 Does the First Item of Business have the portfolio of questions? The first portfolio is about justice and veterans. If any member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question or enter letter R in the chat function during the relevant question. I would call for succinct questions and answers to match. 1, Jim Fairlie. I would like to ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support greater use of community justice interventions. For nearly 15 years, the Government has delivered bold, effective justice reforms with a firm focus on early intervention, prevention and rehabilitation. We are currently consulting publicly on a revised national strategy for community justice, which seeks to build on progress to date and encourage a further shift towards greater use of community-based disposals. Jim Fairlie. I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Can he share with me how the commitments in the promise implementation plan and the recently launched consultation on the children's care and justice bill support greater use of community justice among children and young people? As the question implies, we owe it to the Scotland and Young people as well as to victims and communities to promote an evidence-led, progressive and continually improving approach. The promise implementation plan and the consultation on the children's care and justice bill, which will be the responsibility of Clare Houghey, demonstrate our determination to support children coming into conflict with the law through age-appropriate systems and services. Our promise implementation plan makes clear that we will end the placement of 16 and 17-year-olds in young offenders institutions without further delay. We are also committed to fund care-based alternatives to custody and are consulting on new legislation. Our proposals for the children's care and justice bill include raising the maximum age of referral to the principal reporter to help to ensure that where any child requires the support and intervention of formal systems, age-appropriate support is available through the children's hearing system. We also intend to enhance the offer to victims, ensuring appropriate protection, support and information. Those actions are taken together to build on the clear synergies between our youth justice vision published on June 21 and the justice vision published in February. We are looking forward to expanding the successful whole-system approach and focusing on intensive residential and community alternatives across Scotland. Prison is often more appropriate than community service for some criminals, but sheriff's hands are being tied. Retired sheriff Douglas Cuisine describes the frustrating inadequacy of SNP's sentencing policies, which he says will be weakened further with plans to automatically release some prisoners even earlier on occasion. He has passed community services when he thought prison was necessary. We will keep Brown back our plans to end automatic early release so that criminals can be jailed when a judge deems it appropriate. First of all, criminals can be jailed when a judge deems it appropriate, but I see in addition to attacking the independent Lord Advocate, attacking the independent parole board, attacking the independence of the police that we now have the Tories attacking the sentencing council for Scotland. It is quite clear that there is a broad-based approach to attacking the justice system as a whole in Scotland, perhaps prompted by the headlines that we see down south, which say that the justice system is in complete free fall in the rest of the UK. That might be the motivation, but it is simply the case that, in reducing re-offending, community disposals are far more effective. Surely you would have thought that we would all, including victims, want to see a reduction in crime, and the most effective way to do that is to use community-based disposals on what continues to do so. 2. To our Scottish Government, what is the response to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's most recent report on the health and wellbeing of veterans? I have written to the commissioner, thanking him for advance sight of the report on veterans health and wellbeing. Over the coming weeks, we will consider carefully its recommendations. I will endu course write to the commissioner again, although it will be the new commissioner at that point, to provide a more detailed response. Our action plan for taking forward the recommendations will also be included in that response. I would also like to again take the opportunity to thank Charlie for all his hard work and dedication to the veterans community in Scotland and to wish him all the best for the future. I have been in contact with Poppy Scotland, who once again highlighted the importance of veterans mental health. She mentioned the Veterans Commissioner's report, which states that mental health is the most common unmet need that has caused frustration among veterans. In November last year, the Scottish Veterans Care Network published their mental health and wellbeing action plan for veterans, but the Scottish Government has yet to provide a timeline for the delivery of those recommendations. Can the cabinet secretary provide the timeline today, please? I should say that we are establishing the Veteran-led Implementation Board for the plan, which will be led by Charles Wyn Stanley. I am not sure if that information was yet in the public domain. The first meeting of that board is scheduled for 19 May. We are in the meantime continuing to fund both combat stress and veterans' first point, which will allow existing services to continue over the next year as a Scotland-wired implementation plan is developed. Support for that board is being reviewed with the minister for mental wellbeing and social care. In addition, we have commissioned CME to run a veterans anti-stigma campaign this year. Veterans Scotland and other third sector partners will be contributing to this work to ensure that the experience of veterans' shape can help to influence the campaign. It would be useful, given Sandy Scalhane's question, if he was able to support the Scottish Government in the call to the UK Government to pay some money towards the establishment of the commissioner's office. If he has done so in Wales, I do not know what the logic is for the UK Tory Government to say that we will not fund Veterans Activity in Scotland and not fund the commissioner. If he is willing to say that he will support that, that would be most welcome. