 Felly, wrth ychydig yng Nghymru, mae unwysig y cysyllt â chyfnwys, a'r unwysig mae unwysig yn ein hunhau sydd yn cael eu cysylltiadau lleol yn cael eu cyflawn. Byddai'n meddwl sydd yn gwybod i'r qyfrtiad cyfleol, mwy ofonnw Pwgfaenedd cy한다speaking, ychydig i'r y nifer oedd yrwynt ei f tadbwyd ac yn gweithio yn oed. Da, wrth gwrs, gweithio 4 o Chawdry yn gweithio i wirsio diwrnodau a gweithio, rhywbeth, ddod yrwyddiant ar ei gondol, neu panosaf i'r adroddau o fynd bod ar gyfer yr oed �rwyt diwrnodau i gyd ynaえる a erioed i gael rhaid o'r weithgaredd sealed shredd yn Aberdein oedd yr edynbwrn a'r fffilmhouse oedd y ffilmrestu i athloid mwy o iechyd alaw nhw? Rwyf yn gwneud hynny a gŵyl cysyllt ddwylo ond St Andrew's day, ac yn ddod yn ddweud i ysgolwyd yr safbwyllai Llywodraeth Cymru, ar gyfer ei edryd cynnig hefyd. Mae oedd y cyfnod ddwylo iawn i ddweud ar gyfer Slywgらethol i gael'r myndfestwr. Felly annu eu bod nhw'n credu bod dd turbulentau I thank everyone involved and hope that all parties will associate themselves with a particular thanks to our international representatives who deserve our appreciation. To Foisel Choudry's question, since the centre for the moving image entered administration, the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland have been engaging with partners to explore options for cultural cinema programme activity in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as a 2023 edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. As the member may be aware, Screen Scotland has recently acquired the intellectual property rights to the film festival and are exploring the potential for a 2023 event. Foisel Choudry. I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I appreciate all the efforts that have been made from different avenues to find solutions to the problem of Edinburgh film house in particular, but its closure illustrates as much wider problem facing the cultural sector. The perfect storm facing the culture this winter means significant parts of Scotland's cultural landscapes are in danger of being lost, perhaps permanently. As I highlighted recently, this would be a great shame after considerable effort to get them through Covid. Will the cabinet secretary be working to see that more institutions like the film house are not in danger of failure in the coming months? In relation to the Edinburgh film house in Aberdeen-Bellmont, the administrative process is still on going and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on those proceedings. However, I would like to assure the member that the Scottish Government is continuing to engage with key partners in relation to this matter and more generally on the perfect storm, which he quite rightly describes the pressures that the cultural sector and further afield is also enduring. I am meeting with representatives of the cultural sector literally every single week to try and deal with this particular challenge that he is right to raise. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the UK Government's shameful economic mismanagement, which the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts will lower living standards across the UK by 70 per cent over the next two years, is putting the recovery and survival of the cinemas and other cultural sector businesses at risk? I absolutely agree with the member. The challenges faced by the sector that are not unique to Scotland are as a result of spiralling inflation and a cross-crisis, which is hitting the cultural sector particularly, and that is an issue that the UK Government has failed to get to grips with. In addition, the pandemic hit the culture sector harder than almost any other and the UK Government's decision to prematurely end financial support means the sector is still feeling the effects. Up until now, in my office, I have not yet had the opportunity to speak personally with either the previous UK culture sector or the current. I look forward to meeting with her next week to bring up these very points. To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide historic Environment Scotland to ensure its heritage sites are fully reopened as soon as possible. The Scottish Government has substantially increased resources to historic Environment Scotland in recognition of the impact of the pandemic on Historic Environment Scotland's commercial income. Over 2022-23, we will support Historic Environment Scotland with a £60.6 million to maintain Scotland's heritage and historic environment, an 80 per cent increase on pre-pandemic levels of funding. Historic Environment Scotland are working hard to reopen our heritage sites as soon as is safe to do so. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. Given that he is rarely in the country these days, he might not be aware of the scale of the great number of historic tourist attractions that still remain close to the public. In my constituency of Galloway and West Dumfries, popular sites, including Thrive, Cursleuth and McClellan Castle and Cacubrie, have failed to reopen since the pandemic. Those and many others across the wider Dumfries and Galloway include Calaverick Castle. It defines belief that so many of these historic sites suddenly pose a safety risk and do not make Covid an excuse. Given the huge importance to tourism, local businesses such as bars, restaurants and shops who rely on them, can I ask the cabinet secretary to provide a firm commitment to do so? Can he do everything he can to ensure the accelerated opening of those buildings? It is a curious thing to, on the one hand, call for the support of tourism while condemning those who are making an effort to promote it internationally. It really is a very odd approach to things. In terms of giving assurances about ensuring that Historic Environment Scotland is funded and that we can see the speediest reopening of historic and cultural sites, I give him the assurance that I and my colleagues are working extremely closely with the agencies involved to do just that. The minister is aware that the Lithgow Palace, in my constituency, is the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Of all the closed sites, it is the most significant in terms of national importance. It was fully staffed and had high visitor numbers. Can he confirm that it will be the priority for high masonry