this plan for the Grangemouth complex will be built collectively in consultation with the right range of the stakeholders, including industry. The just transition plan will look like an ambitious and clearly defined vision, identifying and providing evidence for specific activity that will form an action plan to support its realisation. Can I thank the minister for that answer? Just two weeks ago, I met with United Trade Union representatives in Grangemouth. Speculating about petrol China withdrawing its 50 per cent stake from the refinery is causing anxiety, unrest and uncertainty among the workforce. The Grangemouth refinery remains a vital strategic national asset. It provides security of supply and, in previous quarters, the site has generated as much as 10 per cent of Scotland's total gross domestic product. Yet we know and the workforce knows that its fate lies in the hands of a billionaire tax exile and an overseas owned corporation. SNP Government ministers, including First Ministers, have intervened previously with INEOS. Will the present Government and the present First Minister intervene and hold urgent discussions with INEOS, petrol China and unite the union about the future, the long-term future of the site, future jobs, future investment, future diversification, future decarbonisation and future ownership? Minister Richard Lochhead. Ministers would, of course, agree with the member's assessment of the importance of the asset to Scotland and its strategic importance, as well as the importance of maintaining local jobs. I am sure that the member will understand that I cannot comment on media speculation, but he did mention the United Union, which has been in contact with the Scottish ministers. I know my colleague Michael Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Network, Transport and Energy, has responded to that letter on behalf of the Scottish Government. I just want to assure Richard Leonard and members that we are in regular contact. There is regular ministerial contact with the operators of the refinery, and no doubt that is continuing in the coming weeks and months. We very much recognise the importance of, also through the industrial board I mentioned with the just transition aspect of this will be addressed, that, of course, the creation and maintenance of good green jobs is very important for the future of the whole site as well. To ask the Scottish Government what lessons can be learnt from Reform Scotland's recent publication about the future of the Scottish national investment bank. Well, I put on record at the outset my appreciation for all Reform Scotland reports. I think that they play an important role in widening the debate, and we certainly welcome that particular paper and support its aim in stimulating debate on the future activities of the bank. Of course, the bank is essentially a start-up. It has had 18 months, and in that period it has built an operational structure from scratch. It has recruited over 50 staff. It has delivered investment commitments of over £200 million to 16 projects across all three of their missions, leveraging over £450 million of additional private funding. I think that, by any standard, that is pretty remarkable for a start-up. Liz Smith. While very supportive of the principles of the Scottish National Investment Bank, Professor Ross Brown said that the bank is, and I quote, shackled. Its mission is vague and its impact limited, concluding that the current strategy is ineffective for a publicly owned bank. Can I ask what the cabinet secretary is going to do to address this? As I said in my opening remarks, the bank is on a journey. It is already putting more focus, for example, on origination and enabling scale-up. It is currently working to obtain FCA status, which will enable it to leverage in further private investment. Critically, it is operationally independent of ministers, and I think that that is hugely important and needs to be protected. If you look at the list of investments that it has already made from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, it demonstrates a range of investments that all align with those missions. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In yesterday's spending review, the profile of investment for the National Investment Bank was falling to £9 million through to £1 million in 25, 26 to £0 million in 26, 27. That will leave the investment that has already gone into the investment bank at £610 million, I believe. I just would be grateful for the cabinet secretary to clarify what the protected capitalisation will be as a result of the spending review. On my analysis, and I am happy to be corrected, that is well short of the £2 billion that was promised. What will the impact be on the number of projects and the value of those projects that the investment bank will be able to invest in? Forgive me if I misunderstood. I think that the member was quoting the figures for the operational resource requirements of the bank. Of course, the bank is on a journey to be self-sustainable. We are committed on the capital side to capitalising the bank with £2 billion, and I think that in the targeted capital spending review you will see that trajectory that honours our commitment to that £2 billion worth of capitalisation. What he is referring to, as I understand it, if I heard the £9 million figure correctly, is the operational cost, the resource cost, and of course the bank has an aim there to ultimately become self-sustaining and to leverage in private sector investment to increase the overall investment of that £2 billion. As we know, the Scottish National Investment Bank has focused on long-term missions to deliver a range of environmental, social and economic returns. Can the cabinet secretary provide any further information on the bank's latest investments and how those will fit with its missions to achieve a just transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2045? One of the many investments that the bank has made is a £9 million investment in circularity Scotland. That is a not-for-profit company responsible for delivering Scotland's deposit return scheme. That investment leveraged in £9 million in additional private finance, again demonstrating the role that the bank has in using public sector funding to leverage in private sector finance. Also, the recent £30 million investment into the expansion of Aberdeen harbour will increase land and water access to offshore wind developers and clearly strengthen Aberdeen's position as a key port hub for our large-scale energy transition effort. Those are just two examples of many. