 Gweithio i ddwyg nhw'n amlwg o'r ffinsigau cwrsau gwneud i'w ffordd o'r wyf yn y Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Cymru hwn o'r hollidogau. Fy oedd ei ddweud chi'n cefnogi, pseudwyddiant, ac mae'n cofaluwyr, cais ei ddweudio i ddweudio ei ddweudio, gyflyn ac yn credu. Dw i ddim nhw'n mynd i ddwyngau aeth o gweithio'r ffordd ofe i ddwyngu Clwilyddau, I will take supplementaries after both questions have been answered. As ever, if any member wishes to ask a supplementary in any of the questions, I would ask them to press the request to weak ones or place an ardent chat function during the relevant questions. The usual plea for brevity in both questions and answers to allow us to get through as many as possible. I call question number one, Russell Finlay. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many of its staff members are working in the prospectus for another independence referendum. The work to prepare an independence prospectus has been co-ordinated by the constitutional futures division within the Scottish Government's constitution and cabinet directorate. This division is currently comprised of one senior civil servant and 14 other officials. The work will draw on other officials across a range of portfolios who will contribute to varying extents as part of their wider responsibilities in supporting the Scottish Government. People across Scotland will be dismayed to discover that this SNP Government is diverting yet more precious staff and resources towards another referendum. The SNP's own programme for government says that work in this would only take place if the Covid crisis is over. Can the cabinet secretary then explain why his government is ignoring their own programme and squandering money under this obsession, which the people of Scotland do not want? I begin by commending the member for the implicit recognition in his original question that there will be an independence referendum. I think that that is very welcome. We obviously differed on this issue in the Scottish Parliament election last year, but as Democrats we all hopefully recognise that the parties committed to their being a referendum won the election and the parties that opposed a referendum such as his lost the election. We are now getting on with delivering on the policy of the Government, including a prospectus ahead of the independence referendum, and I look forward to further announcements on that in the future. Can the cabinet secretary advise us how many staff are currently working in government on Brexit related matters for a policy that Scotland did not vote for compared to an independence referendum that Scotland did vote for? Does he agree that the £120 million that the UK Tory Government squandered on the ludicous festival of Brexit earlier this month was a complete waste of public money? The constitutional futures division that is working on the prospectus is comprised, as I have already mentioned, of one senior civil servant and 14 other officials. The far-reaching consequences of Brexit has meant that almost all parts of the Scottish Government have had or continue to have officials dedicated to assessing and responding to the UK's exit from the European Union. Brexit has seen UK goods exports fall by 14 per cent in the three months to January, all while the global average continued to rise over the same period. The opportunities of independence stand in stark contrast to the economic damage posed by Brexit and it must be up to the people of Scotland to decide their future. A war in Ukraine, a pandemic rating with its highest infection rates in the whole of the United Kingdom, enormous hospital waiting times, people desperate for care home packages and a ferries construction scandal, yet the minister carries on regardless. If even independent supporters don't think there should be an independent referendum now, why is he carrying on regardless? One of the things that I always thought democracy and Democrats stood for, including in the name of the members' party, Liberal Democrats, was to recognise that when one stood in an election on a manifesto opposing something and lost, and the party that won the election did so on a manifesto to deliver a referendum, that even a Liberal Democrat would recognise the democratic result of the election result would commend us to get on with our policy platform rather than jeering from the sidelines in opposition effectively to the democratic election result of last year. To ask the Scottish Government what response it has received to the external affairs secretaries later to the Russian ambassador on 26 February. I wrote to the Russian ambassador on 26 February condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms, laying out the Scottish Government's position that Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine had no conceivable justification. If I have not received a response from the Russian ambassador, I will continue to condemn Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and offer my unqualified support for Ukrainian sovereignty for its independence and for its territorial integrity. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The solidarity that people have shown with Ukraine is undiminished after more than a month of fighting, so too is the resolve of the international community to isolate instruments of the Russian state. To reinforce the sentiments that he expressed to the Russian embassy, would the cabinet secretary agree that more should be done here in Scotland to divest public money from sanctioned-hit financial institutions like Shermank? Will the Scottish Government have encouraged companies' trading with Russia to take economic action? Will they support our public sector pension funds and other Scottish institutions to do so, too? The short answer is yes to the points that Neil Bibby raised. In addition, it is important for us to stress that this country stands together with all those in the international community who oppose this illegal war, whether they are in Russia, Belarus, here in Scotland or elsewhere in the world. I understand that Police Scotland have engaged directly with both Ukrainian and Russian communities to provide reassurance and to encourage them to report any concerns so Police Scotland can work