repair to enable it to reopen as soon as is safely possible? I recognise the immense value of significant historic sites, such as the Lithgow Palace to local communities as well as to our national heritage and tourism. I can confirm that a full inspection of the Lithgow Palace is under way to inform the subsequent repair programme, which is likely to be significant at this site. Historic Environment Scotland is anticipating that this inspection will conclude by the end of January. The Minister for Culture regularly engages with Historic Environment Scotland about this issue, and I will ask him to ensure that the member is kept up to date with progress. What assessment has been carried out on the impact of those long-term closures on our national and local economies, and in particular our tourism sector, both in terms of loss of finance and reputation? Those issues are kept constantly under review. I think that she appreciates that the safety of visitors to sites is paramount as a consideration for Historic Environment Scotland, but I totally agree that the speediest and safe reopening of sites is what we should all be aiming towards. I am happy to write to the member to update her on any specifics that she has in relation to economic impact. To ask the Scottish Government when its prospectus, Building a New Scotland, will include a detailed plan regarding the economic practicalities of introducing a border with the rest of the UK. The Scottish Government will continue to set out through the Building a New Scotland prospectus series what could be done with the full powers of independence. This reflects our 2021 programme for government commitment to provide the people of Scotland with the information that they need to make an informed decision on Scotland's future. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Thousands of jobs across South Scotland, as well as millions of pounds of business activity, are dependent on fluid and unencumbered travel into England day after day. Surely explaining this and presenting a firm plan for any sort of border relations should be absolutely paramount in this prospectus. Will the Government explicitly commit to presenting a detailed plan regarding how this will work before any further claims to hold referendums or de facto referendums, and when can we expect this? I think that it is important for the record to show that the only new economic border in the United Kingdom is currently being introduced by the UK Tory government between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I note that the Labour Party has no plans to change this. I look forward to the lifting of border controls between Scotland and 27 European Union countries by rejoining the EU. I look forward to the retention of the common travel area between the home nations, friction-free trading in services with the rest of the UK and all necessary measures that will facilitate Scotland's membership in the biggest single market in the world. Does the cabinet secretary agree that what the building and new Scotland papers so far have clearly shown is that the scale of the damage being done to Scotland by Westminster's Brexit obsession, an obsession that is now apparently endorsed by Labour Party in the UK? The damage of the UK Government's Brexit obsession continues to mount. The Office for Budget Responsibility expects UK GDP to be 4 per cent lower as a result of Brexit in the long run. That equates to around £100 billion in output and £40 billion in public revenues lost as a consequence of Brexit, something that the Labour Party has no plans to change. It was his First Minister that raised the prospect of border checks with England only a few weeks ago, so we need answers from the cabinet secretary, not more bluster. The Centre for Economic Performance estimates that Brexit border costs £210 extra per household. Has the minister calculated what the cost of an independence border with England would be? I really enjoy looking forward to debating all those issues with Willie Rennie when we begin the referendum campaign, which the people of Scotland returned a majority of members to this place to hold next year. Perhaps Willie Rennie would use the limited influence that he has, but to use it nonetheless to persuade all political parties, including his own, to allow democracy to take its course and then I'll look forward to debating this and any other issue with him. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government following the Supreme Court's verdict on the ability of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum. We've heard nothing from the UK Government since the Supreme Court judgment, but we would encourage them again to stop denying democracy and agree to Scotland holding a referendum to allow the people of Scotland to choose our own future. What only was the largest ever majority returned to this Parliament and last year's Scottish Parliament elections with a mandate to hold a referendum, but only today we see support for independence itself has jumped to 56 per cent in the latest Ipsos Moray poll. The Supreme Court verdict does indeed provide clarity on the question of Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. If a section 30 order from the UK Government is the most democratic route available for the Scottish Government to be able to honour its democratic mandate, will the cabinet secretary join me in calling for the unionist parties in this chamber and in Westminster to stand by the principles of their own joint statement from June 2014, which stated, power lies with the Scottish people and we believe it is for the Scottish people to decide how Scotland is governed. Absolutely. Responsibility for this outcome lies with Westminster legislation and the design of the devolution settlement. As the First Minister has made clear, we stand ready to engage at any point with the UK Government to begin talks about the change of the Scottish Parliament's powers to allow the Scottish people to choose their future. To continue to deny that is to continue to deny democracy. Following the Supreme Court's ruling last month, there is now no legal justification to continue to spend £20 million on planning a referendum that the Government does not have the authority to hold. Will the cabinet secretary now commit to redistributing the £20 million to support public services and those who need it most? I like Donald Cameron personally, but politically I find it a bit difficult to be lectured by the losing party in the last Scottish Parliament election on what people did or didn't vote for. The Conservative party lost the election saying the Opposer referendum and the Scottish National Party won the election. We will continue to make all necessary preparations for a referendum on Scotland's future, because that is what the people voted for. That is how a democracy works. I would remind the chamber that I am trying to get in as many supplementaries as I can, which should mean that there should not be shouting from sedentary positions. You can press a button if you want a supplementary. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is and whether the current devolution settlement has led to a position in which Scotland is considered an equal partner. It is clearer than ever that Scotland is not considered an equal partner under the current devolution settlement. No matter how we vote or if we elect parliaments that support certain policies, we can be overruled or told simply no by the UK Government. Since Brexit, the Westminster Tory Government has taken back powers from Scottish ministers and the Scottish Parliament, and the trend continues. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Now that it is clear that Scotland is not and may never have been an equal partner in this so-called voluntary union of nations, it is more important than ever that Scotland must have a choice over its place within the UK constitution. Can the cabinet secretary comment on the recently rehashed proposals from Gordon Brown to make Brexit Britain work for Scotland? Does he believe, as I do, that this underwhelming scheme falls so far short of the fairer, greener future that we could grasp with independence and restored EU citizenship? Many of the reports and criticisms of the current constitutional set-up echo the Westminster Government's failure to respect the Scottish devolution settlement, the limitations of existing devolved powers, the inadequacies of the existing structures of intergovernmental relations and the scale of regional inequality. All of that, as a critique, is absolutely correct. However, I do remember Gordon Brown saying in 2014 that if Scotland would vote no, we would be living in a federation. That hasn't happened, he's now promising even less. To ask the Scottish Government what response the constitution secretary has had from the UK government to his recent letter calling for the retained EU law revocation and reform bill to be withdrawn or significantly amended. I've received no response from Grant Shaps, the Secretary of State, responsible for the bill, despite writing to him on two occasions. In a letter on 8 November, I set out the Scottish Government's rationale for recommending the Scottish Parliament withhold consent for the bill. Again on 15 November calling for the bill to be withdrawn but proposing amendments to limit the damage to Scotland should it proceed. I've been assured on several occasions by the UK Government that the sole convention will be observed in respect of this bill and yet the minister has not replied and our proposed amendments were voted down in the House of Commons. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. During last week's debate on the retained EU law bill, this Parliament agreed overwhelmingly that the Tory's bonfire of EU law threatens vital protections, creates enormous uncertainty and undermines devolution and should therefore be scrapped. Can the cabinet secretary assure members that he will highlight the Scottish Parliament's rejection of the so-called Brexit freedoms bill when dealing with his UK Government counterparts? Presiding Officer, I will and I've been doing so at every possible opportunity and I can take the opportunity now to welcome the Scottish Parliament's support in doing so. The bill and the attitude of the UK Government poses an existential threat to devolution and will wreak havoc across a swathe of vital sectors. It should be withdrawn. The UK Government has chosen to bring this bill forward but the Scottish Government does not want it and following last week's vote it's clear that the Scottish Parliament doesn't want it either. To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to build support for Scottish independence. Recent polling is very encouraging. In fact today's polling is extremely encouraging, suggesting that there is greater support for independence than there is for the union. We should not forget that this issue was fully aired in last year's election and the people elected a majority to the Scottish Parliament in favour of another referendum, greater than the majority for a mandate in the 2011 election. The Scottish Government will continue to set out through the building a new Scotland perspective series what could be done with the full powers of independence. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer but can I ask if he's considered casting his eye inwards to this place and the potential here to grow support beyond the 56 per cent today's poll reveals? A parliamentary motion lodged in September marking celebrations in Scotland of the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, lodged by a Labour MSP, was supported by seven Conservative members and four Labour. Another parliamentary motion lodged by the same member back in March, marked the 51st anniversary of Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, was signed by nine Conservative members and eight Labour. I wonder if the cabinet secretary agrees with me that it would be beyond belief that those members would rightly celebrate independence for India and Bangladesh, yet oppose Scotland even having the chance to vote on the matter in a referendum. Can I take the opportunity to congratulate India and Bangladesh on their independence and, while I'm at it, congratulate another northern European nation of five million people, namely Finland, which celebrated its independence day yesterday. I'm very much in favour of trying to reach colleagues and other parties and voters from other parties. When the referendum starts, I'm sure that there will be a great number who voted no in the last Scottish independence referendum