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of superfast broadband. In terms of the roll-out of superfast broadband, the member is aware of our commitment to reach 100 per cent of properties. The latest off-com figures show that over 2.6 million homes and businesses across Scotland can access superfast broadband speeds of 30 megabits per second and above, and it is worth reminding the chamber and the member that telecoms is entirely reserved to Westminster. Alexander Stewart I thank the cabinet secretary for the response. With the R100 roll-out being delayed from 2021 to 2027, the Scottish Government has a long way to go to convince communities. The voucher scheme for R100 has also been disappointing in the extreme, cabinet secretary, with only 497 households applying in my region compared to the over 41,000 households that are eligible. How can the Scottish Government address these connectivity problems when they are clearly failing communities the length and breadth of the country? I think that communities are convinced by that if they waited for the UK Government to reach them, they would be waiting an awful long time. As of 30 April 2022, over 9,600 connections have been delivered through the R100 contracts and vouchers, the majority of which are full fibre, with a further 9,500 connections in build. I await to see what the UK Government will do in terms of connecting any of those households. The Scottish Government has made substantial progress in improving digital connectivity in Scotland, despite the fact that telecommunications is a matter wholly reserved to Westminster. Can the cabinet secretary provide any further information about steps that the Scottish Government is taking to encourage the roll-out of 5G in Scotland? Before you answer, cabinet secretary, could I please encourage those on the Tory benches to listen to the question and listen to the answers without making interventions from a sedentary position, cabinet secretary? I will start by reminding the chamber that broadband and telecoms are 100 per cent reserved. In Scotland, 5G roll-out is commercially led, but we have taken a series of actions that are designed to try to create the conditions in which mobile network operators can roll out 5G infrastructure a lot more easily. That includes changes to planning legislation, includes our innovative infolink project to help with site rental guidance, and we have acted on input from a wide range of stakeholders, including the mobile industry and other partners in the public sector to try to progress that as quickly as possible. The last and most important point in that regard is the £28.75 million Scottish 4G infol programme, which tries to ensure that there are future-proof masks in areas that would not have masks through commercial build. Again, all that funding is from our own budget because we are not willing to wait for the UK Government to fund it. To ask the Scottish Government how it has responded to the findings of the evaluation of the small business bonus scheme that it commissioned, which was carried out by the Fraser of Allander Institute. We welcome the Fraser of Allander report and the work that it carried out, and have been considering the contents of the report carefully. We are convening a short-term working group that will help and form our consideration of the recommendations. I thank the minister for his response. It is important to note that the report also found that there was no empirical evidence that identifies the small business bonus scheme as supporting enhanced business outcomes. Businesses perceive there to be benefits, but that is not the same as evidencing that there are benefits. That is not least because the limitations on available data, which are highlighted in the report, makes evaluation challenging with problems identifying businesses, turn over employment and investment, as well as inconsistency in data collection and management. Will the Scottish Government commit to regular and comprehensive assessments of the small business bonus scheme and other business support policies, and to take a more surer and standardised approach to data collection, which would allow comparison with other business support schemes? I am grateful to Ms Baker for her supplementary point. Just for clarity, I think that that was implicit in her supplementary point. The Fraser Islander Institute did not say that the scheme has no effect, but it is highlighted that data limitations have limited Fraser Islander Institute in evidencing that there is an effect. When we speak to small businesses, we recognise the importance. The small business bonus scheme and the FSB are here has been a lifeline for many firms, so if members are finding that funny, that is up to them. I would reiterate that the Government has committed to the small business bonus scheme. Indeed, including all NDR reliefs this year, it totes in at an estimated £802 million. What I will say is that with the short-life working group that we are establishing, we have invited representatives from a range of business organisations, including local authorities, and we hope to convene the first meeting shortly. On that particular issue of data in relation to the small business bonus scheme, that will be a priority and a particular concern to the short-life working group. It is vital that we use every lever at our disposal to respond to the climate emergency. Can the minister provide an update as to the steps that the Scottish Government is taking through rates relief to help us to reach our net zero ambitions? The Scottish Government provides a generous and comprehensive, non-domestic rate relief package to support net zero ambitions. We provide up to 100 per cent renewable energy relief for subjects that are used for the purpose of the generation of heat or power, where the scheme also provides community benefit. Small-scale hydro schemes are eligible for 60 per cent relief, which has been guaranteed to March 2032. In April, we expanded the business growth accelerator relief to include the installation of solar panels as a qualifying improvement eligible for relief. That provides no rates increase for 12 months after the qualifying property improvement. We have also increased the relief for new district heating networks by the renewable energy to 90 per cent from 1 April 2021. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much additional funding it has allocated to the national records of Scotland. Today, no additional funding has been allocated. Additional funding will be considered during the budget revision process and will be based on the actual additional costs incurred. The NRS is, of course, the body responsible for the census. As a result of the SNP's decision to delay that by a year, as well as the recent extension to the end of May, that census has not only failed to reach its 94 per cent uptake target, but it has cost taxpayers £30 million more than it needed to. Given the phenomenal waste of taxpayers' money, will the minister make a commitment today that the next census will take place in sync with the rest of the UK to prevent its costly shambles from ever happening again? Can I say to Mr Cameron that I take it as a vote of confidence that he thinks that I will still be a minister in 10 years' time when the next census occurs? Decisions around the timing of the census will be taken at the appropriate moment. In relation to the substances of the question, the particular points that he raises regarding funding will, of course, be confirmed through the usual processes. I am grateful to the Deputy Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what assessment the finance secretary has made of any impact on Scotland's financial outlook as a result of the reduction to ScotRail services. There is no doubt that the current temporary timetable is causing significant inconvenience and frustration to travellers, especially to people who need early and late services to get to and from work and those sectors and businesses in the economy that depend on people being able to travel in the evenings. We are engaging with stakeholders and sectors that may be affected by disruption to services and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. The latest transport trends show a downturn in travel by rail compared to previous weeks, but they are also showing a slight uplift in concessionary bus travel, which is welcome. But the sooner we can get back to a full timetable, the better it will be for passengers, for businesses and, of course, for employees too. I am very grateful for that answer. The well-respected economist Tony Mackey said that due to the cuts to ScotRail, the estimated cost to the Scottish economy is between £75 million and £80 million every week. From the combination and the fall of economic output, the extra money that is being spent by travellers to get to their destinations, does the minister agree with this analysis? And after yesterday's announcement, will the Scottish Government hit reset to properly invest in our public transport and economy? Minister Tom Arthur. I note with interest Professor Tony Mackey's comments. We have given them some consideration as the member would expect. We are, however, aware that the estimates were produced rapidly and, crucially, before the revised timetable was introduced, we are monitoring the situation and, as I say, we are engaging with stakeholders to understand the impacts on their sectors. Supplementary. Jamie Halcro Johnston. Thank you. Just over a week ago Richard Lochhead told the BBC's Sunday show that he hoped that the ScotRail crisis would be sorted soon. But we've just learnt in the last hour that Aslef have rejected ScotRail's pay-offer and, rather than being sorted soon, the disruption being experienced by rail users across Scotland could get a lot worse. The minister must be aware of the impact that that disruption is having across Scotland, but also in regions like mine, the Highlands and Islands, particularly at the start of the tourist season. So can I ask what, if any, regional analysis has been conducted on the economic impact this crisis is having on businesses and communities and what support might be made available by this Government? Minister Tom Arthur. As I said previously, we are engaging regularly with businesses and any particular issues that are identified by businesses, be they national or specific to a particular region, we will take that into account considering how we respond. To ask the Scottish Government how many green jobs have been supported since the introduction of the green jobs fund. The green jobs fund is a five-year £100 million capital fund that will support businesses and their supply chains to help them to better transition to a low-carbon economy. The support provided by the fund aims to create green employment through investment and equipment premises research and development. Between the enterprise agencies and Scottish ministers, 57 projects have been supported with grant funding of £16.8 million through the green jobs fund. Figures provided by the recipients of those awards estimated that fund will support up to 3,886 jobs over the life of the individual projects. Miles Briggs. The Scottish Government had pledged 130,000 green jobs by 2020. Office of National Statistics estimates that employment in the low-carbon and renewable energy sector dropped from 2,021,700 to 20,520. That is the fourth consecutive year that we have seen a reduction in green jobs. What plans do ministers now have to bring forward a new and updated strategy alongside industry to make sure that we can realise the potential green jobs have both in the renewable energy sector but also in the carbon-neutral retrofitting sectors as well? Richard Lochhead. Can I just say to Miles Briggs that Scotland is making significant progress in creating green jobs? Indeed, the PricewaterhouseCoopers green jobs barometer. The most recent one shows that Scotland is the best-performing part of the UK in terms of green jobs created and with Scotland being well positioned to maximise the benefits of green investment. The member referred to the ONS definition of green jobs, which the ONS at the moment are looking at because they accept that it is far from ideal. It is a very narrow definition of green jobs. I am convinced that there are many jobs being created throughout Scotland in terms of green jobs at the moment. Indeed, if you look at the Scottish Government's own policies, the hydrogen policy statement, for instance, could create up to 300,000 green jobs in Scotland. The Acorn project, which the UK Government is not supporting, could have created 20,600 jobs if it had given the go-ahead, which it should have done to that. Our heating building strategy, 16,400 green jobs potentially, renewables in the offshore wind prospectus, 17,000 jobs, hopefully, as