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and following on from the last question, I can ask the Cabinet Secretary how the £2 million funding announced last month for services that provide mental health support to armed forces veterans has been put to use. Will the Government's committee to ensure that veterans have access to the right support and help when they need it so that the Government works with a wide range of organisations and provides funding for the provision of mental health services for veterans? This year, I mentioned in the previous answer that we have continued to fund combat stress. That is £1.4 million of funding to combat stress, which provides, as the member knows, a range of specialist and community-based services for veterans resident in Scotland. We are also continuing to provide joint funding, along with six local health boards for the veterans' first point network, which will offer the one-stop shop for veterans no matter what their need is. The future funding of veterans' mental health services in Scotland will be determined by the implementation of the Scottish Veterans Mental Health Action Plan, which was published late last year. To ask the Scottish Government what work it and Police Scotland have undertaken to ensure that police officers have access to additional trained mental health workers. Action 15 of the mental health strategy committee to fund 800 additional mental health workers in key settings. As at 1 January 2022, we have achieved 95 per cent of the target. That includes over 26 whole-time equivalent posts to support those held in police station custody suites. Police officers and staff can themselves access mental health support, including a 24-7 help employee scheme programme, EAP, which offers professional support via a team of trained wellbeing and counselling practitioners, and also the trauma risk management or trim process supports officers and staff affected by potentially traumatic incidents at work. Willie Rennie. I certainly found that 29 per cent of officers were experiencing moderate burnout, and a further 16 per cent endured high levels of burnout, and one third of officers went to work when they were mentally unwell. Police Scotland has, as the ministers just referred to, an employee assistant programme, which aims to help officers with their mental health. If officers may need more support than the six one-hour sessions, they are told that there is nothing more for them. Why have the worst-affected officers been left without the support that they deserve? Of course, it is a Police Scotland responsibility directly, although it is the Government's responsibility. I am sure that Willie Rennie would say for the Government to help to fund those things, but Police Scotland works with a range of local and national service providers to provide a care and assistance to those in distress. There is a range of mental health services that can be accessed by first responders. I have mentioned the £2.1 million to expand the NHS 24 mental health hub to be available to the public 24-7. The £1 million to roll out the distress brief intervention programme on a national basis is also worth mentioning. It is also worth saying that there are additional supports for officers who can take on further assistance, I have mentioned EAP, but there is also the trim process. Beyond that, it is always open to officers to speak to those designated within the force in the area about issues that they have. That covers not just mental health and physical wellbeing, but all sorts of other issues that may cause stress, whether that is money or traumatic incidents that I have had to encourage. We will continue to fund those services for police officers. At the same time, of course, having more police officers in virtually anywhere else in the UK and also officers paid substantially more than anywhere else in the UK. Question 4, Natalie Donne, who is joining us remotely. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is making available to specialist services for victims and survivors of crime. Our victim-centred approach fund is providing £48 million to 23 organisations across Scotland over the period 2022-25. That will fund specialist services for people believed by crime. It will extend support and assistance for victims of human trafficking, and it includes £18.5 million for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence. We are also providing £38 million to over 120 projects through the delivering equally safe fund, tackling violence against women and girls and supporting front-line services that maximise their safety and wellbeing. I think that underpins our commitment to victims and survivors which is a key priority in our recently published strategy for Scotland's justice sector. Natalie Donne. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I know that there are many valuable organisations receiving funding and I am sure that that will provide essential support to many victims of crime. From speaking with organisations and my own personal dealings with constituents, it has been highlighted to me that there is a concern around support and stigma for people who are victims of facial disfigurement and facial scarring. Could the cabinet secretary provide any information or assurance on how that funding could be used to support those victims? I am happy to do so, but I would say to Natalie Donne that she may be interested and she may be aware of the fact that in Barnas Helena Kennedy's recent report on misogyny she has recommended action that could be taken in relation to people who purposely disfigure in particular women should be interested, I am sure, in that. On that important issue and recognising the profound impact, both where someone receives a facial injury as a result of crime or where those with facial disfigurements are very unfortunately on the receiving end of abuse, in both those cases we would expect that funded organisations will be able to provide practical and emotional support but also that they would refer to more specialist support including through health services where that is available so we will continue to work with funded organisations as a community of interest to ensure that those issues are recognised and we would welcome any specific suggestions from Natalie Donne as to how that might be done most effectively and we might build a better understanding and evidence base around those concerns. Supplementary Jamie Greene. Thank you, victims tell us that where the system is currently letting them down is a horrifying scenario where they bump into an offender in their community after they've been released from prison. Far too few of them are being notified about the release of an offender and that's a fact. Can I ask if the cabinet secretary is willing to redress this by supporting two principles in my victims bill? The first is ensuring that more victims are notified about the release of prisoners upon release and secondly the victims are further empowered to apply and request exclusion zones around their communities to ensure that they're not further being traumatised by simply bumping in someone in the supermarket. Cabinet secretary. I think that the suggestions have