 The next item of business is topical questions, and in order to get in as many people as possible I'd be grateful for shortening its reasons and responses at question number one I call Stephen Kerr Thank you Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what its response to the ruling of the Scottish Information Commissioner is that it should release legal advice that the Government has received regarding a significant independent referendum Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson Thank you very much Presiding Officer Rydw i dwi'n edrychiadio'r dyfodol y Prif Weinidog ddych yn dweudio'r dymu gyflym. Felly, rydw i'n edrychiadio'r ddydd ni'n edrychiadio'r ysgoldeidau. Mae'n mynd i gynnwys i ddweudio'n ddyntgeniwyd am y ddyints-mall oesai i losol. Mae'r ddyntg wedi ddych yn cyfaint o'r ddymiannol iawn, definirio'r ddyntg wedi ffordd o'r ddyntgol? Mae'n ddyntgol am ddyntgol o ddyntgol o'r ddyntgol o'r ddyntgol songil i fel y dyfodol cifnwys, mae'n gweld i'r dlegol o gynllunio arferol ac i'r ddyddol. Felly, Ysgrifffordd eu cyflawni o'r ddegol cyflawni yn ddegol, wedi'i gyfer y cyflawni o'r ddegol efallai gyda'r ddegol efallai! Ie, mae'n wedi flynyddoch chi'n ddegol eu cyflawni i'r ddegol, ynddig yn ddegol, is recommended by the information commissioner, or are they intending to go to court to prevent this advice from being made available to public scrutiny? As I've said, we've received the decision from the Scottish Information Commissioner and we are considering its terms. Any departure from the convention is a significant thing. Legal professional privilege and the law officer's convention protect legal advice given to all governments in the islands. Felly, rwy'n anserio'r byddai cymysgwysbeth ac, oherwydd hynny, rwy'n gwybod i gyd ymddangos iawn i wych i gyd ddifenau'r byddai cymysgwysbeth. Stephen Cymru. Rydw i'n ddigon i'n wneud, wrth gwrs, y Gweithloedd Llywodraeth ymddangos iawn i gyd yn cyfleidio'r prospectus i'r cyfosbyddiant yn cyffraeid y cyfrifysgwysbeth i'r gwrsiau gwirio'r byddai cyfrifysgwysbeth i'r rydw i'r rydw i'r cyfrifysgwysbeth. y mynd i'n ffwnwys i i ddragoch 100 miliwns o'r lyfan i'w hwn, i ddweud i ddim yn ffodolwy ar gyfer ddefnyddio i gyllideb yn ei dd約gol o'i credu gyda'r byw, rwy'n ddweud i'r dwyll y ffodsgol i ddweud i ddweud i ddak smedd y byd. Fy llnedd Physiogol yn cymryd i'i ei hynny i'r ddweud i'i Mae'r bod yn sicr, o'r peth yn ei wneud yn gwneud o'r maen nhw, dwi'n gweithio ag ysgol er mwynhaith i ni'n gwybod, South West Cuando? Rwy'n cael ei fod yn gweithio ar gyfer i chi'n gweithio ar y parlymydd yn cael ei maen nhw ym gweithio'r bod yn cael ei wneud, rwy'n cael ei wneud yn cael ei wneud ar gweithio ar hynorr. A ffac that Mr Kerr finds very difficult to respect or even acknowledge, it is entirely appropriate for the Government to pursue the policies that it was elected to do, and in terms of the legal advice, pursuing it in line with the precedent of both the UK and Scottish Governments, we will reply to the information commissioners findings and we will do so in due course. Julian Martin Thank you, Presiding Officer. When a political party has voted into government on a manifesto commitment to hold an independence referendum not once but twice since 2014, can it be judged that this is the will of the people and that it is their democratic right to see it fulfilled? Cabinet Secretary, the substantive question was about the response to the ruling of the Scottish Information Commissioner, so I will move on to take Sarah Boyack. Sarah Boyack Thank you, Presiding Officer. There is now a clear pattern of behaviour under this SNP Government. Advice and documents, which have a significant impact on the Government's priorities, are hidden from members of this Parliament and from the people of Scotland, whether it is ferries, the ECHR or the Constitution. Does the Cabinet Secretary not agree that the people of Scotland, regardless of their views, have a right to see this legal advice to enhance public debate in line with the information commissioners ruling? Will he not make arrangements for the immediate publication of this legal advice, given its significance to the whole of the population of Scotland? What will he do in his work with MSPs to improve the transparency of information? I am here specifically to answer questions in relation to the information commissioner and his ruling. I can but repeat what I have said to colleagues already, which is that it is a significant ruling, it is one that must be considered in the round, and we will reply to that in good time within the deadlines that have been set. What I find quite interesting about the tone so far, both from the Labour Party and the Scottish Conservative Party, is that there seems to be a willingness to depart from the established custom and practice in relation to legal advice. It might be helpful in the weeks ahead for both parties to clarify their position on whether they think that Government ministers in Scotland or indeed the UK should be able to receive information from their legal advisers with the confidence that has been custom and practice not just for years but for decades. Given the pro-independence SNP and Greens, one majority of seats in the 2020-20 one election, does the Scottish Government believe that democratic decision should be respected and that people of Scotland have the right to choose their own future, the choice to become a fairer, greener, independent, European country? I will remind members that it is essential that supplementary questions refer to the substantive question on the paper, and we will therefore move to question number two, Faisal Choudhury. To ask the Scottish Government what measure it is putting in place to ensure that Ukrainian families understand the condition of its supersponsor scheme. Minister Neil Gray. I thank Faisal Choudhury for his question. The Scottish Government is providing funding to Just Right Scotland, for its confidential legal ice line for Ukrainians in Scotland. That includes advice about our supersponsor scheme. As soon as anyone naming our national contact centre sends that person a welcome message in Ukrainian and Russian, that includes a free phone international contact number for further advice. Once in the country, the Scottish Refugee Council's integration service, funded by the Scottish Government, can give further advice