who will vote yes when that referendum comes. There's global inflation, a cost of living crisis, families, workers and businesses are struggling with bills, our public services need investment, our hospitals need support, our schools need funding. Those are the top priorities for people across Ayrshire and all of Scotland, but another referendum is the last thing that people need right now. Will the cabinet secretary scrap the £20 million of funding that the Government has deserved for a referendum next year and focus instead on people's real priorities? Before calling the cabinet secretary, I would appreciate it if colleagues would respect those who are asking questions as well as those who are giving the answers. With the greatest respect, all the current challenges that are being faced economically and socially are arguments for Scotland becoming an independent country. We're going to disagree clearly between the Conservative colleagues' views and mine on that. As I have done a number of times from this place, I would appeal however to colleagues, as fellow Democrats, do not stand in the way of people having their say that people voted in an election last year to return a majority to this place so that a referendum could take place. Please let's agree as Democrats that the people should be able to have their say. We may be on different sides of the argument on voting yes or no, but in a democracy and as Democrats we should agree that it is the people who should be able to decide and they should have their say. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting Ukrainians in Scotland in light of the war within Russia with Russia entering its winter months. With over 21,500 arrivals from Ukraine with a Scottish sponsor, Scotland continues to provide sanctuary to more displaced people from Ukraine ahead of population than any other part of the United Kingdom. We continue to support the thousands of displaced people who are already here and those who continue to arrive. This includes taking action to provide displaced people with a range of information as early as possible to help inform their employment decisions. We are also working with local authorities and partners to understand the needs of Ukrainian children and ensure that they can access appropriate education. Bob Doris. I thank the cabinet secretary for outlining Scotland's significant contribution to international efforts to support families from Ukraine. That includes the use of a temporary cruise ship MS ambition on the Clyde to accommodate over a thousand Ukrainians, many of them children. Although I understand that matters may be improving, I have corresponded with Minister Neil Gaigh over concerns about access to NHS services and transport for children attending schools in Glasgow. What update could the cabinet secretary provide in relation to that and how such matters are monitored on an on-going basis? For guests on board the MS ambition, our priority is to ensure that they get the support and access to services that they need ahead of moving into appropriate longer term accommodation. In relation to GP services, we have issued guidance to health boards setting out our expectations that displaced people from Ukraine have access to local GP practices. It is vital that Ukrainian children and young people access education and that is why we work closely with Glasgow City Council and the ship management to ensure a reliable system is in place to transport Ukrainians to a variety of schools across Glasgow. Does the member have any further questions or issues that he wishes to raise? I will make sure that the minister with responsibility, Neil Gaigh, answers him as a priority. A couple of supplementaries I would keep to get in, but they will need to be brief, as will the responses. First, Pam Duncan-Glancy. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Several cases of scarlet fever have been reported aboard the MS ambition in Glasgow, which is currently housing, as we have heard, up to 1,750 Ukrainian refugees. This is a serious risk to health of the people who are now forced to remain in what was intended to be temporary accommodation. What urgent action will the Scottish Government take to address this? My understanding is that the issue has been fully addressed and that there is no current health issues as the member outlines. If she wishes, Neil Gaigh, to reply to her with greater detail about this case, I will be happy to do so. It is really important in this kind of context that unwarranted fears are not raised about health or any other issues. It is a very sensitive matter. The provision of health and other support services to people in time of need endures. My understanding is that there are no current health concerns as the member has outlined, but I will make sure that Neil Gaigh replies to her so that she is fully assured on the matter. I will share cross-party colleagues' concerns about the reports of Ukrainian refugees and cruise ships and reported cases of illness. How will the Scottish Government ensure effective infection control to protect refugees from disease and what actions is it taking to secure refugees' suitable housing as soon as possible? In my previous answer, I drew members' attention to a range of interventions in relation to health and education. If there are any specific issues that the member wishes to highlight, which I did not cover, I would encourage her to get in touch with my ministerial colleague and he will reply to her as a priority. I hope that everybody appreciates that everything that can be possibly done to help and support Ukrainian refugees is the aim of this Government. I believe that it is the aim of everybody across this chamber. Together, I am sure that we will try to ensure that all the appropriate services and safeguards—the member was raising the issue of health safeguards—are put in place to help and support these people in their time of need. Those who wish to ask a supplementary question should press their request-sweet buttons during the relevant question. Again, there is a lot of interest, so I would appreciate succinct questions and succinct responses as far as possible. Question 1, Miles Briggs. To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the allocation of police officers in Edinburgh. The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with both the SPA and Police Scotland to support delivery of the joint policing strategy to ensure that we continue to have safe, protected and resilient communities. Although local deployment is a matter for the chief constable, Scotland's national police service allows local divisions across the country to access specialist expertise and resources at regional and national level, depending on demand. Local police divisions across Scotland have a core complement of officers dedicated to community and response policing. Miles Briggs. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Scottish Government figures show that, in the third quarter of 2022, the number of police officers in Scotland is at its lowest level in 14 years. The number in Edinburgh on our estimated to be over 100 fewer than Edinburgh's population share should have. Does the cabinet secretary recognise the situation here in the capital, which we are now seeing some of the lowest police levels we've ever seen? Will Edinburgh receive its fair share of police resourcing to help to turn the situation around? We have ensured that not just Edinburgh, but the entire nation has received the appropriate level of resourcing from Police Scotland. In fact, it is above the levels that were demanded by the Conservative Party in the past. It is worth noting that we had a comparison drawn across-border last week by Miles Briggs' colleague Jamie Greene. We have far more police officers per capita in Scotland than we have elsewhere. They are better paid than elsewhere. A starting constable is around £5,000 more per year than elsewhere. We have a record low number of helmet sides and we also have some record low levels of crime. That, to me, is a mark of success. For once it would be good, instead of denigrating constantly Police Scotland to have some acknowledgement of the achievements that they have had in terms of driving down crime and the higher levels of policing and pay that we have in Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to help women and girls experiencing sexual violence in Glasgow. Violence against women and girls is a fundamental violation of human rights and is totally unacceptable. We will continue to prioritise support for victims of sexual crime and to strengthen the rights and improve the experiences of survivors in the criminal justice system. We will also continue to work to prevent such offending in the first place through the implementation of our equally safe strategy. Our delivering equally safe strategy fund provides £2.7 million over the next two years to services in Glasgow to enable an integrated response to women and girls affected by sexual violence and abuse. These include Glasgow and Clyde rape crisis, say women in the Sandiford clinic, as well as Glasgow East, Glasgow and Hemwick Rife women's aid centres. I recently visited Glasgow and Clyde rape crisis and service providers like them need proper funding to help as many women and girls as possible. As I welcome the indication of funding that the minister has made, most funding that they receive is project based and often doesn't cover the cost of paying for transport for women access in their service or the cost of interpreters for migrant or refugee women. They have also said that a lack of funding means that there is an impact on waiting times for services and that there is now a six-month wait in Glasgow. Will the Scottish Government commit to addressing those concerns for organisations providing vital services for women and girls' experience in sexual violence? Like Pam Duncan-Glancy, I do recognise the issues with regards to funding. The Scottish Government has committed to increasing multi-year funding for the third sector and where possible we will do so. Our ability to fill our devolved responsibilities remains a significant challenge due to the UK Government's budget approach, but we want to ensure that the funding provided works most effectively to improve outcomes from those people using the vital services for women. We have therefore engaged in an independent strategic review of funding to tackle violence against women and girls, chaired by Leslie Arvin, which is currently under way and we will report on its recommendations by mid 2023. Police Scotland recently smashed a sex trafficking gang with four members jailed for over 30 years. It's shocking to hear of women being sold in a Glasgow street for £10,000, but today in Glasgow and across Scotland vulnerable women continue to be treated like commodities. Can I ask the minister what has been done to tackle this evil trade, but also what she would say to the men who fuel it? I think the member for that question. I think we have to look at misogyny in its entirety and for me this is a real driving force behind how we are going to tackle these things. I think if we think about the UK Government's approach to migration it's actually quite a hostile environment and it actually does promote people to traffic people across borders. I think we have to look at this in the round across Scotland and the UK because it's fundamental that we have to actually challenge men's demand, but make sure that we provide services for women who find themselves in that situation. Question number three, Neil Bibby. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Did you ask the Scottish Government how it supports parents who are required for jury service with childcare? Sport, operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service fall within the remit of the independent Scottish courts and tribunal service. Jury service is a public duty which many people in Scotland may be called upon to perform and I'm grateful to those who perform this important civic duty. Duras in Scotland may be entitled to a range of expenses including child mining and dependent adult care expenses, as well as travel, subsistence and loss of earnings. Further detail on these allowances including any limits can be found on the Scottish courts and tribunals website. Neil Bibby. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. We all recognise our responsibility to make our legal system work despite the inconvenience jury duty can cause for people and their busy lives. It can be put a particular strain on parents juggling childcare. My constituent was asked to attend court for jury duty the week before Christmas when the school holidays start and told they would cover childcare costs up to just £6 an hour for a registered childmander that's less than the minimum wage. At a time when families are struggling and the childminding workforce has declined by 34 per cent, can the minister tell my constituent how she and other parents are supposed to carry out jury duty without adequate childcare support and does the minister agree that this support should be reviewed? I think that Neil Bibby would have heard me say in my original answer that this is a matter for the Scottish courts and tribunals service, which is independent of government, but if jurors do not normally employ a childminder or other childcareer for the period of their jury duty, they may submit a claim to SCTS to recover these costs. If they do normally employ a childminder or a carer, SCTS will pay the allowance if court attendance means jurors have to employ them for longer than usual. If he wants to listen to the answer, I'm happy to continue to try to provide more information. I would also say that I'm sure that his question has been heard or it will be passed on to the Scottish courts and tribunals service and I'm happy to ask him to provide a further response. It is a matter for them and I'm happy to involve myself in any correspondence that he wants to ask further questions on, but he might be best to take this up directly with SCTS. Accessibility is a core feature of justice reform. With that in mind, to ask the Scottish Government what changes it is making to the justice system to make it more accessible for families and children. One example of the way in which we're trying to do exactly that would be through the revised Bairnshus vision and values and approach setting at Hubarnhouse should be implemented in Scotland. That's about making sure that when we have children entering the justice system, we have the appropriate model for delivery of justice care and recovery for children who have experienced trauma. The Bairnshus will build on the Scottish child interview model for joint investigative interviews, which is being rolled out across Scotland, supported by £2 million of Scottish Government funding. That promotes best practice to secure children's best evidence at the earliest opportunity and minimises the risk of further re-traumatisation. To ask the Scottish Government how it continues to review the effectiveness of the legal route to compensation for people who have been affected by asbestos exposure. The Scottish Government constantly keeps the law under review. On the specific issue of compensation for asbestos victims, the Scottish Law Commission recently closed its consultation, which explores the matter of provisional damages and personal injury cases. That included specific questions on the difficulties raising legal proceedings on asbestos-related disease. The Scottish Government will give due consideration to any recommendations the SLC may make once it reports and have already and the programme for government 2021-22 committed to giving consideration to implementing any recommendations in this session. I thank the minister for that answer. The minister will be aware that a failure to lodge a claim for pleural plaques within the three-year time limit made bar, subsequent claims relating to more serious and life-wetting illnesses such as mesofiloma. Does he share my concerns about the potential for many asbestos victims losing out and being denied the justice they deserve? There is evidence to support a different approach to the time that Bar be considered in those cases. Will she be with me, the Clibank Asbestos Group and others to hear about their experience and to discuss the way forward to address the obvious injustice? I recognise the difficulties involved when raising legal proceedings on asbestos-related injury cases. I think that the Scottish Law Commission has done an excellent job in setting those out and consulting on a number of potential solutions. I am happy to meet the member and others to listen to their experience. Like many, I have family connections to the Clyde Shipbuilding Heritage and I know only too well of the lasting impact asbestos can have. Do you ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the impact in Scotland to the UK Government decision to restrict the use of security cameras made by companies subject to Chinese national intelligent law? It may be useful just to point out the exact decision of the UK Government which was to restrict the use of surveillance technology made by companies subject to Chinese national intelligence law which applies to sensitive UK Government sites. The Scottish Government is in the process of replacing and upgrading security equipment across its estate as part of a multi-year improvement programme. All existing CCTV kit and equipment, including HickVision and other companies' products, is being replaced with a new integrated system to improve and future-proof the security system. I am grateful for that reply. Scottish Liberal Democrat research, conducted in September, found that HickVision CCTV cameras are currently being used across 13 councils in this country. They are also installed as part of Police Scotland estates and Scottish Government estates. Two weeks ago, the UK Government security group ordered Government departments to stop installing cameras manufactured by Chinese firms, including HickVision, because they pose a threat to national security. Will the Scottish Government now accelerate the refresh of CCTV equipment so that we can remove those from our sites of sensitivity as soon as possible? I think that I had a member refer to local authorities and to some Police Scotland sites. Of course, he will know that, first of all, operational matters for Police Scotland are taken independently of the Government. It will be a matter for Police Scotland to take that decision. Given our common view of the autonomy of local authorities, it is an issue for local authorities to take forward as and when they see fit. In accordance with local priorities, we will continue to provide such advice and information to local authorities and Police Scotland that we are able to provide, but it will be a decision for those bodies. The UK Government has long had close connections to the