been made before by Jamie Greene and I don't want to dismiss them out of hand. I'm happy to consider those. I'm happy to look at when it's available the member's bill which has been mentioned the victims bill by Jamie Greene in detail when that comes forward. I think that there is a case that we have to increase the level of notification to make sure that it's more consistently applied. I'm happy to concede that point and to say that we are doing things just now which will do that. It's also true in relation to other aspects which again Jamie Greene has raised in the past for example at parole board hearings that kind of notification as well. I'm happy to take on board those points to continue those discussions. It is being done just now currently in terms of notification. Some victims of sexual assault have said that they feel like criminals in the trial process. In the vision for justice I welcome the commitment to improve communication with complainers on a single trauma-informed source of contact. Cabinet secretary confirmed that this will be treated with some urgency by the Scottish Government but would you also consider the inclusion of some legal representation within that process because one of the things that can concerns me is that you need to have an understanding of the legal system when you are talking to victims and complainers that myself and Katie Clark have been proposing. Cabinet secretary I think that it's a very important point that's been made by Paul McNeill here in relation to people's ability to understand legal process. We've had discussions in this chamber about not proven when it's been conceded that judges cannot even explain to a jury they're not allowed to explain differences between not proven and not guilty. If people don't understand the system then that's a major problem even if it's the case that all the lawyers understand it, if people don't understand it that's who it's meant to serve. So there is some sympathy for what Paul McNeill says all I would say in relation to legal representation for complainers. There are some compelling arguments there are some concerns including those from legal profession but we are looking at that very urgently we'll be publicising our thoughts on that very shortly so happy to look at we're not ruling it out but it's a complex area and happy to continue those discussions. A supplementary Rona Mackay To ask the Scottish Government how the sexual assault response co-ordination service known as SARCs will help those who have experienced a sexual crime. SARCs is a dedicated NHS service that can offer healthcare and support in the days after rape or sexual assault if a person is not ready or is unsure whether to report it to the police and that's called, of course, self-referral. Through the chief medical officer's rape and sexual assault task force we've invested £11.7 million in the four years up to 2022 to support implementation of the Forensic Medical Services Victims of Sexual Offences Scotland Act 2021 and to either enhance or create SARCs across Scotland. We know from listening to survivors that access to self-referral is an important aspect of giving people back control it's also a fundamental aspect of the medical examination facilities which we are looking to roll out and, of course, that may positively influence a person's decision to report to the police whilst ensuring that they are also able to access healthcare services following an incident. Question 5 To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association's announcement that criminal solicitors will no longer take on court appointments for those accused without lawyers to represent themselves. We are, of course, very concerned about the effect of the boycott on court users and on justice partners. Officials met with the president and the chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland on 13 April to discuss wider legal aid fee issues in light of the profession's call for a further increase to all legal aid fees of 50 per cent. As the budget for legal aid cases is demand led, the Scottish Government allocates a budget to the legal aid fund and in 2021-22 this was £138 million. So a 50 per cent uplift would add £57 million per year to the fund and that is unaffordable given the current pressures on public finance. I've been informed that the meeting was constructive and that it's hoped that the Law Society will report back on it soon so continue to engage with the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and the Law Society of Scotland on a package of proposals worth £3.8 million which were offered to target specific areas of solemn and summary legal aid fees which had previously been raised by the profession as the most pressing of fee-related issues. The SSBA action which they have been forced to take by SNP Government neglect will lead to some of those accused of sexual and domestic abuse being unrepresented and that means further trial delays for victims of the most shocking crimes who may have to wait years for justice. Criminal defence lawyers tell me that after 15 years of SNP Government the system is collapsing and there has been a fundamental failure to address shortages in their profession. So when will the Scottish Government actually start listening to the profession in these meetings that the minister describes properly invest in legal aid to reverse these shortages and finally start tackling Scotland's huge court backlog? I would not accept the member's characterisation of the situation that we are in at the moment and I would say to the member that I do listen to the legal profession regularly and often and I take great care in listening and in trying to address the issues that they have. The member at a point there raised the issues of capacity in the system and I would remind the member that of course the Government invested £1 million into the traineeship fund quite recently. We also had the 5% legal aid fee rise in 2021 and a further 5% in place from this month. Now that represents more than £10 million rise in legal aid fees last year alone so I think that the Government is listening to the profession and it is continuing to invest. I am very concerned about the situation that is going on at the moment about their recent developments and I assure the chamber that officials and myself are continuing to discuss this with representatives of the profession on further fee reforms. I would say to the member that eligibility levels in Scotland and the wide scope of the remains in Scotland is quite different to the situation that is in England where the Conservatives of course are in charge of the legal aid system there where it has been cut, cut and cut again. So I think that there is a stark difference the situation that we have in Scotland and the situation that the Conservatives are presiding over in the rest of the country. Absolutely. Question