from registering for a GP to enrolling their children in school. To raise awareness of Scotland's supersponsor scheme, my officials have been working closely with international organisations such as UNHCR, as well as the Polish, Romanian and Moldovan authorities to provide clear in-country information to explain how the scheme works and why it offers enhanced protection. I met the Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko last week and discussed Scotland's offer, and I hope to visit Poland in the coming weeks. Mr Choudhury, there was a little break-up in the minister's response, but are you content that you've heard enough? I would like to thank the minister for that answer. Last week, my colleague Sarah Boyack invited a group of representing hosts of Ukraine Refugees to meet members. They have produced a very thoughtful analysis of the good and the bad aspects of the scheme. A pressing issue that they highlighted was that the welcome desk at Glasgow and Edinburgh airport, intended to welcome Ukraine arriving into the scheme, has frequently been left unstaffed during normal working hours. That has meant that refugees, sometimes with a low level of English literacy, have been left to fend for themselves on arrival, particularly when travelling on to other parts of the country. How can the Scottish Government ensure that this very important initial part of any warm welcome is available to refugees? I thank Foysal Choudhury for that question. My officials have been working closely with Gary Gray and Scott Host to understand the concerns that they have and to respond to some of the ideas and other suggestions that have been made. In terms of the welcome at our airports, I have received no reports of any issues at Edinburgh airport. The one report that I have received regards Glasgow airport was acted upon very swiftly, both by the airport, by Redfordshire Council and also Glasgow City Council, and volunteer workers from the Ukrainian community to ensure that the Scottish Refugee Council and others on the ground were able to ensure that the staffing of that welcome desk could be carried out as efficiently as possible. My understanding is that that there have been no further reports of anyone arriving having not received access to that desk. I will continue to monitor that situation because, obviously, ensuring that people, when they first arrive in the country, get access to information that is clear and consistent is of the utmost importance to us all. Foysal Choudhury. Thank you very much for that answer. Another point raised by the Scott host was that the hosting of refugees is not an event. It is a process and there will be, inevitably, be a longer term needs for both the refugees themselves and their hosts, which will need addressing. How will the Scottish Government amend its approach in response to on-going challenges with our Syria and Afghan refugees? Refugees are the same regardless of where they are from. I would absolutely concur with that last point. The Scottish Government's response to unfolding situations around the world has been consistent. We want to provide a place of sanctuary and support here in Scotland, regardless of where that person is arriving from. We have a very good system in place, having a true partnership through the Syrian scheme that we are looking to replicate with all 32 local authorities and our third sector partners for the Ukrainian scheme. There have been well-documented issues with the Afghan scheme, which operated on a different approach, where it was not a true partnership between UK Government, Scottish Government, Scottish Local Authorities, and we are looking to see what can be done to provide as much assistance as possible to Afghan refugees present here who are still looking for further support. The harrowing scenes coming out of Ukraine have quite rightly prompted action on a scale not seen before, including the change in legislation in the UK to enable Ukrainian refugees to be able to access support and work after fleeing such horrors. It is my sincere hope that the outcome of this change in the way that we treat all those seeking refuge, regardless of where that may be. What representations has the Scottish Government made to the UK Government to lift no recourse to public funds and any employment restrictions for all asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Scotland? Would the minister agree that, if they are not willing to implement such a change, Scotland should be given the powers to enable asylum seekers to live with dignity? That question is absolutely right. I completely concur, particularly with her sentiments in the last part of her question. I met Lord Harrington, my ministerial equivalent at Westminster, and Kevin Foster, the minister with responsibility for immigration in the Commons last week, where I raised areas such as that. My concern is to ensure that we are communicating effectively across the UK on safeguarding and ensuring that people arriving from Ukraine know that the safest route is through Scotland, where there is a statutory matching service operated by the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities and that there is no need for private matching, which is one of the major concerns that I have around the informal social media matching. Often well-intentioned by people who are carrying it out but obviously pose significant risks. I called on the UK Government to implement a UK-wide super-sponsor scheme to ensure that we can have a more substantial safeguarding protection that is put in place across the UK. Donald Cameron Those of us who attended the briefing last Thursday hosted by Sarah Boyack would have been struck by the comments about a perceived lack of co-ordination amongst local authorities. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that councils across Scotland and COSLA are co-operating, learning from each other and working with each other to ensure that those applying to the super-sponsor scheme can understand it better? I thank Donald Cameron for that question. He should be reassured, as should Scott Host, that I have regular meetings with COSLA and local authorities, as he would have expected. We have issued guidance to all local authorities to ensure that that is published on the Scottish Government website for everyone to see, to ensure that there is a consistency in application, both in terms of what people should expect when they are arriving, but also in terms of what the longer-term support arrangements should be thereafter. I say to Donald Cameron that, as I said to Fosal Childry, my officials have been meeting with Gary Gray and Scott Host and the concerns and the suggestions that have been raised are being considered. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on households and businesses in Scotland of the national grid's locational pricing system in light of Scottish renewables reported assessment that transmission network use of system charges make projects in Scotland almost 20 per cent more expensive than equivalent projects in the south of England. This is a reserved issue to the Westminster Parliament, and any changes to pricing would require policy and legislative changes, which are not within the control of national grid. However, I am deeply concerned by the proposal to move to a locational pricing system, and a lack of consideration this work has given to Scottish Government targets. In a net zero world, it is counterproductive in the extreme to care more about where generation is situated rather than what type of generation it is. It is vital that we deliver net zero at lowest cost to consumers and do so in a way that does not penalise developers for taking forward projects in the best locations. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Scotland is a net exporter of energy. We export 18 times more to England than we received back, and yet there are warnings that the national grid's new locational pricing system could create a postcode pricing system in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Is the cabinet secretary concerned that those plans could penalise Scotland's renewable sector at a time where it has the ambition to be the green energy capital of Europe? At this particular time, when there is a desire to deliver energy security and to do so in a way that is compatible with achieving net zero, it is critical that we have a charging regime that does not start to act as a constraint on the way in which developments can be taken forward. We know that the existing charging scheme acts as a disincentive to investments here in Scotland, and it makes some developments less competitive with their similar projects in other parts of the UK. Therefore, any tweaking of the system, which is potentially what this change would involve, again could act as a further disincentive to projects that have been developed here in Scotland. In my view, it would be absolutely counterproductive to making sure that it would reduce energy costs at the same time as meeting our net zero targets. Given that we are in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis and that many households, particularly in my region of the Highlands and Islands, are already struggling, does the cabinet secretary agree that the UK Government, which holds the key levers of power on this issue, must urgently step up and do more to help those hardest hit by energy grid charges? We know that renewable energy, wind energy in particular, is one of the most cost forms of electricity that can be produced alongside the wider benefits that can come from it, alongside areas such as hydrogen. We need to capitalise on that and maximise those potential areas of development. That is exactly what the Scottish Government is seeking to do, and it is important that regulators in the UK Government do not introduce any scheme that will act as a constraint on maximising those potential opportunities here in Scotland. I can assure the member that we will continue to press this issue on the UK Government. I have already discussed the issue with the national grid chief executive to express our concerns about the proposal and the lack of consultation and engagement with the Scottish Government, given the direct impact that that could have on our net zero targets in energy policy. I can assure members across the chamber that we will do everything that we can to ensure that Scottish renewable energy projects receive the level playing field that they deserve for development that has been taken forward in the same way that projects across the rest of the UK are provided with. In terms of Tannoyos charging the SNP, it has consistently argued that Scottish consumers should pay more in order to subsidise energy generators, primarily multinational companies. The latest targeted charging review of transmission demand residual partially addresses that aspect, meaning that every Scottish consumer will pay more. The flow approach suggested to the forward-looking charge would result in an overall decrease in Tannoyos charges for typical domestic customers, apart from those in Scotland. For North Scotland in particular, OfGM notes that charges will increase compared with current charges, given the assistance for areas with high electricity distribution costs. I have asked this before, but does the cabinet secretary agree with the floaring of the forward-looking charge at zero, yes or no? It is interesting that, listening to Maurice Golden, we have set out the utter failure of the UK Government to address the transmission charging cost regime that we have in the UK, which is penalising Scottish-based projects and has been penalising them for an extended period of time. It is no doubt that it is no reason why it does not understand that the industry has been complaining about this issue for many, many years. Then what do we get from a national grid? A proposed tweaking of the system to appear as though they are dealing with the issue, that potentially could make it even more difficult for Scottish-based projects. What we need is a process that ensures that the charging regime is not based on location, it is based on the type of energy that it is producing. That is why the systematic failure of the UK Government to address the issue over an extended period of time has continued to disadvantage projects here in Scotland and also adding in a bit of nuclear, pushing up the cost for taxpayers right across the country in paying more for their energy costs as a result. That concludes topical questions. The next item of business is a debate on motion 4236, in the name of Ash Regan, on Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles Scotland Bill. I will allow a moment for members to move seats.