Chinese Government and companies hired to promote its Belt and Road initiative, intended to extend and consolidate its global influence. Does the cabinet secretary welcome the new Lib Dem focus on human rights? Will he encourage them to distance themselves from China's oppressive government further? I am not sure that this is relevant to the substantive question at all. Is there anything relevant to the original question? I would say that the Scottish Government has serious concerns, and I am not sure what the hilarity is about, where we have serious concerns about the appalling human rights situation in China, particularly in Jiangjing, and we will continue to raise those concerns directly with the Chinese Government. We are clear-eyed about all our international engagement and keep all our policies under review, but we welcome and support co-ordinated international action to address human rights violations, which are a serious issue, such as those taken by the UK Government to help ensure UK businesses and the public sector are not complicit in human rights violations in Jiangjing. To ask the Scottish Government for an update on the construction of the new women's prison facility to replace HMP Clonton Vale in Stirling. The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising and improving Scotland's prison estate, with current infrastructure priorities being the completion of the female estate and the replacements for HMPs Barlinnie and Inverness. The contractor is in the final stages of completing the construction of the new women's national facility, HMP Stirling, and it is due to open in summer of 2023. To further ask the Minister for an update on the success of the new community custody units in Glasgow and Dundee since their opening, and whether any changes to the approach have been identified prior to the opening of the new facility at HMP Clonton Vale. The community custody units are the first facilities of its kind in the UK, and I saw these transformative new facilities first hand when I visited the Bella Centre last week. To date, feedback from staff and those in the care of the units has been very positive, and I can attest to their holistic approach and trauma-informed nature adhering to our women in custody strategy, which was published in the summer. I can also advise that a formal evaluation of the two community custody units has been commissioned, and any outcomes from that will inform future decision-making on the women's estate going forward. On the subject of constructing new prisons, HMP Inspector of Prisons has said quite openly that if conditions at HMP Greenock do not improve by her inspection in March next year, she will not hesitate in sending in the health and safety executive to recommend its closure, which would obviously come with devastating consequences. Can I ask what immediate action is taking place to improve conditions at the prison to avoid the scenario where the prison will have to close? Both supplementaries have veered somewhat from the original question around court and veil. Again, Minister, if there is anything you can usefully add in response to that question. I am happy to engage with the member on the issue, as I recognise that it will be something that we need to look into and do some immediate work on, so I will write to the member in that regard. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work with veterans 1.5. The Scottish Government has committed to ensuring that veterans have access to appropriate mental health support wherever they live in Scotland. The Government has provided funding of £658,000 this year to veterans 1.0 to provide mental health and wellbeing support to veterans and their families, and that funding is matched by NHS boards. Veterans 1.0 are also closely involved in what to implement the veterans mental health and wellbeing action plan and is represented on the Veteran-led Implementation Board, which was established by the Scottish Government and is chaired by Dr Charles Wyn Stanley. Annabelle Ewing. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response and his official opening of veterans 1.5 in the Rosewell Centre, which, in my constituency last year, was very welcome indeed. To help as many veterans as possible, however, permanent contracts need to be an offer to attract more clinicians, so can I ask the cabinet secretary therefore what he can do working with the cabinet secretary for health and with NHS 5 to ensure that that happens? I do, of course, recall the opening, which was a tremendous event and is much valued by the veterans in that area. The veterans 1.0 is an NHS body, which is staffed by an alliance of NHS clinicians and veterans. Veterans also have access to NHS services, which are available to the broader population. Health and social care ministers and I are committed to continuing and enhancing mental health and other support for veterans across Scotland. We are working closely together at ministerial and official level across a range of issues. In her first progress report since taking up office, Scotland's veterans commissioner, Susie Hamilton, recognised the importance of and the progress made today to implement the veterans mental health and wellbeing action plan. While it is for local NHS boards to determine clinical priority and resources, I would be happy to ask Dr Charles Wyn Stanley what discussions the implementation board is having about access to clinical provision as part of wider proposals for a new national service to support veterans' mental health and wellbeing. That will also include third sector provision from organisations such as Combat Stress. To ask the Scottish Government when it expects police officer numbers to be restored to the previous target of 17,234 officers. Policing is a priority and will continue to be a priority for this Government. The latest data at 30 September shows a higher number of officers in Scotland than there were at 31 March 2007, with 30 officers per 10,000 people in the population whereas there were 24 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales at 31 March. The chief constable has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to challenges by ensuring the right workforce mix. Decisions about recruitment are for him to take within that broader context and I'm pleased to know that