with communities to address these. And that University Scotland have confirmed that institutions are reaching out to both Ukrainian and Russian students with offers of support. Is there more that we can be doing to identify whether there is any way of hitting the Putin regime and those in the Russian economy who support him? The answer to that is yes. If he has any further suggestions, I would be really pleased to hear those, because I think that there is consensus right across Parliament that we should be doing everything that we can do to oppose the aggression of the Russian Federation against the people of Ukraine. The cabinet secretary's letter stated that our quarrel is not with the people of Russia nor the Russian community who live and work in Scotland, but with President Putin's regime and its deplorable actions. I wonder if the cabinet secretary can give us any further reassurance or work that is being done to provide the Russians and Belarusians who oppose authoritarianism in their homelands but who may be at risk of unfair treatment here in Scotland. That is exactly the point that I was making a moment ago, is that through our interaction with the likes of the Ukrainian consulate in Scotland but also with the Ukrainian community organisations but also sending out a message to people living in Scotland who are of Belarusian heritage or of Russian heritage, our quarrel is not with those who stand with all of the rest of us in opposition to the aggression of the Putin regime. It is not their fault and we need to do everything that we can. I have already made mention of the efforts that have been undertaken by Police Scotland to make sure that community relations are maintained but that at the same time we are unequivocal about our opposition to the naked aggression against Ukraine that we will do everything that we can to help Ukrainians who are in Scotland but also those who seek refuge and would wish to come here to get out of harm's way from the aggression that has been wrought on their country. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its global affairs framework. Work on the global affairs framework is continuing and the framework will be published in due course. I thank the cabinet secretary for his brief answer and look forward in due course to the publication of the framework but I wonder if at this moment in time he is able to update us on the work of the Scottish Council on Global Affairs set up last autumn I believe and also if he could take this opportunity to report on the work being undertaken to expand the fantastic resource of the Scottish Diaspora Network across Scotland. The Scottish Council on Global Affairs will be Scotland's first international relations institute providing a hub for collaborative policy relevant research and a home for informed non-partisan debate on all areas of global affairs. I'm pleased that the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews will be formally launching the institute at the end of April. Across the Scottish Government we have a wide range of activity to engage with our diaspora groups and those with a connection with or affinity to Scotland our external network of international offices will work directly with our diaspora communities in key locations around the world and two new overseas offices, those are in Copenhagen and Warsaw, will expand this network further. We're also currently undertaking research to advise and inform our future approach to diaspora engagement to expand our international impact. In terms of that issue about expanding our global impact and the network, what is the Scottish Government doing to support Covid recovery and to work with partner countries to support them in terms of addressing monopoly production and protections? Only 5 per cent of Malawians have been vaccinated and they don't have access to testing. We've just been a meeting of global justice now and that was the key issue. What can we do with our partner countries through our global network to help tackle Covid? The good news for Sarah Boyack, I hope she knows this, is that this is a major priority for the Scottish Government. This is something that Neil Gray and I have been underscoring. In fact it was a point that I was making during the Commonwealth Day members debate this week in terms of our partner countries, in terms of the support that we're wishing to offer and the fact that it is a priority for this Government. I hope that that assures Sarah Boyack, but there is much more that we can do as we all emerge from beneath the cloud of the Covid experience. That is why we have established relations with a number of countries and we wish to do everything that we can to pursue the priorities that she has highlighted. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how its international offices are functioning and improving international relations. Scotland's international network works to create domestic opportunities, attract investment and ultimately to benefit the people of Scotland. Our offices are focused on improving Scotland's international profile, helping businesses to trade internationally while protecting Scotland's interests in the European Union and beyond. Together that will continue to further Scotland's economic, its cultural and policy visibility in key countries in the months and the years ahead. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I'm sure he, like me, takes pride in the fact that Scotland has chosen to pursue world-leading human rights and equalities legislation. How will his international offices help the Scottish Government to promote best practice in equalities policy internationally? It's an excellent question. We believe that our actions abroad should be consistent with our focus on equality and inclusion at home. This is why Scotland is developing a feminist approach to foreign policy, which will help us to build on our international work to date, such as the Glasgow Women's Leadership Statement on Gender Equality and Climate Change at COP26. A review of our international development programme, Incorporating a New Equality's Funding Stream, will also continue to promote our policies internationally, such as the groundbreaking approach on period poverty. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Warm Scots welcome scheme for your Canadian refugees. We've worked rapidly with local, public, third and private sector partners to set up our Warm Scots welcome programme and supersponsor scheme, linking in to the UK Government's visa and homes for Ukraine scheme. We've established welcome hubs to support displaced Ukrainians arriving in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cairnryan, with a place of safety and security. Those will provide meals, accommodation and triage people to find out what support people need. We will ensure that everyone is treated with compassion, dignity and respect. We continue to work closely with the UK Government to understand when and how people arrive in Scotland, and we share the frustration of those looking to provide accommodation in Scotland. The anxiety of those fleeing war at the slow pace at the Home Office to turn applications into visas and are working with UK ministers to encourage their greater pace to see people arrive here as quickly as possible. Bill Kidd. I thank the minister for that information. Does the minister agree that the safeguarding of refugees in the UK is a top priority and that policies to eradicate human trafficking, procuring and the sexual exploitation of women and girls is an important aspect of protecting those who are more vulnerable to those types of exploitation such as lone women and children fleeing conflicts and humanitarian crises? Minister. Yes, it is of course vital that those fleeing the illegal war in Ukraine are protected as they seek to find a place of safety. Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is completely unacceptable. I encourage anyone with concerns about human trafficking to report them to the modern slavery and exploitation helpline or Police Scotland. We have translated a range of key information on the Scottish Government website and I would urge people to seek sanctuary in Scotland and those who are assisting them to follow these guidelines. Police Scotland's national human trafficking unit continues to engage with internal and external partners and enforcement agencies to maintain a high visibility of human trafficking and exploitation risks at point of entry around Scotland. We have also introduced new regulations this week to ensure that we have a safe, speedy and free vetting system in place. That means that people who are opening their homes to displace people of Ukraine can apply for expedited disclosure checks at the same level of scrutiny as initial checks carried out for those working with children and vulnerable adults. To ask the Scottish Government what support Ukrainian refugees will receive after arriving at a welcome hub in Scotland. Minister Neil Greene. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Multi-agency teams will be on hand at our welcome hubs to triage people and assess people's needs and provide support with healthcare to translation services, clothes and food to temporary accommodation and trauma support. The people who come here from Ukraine have a right to work, access social security and public funds, so we will be ensuring that people are aware of and get access to the wide range of services and support that they need. Welcome Packs in Ukrainian will provide information on accessing a range of support and translators will be on hand to help and trauma experts on call. I have had many constituents contact me who are looking to host refugees who are fleeing Ukraine. Can I ask how the Scottish Government is coordinating with local authorities to ensure that refugees and the hosts are given proper support? Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I thank Siobhan Brown for giving me the opportunity to thank the people around Scotland for their incredible generosity. The people who are wanting to open their homes to people forced to flee Ukraine. Scotland has a wealth of experience and learning from previous refugee schemes as set out in the new Scots strategy with a tried and tested approach to integrating refugees into our communities, schools and workplaces. We are therefore working closely with a range of partners to develop clear guidance for local authorities and individual hosts, as well as putting in place support for Ukrainians arriving through this route. We are also encouraging all those who wish to provide support to look at the Ready Scotland website. It has information about local refugee support groups and I would encourage people to reach out to them to see what more they may be able to do to help. I have a supplementary question from Sharon Dowey, who joins us remotely. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Much has been made of the super sponsorship scheme, but what are the next steps? As of last night, officials at Edinburgh Council said that they were still waiting for data on those who have expressed interest in hosting Ukrainians so that they could start paring refugees with homes. Meanwhile, hundreds of Scots are still waiting for an update and are ready to open their doors. Has that data been made available to councils since last night, and how many Ukrainians who have arrived in Scotland have been matched with a home? I thank Sharon Dowey for that question. She will share my frustration in the slow pace at the data being received from the UK Government. At the end of the day, we are still reliant on the UK Government's immigration system to work at speed. To be fair, at the conception of the super sponsor idea from the First Minister one Friday to the following Friday at getting up and running, that was an incredible effort to get the system in place. However, since then, it has been a very, very slow process at getting applications turned into visas and for us to receive the data. I appreciate the frustration that she feels. We feel it too, and we are asking the UK Government to move much faster to make sure that both those who are offering their support in accommodation here in Scotland and those fleeing war in Ukraine are getting here as quickly as possible. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement the Constitution Secretary has had with UK Government ministers regarding post-Brexit funding arrangements, including the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is due to launch this Friday 1 April. Scottish ministers have always maintained that the replacement European Union funding, included in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, ought to be devolved to the Scottish Government in line with the principles of devolved government and to ensure that investment supports national economic priorities. In the past month, my colleague Richard Lochhead has met with UK Government ministers twice to advocate for Scotland, while no confirmed date has been given by the UK Government for the Fund's intended launch next month. I am optimistic that future engagement can continue to take place to ensure that the Shared Prosperity Fund aligns with Scotland's policy aims. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. It is disappointing that, with the funding due to launch tomorrow, you still await information. The Finance and Public Administration Committee has been advising evidence that Shared Prosperity Funds are being top-sliced from Barnett consequentials, unlike the situation in pre-Brexit. Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm that this is indeed the case? If that is so, the Shared Prosperity Fund is directed by Westminster. Simply reduce those available to this and other devolved administrations. That is a key question from Kenneth Gibson. Although the UK Government has outlined the overall value of the Shared Prosperity Fund, Scotland's specific allocation is still to be determined and, therefore, it remains unclear what method will be used to allocate the fund on a national basis. There has been no indication that this will be top-sliced from Barnett consequentials. Scottish Government officials have calculated in November 2020 that to replace the European structural funds, including both the ETC and leader programmes, would require £183 million of funding per year. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the UK Leveling Up Fund are fantastic ways in which the UK Government can invest in Scotland. Therefore, does the cabinet secretary agree with me how disappointing it is that Dundee City Council failed to submit a Leveling Up Fund bid in the first round? Despite the engagement that I drew attention to a moment ago, there is a strong likelihood that, in financial terms, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be insufficient. The value of the fund announced in the UK spending review last autumn notes that the fund will only provide £2.6 billion over three years across the whole of the UK, with £560 million of this already ring-fenced for the UK Government's multiply adult numeracy. The programme falls far short of the calculations to maintain the levels of investment seen through the European Union structural funds, of which £162 million per annum would be required to replace the European regional development and European social funds in Scotland, with an additional £21 million required to continue the work of the leader in European territorial co-operation programmes. I welcome the co-operation of members on the Scottish Conservative party benches to apply pressure on the UK Government to at least match the commitment that was shown to Scotland through the European Union rather than the United Kingdom that does not. To ask the Scottish Government how it will be supporting local authorities to make best use of their cultural attractions and facilities. In 2021-22 we have provided councils with an overall Covid-19 support package up to £1.5 billion. It is for local elected representatives to decide how best to use resources to deliver culture services. We are continuing to work with COSLA and others towards recovery and renewal of the culture sector, including at local level. I recently met COSLA's community wellbeing spokesperson and look forward to meeting with a culture convener's group soon after the maze elections. Creative Scotland also supports culture at a local level, including through their place partnerships with a range of local authorities across the country. I thank the minister for that response. Spending per head by local authority on cultural attractions varies greatly across Scotland. Even before the pandemic, Clackmannanshire in my region had one of the lowest spends per head in the country at just £2.01 in 2019-20. Can I therefore ask the minister what action will be taken to ensure and support the cultural sector in Clackmannanshire to ensure that it makes a strong recovery from the pandemic? I thank Alexander Stewart for that question. We place great value in the cultural recovery that we want to see going forward, both in terms of our facilities, our events, our attractions, our arts and creative sector, because we have a great understanding of the fact that this is not just about an economic recovery that is obviously going to be so important but also of the wellbeing recovery. We have all suffered from the fact that we have not been able to attend the facilities, the events, the attractions that we would have wanted to over the last two years that bring us great joy, so reopening has the converse effect and will hopefully help in terms of our wellbeing. We will continue to work with Clackmannanshire Council, which is well led and many other local authorities to ensure that we can continue to ensure that our culture facilities are well looked after. Public libraries form a vital social and cultural hub in communities in Scotland, including in my own constituency. Can the minister provide an update on the roll-out of the Public Library Coord Relief Fund as libraries continue to play their full part in supporting wellbeing during the pandemic recovery? Yes, I can. This week we announced the final tranche of the support through that particular fund. Seven libraries received £200,000, I think it was, in this week's announcement, and that brings the total up to £1.25 million in that support fund. We will continue to support public libraries because we understand the clear role that they play within local communities in terms of culture inherited, but we also have a wider role to play as well, and we will be looking to ensure that we continue to support our public libraries to continue the good work that they are doing. Thank you very much minister. That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item in business.