number 6, Martin Wakefield. I am very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer, for taking in response to the reported growing threat of cyber crime. Cabinet Secretary. We continue to work closely with Police Scotland and other Cyber Scotland partners including the National Cyber Security Centre to protect the public and organisations from cyber threats. In addition to that on-going activity which I highlighted to the chamber on 26 January, given the current heightened cyber risk the Scottish Government is currently working with the National Cyber Security Centre where a campaign seeks to educate the public on the following two actions everyone should take to keep themselves secure online. The first to underline that your email is where you keep your most personal and financial information. We ask that everyone should ensure they have a strong and separate password for their email address using three random words as a recommendation that can't be easily guessed. The second action is to enable two-step verification on your account so that criminals cannot access your account even if they have your password. Further information on those measures and other relevant aspects is available on thecyberscotland.com portal and victims of any crime should phone Police Scotland on 101. Martin Whitfield. I'm very grateful for the cabinet secretary's response and in particular the response individuals should take but recent years have shown that our cyber infrastructure has been tested by on-going cyber attacks with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency back in 2020. With the on-going war in eastern Europe raging on can the cabinet secretary say what steps have been taken to audit and improve Scotland's cyber security from the possibility of state-sponsored Russian attacks or indeed criminal organisations based in Russia who may use this conflict as a reason for attacks and also what discussions has the cabinet secretary had with their counterpart in the UK Government? I'm sure that Martin Whitfield would expect this. There has been substantial discussion with the UK Government about a very good collaboration. Although we have, for example, invested additional £1.5 million setting up the centre that I mentioned before, that's on top of £1.16 million which we'll invest in further in the vision of the strategic framework for a cyber resilient Scotland. Although we're doing those things, building on what's been done with the UK Government it's been done in collaboration. It has to be, many of the powers are reserved so it makes sense to do that and there's a very effective relationship. There have been ones in Ireland on public authorities there and that's a very big concern for the Scottish Government to make sure that our public authorities are as secure as they can be. Much of this work is led in government by the Deputy First Minister. We take it extremely seriously and just to reassure the member there is a very effective relationship with the UK Government on this issue. I'd like to ask the Scottish Government how measures in the water safety action plan will support awareness of water safety among school pupils. We're working with stakeholders to improve water safety on several fronts including awareness and some measures such as work to improve signage should benefit all age groups and others focus specifically on children and young people. For example, coinciding with the National Fire Chiefs Council's Be Water Aware campaign next week we'll see the launch of age and stage water safety education lessons developed by Education Scotland and Water Safety Scotland and the resource to be hosted on the Education Scotland national improvement hub aims to support those between the age of 3 to 18 to develop valuable life-saving knowledge, skills and understanding. I thank the minister for that response as people continue to take advantage of the great outdoors I'd like to ask the minister what has been undertaken on Scotland's drowning prevention strategy to support safe open water swimming? The 2018 to 2026 drowning prevention strategy is a collaborative piece of work between Water Safety Scotland and its members and it's complemented by the stakeholder action plan which I launched last month and both approaches are informed by an appreciation of the challenges of open water swimming and they're very different to those of indoor pools because of risks posed by things like currents, obstacles and of course and importantly cold water shock. A key focus has to be on education and raising awareness and both documents set out the work that is being done in this area and there's always value of course in that practical experience which is why one of the actions identified in the action plan is to review the scope for developing expanded opportunities for young people to experience being safe in open water environments and the Scottish Government has enhanced the funding available to ROSPA which supports Water Safety Scotland so that such work can be progressed as quickly as possible. Meantime a range of site specific work is being undertaken by relevant authorities for example the Loch Lomond and Trossach's national parks will highlight the importance of wearing buoyancy aids or life jackets when participating in all water sports and focus on being visible in the water for open water swimmers. To ask the Scottish Government for an update on the roll out of the new water safety promotions targeting high risk areas such as the locks and reservoirs in the Loch Lomond and Trossach's in my constituency. Minister, I think you may have dealt with some of that already but so briefly please thank you. Yes, it is of course a pertinent question raised by the member given the tragedies that have occurred in the national park in recent years. The national park authority has developed a water safety policy and accompanying risk assessment procedure formalising its approach on its owned and managed land and it's now upgraded and installed public rescue equipment and I saw some of this myself when I was at Balak for the launch of the action plan last month and the follow-up phase involves assessing and addressing sites outwith the immediate Loch Lomond area. I can squeeze in question number eight if I have questions and answers. To ask the Scottish Government what role prisons have in the assessment of prisoners including other mental health prior to the release. People in custody are subject to a range of assessments both to me and their general wellbeing. NHS provide access to appropriate mental health support and assessment including more specialist care where that's appropriate. SPS work collaboratively on pre-release arrangements with community partners and this facilitates access to people in its care to support multi-disciplinary assessment for example to access through care services. Thank