well. Scotland is in the course to create hundreds of thousands of green jobs in the coming years if we put our plans into practice and support them, and of course, where appropriate, have the UK Government support as well. Can I ask Miles Briggs to speak to the UK colleagues and ask them to get behind the Acorn project and other projects, reverse the decision, and create even more green jobs for Scotland? Thank you, Presiding Officer. Creating and supporting green jobs through initiatives like the Green Jobs Fund and the Just Transition Fund for the North-Eastern Murray will play a very important part in securing our transition to net zero. However, the Scottish Government's ambitions do not seem to be matched by the UK Government. Does the minister agree that it is high time that the UK Government stepped up and committed to properly support a Just Transition, matching the Scottish Government's £500 million Just Transition Fund? Minister Richard Lochhead. I thank the member for the question, which gives me the opportunity to remind the chamber that the first tranche of the Just Transition Fund for Murray in North East Scotland, which is £500 million over the next 10 years, opened for expressions of interest on Tuesday of this week, and of all members in the relevant parts of the country who could advertise that and help to make people aware of that, we would be very grateful to help our transition towards a net zero economy. Audran Ickles is quite right. Of course, the UK Government should play a much bigger role in this after all. It has extracted hundreds of billions of pounds to the North Sea in terms of oil revenues, and if it were to match the £500 million commitment from the Scottish Government, that would go a long way to helping to ensure that we have a Just Transition in the north-east of Scotland in Murray in the years ahead. Of course, I gave the example of the Acorn project, which was created thousands of new jobs next year onwards. The best position project to get the go-ahead in the UK and the Conservative UK Government said no to that, causing a lot of anger in the industrial community in Scotland. The UK Government, as Audran Ickles says, has a lot more that it can do to match the Scottish Government's ambition for a Just Transition. Thank you very much. That concludes questions on finance. There will be a brief pause while the front benches change. Okay, we move on to the final portfolio this afternoon. That's education and skills, if a member wishes to ask a supplementary question, as if they should press the request-to-speak button or place an on-the-chat function during the relevant question. I call question number one, which is from Gilliam Mackay, who joins us remotely. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council in light of the reported on-going governance concerns outside of the Lancashire College. Cabinet Secretary. I meet regularly with the Scottish Funding Council and they continue to bribe me with the assurance that due process is being followed and arrangements are in place to secure good governance, sound leadership and positive outcomes for the students of the college. Minutes from meetings of the college board of management refer to allegations of systematic bullying and intimidation of a number of staff and potential financial irregularities. We also show that SLC failed to comply with the code of good governance. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to resolve those on-going issues with SLC and to address the concerns that EIS Fela has raised around the governance structure? Cabinet Secretary. The Scottish Funding Council as a responsible organisation for overseeing any investigation of those matters acted immediately to understand and stabilise the situation. The Funding Council commissioned an independent review of governance and relationships at the college in order to establish the nature of the issues being raised and what further action of any was required. The college has published an action plan to address the key findings and recommendations in relation to governance improvements, including complaints handling and relationships stemming from that review. The regional strategic body is responsible for investigating complaints of the nature that the member refers to in her question. Investigations into these complaints remain on-going and the funding council continues to seek regular assurances from the regional strategic body that those are progressing in an appropriate manner. The funding council will continue to keep the Scottish Government updated on progress. Minister's Parliament consideration is the safeguarding of the quality of learning at South Lanarkshire College and a high standards are crucial to ensure that. What's been going on at South Lanarkshire College is a scandal. We have allegations of private businesses operating from college premises using college materials and lecturing staff time. A new principle, Aileen McEchnie, was in my view cleaning up the mess. She was suspended and she should be reinstated. The local EIS fellow branch had a vote of no confidence in the board. I was at a branch meeting last week and it was announced that the national executive is backing the branch on that. It's quite unprecedented. Now much of this was allegedly happening while the head of HR at the college was Kirsten Oswald, now the MP for East Renfrewshire. Then people have told me that Kirsten Oswald knew what was going on. So has the cabinet secretary had any discussions with Kirsten Oswald about this and would she agree with me that, as a public figure, Kirsten Oswald should say what she knew and whether she was asked to do anything? I understand and appreciate that members will have concerns over the issues at the college. Can I urge caution when we decide in this chamber to name individuals and to cast aspersions on them, particularly while there is due process on going at the college? I said in my answer to Gillian Mackay that there are a number of investigations that continue to be on going. I think that it is very important that, as a Government minister, I do not prejudice those. He did point to the fact that the member did point to the fact that the principle has been suspended. That was a decision for the board, not for the Scottish Government. That was, as the board chose to do, part of the due process that would allow the investigations to carry on place and the principle in the interim board clerk were suspended without prejudice. I would say again