 Before we move on to the next item of business, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery, Pierce Samuelson, Speaker of the Faroese Parliament. The next item of business is Topical Questions. Police Scotland has issued more than 100,000 recorded police warnings over the past five years. The use of recorded police warnings is an established part of the Scottish justice system. The purpose of recorded police warnings is to provide police officers with a speedy, effective and proportionate means of dealing with certain less serious offending behaviour. The current system was introduced in 2016, replacing the previous system of formal adult warnings. In England and Wales, there is a long-established system of simple cautions, which is broadly similar. The Lord Advocate issues guidance to Police Scotland on their operation of the scheme. Decisions about when to issue recorded police warnings are an independent operational matter for Police Scotland. Russell Findlay. In 2016, the SNP Government said that recorded police warnings would only be used for, and I quote, very minor offences with Police Scotland saying that we would again only be used quoting and not be used for any offence of violence. Now we discover that they have been used for violence and for fraud and housebreaking and theft and fire-raising, and most shocking of all, in response to almost 50 sex crimes. Does the cabinet secretary really think that those crimes are minor, and will she explain why the public was misled? I would challenge Mr Findlay on his narrative that does not always stand up to scrutiny or the substance of the matter in hand. It is important to say that the operational guidelines that Police Scotland operates to is publicly available, and they are very clear about the types and severity of offences that are not appropriate for a recorded police warning. That information is publicly available. As Mr Findlay, I am sure, is well aware that, under the Police and Fire Reform Act, the Scottish ministers are unable to investigate alleged crime, nor do we have the power to instruct the police to investigate alleged criminal activity. That is an important part of our system in terms of separation of powers, and to keep policing free from political interference—something that I support, and I am sure that Mr Findlay does. If individuals are unhappy with any outcome of any case, they can, of course, raise this directly with Police Scotland if they are unsatisfied with the response from Police Scotland. They can, of course, go to the police investigation and review commission. There is a fundamental lack of transparency about exactly how or why recorded police warnings are being used. That risks creating a parallel system of secret justice. A new statistic shows that more than 7,500 shoplifters were issued with those warnings instead of being prosecuted. Scottish retailers are in despair. They tell me that there are no consequences for organised gangs who terrorise staff and pray on shops serving our communities. Why has the SNP Government effectively decriminalised shoplifting by stealth? I think that Mr Findlay's narrative does not stand up to the facts. As I indicated in my earlier response, the operational guidance that Police Scotland worked to, the guidance that is publicly available—there is nothing hidden about this—clearly states that persistent or alarming conduct should not be considered for a recorded police warning. Neither should major disturbances, nor indeed offences, where there are repeat victims. As I stated clearly, the issue of recorded police warning is a matter for individual police officers to allow them to make greater use of discretion once they have fully assessed each individual incident. I note that Chief Superintendent Gordon MacReady has said that the recorded police warning allows officers in appropriate circumstances and on a case-by-case basis to use their discretion to deal with offences on the spot. I ask the cabinet secretary to outline what the impact would be if we did not have a system such as a recorded police warning option for minor offences. The benefit of having such a system is to ensure that the court system can be focused on cases that need to be prosecuted. Of course, there is also the importance of delivery of quicker justice and that helps to free up officer time to focus on more serious offences. A recorded police warning is also a proportionate response for someone who has committed an offence that is considered less serious once the facts of the circumstance have been investigated. It also avoids the potential harm that may arise in someone receiving a criminal conviction for the first time. Clearly, prosecution in court is needed for many cases, but the use of recorded police warnings, where the police use their judgment and knowledge in assessing how best to deal with an offence, is a sensible way to help to develop justice. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to keep people safe in light of reported concerns about the spread of new variants of Covid-19. The increases in Covid activity in Scotland appear to be driven by the usual mix of waning immunity and the circulation of variants of Omicron. The risks continue to be low, but in response to the identification of changes in one variant, BA 2.86, we have taken the precautionary measure to bring forward the planned vaccination of those at highest risk. Vaccination means the best way to protect yourself, and we encourage all of those eligible to take up their invitation when they are offered. The Government will continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland and other partners to monitor, assess and be ready to respond to any new outbreaks of Covid-19. We agree that vaccination remains an important defence against Covid. Last week, I raised the issue of constituents in Helensborough not receiving their Covid vaccination. I have this morning received an apology from the cabinet secretary explaining that it was human error and that supplies of the vaccine had not been ordered in time. That was in NHS Highland. I was then contacted by Graham Collie, who lives in NHS Grampian. Graham has cancer, he is on chemotherapy, he is classed as a vulnerable adult. He was told and I quote, the new version of the vaccine was not available yet and even if it were, he would not get an appointment until January. Can the cabinet secretary tell me, is there a new version of the vaccine coming and why in any event would Graham Collie have to wait until January, given that he is vulnerable? In relation to the point that Jackie Baillie made in the issue that she raised last week at FMQs, I did write to her setting out that there was an error made at a local level in Helensborough in ordering the vaccine for the patients who were due to attend. There was no problem with availability of vaccine. It was a human error. They then failed to escalate that to the local immunisation team and they then were not in a position to notify us at a national level. That has now been corrected by NHS Highland to make sure that they have got the right arrangements in place for the error that was made. In relation to any future vaccines, what is happening at the present time, as you would imagine, is that the vaccine manufacturers are tracking any new variants to ensure that the vaccines that they have available are relevant to dealing with any new variants as they develop. That work is on going at the present time. However, the existing vaccines are still viewed as being appropriate to meet our needs. In relation to the very specific case that she raised, I do not know the circumstances of the individual's case, but if she wants to provide them those details with me, she is able to do so. However, I want to finish on this really important point here, Presiding Officer. There is adequate vaccine available for those who require it and the vaccine programme has been taken forward in a usual systematic manner in which it has always been delivered. Those who are entitled to the vaccine will be called forward in order to take up that vaccine offer. Some boards have started earlier than others because they are in a position to start earlier and others will start slightly later than we had hoped to be able to do so because of the changes in the arrangements that were put in place. However, we are confident that all boards will be able to do everything that they can to start the programme as early as possible. Jackie Baillie I welcome that, because I think that adequate supplies of the vaccine doing it as quickly as possible is essential. When you considered that last month, Edinburgh was the worst Covid hotspot in all of the UK, not least because of the Edinburgh festival, I suspect, but hospital beds occupied by patients as a result of Covid were 200 in August and winter has not even started yet. Wards are already closed down because of Covid outbreaks. A care home in Dumbarton had to close down part of their facility and restrict visiting because of Covid. Other care homes are in a similar position for the majority vaccinations have yet to commence. Experts such as Professor Shreedah and Donald MacAskill are calling on the Scottish Government to extend vaccinations to those over 50 and others are calling for the reintroduction of free testing as well as access to PPE for health and social care workers. Will the cabinet secretary therefore agree to those measures to protect frontline health and social care workers and the vulnerable in our continuing fight against Covid? There is a lot in there, but it is important that we do not get into a situation where Jackie Baillie is giving individuals the impression that there is a significant issue of concern at the present time, which I think is a danger that she does. Although there has been an increase, it is still a low risk and the impact of it is still low on our healthcare system. The other part that is important here is that the JVCI, the expert group that set the vaccination programme, set it out. That is exactly what we have been looking to implement, which meant that the vaccination programme for those who were most vulnerable for Covid was due to start in October. As a precautionary measure, we have brought it forward into September as a result of the new variant that has been identified. Alongside that, the advice that we are receiving from clinical advisers is that the existing proportionate approach that we are taking to testing—for example, in Scotland we have retained testing for those patients who are leaving hospital and going to a care home or a hospice in order to make sure that they are tested for Covid before being discharged from hospital. The proportionate approach that we are taking is the right approach that we are taking here in Scotland. I hope that people can be reassured by that, because any act that creates some type of uncertainty or concern around this matter is misplaced. Given the cabinet secretary's comments on the vulnerability of people in hospital in particular, what guidance has the Government issued on the use of HEPA and air sterilisation in hospitals in particular to prevent the airborne transmission of Covid-19? The Scottish Government expects all territorial health boards to follow the national guidance within what is termed as the hierarchy of controls section of the national infection prevention