 Gweithio'r pethol eich gymryd i gyd yn cael ei wneud hynny dechrau rydych chi'n ffordd i'w pethol y maes yn ei gynnigeon i ni i gael gael ddod, mae'n fyrdd yn cael ei wneud i ddisgwydau ddesgwydau eri'i ddefnyddol i ddim i fynd mewn maes yn ei ddefnyddol i ddiolch yn ei ddefnyddol i ddim i ddefnyddio'r pethol i ddod. The Good Progress has been made in promoting the payment of the real living wage in Scotland. Last month, more than 2700 living wage accredited employers increased, which is proportionally five times higher than the rest of the UK. That means that some 55,000 workers have more wages in their pockets due to employer accreditation. Under our regionally focused making living wage place scheme, we have seen Edinburgh Merthygnaf i'r tyfnwys yn gwneud yn ni! Mae Llywodraeth i'r ris diwethaf yn y Cam ond yn tyfnwys ei'a troi i erioedd ar y lleionarydd i'r ris diwrdd yn ni.on rywbeth i'r ris diwethaf yma i'r ris diwethaf ar y lleionarydd i'r ris diwethaf rywbeth i'r ris diwethaf ar y lleionarydd i'r ris diwethaf gyda lawn yn 2021. Wiree Wich-Dare Mae ydw i i ddim yn ateb yn fwy o wrtho eich bobl yn y lleionarydd i'i gwneud. Gwybod i ddowsineidiaeth am dwylo wedi gwneud rahydraeth a gwnaeth gwaith yn y lleidiau iawn i'r gwerthodd i wedi gwneud eich ddusihwyr, ac yn i'w ei fod yn ardal i ddweithio edrych iawn yr oedd maes rhan o'r dyflaen plwyd. Gwybod i'r ddysgwysbeth i'r mae i'n gallu yr Oesinig Llywodraeth i gothau yn gwneud o ddysgwysbeth i ddysgwysbeth i ffais i ei wneud i gael eu gwneud ddysgwysbeth i ddysgwysbeth I think that the member is right and, of course, it is very timely to raise this issue, given that we are in the experience of the pandemic and the implications for many employees in Scotland in reflecting on their experiences. Of course, we are now facing a cost of living crisis. Now is the time to reflect on the powers that this Parliament has to support workers and ensure that it will receive a decent wage for their work. 85 per cent of Scots do receive a real living wage, but, of course, if we had employment powers, we could do a lot more about that, since to ensure that 100 per cent of Scottish employees get a decent wage. The other issues that the member mentions, of course, could be addressed if we had powers in this Parliament. 2. Paul Sweeney To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the missions of the Scottish National Investment Bank. Over the last 18 months, the bank has built up an operational structure. It has recruited more than 60 staff, and it has delivered investment commitments of more than £200 million to 16 projects across all three of its missions, leveraging in over £450 million of additional private funding. 2. Paul Sweeney In light of Professor Ross Brown's warnings on 23 May that the Scottish National Investment Bank will continue to flounder and ultimately fail if its missions remain so broad and incoherent, will the Scottish Government commit to providing the bank with a clear mission to drive high-value added industrial growth and advance the manufacturing in Scottish-owned firms instead of investments in things such as a forestry fund aimed at a high-net-worth client seeking tax-efficient structures? 3. Paul Sweeney To caveats, I would make that all members, if I recall correctly, agreed that the bank should retain operational independence. Secondly, if I remember correctly, all parties agreed that the missions were set for the bank. Obviously, as a start-up, the bank has done an incredible job not just building its operations but ensuring that the pipeline of investments is going out the door. In the past 18 months, it has made eight investments in the net zero, mission four investments in the place, mission four investments in the innovation and people mission. One question that I would have to Mr Sweeney is, which mission does he think we should drop rather than adding more missions to it? 3. Murdo Fraser To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its commitment to deliver a free laptop or tablet to every school child in Scotland. Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville We are committed to ensuring that every child has access to device and connectivity by the end of this parliamentary term. We have already provided £25 million to councils resulting in over 72,000 pupils receiving a device and 14,000 receiving an internet connection. We know that a number of local authorities have also invested in technology and they have indicated that in total almost 280,000 devices have been or are in the process of being distributed to learners. That is a complex and ambitious commitment. We are currently looking at the available infrastructure in schools to support the wider roll-out of technology and we are taking work forward and partnership with the local government colleagues and have convened a joint partnership board with COSLA to oversee the work. Murdo Fraser I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. During the period of Covid restrictions we had pupils doing home learning who would have benefited from access to a free laptop or tablet, and many of them did not have that access. The cabinet secretary is now saying that this will not be completed as a programme until the end of this parliamentary term. That means that there are pupils currently in S2 or S3 who will be leaving school without benefiting from this programme. Is the cabinet secretary being serious in saying that we are going to have to wait another four years before this commitment is actually delivered? Murdo Fraser While our manifesto was very clear that the commitment was for the parliamentary term, that is what we are committed to do. I would contrast that with the recent Tory manifesto of the local elections, which contains no timescales and no commitment for a device for every child. The Tories had an opportunity and a chance to let out their alternative, but they did not. In the meantime, we will get on delivering on our manifesto commitment. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the mental health and wellbeing of officers and staff within Police Scotland. Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown It is essential that mental health and wellbeing support is provided to police officers and staff at the point of need. I welcome the initiatives that are being undertaken by Police Scotland, the employer, to support its workforce. The Scottish Government has provided funding to the Lifeline Scotland wellbeing programme, which provides tailored online resources for blue light responders, volunteers and their family members. That includes provision of £97,864 this financial year. We are currently considering a proposal from Lifeline Scotland for further funding support in 2022-23. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Official statistics indicate that officers and staff within the force have missed over 77,000 days during 2021-22. The police federation has stressed that levels of officers and staff are now reaching critical stage and officers are leaving in droves. The Scottish Government has handed Police Scotland a further real-term budget cut of 8 per cent. Therefore, what action is taking place to reverse the decline and do all that we can to ensure that we maintain, retain and support our police forces? Alexander Stewart has done his homework. He has found out that the reason for the reduction in police force numbers is to do with COP26 and Covid, both of which have limited the ability for the police to undertake training of new officers at Tullialam, because it has been used for other purposes. The police will tell them that. He asked what else we were doing. We are going to pay our police officers more than the Tories pay the police officers that they have got control over. We are going to have more police officers for our population than they are in England and Wales. Are we going to impose the Tories' imposition of a 5.2 per cent cut in our budget this year, which limits how much we can do? We are doing the things that help police officers, as opposed to the Tories that we have undermined and undersourced the police in England and Wales. Two years ago, one-third of officers were saying that they were going to work mentally unwell. We have already heard that thousands of days have been lost to work over the last two years because of mental health, but ministers said that they were very satisfied with the mental health support that was being provided. This week, when I spoke to Calum Steele from the Scottish Police Federation, he told me that the situation was still dire. When will ministers stop being satisfied and get on and improve the service? I have mentioned the work that we have done in relation to the initiatives that we have already funded for the police for this year—we will fund them again for next year. Willie Rennie will know that we have access to Police Scotland's 24-7 help employee assistance programme, the EAP, and the trauma risk management programme. It is not the case that we say that everything that can be done is being done. Of course, as Calum Steele would also argue, we should continue to improve the services that we provide, and of course we recognise the special pressures that Covid has presented for the police. The police have done a fantastic job throughout the Covid period, and we want to continue to support them, so we are not saying that we have done all that we can do. Of course it is the responsibility of the employer, which is Police Scotland, with a role for the SPA, but we will continue to help them wherever we can to protect the wellbeing of our officers. I draw members' attention to my register of interest, which shows him an owner of a private rented property in North Lanarkshire. To ask the Scottish Government what the support capacity of Home Energy Scotland was before this was increased by 12,000 households. Home Energy Scotland had capacity to provide advice and support to more than 120,000 unique households through more than 400,000 advice interactions as a result of increased funding in 2022-23. Home Energy Scotland advisers have the capacity to provide support to 132,000 unique households through 440,000 advice interactions. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. While he mentions the figure increasing to 132,000 unique households, the capacity to reach low-income, potentially fuel-pure, poor clients has not increased proportionally with that increase of 12,000. Action this summer is critical with the price cap going up in the autumn. Can I ask the Government if they have written to every group that is eligible for the warmer home Scotland since the cap went up in the spring? How many installations does the Government expect to deliver from those 44,000 calls? I think that these latter points are very rare to the 440,000 calls or interactions. Obviously, it is a demand-led service and it depends on the needs and the circumstances of those individuals and what might be the best route of support for them. In relation to those who are most vulnerable, one of the aspects that we have been able to augment with Home Energy Scotland is access to the energy carers service, which is a specific service to help those who are most vulnerable, who may not be able to take advice and support through telephone or by online services, where they are care advisable to visit them and provide advice and support in their home. That is particularly targeted at those who are extremely vulnerable in order to meet the very type of concerns that the member has. However, if the member has a particular issue or an experience from a constituent where he believes that we could take further action, I would be more than happy to look at that matter to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to support households. The cabinet secretary will be aware that older people will be most vulnerable when it comes to facing spiralling energy bills with fixed incomes, often living in older, energy-inefficient housing. According to Age Scotland, 55 per cent of over 55 those who served were unaware of the Scottish Government's schemes to assist with energy efficiency. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that there is more proactive targeting of older households in the increased resource being made available to Home Energy Scotland? I am always open to looking at what more we can do to help to promote the work of Home Energy Scotland. The principal way in which much of the work is taken forward is through trusted partners, so whether it be health and social care organisations, whether it be food banks or charities or local authorities, to provide a referral pathway into Home Energy Scotland. That is where the vast majority of the referrals come from. As I mentioned, we have augmented the support for Home Energy Scotland to provide energy care service support to those who are most vulnerable and may not be able to take advice online or over the phone. However, if the member has any specific examples of constituents who are not able to access services or believe that there is further action that we can take to promote those services, I am always open to looking at those