to the member that I take those accusations at the college very seriously. I am in regular discussion with the funding council to receive reassurances about those, but we have investigations on going. There is not an official process and I think that it is important that members take sight of that, give that the importance and significance that I think it deserves and no doubt it will conclude in due time. To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring and tracking the outcomes of the roll-out of school councillors. Local authorities provide six monthly reports to the Scottish Government on the impact and effectiveness of school councillors. A summary of the reports is published on the Scottish Government website. Officials are also working closely with councillor co-ordinators network to ensure ongoing engagement with educational authorities on the provision of school councillors. School counselling is just one of a range of services that schools may have in place to support health, emotional and social needs of children and young people. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Additional funding has been delivered by the Scottish Government to local authorities for school councillor provision. Post-pandemic early intervention tool was needed more than ever. That has been borne out by many of the witnesses that the health, social care and sport committee had when we did our inquiry into the health and wellbeing of children and young people. Does the cabinet secretary rather have a sense that councillors are all now in place Scotland-wide and that there is a consistency in the training and job descriptions that they have across all 32 local authorities? All local authorities have confirmed that counselling services are in place across Scotland. There is a variation in how the services are being delivered. For example, some authorities are providing a specific resource in schools while others are providing an authority-wide service according to the needs across the region. The guidance is clear that counselling support provided should conform to agreed professional standards provided by a professional counselling body. The guidance also makes clear that education authorities are responsible for establishing the way in which their services work which includes training, recruitment and employment of school counsellors. I supplementary Stephen Kerr. Deputy Prime Minister, this is a question as much as anything else about monitoring tracking outcomes. An audit Scotland has repeatedly made it clear that the Scottish Government performance in monitoring and tracking outcomes is dismal. So when will the Scottish Government publish the measurement of the outcomes of the £1 billion that has already been spent on the attainment gap funding? I am not entirely sure what that has to do with the roll-out of counsellors, which is of course funded in an entirely different manner on which the outcomes of which I provided information to how that is reported in my original answer. Mr Kerr will be well aware that the responsibility for the delivery of the attainment challenge funding is not just a matter for national government but also for local government. We measure that in a number of ways through ASO statistics and through the information that is in the national improvement framework and the work that is on going to gather data. There is more data that is gathered in education now than in previous years. That is exactly because the Scottish Government wants to see the outcomes that are being delivered through not only the billion pounds worth of attainment funding, which I thank Mr Kerr for raising to the chamber, but also the additional 2,000 teachers that we see when compared to pre-pandemic levels in our schools across Scotland. Thank you, Mr Kerr. Given that the supplementary was tangential to the original question, I would not be shouting from a sedentary position if I were you. Question number three, Jackie Dunbar. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the condition of school buildings. Buildings across Scotland are in their best conditions since recorded figures began. The proportion of schools in good or satisfactory condition has increased from 61 per cent in April 2007 to 90.2 per cent in April 2021. Jackie Dunbar. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Modern, safe and innovative school buildings play a vital role in improving attainment and outcomes for school pupils Can I ask the cabinet secretary how the state of school buildings in Scotland compares with those of other UK nations? Although we cannot draw on direct like for like comparisons that I am aware from recent media reports that DFA officials are calling for further funding to increase the number of schools built due to the deteriorating condition, indeed we received information through the media that the UK Government documents last week revealed that schools posed a risk to life. I would compare that to the work that is indeed on-going within the Government and our continued investment within schools to the £2 billion learning estate investment programme that will benefit around 50,000 pupils across Scotland. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support college and university students with the cost of living crisis. I understand that this is a tough time for many students who are facing higher energy bills and increased financial hardship as confidence of the current cost of living crisis. Since it is student 2021, the Scottish Government has provided over £37 million of hardship funding to colleges and universities. Sports students facing financial hardship throughout the year, including over the summer months. Students in further higher education currently experiencing financial hardship should apply to the college and university for support from discretionary funds. Can I thank the minister for that answer? Earlier this year, NUS Scotland warned that 54 per cent of students will find coping financially over the summer months difficult. They called it a cliff edge for students in relation to the cost of living, rent, food, utilities and essential travel. 