you cabinet secretary. In December 2019, Stuart Quinn was released from Peterhead prison and the next day in Aberdeen he murdered Alan Gettys. I keep in touch with Alan's sister Sandra who strongly believes that her brother would still be alive today if Quinn's previous convictions and psychopathic behaviour had been properly assessed and there are lessons to be learned to ensure something that less never happens again. Will the cabinet secretary meet with myself and Alan's family to discuss what more can be done to improve the system when a prisoner with a serious unresolved mental health issue is released from prison? Can I first extend my condolences to Mr Gettys' family and say yes of course I'm willing to meet with a member and the family that's concerned and also to say this is of course an extremely difficult thing to do and it is the case that we should always continue to improve over time because as is in this case people's lives can depend on that so happy to meet with a member and the family concerned. Thank you that concludes portfolios on justice and veterans we now move straight to portfolio questions on finance and the economy I'll allow a very short pause for front-benchers to quickly change their seats Thank you, so as I say the next portfolio is finance and the economy and if any member would wish to request a supplementary question they should press the request to speak button or enter the letter R in the chat function during the relevant question I call question number one, Emma Roddick To ask the Scottish Government whether it's had any feedback from businesses that are making use of financial support to trial a four-day working week Minister Richard Lochhead The pandemic has intensified interests and flexible working practices and we have of course seen the positives of adopting alternative working practices for a better work-life balance as well and we recognise as many other benefits to a four-day working week also Therefore the Government has committed to establishing a £10 million fund to allow companies to pilot and explore the costs and benefits of a four-day working week and we're committed to developing a comprehensive design for the pilot over the next year supported by initial £500,000 of funding Emma Roddick I thank the minister for that answer Does he agree that UK employment policy is not fair for workers and that rather than relying on a callous Tory Government which cares little for those who bear the brunt of its outdated race of the bottom policies which harm workers and deregulate an already skewed market this pilot which puts welfare and mental health impact of a good work-life balance at its heart demonstrates that Scotland could do better if we had powers over employment law Minister Yes, I agree with everything Emma Roddick has said and of course the recent P&O scandals highlighted that UK employment policy has should be improved dramatically Having employment powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament to allow us to protect and enhance workers' rights including for instance making a minimum wage and tackling inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts to give but to examples and we are doing what we can within our limited devolved powers such as piloting a four-day working week to bring the benefits that Emma Roddick gives us examples That's up for mention Mercedes Villalba Thank you It's clear from the trials that a four-day working week provides benefits to workers and businesses like better work-life balance and greater productivity The Scottish Government has the power to introduce a four-day week into the public sector so can the minister confirm when the Government will expand four-day working week trials into the public sector and can the minister confirm if workers in non-unionised workplaces like many of those in the hospitality sector will be covered by future trials Minister As I said my response to Emma Roddick we agree that there are many benefits potentially from introducing a four-day working week and that's why we are taking the very ambitious and radical step to setting the cost of £10 million in this Parliament in a pilot to look at the cost and benefits of a four-day working week in Scotland and indeed several Scottish businesses are already choosing to switch to a four-day working week with no cut and pay and officials from the Government have been meeting with and gathering information from these companies and also there are pilots under way elsewhere in the UK and other European countries as well and we'll get evidence from those and we'll take into account the points that the members raised as we take forward the arrangements for the pilots Question number two, Julian Mackay who is joining us remotely Thank you Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking pardon me to implement the Fair Work Convention's recommendations on building fair work in the construction industry Minister Richard Lochhead Scottish Government is supporting plans for a more sustainable, productive, innovative and diverse industry and we very much welcome the results of the Fair Work Convention's construction industry inquiry and we do thank the Fair Work Convention and its construction industry inquiry group for the extensive research that they have undertaken and of course the inquiry makes a range of recommendations on how to enhance the sector's fair work and to remain competitive making it more appealing to workers and these are being considered by ministers The vision for Scotland of course is to be a leading fair work nation by 2025 where fair work drives success, wellbeing for people, businesses, organisations and society and we look forward to considering the recommendations of that particular report Julian Mackay Thank you Minister for that answer Given the extent of subcontracting within construction has the Scottish Government considered mechanisms to go further and ensure that fair work criteria is implemented throughout the construction supply chain and not just to those employed directly in public procurement Minister Julian Mackay raises an important theme and yes we are giving further consideration about how subcontractors and contractors can be subject to fair work first criteria and so on and already the Scottish Government is now asking fair work questions for participants who are part of tender submissions and it is the intention and delivery of any commitments made including fair work criteria will be monitored throughout the construction projects that are taking place in Scotland and also in the forthcoming civil engineering framework the Government will also be trialling a performance monitoring regime which will review on a very regular basis, prompt payment and community benefits in all projects awarded under that particular framework and the Scottish Government's civil engineering framework will be