matters. Question 6, Rhoda Grant. To ask the Scottish Government how it is strengthening transport links to rural areas. Ambitions for Future Transport Infrastructure investment in rural areas are highlighted in the 45 recommendations contained in the Second Strategic Transport Projectory or SDPR2. The recommendations included investment in ferry replacements and port upgrades to improve the resilience and reliability. We also intend to consider two potential fixed links in the western isles, as well as a link between MUL and the mainland. SDPR2 provides the necessary evidence-based required to help to secure the future funding of those projects, including those that have the potential to transform the way that we travel in rural areas. Due to ScotRail's emergency timetable, it is impossible for people from Caithness to get the train to attend hospital appointments in Inverness. The reimbursement mileage is woeful at £15 a mile and does not adequately cover their costs. How will the minister ensure that no patient is missing out on healthcare due to the lack of public transport in the area? As the member will know, ScotRail's emergency timetable has arisen as a result of drivers refusing to work on their restays. I am very grateful that Asleth has since recommended that the pay deal is accepted. Of course it will now go to a referendum to ask ScotRail to look at how we might be able to reinstate the normal timetable as quickly as possible, noting that ScotRail has already reintroduced a number of services. On the specific point that Ms Grant has raised about reimbursement, I would be more than happy to address that with ScotRail and to write to the member with more detail on that, noting some of her concerns in this area. Bus passengers across rural Stirling are experiencing last-minute cancellations, especially on services X10, 38 and 51. First Bus advice that there is a shortage of bus drivers. Can the Scottish Government advise what more can be done to address those shortages and other issues affecting the industry? There is currently a shortage of HVV drivers for buses and lorries due to the pandemic creating a backlog of testing and training. That has of course been exacerbated by Brexit in preventing people from the EU from coming here to work freely. We have repeatedly sought a formal role in determining what occupations are in the shortage of occupation lists in respect of our representations, but the UK Government has denied that. Bus drivers are not included in the solace, and I understand that the UK Government will be reviewing that later in the year. We have asked for full involvement in that process. That is clearly causing those issues in relation to local and national bus services right across the country. We have provided up to £210 million of funding to support bus services during the pandemic and an additional £40 million to support recovery for this year. I have asked Transport Scotland for urgent advice, additionally, on why so many services now appear to be being cancelled due to shortages and how that service changes are impacting on communities more broadly. Graham Simpson Thank you. Can I just take the opportunity to congratulate the Minister on her recent marriage? She mentioned funding. The network support grant plus has been keeping bus operators afloat particularly in rural areas, but it's due to end next month. An industry expert has said that this could lead to a cut of 20 per cent on some routes, rising fares and depot closures. Bus operators are calling for that fund to be extended at its current rate by three months, and that would allow passenger levels to recover. Will the Minister agree to that? I am aware of the issues that the member has raised, and I thank him for his well wishes. Some of the funding associated with the support grants did relate to the pandemic, and it was always due to come to an end at some point. However, I have asked officials in Transport Scotland to see what more we might be able to do to support rural bus services. I would like to ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the continued use of azulocks for bracking control. An emergency authorisation for the use of the herbicide product azulocks has been submitted for bracking control for 2022. The Health and Safety Executive, HSC, is considering the application on behalf of all UK Administrations, and the process is ongoing. I have spoken to stakeholders directly over the last week, and I understand the difficulties associated with bracking control and the current key role that azulocks play. As part of those discussions, I have indicated that it is important for Governments to work with stakeholders to explore options for more sustainable forms of bracking control in the future. I am very happy to hear that the Minister has met stakeholders, and I am reassured that she is aware of just how damaging bracking is, not just to the environment but to animal health and for the potential of very serious accidents involving land managers when trying to manage bracking using land-based methods such as bracking bursters on challenging hill land. I have been asked by my constituents to emphasise to the Minister that, while the HSC continues with its deliberations and the grant of the extension, they will be looking to the Scottish Government to protect their interests, the environments that they manage and the health and wellbeing of themselves and their staff. So can I ask the Minister to meet with me urgently in order to discuss what assurances she can give to my constituents who are in the position of having a serious on-going bracking problem to deal with, and no safe method of doing so other than erill-applied azulam? Minister. I would be very happy to meet with the member to discuss this important issue and understand the concerns that the member and his constituents are raising. I would like to reassure him that, considering the emergency application for the use of asulux, I have sought out views from stakeholders, including those who currently use asulux for bracking control. Just last week, I met with the NFU Scotland, NatureScot, Scottish Forestry and the RSPB to hear their views, and they have all made their positions clear. I will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the other UK administrations to explore options for sustainable forms of bracking control. Thank you. That concludes general questions. Before we move on to First Minister's questions, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery Mr Max Heagles-Burger, President of the State Parliament of Upper Austria.