12 months ago, the Scottish Government committed to reviewing support for students over the summer months. When will that review be completed and will the Scottish Government put in place similar discretionary support as was available last summer? As I have already laid out, the discretionary funds that are in place are available over the summer. I, as the member would expect, meet with the national students on a regular basis, and I have been able to discuss those matters in the back of a previous discussion with them. I wrote to all principles of colleges and universities to ask them to make sure that they were expending the remaining hardship funds that are in place in response to the cost of living crisis. That is still my expectation. In terms of summer support, we have committed to undertaking that review. That work is under way and I continue to take it forward and look forward to concluding it and reporting it back to the Parliament. Thank you supplementary. Co-capt, Stuart. Thank you. Last week, I met with representatives of Glasgow University's student representative council in my constituency who raised with me concerns about the levels of student hardship being experienced because of the cost of living crisis. I would like to ask the Scottish Government if it will consider working with universities and colleges to find ways of further mitigating student hardship as a matter of urgency. Will the minister agree to meet with me to explore potential additional supports for students at this hugely distressing time? Minister Jamie Hepburn. Will the minister ask me to consider working with universities and colleges to tackle the challenges that we face? I will just consider doing it. I will continue doing it in relation to the hardship funds that we distribute including the new international student hardship fund. I have already made the point about writing to principles to urge them to make sure that they are using the funds that they have in response to the cost of living crisis. We will continue to work on our student accommodation strategy in tandem with universities and colleges, our student mental health action plan and also the plans that we have to enhance student support more generally. I will just be considering it. I will be doing it. I will of course be happy to meet with Co-Cab Stewart to discuss that further. Question 5 Ffaisel Chowdhury To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the so-called Covid generation of young people who have not received full assessment at school. Schools and colleges are best placed to provide the tailored support individual learners needs in response to Covid's education in Scotland has also put in place a package of support which included the national e-learning offer with partners which support teaching and learning by giving access to a wide range of live recorded and supported resources. The Scottish Government also provided £4 million of funding to boost Easter study support locally, particularly for those from the most deprived backgrounds. In addition to significant course modifications and revision support, SQA will take a more generous approach to grading than in a normal exam year and the appeals approach goes further than recent pre-pandemic years. Those measures are expected to give learners affected by the pandemic the best chance to demonstrate their potential and receive the grades that they deserve this year. Faisal Chowdhury I thank the cabinet secretary for the answer. What plans has the Scottish Government got to carry out an independent review into the impact of Covid on education to identify gaps and lost learnings, to understand the challenges in an education recovery? How can they start to rebuild and combat the lost education if they don't know the losses suffered? Cabinet secretary I thank the member for the question but I have caution about talking about the concept of lost learning because it is not only about the lost learning but also about the health and wellbeing of our children and young people as well. We need to see that holistic approach. I am afraid that I would however disagree with the premise that we do not know about the impact of Covid. There were a number of documents that were published during pandemic including an equality assessment. We have recently had the publication of the ASO statistics. We will again see those published following months this year. Those are our key measurements that we had pre-pandemic and we will continue to have post-pandemic to be able to analyse the impact. ASO looks at impacts around the lost learning but, importantly, of course the Scottish Government is also keen to gather data on a number of other issues around the health and wellbeing which is why the health and wellbeing census is so important so we can ensure that we are aware of the wider impact of Covid. As the Scottish Government what impact and real terms cuts to funding for further education are having on the college sector? The Scottish Government is investing almost £2 billion in Scotland's colleges and universities in 2022-23 and the Scottish Foundation council has worked hard to extend budget flexibilities of colleges where possible to provide greater planning certainty. Our expectations of the colleges will prioritise spend within their allocations on the most impactful provision and skills alignment consider why the economic and local community as well as learning needs. Despite what the minister has just said the reality is that due to an 8 per cent real terms cut to its funding 4th Valley College has taken the decision to close its raplach canvas in Stirling with the resulting loss of over 40 jobs. That decision by 4th Valley College which will no doubt be replicated across Scotland as a result of severe funding cuts proves once again that education skills are nowhere near a priority for this SNP Scottish Government. What message does the minister have for those who have lost their jobs as a result of his funding cuts? Mr Jamie Hepburn Well let me say my understanding the background of that decision is not that it was driven by financial considerations but by best utilisation of the estate that the college has an excellent estate that the Scottish Government has invested in over the years. What I would also say to Mr Lockhart is that contrary to his assertion around funding for the individual college what we've actually been able to do in this coming year is increase the total funding allocation for 4th Valley College their baseline teaching funding last year was £24.5 million this year it will be £25.6 million and that's in common with all colleges so we are doing well he says is that a real terms cut let me remind Mr Lockhart indeed all the conservative benches that their government at the UK level has delivered a 5.2 percent real terms cut for this government they don't