tendered later this year and supplementary, Jamie Halcro Johnston The minister will be aware of the conventions observations that the existing labour force in this sector is aging around 85 per cent, male with low numbers of ethnic minorities and people with disabilities represented if the sector is to be expected to support significant goals like house building and meeting net zero a new generation will have to be brought in so can the minister comment on what he's doing and what cross government work is taking place to promote the sector and build the skills needed for the future Minister My colleague the skills minister regularly meets the trade association bodies to the construction sector as do other ministers and also we meet the training providers as well as the further and higher education sector to discuss some of the challenges facing the construction sector in Scotland at the moment, which of course like many other sectors in Scotland has had to cope with the fallout from Brexit as well as the pandemic and so on so I can assure the member that that is something that we are considering is how to help not just the construction sector but many of our sectors in terms of recruitment and some of the labour challenges to face in the future Minister, to ask the Scottish Government how much it's allocated in its budget for port upgrades ahead of holes 801 and 802 being completed Minister, Ivan McKee Over £580 million investment to support and improve Scotland's ferry services is announced as part of our wider five-year infrastructure investment plan in February 2021 that includes £306 million that incorporates the Ardrossan and Sky Triangle infrastructure projects The majority of the investment is driven by replacing life-expired infrastructures and supports the delivery of the two new and future vessels thus enabling increased flexibility across the ferry network Graham Simpson Can I thank the minister for that answer? In order for the Glen Sannocks to use Ardrossan the port needs to be upgraded but it's been stuck for four years there's been a ministerial task force which has been in existence for four years and yet the scheme still hasn't gone out to tender that process will take six months because the overall package of funding is yet to be agreed once work starts that'll take another two years so why is this project still marooned? Minister The Ardrossan project has faced a number of challenges in the planning and design phase notwithstanding the legal and commercial discussions with the statutory harbour authority pool ports group which continue with Transport Scotland the project is now entering the tender stage and I was confirmed at the recent Ardrossan task force meeting on the 23rd of February this year which is welcomed and we remain committed to finding a solution at Ardrossan that can deliver the needs of all partners involved Supplementary Kenneth Gibson Does the minister agree that the reason why Ardrossan harbour's upgrade is dragged on for years is the difficult on-going negotiations with peeled ports which he's just touched on and that such a scenario would not exist if the Tories hadn't privatised Clyde port ultimately leading to the Scottish Government having to deal with a company for whom the bottom line is paramount? Minister The member makes very interesting the observation that is absolutely the case that as I mentioned earlier we are committed to finding a solution at Ardrossan but there have been significant delays in those legal and commercial discussions with the pool ports have taken some considerable amount of time but as I said earlier we are happy that the project is now entering the tender stage and it is moving forward Supplementary Rhoda Grant who is joining us remotely Thank you for deciding officer The alternative arrangements which are being put in place when Uig harbour is being adapted will mean there will be a third less freight capacity from US This is unacceptable especially since the closure will last six months, will impact on everybody on the silence and will put businesses in jeopardy Will the minister ensure that there will be no decrease in freight capacity during the time of closure and everything in his power to speed up the time frame for those works Minister I indicated earlier answers that the Scottish Government is investing significant sums to upgrade support and improve infrastructure across Scotland's ports and regarding the specific issue that the member raises that I will ensure that my colleague the transport minister picks up this issue in response back to her with the details that she has requested to the Scottish Government what support it is offering to local authorities to help them to maximise the amount of levelling up funding that they receive from the UK Government Minister Richard Lochhead As the UK Government continues to develop and implement the levelling up fund without the consent, agreement or engagement of this Parliament or Scottish ministers the Scottish Government has been excluded from meaningful or formal involvement in that and the lack of respect for devolution has been further exacerbated by the fact that the fund enters into devolved areas meaning that the UK Government is encroaching into these matters that this Parliament was elected to deliver we will of course work with our regional partners in all their endeavours building on the close partnerships we have established since devolution Stephen Kerr answer to my question in the minister's response in Falkirk there has been a very welcome investment from the UK Government funding what I call the magic roundabout at the helix we have established investment opportunities at junction 6 of the M9 there is a new regional growth deal in the offing and the hope of landing one of Scotland's two free ports at Grangemouth at the same time the Scottish Government has cut the funding for fund prevention and frozen the council's capital grant are local councils like Falkirk to rely solely on the support of the UK Government to level up and power up in all areas minister well, if the UK Government the Conservative UK Government had stuck to its pledges and its promises made to the people of Scotland to unsuccessfully persuade Scotland to vote for Brexit then a lot more resource and a lot more money would be flowing to Falkirk central Scotland and the rest of the country but instead what we have seen is broken policies and the UK Government tramping all over devolution and threatening democracy in this country and I feel that if he requires more investment for his areas he should be making strong representation to his good friends in the UK Government minister sorry, it's up the mentally issue of on-bride thank you deputy can I ask minister what the Scottish Government's responses to the UK Government failing to replace EU funding as promised which will see south Asia shortchanged