Police Scotland welcomed around 900 new recruits this year. Douglas Lomstone. Earlier this year, Superintendent Murray Mayden retired from Police Scotland and called on health and wellbeing services to step forward and ease the strain on Aberdeen police officers whose time is considerably taken up by mental health concerns. Due to the NHS crisis, the police in the north-east are now the first and last resort for people with mental health, addiction issues and the need of hospital care. Is it any wonder that there are 884 less police officers than there was a decade ago? When will the devolved Government start listening to our police force and have the proper support structures in place so that our police force can get back to policing? I assume that Mr Lonson wasn't listening to my previous answer, which pointed out that we have far more police officers in Scotland, that they are far better paid, that they have been more successful in reducing crime and that we have record low numbers of homicide. The member raises a question about what work can be done, and I accept that. What can be done is that if the UK Government wasn't to cut its police force to the extent that it has, and we consequently got consequential funding, we would of course have more money to increase even further the advantage that we have in terms of the number of our police officers, in terms of the pay of our police officers. Just to remind the member, £5,000 more per year for a starting constable in Scotland than the rest of the UK, so a great job is being done by a police, a superb job is being done by a police. I don't deny the pressures of Covid, of COP26, indeed of the Royal Funeral as well. The pressures these have brought to bear on the police, but they do a tremendous job and are properly compensated and remunerated in Scotland, which is more than, you can say, happens in Tory England. As the cabinet secretary has outlined in several replies already that the Tories don't seem to want to hear, police officers' numbers in Scotland remain well above officer-level numbers in England, where the Tories are in charge. Would the cabinet secretary agree with me that the fact that Scotland has the most officers per capita, significantly higher pay ranges for officers and high levels of investment shows that policing is clearly a priority for this Government? It's obvious to anybody willing to look. If you're going to pay police officers more, if you're going to have more of them, then you attach a higher priority to policing than perhaps some of our counterparts do. I know they don't like this. I know they don't like to hear that policing is much more underfunded in the rest of the UK than in Scotland. We have those numbers. I've mentioned we have higher levels of remuneration right up to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable. We've also increased police funding year on year since 2016-17 and have invested more than £10 billion in policing since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. We greatly value the vital role that police officers play. In recognition of that, as I've said, we've ensured that they are the best paid in the UK, starting salaries around £5,000 a year for a constable. The latest data shows, as I've said, 30 officers per 10,000 in population compared to 24 officers in England and Wales. That shows the priority that this Government attaches to policing in Scotland. As the cabinet secretary knows, the modelling carried out by Police Scotland on how they could implement the proposed justice cuts suggests a reduction of 4,400 in police officer numbers. At the criminal justice committee, the cabinet secretary indicated that he would not allow such cuts on his watch. Will he confirm that? Will he also confirm that those cuts will not be passed on to civilian support police staff, as it happened in the past, as that also has a significant impact on the service? I did say exactly as the member said that we would not be overseeing a reduction. I think that it was a 4,000 police officers in Scotland who had no intention of doing that. Also, I don't recognise the point that the member makes about justice cuts. It would be useful to have the justice cuts specified, what cuts have taken place in terms of justice. We intend to ensure that there is a good settlement. We'll find out, of course, more next week when the Deputy First Minister outlines the budget for Scotland. Of course, we will try to make sure that within that budget settlement. It would be useful to have a Labour Party acknowledge the constraints that we're having to operate under. It's the same in Wales because of the UK Government's austerity policies, which are affecting our ability to do as much as we want to do in relation to vital public services. We have no intention of overseeing a cut of the magnitude that the member mentions. We do not want to see cuts to the justice budget. An internal police survey highlighted a lack of resources, a lack of recognition and a need for career progression as key reasons behind officers quitting the police service, often and after less than a decade service. Strains on the police force is compounded with proposed cuts to justice budgets. How will the Scottish Government ensure that officers have the support and resources to do their jobs and ensure staff retention? A number of the points that Beatrice Wishart raised in the first part of her question are matters for the chief constable. Things like career progression and opportunities within the police are, of course, matters for the chief constable that we don't get involved in. The underlying point to her question, of course, as ever, is about resources perfectly legitimately. What I'm saying is my intention is to make sure that we don't have to suffer the cuts that we're seeing coming from Westminster, the impact of inflation, which has reduced our budget this year by £1.7 billion. And, of course, the hugely increased cost of wage settlements this year. If one recognises the real pressures, it's obviously our job to do as much as we can to mitigate the impacts on our vital public services, and I'm sure that's what the Deputy First Minister will do next week when he delivers the budget. Thank you. That concludes portfolio questions. There'll be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business.