like to be reminded of that Presiding Officer that's the reality and that's the consequences of what we have to deal with The number of supplementaries here firstly, Evelyn Tweed Thanks Deputy Presiding Officer instead of Dean Lockhart fighting with the minister about the figures which the minister has outlined does the minister agree that Mr Lockhart should lobby his colleagues in the treasury to deliver a fair settlement for Scotland? Minister well let me first of all say I'm entirely relaxed about Mr Lockhart fighting with me I appreciate Ms Tweed's concern for me but I'll be able to cope with that you don't need to worry but I think she makes a fair point re-emphasise the point I've just made in relation to the reduction the real terms reduction in spending leeway this a government has this year by comparison to last year and I would be delighted if Mr Lockhart would make any representations to his colleagues in the treasury but I don't hold my breath Michael Manna Thank you Presiding Officer I can assure the minister I know that he's having these conversations as well with principles across Scotland in our colleges that colleges across the land are facing cuts in terms of the number of staff that they can place as a result of the budgets that have been put in place this year they have also received letters from the Scottish Funding Council asking them to do the same job that they did last year on all the same metrics with less money Will he first of all give assurances that there will not be the same regular clawback processes that the SFC put in place if targets are not met given that budgets have been cut and can he also speak to the SFC and ensure that there's a realistic conversation with colleges about what they can deliver on the basis of the budget that he has presented them with Minister Jamie Hepburn Well, Mr Marra is correct of course I speak with colleges regularly I'm not suggesting for a moment that there aren't tough decisions for college principles but he asks for increased flexibilities for colleges that's already being built in this year by the SFC for example there is a 2 per cent tolerance threshold for core credit targets colleges can claim additional credits when the instances where personal learning support plans are in place to address the loss of learning caused by the pandemic colleges will be offered additional discretion in delivering short courses to people who've been adversely affected by the pandemic so we are building in additional flexibility and I also meet with College of Scotland the SFC on a regular basis and if we can go further I'll be delighted to do so Kenny Gibson Minister can the minister say how Scotland's college sector is faring compared to England's we are following successive labour coalition Tory governments the institute for fiscal studies said and I quote the cuts to education spending in England over the last decade are effectively without precedent in post-war history and does he share my surprise that Mr Lockhart seeks more money for the college sector when this year our resource budget has been cut with the UK Tory government by 5.2 per cent and our capital budget by 9.7 per cent minister well I can't say I'm too surprised by Mr Lockhart's stance because it's entirely consistent with that of the Conservatives in all debates and that they deny the reality of the real terms cut being delivered to this government's budget by their government down in London but what I can say is of course difficult to offer direct comparisons between college sectors what I can say is that since 2008-2009 over 700,000 full-time college students have successfully completed their courses here in Scotland and despite the pandemic nearly 85 per cent of college leavers in 2019-20 moved on to positive destinations so that's a real story of success for Scotland's colleges and final supplementary Stephen Care the minister undertake to speak to the principal of Forth Valley College before he makes any more public statements about why what Dean Lockhart describes is happening minister Jamie Hepburn I'm happy to confirm I speak with the principal on a regular basis question number seven folding McGregor thank you Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to the view and address any university funding gap in light of reports of increasing numbers of international students being offered places compared with Scottish domiciled applicants minister Jamie Hepburn international students and those from other parts of the UK are not eligible to access the funded places which have been protected for eligible Scottish and EU students for 2020-23 we are providing over £1.1 billion to our university support their contingency financial sustainability will become the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen our economic recovery including supporting our people to gain a skills and knowledge that they need to be successful thank you minister for that response over the last couple of months I've been contacted by several constituents who've been rejected from university courses despite exceptional grades they tell me that the feedback that they are getting is that this is due to a lack of funded places in one instance a constituent from a local high school informed me that she achieved six A's in one B in her national five exams in fifth year four A's in one B and was currently completing another two hires and also modules in law and mental health she was also the skilled captain despite this she found herself rejected for law at Strathglide Dundee and Edinburgh and then declined from law and business at Edinburgh also fortunately there's good news my constituent did get another placement in the end but there are similar stories my concern here is that the message that such rejections for high achieving students can have in other pupils and deprived areas like Colbridge I do welcome the recent reports from the commissioners for fair access at Scotland is set in the pace in the UK and we're way ahead of the other nations when it comes to students from deprived areas getting into university something that the First Minister referred to earlier Question please Mr MacGregor However what more does the minister think that universities can do to further widen this access and ensure that all our young people have an equal chance Minister Jamie Hepburn So what I can of course first of all say is that I'm glad that despite some of the challenges Mr MacGregor's constituent has got a place at university our