by 3.1 million minister Richard Lockhart well, the UK Government has clearly failed to provide an appropriate replacement to EU funding as we were promised if Brexit was to go ahead not only in south Asia shortchanged but across the whole of Scotland and the members laughing, Stephen Kerr for the record is laughing as we make that point and it's worth noting that our communities our communities and the economy are losing out due to the broken promises of the government he supports and the overall Scottish Quantum for the UK shared prosperity fund which we earmarked to succeed the European funds is only £212 million over three years with only £32 million in the first of those three years which in anyone's boot is an insufficient replacement for EU structural funds and indeed £36 million of that funding announced has already been ring fenn for the UK Government's multiply programme therefore the UK Government has been let down so the UK Government has let down Scotland and indeed South Ayrshire in communities the length and breadth of this country I'd like to ask the minister whether he agrees with me that the UK's so-called shared prosperity fund will distribute just £32 million around Scotland this year whereas it's estimated that EU membership would have seen communities around Scotland benefit from funding of £183 million and would he further agree that this adds financial insult to democratic injury for the people of Scotland The Tory Government's betrayal of Scotland over this issue is indeed an insult to democracy in this country and this Parliament and this Government and I would ask the members and the Conservatives in particular to remember that they are here to represent their constituents and not the UK Government in London and it is the case that we're only getting £183 million as opposed to the £183 million that we were expecting to replace the EU funds that we're losing out on because of a Brexit that Scotland didn't vote for Question 5 Emma Harper To ask the Scottish Government what financial resources it has allocated to help those across the Freeson Gallow in the Scottish Borders who are most impacted by the reported cost of living crisis Minister Tom Arthur The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions within our devolved powers to help people facing the impacts of higher energy bills the increased cost of the weekly shop the UK Government's national insurance hike and interest rate rises £290 million cost of living package builds on existing support giving £150 to all households receiving a council tax reduction irrespective of what banned their properties in and £150 to all other households in a banned A to D property by the end of April that equates to almost £7.3 million in the Freeson Gallow and £5.4 million in the Scottish Borders In 2021-22 we allocated £80.75 million to local authorities for Scottish child bridging payments worth £520 in both 2021 and 2022 reaching over 144,000 school-aged children as of December 2021 and our second child poverty delivery plan sets out how we will continue to tackle and reduce child poverty in Scotland including investing up to £10 million each year to mitigate the UK Government's benefit cap Emma Harper I thank the minister for that answer the cost of living crisis has been a decade in the making with rising cost compounded by damaging Westminster austerity does the minister agree that the UK Government should reverse the regressive national insurance tax hike the £20 a week cut to universal credit matched the Scottish child payment UK-wide and introduce a real living wage of £9.90 per hour and can they outline what representations have been made to the UK Government on these matters Minister I agree that, given most of the relevant powers are reserved, the UK Government must do more to help households cope with the cost of living crisis The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy wrote to the Chancellor ahead of his spring statement with some vital proposals to address the cost of living crisis including a call to reinstate the £20 universal credit uplift However, those were largely ignored and the Chancellor failed to take the opportunity to address the biggest challenges currently facing households I would also agree that all workers should be paid at least the real living wage Having employment powers in the hands of the Scottish Parliament would enable us to protect and enhance workers' rights including making the minimum wage a real living wage and not to call on the UK Government to take action to devolve those crucial powers In the meantime, we are already using the powers that we do have From 14 October 2021, we began mandating payment of the real living wage in Scottish Government contracts where it is a relevant and proportionate requirement and through the Bute House agreement and subject to the limits on devolved competence we will also make it a requirement for grant recipients to pay at least the real living wage Alexander Burnett, who is joining us remotely To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the BR 100 programme in rural areas Minister, tell Martha As of 31 March 6,629 connections were delivered through our 100 contract build and 1,875 through the Scottish broadband voucher scheme which ensured every address across Scotland regardless of location had the ability to access a superfast broadband connection As Audit Scotland recognised our 100 contract build is hugely challenging with many premises in the hardest to reach locations Instead of pursuing a lower technology solution we chose to focus on delivering full fibre broadband that will underpin economic growth and connectivity for decades to come whether permitting deployment of subsea cables to service 15 islands will begin shortly Alexander Burnett The finance secretary recently wrote to the economy committee stating that the Scottish Government has delivered its commitment to ensure that every home and business could access superfast broadband by the end of 2021 That's absolutely ludicrous they expect people to believe this after failing to meet their own targets delaying the R100 roll-out by six years and suddenly thousands of those in Aberdeensia without a reliable broadband connection will not fall for this The finance secretary confirmed an answer to me that only 15% of the 3.3 million of the voucher scheme has been handed out and less than half a percent of eligible properties in the northeast made applications Will the minister commit to extending the scheme so that the remaining 85% will be needed? As the member will be available the main scheme is still available The interim scheme was extended to the 31st of March There was an extensive advertising campaign both local and national to promote the interim scheme and ultimately take-up did not reflect a level of demand which would necessitate the continuation of the scheme