and control manual. That sets out how to prevent airborne transmission of Covid-19 in hospital and clinical settings. NHS Scotland boards and health and social care providers should seek assurances that their ventilation systems are working effectively and delivering the recommended levels of air changes to which they are designed. They should also ensure that the ventilation systems are well maintained, which is all part of the on-going recommendations that are set out within the control manual. Given the concerning rise in cases, would the cabinet secretary encourage supermarkets, shops and so on to reinstate hand sanitizers and trolley wipe stations as many have been removed? As I mentioned earlier, the approach that is being taken now, given that it is no longer a global pandemic, is a proportionate approach to how we should deal with Covid-19. It should be treated in the same way that we deal with other viral infections that occur throughout the course of the year. The monitoring and surveillance arrangements that we have in place is appropriate to that. It is down to individuals to choose to use hand sanitizer or if establishments wish to continue to provide them some do within their establishments. However, there is no direct requirement for them to do so in the way that they were previously under the lockdown arrangements that we had a number of years ago. Thank you. Do you ask the Scottish Government whether it is considered undertaking a comprehensive review into the reach of any Chinese state's surveillance in Scotland? Mr Cole-Hamilton has a long-standing interest in the issue of Chinese state surveillance, and he is aware that national security is a matter that is reserved to the UK Government. It is also a long-standing convention of successive Governments not to comment on national security matters. As the First Minister made clear yesterday, any threat to our security and cyber security is one that we take very seriously. I can assure him that we work very closely with the UK Government to understand the nature of the current situation and how we can work with them to ensure that our security continues to be protected. Presiding Officer, we all remember how global security concerns were triggered by images of Chinese spy balloons above America and Canada at the turn of the year. In March, MSPs were strongly advised to remove TikTok from all devices amid fears of concerns of Chinese state surveillance. Any suggestion that our democratic institutions are now open to infiltration by agents of the Chinese Communist Party should worry us all and be treated with the utmost severity. I ask the Government what discussions it has had with the SPCB and the UK Government about this heightened risk and whether it believes that a review of security vetting processes is now required. I hope that I can reassure Mr Cole-Hamilton not to stand in the constraints that I have upon me in terms of the level of detail that I can share. If I can assure him that both I and my officials engage very closely, whether it is with the National Crime Agency, the Ministry of Justice or indeed the security minister, and of course Police Scotland work with justice partners across the UK and provide briefings and appraisals of current and emergent threats to myself, the First Minister and the DfM. It may also be of reassurance for him to be aware that other colleagues are also engaged in this agenda. Mr Robertson has had meetings at the Cabinet Office and with the foreign secretary. While we are somewhat constrained in terms of whether it is appropriate to comment on the detail in and around security matters, I reassure him that we take those matters with the utmost seriousness, particularly where they impact on our devolved responsibilities. We are engaging positively and working with all emerging threats, as they are assessed. I am grateful for that reply. Chinese national intelligence law requires Chinese companies to cooperate with their intelligence services, leaving the data that they hold open to potential intrusion and misuse. HikeVision is one such company that makes CCTV cameras that are spread across Scotland in large parts of the public sector. The UK surveillance commissioner has likened their use to, and I quote, digital asbestos. After we raised this, the Scottish Government undertook to remove HikeVision from its estates, and Lib Dem councillors in Edinburgh had persuaded the council there to do the same. In February, when I held a debate in this Parliament, the Scottish Government admitted that its guidance was out of date and said that it would issue fresh guidelines and keep Parliament updated on any progress. Therefore, I ask the minister if such guidance has now been written and issued. There are a number of very important and detailed issues that Mr Cole Hamilton raised. On the issue of CCTV, I advise him that the Scottish Government is in the process of a multi-year improvement programme, which commenced back in 2018. That is about all existing CCTV kit and equipment, including HikeVision and other company products, and how that has been replaced as part of a new integrated system. On the progress that has been made since the very useful and informative debate that Mr Cole Hamilton led earlier this year, we have commissioned research as part of the refresh of the public CCTV strategy. We are awaiting that final research report, which will inform our future considerations. There are aspects of this, such as data protection, which are, of course, reserved. I can advise Mr Cole-Hamlin to answer that question on some of the detail in and around how we are ensuring that we have the utmost resilience in and around cybersecurity.