institutions are highly regarded the selection process for places in the most sought after courses can be extremely competitive What I should say going back to his original question is there should be no sense of Scottish students being somehow pushed out by others the number of Scottish students in 2021 is at 37,520 that's 10% up on two years before according to UCAS data covering 2021 out of the total number of students getting a place at Scottish University it's 73.6% of Scottish normalised students that was up by nearly 2% from two years before and in terms of the very important point around widening access I would highlight the recent funding council report on widening access that shows 16.7% of Scottish full time first degree entrance to Scottish universities were from the 20th most deprived areas in 2021 that's hitting our target and of course there was a report from the commissioner of fair access yesterday which noted that Scotland continues to set the pace in terms of fair access to higher education among the UK nations thank you I know we're running ahead of time I'm keen to get all the supplementaries and the final question in but questions and indeed the answers will need to be brief Pam Gothill first thank you Presiding Officer with University Scotland highlight and funding cuts due to the spending review can I ask the minister can he guarantee that the current student numbers cap will be lifted any further allowing more Scottish students the university places they deserve Minister Jamie Hepburn the member talks about a cap on places of course we have to lay out a budget and in laying out a budget we have to have a number of places at university that is of course the reality and if having for friend those members on those benches of the government they would have to do the same as well but what I didn't hear from the member was any word of welcome for the fact that we have have a 10% increase in the number of Scottish domestic health students in a two-year period and of course those students are attending universities in Scotland without having to pay fees unlike elsewhere in the UK where they have to pay up to 27,750 pounds for the privilege of attending university and Martin Whitfield I'm very grateful I'm very grateful to Deputy Presiding Officer can I ask the minister with regard to this question over international students the status of Ukrainian students who are here as refugees but wish to continue their study in Ukraine remotely and are not being granted home status as other Ukrainian students who then take places at our universities Minister I'm aware I believe that probably will be a question in the back of a similar email that I've received I take that issue is serious of course we have put in place an international students hardship funds so that those students who are already here studying can benefit by that but I recognise the cohort the member is talking about and that is something we're looking at actively just now Thank you in question number 8 Emma Roddick Apologies Presiding Officer just a moment Ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to ensure that young people are educated on the issue of consent Relationships, sexual health and parenthood education is an important part of the school curriculum that enables pupils to build respectful, responsible and confident relationships as they grow older it's for schools to decide how to deliver RSHP education based on the needs of pupils in their classroom learning should be presented in an objective unbalanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law a wide range of teaching resources are available to support the delivery of this education including the key messages of healthy relationships and consent resource Emma Roddick I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer we know that many men who commit sexual crimes first do so at a young age does she agree that this indicates early intervention and education around what constitutes consent at a young age is required to challenge the normality of young women and girls experiencing rape and sexual assault well we do absolutely have to tackle the underlying issues and attitudes that we unfortunately still have in our society that perpetuate the behaviour that the member was talking about our curriculum obviously within Scottish education covers the ages from 3 to 18 and learning about consent and healthy relationships is commonly in the general broad general education phase of our education within that there are of course experiences and outcomes on relationships sexual health and parenthood education produced by education Scotland that provide a clear and concise statements for people's learning progressing at each level of that curriculum that's right for children at that stage of their learning that of course includes discussion around respect around boundaries and about consent and the government does expect schools to deliver an inclusive and supportive learning environment for their pupils in a way that ensures that they receive high quality relationships sexual health and parenthood education right across Scotland thank you very much Governor Secretary that concludes portfolio questions there'll be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business thank you the next item of business is consideration of business motion 4.748 in the name of George Adam on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau on setting out a business programme any member who wishes to speak against the motion should press the request of speak button now and I call on George Adam to move the motion thank you very much and moved no member has asked to speak against the motion therefore the question is that motion 4.748 be agreed are we all agreed the motion is therefore agreed I am now minded to accept a motion without notice under rule 11.2.4 of standing orders that decision time be brought forward to now I invite George Adam to move the motion and move the question is that decision time be brought forward to now are we all agreed thank you we are all agreed there is one question to be put as a result of today's business the question is that motion 4.716 in the name of Nicholas Sturgeon on the Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022 be agreed are we all agreed the motion is therefore agreed that concludes the decision time and we will now move on to member's business and I would ask those leaving the chamber to please do so quickly and quietly thank you