More broadly on the commitment to R100 by the end of last year that was of course not solely about contracts but also regarding commercial undertakings and the voucher scheme and as I made reference to the voucher scheme is still in place and I would also remind the member as part of the R100 this Government has committed 600 million pounds of investment and this compares with a call correctly 33.5 million pounds of investment from the UK Government Subdimentary Liam McArthur The interim voucher scheme which closed last month was intended to plug the gaps in coverage in the country predominantly in the north of Scotland not only has the take-up of that scheme been low but it's also from Government figures being demonstrated that the poorest amount of money has gone out to those in the north compared to the south and the central region Can the minister explain the logic of that? Minister As I said we are positioned with as the member is familiar with what the intentions behind the interim scheme was the original deadline date was 31 December last year we extended it to March but as I referenced and explained in my answer to Mr Manette ultimately demand was not of a sufficient level which we judged that the scheme was justified and being continued Subdimentary Audrey Nicholl I've been contacted by constituents who have been informed that they may have to wait until 2026 as has already been raised before getting connected to fibre broadband and community fibre broadband and the voucher scheme alluded to already is currently not a viable option for them Can I ask the Scottish Government how it's engaging with open reach and other stakeholders and what further opportunities to support rural communities connecting to fibre broadband are being considered? Minister As part of our on-going dialogue with open reach we continue to look for opportunities to make contract build particularly in rural areas where possible commercial investment also continues to play a key role in supporting digital connectivity and our full fibre charter for Scotland is providing a platform for the Scottish Government and operators to work together to maximise full fibre coverage including the recently announced extension of 100 per cent non-domestic rates relief to March 2034 surpassing a key charter commitment and offering the most extended period of rates relief in the UK Given telecoms is wholly reserved to Westminster we also continue to push the UK Government for greater flexibility on their plans for Scotland through project gigabit as we believe their current approach is likely to once again leave behind some areas but need improved connectivity most Question 7 Annie Wells who is joining us remotely To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support it's providing to the high streets and businesses Minister Tom Arthur We published our joint response with COSLA to the independent report a new future for Scotland's town centres on 13 April It is a call to action for all who have an interest in the future of our towns setting out some of the ways in which we can all do our part in rebuilding, re-energising and reimagining our towns Since the start of the pandemic businesses have benefitted from over £4.6 billion The Scottish Government includes Covid-19 non-domestic rates relief that have saved businesses around £1.6 billion since 1 April 2020 We are continuing to provide 50 per cent retail, hospitality and leisure relief in the first three months of 2022-23 capped at £27,500 per rate pair This business support includes our £80 million Covid economic recovery fund for local authorities to support local economies The £6 million for the city centre recovery fund and our Scotland loves local programme Annie Wells Following years of neglect by the SNP on council and exasperated by Covid-19 Glasgow's high streets are in need of rejuvenation We all know many small businesses were forced to suffer endless delays in accessing Covid-19 grants Does the minister agree with me that it's time we bring together a Glasgow City Council business forum that can address current issues in conjunction with businesses as opposed to a top-down approach so that Glasgow's businesses can engage effectively with the council? Minister The heart, I believe, of town centre and city centre regeneration is a place-based approach and that involves bringing all partners to the table business of all kinds retail, hospitality, leisure all key to vibrant and dynamic city centres local authorities, economic development departments, chambers of commerce and indeed government That is the partnership approach that we have taken through the city centre recovery task force and government's continued engagement with other partners Glasgow is a dynamic and thriving city with a huge amount to offer Anyone who walks around Glasgow will see that while it is facing the challenges that many city centres are facing due to the changing nature of retail its potential is boundless and that is the opportunity to engage in talking about our city centres and town centres to talk them up and not talk them down to make cheap political points I can squeeze in question number 8 if I have brief questions and answers question number 8, Willie Coffey Thank you to ask the Scottish Government whether it has estimated the cost to Scotland of being removed from the European digital single market Minister Ivan McKee The Scottish Government understands the importance of Scotland's economic ambitions and one of the endless downsides of Brexit means that Scotland was taken out of the digital single market against our wishes which has resulted in a less stable environment for our businesses The European Parliament estimates the potential gains of a digital single market could be in the region of £415 to £500 billion per year as a result of higher productivity due to faster flow of information greater efficiency in traditional economic sectors and higher levels of e-commerce Recent analysis suggests that for Scotland a 1.9 per cent boost to GDP would be the equivalent to £2.9 billion Willie Coffey Thank you minister for that answer Could I outline what the Scottish Government can do to overcome this ridiculous stupid and damaging decision taken by the Tory Government and help Scottish businesses to access the increasingly important digital markets that Europe provides Minister I will continue to work where we can to influence the misguided policies of the UK Government to ensure that Scotland stays as close as possible to our European trading partners through digital means and others We shall continue to push to reverse the idea of Brexit and we shall of course continue to campaign for an independent Scotland taking its place at the heart of Europe Thank you That concludes portfolio questions On the economy, there will be a very short pause before we move to the next item of business Thank you