 Felly, rydw i'n mynd i ffodus o'r tuyddiadau gwiriaeth COVID-19 ydy'r gwiriaeth a'r gwirio'r cyffredin wedi'i gafodd gyda'r ddechrau ac am llwyfodol Câmpus. Alun i'r rhai hynny yn cwestiynau gwyllwgol, rydw i'n rhaid i'n ddifwngu gweithio'n gweithio'n Groes Atlainwg. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its draft budget will enable local authorities to deliver a consistent level of co services. Reductions to UK Government funding have reduced the overall Scottish budget for 2022-23g by 5.2 per cent in real-terms. The Scottish Government has increased local government funding for day-to-day services such as skills in social care by £975.7 million in 2022-23—a real-term increase of 6 per cent. This funding, including the extra £120 million added at stage 2 of the budget now, will enable local authorities to deliver their core services in supporting communities across the country. However, at a time when public services, including those provided by councils, have been stretched to breaking point, the SNP Green's cuts to council budgets is nothing short of an insult. Trumpeting an an additional £120 million after cutting £371 million requires some brass neck from the minister. It's still a cut. So, what will the minister tell constituents across my region and across Scotland, who now is saying that that cut reflected in their vital local services being scaled back and their council tax bills going up? I thank the member for his supplementary question. I want to recognise the outstanding and vital work that local authorities do across Scotland. If anyone has got a brass neck, it's a member because it's his party in government that Westminster has cut the Scottish budget by 5.2 per cent and has refused to engage constructively in this budget process over the past two months. The reality is that we have a reduced budget and we have given a fair settlement to local government with a real-terms increase in the local government settlement. I hope that perhaps in future budgets the Conservatives might want to engage in a more mature and considered fashion, where instead of just calling for funding increases, we should say clearly where that funding should come from. Liam McArthur, the leader of Orkney Islands Council last week announced that he was withdrawing from COSLA denouncing the settlement from the Scottish Government as the worst of any local authority. Does the minister believe that such treatment of Orkney Islands Council reflects a Government committed to island proofing and supporting our island communities? As the member will appreciate, the distribution of funding through the needs-based formula is a process that is taken in conjunction with COSLA. Our deliberations in this Parliament are with regards to the overall local government funding settlement and, as I said before, there has been a real-terms increase for that settlement. I would again make the point that if members wish to see in future budgets more money for one budget line, they have to identify the corresponding budget line, where there should be a reduction. 2. Rona Mackay To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce trials for a four-day working week. We are committed to establishing a £10 million fund to allow companies to pilot and explore the costs and benefits of moving to a shorter four-day working week. We are in the early stages of developing the pilot and are committed to developing a comprehensive design for the pilot over the next year, supported by an initial £500,000 of funding. Our work will be informed by experience drawn from similar projects in other countries and, of course, elsewhere in the UK. 2. Rona Mackay The minister for that answer. The pandemic can be used as an impetus to change the dynamic of work for the better. What work is the Scottish Government undertaking to ensure that workers' voices and rights are at the heart of any upcoming four-day week trials across the country? 3. Rona Mackay The member is right that the pandemic has served to intensify interest and support for more flexible working practices. We have already seen the possibilities and positives of adopting alternative working practices for a better and more inclusive balance between work and people's personal lives. Ministers have met and continue to regularly meet with trade unions to ensure that workers' voices and rights are at the heart of the pilots, and that will be a guiding principle as we move forward. 4. Stephanie Callaghan To ask the Scottish Government for its reaction to the recent report by autonomy that, even under workiest scenario, its research suggests that a four-day working week would be affordable for most businesses once the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic has passed. I have looked at the findings of that report, which I think was around a year ago. It does indeed say that, under the best-case scenario, a reduction in hours would be entirely offset by increases in productivity and price increases as well. Of course, there were also worst-case scenarios that we have to pay attention to, and they found a number of issues around perhaps cash flow for some companies as well. That is why the pilots will be so valuable so that we can learn the lessons in the Scottish context of how to take that forward. 3. Christine Grahame To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of failure to comply with the 20-mile-an-hour speed limit in Midlothian South Tweeddale and Lauderdale have been recorded since its introduction, including how many fines were subsequently issued as part of the enforcement of 20-mile-an-hour speed limits. 3. Keith Brown The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland is responsible for the enforcement of speed limits. 4. Christine Grahame I thank the cabinet secretary for his response, so my next port of call is obviously Police Scotland. South A village in the border through which today A7 passes has had long-standing issues with speeding by both cars and commercial vehicles. Anxiety increased because the pavements are narrow and can't be widened. Residents in the local community council sought the 20-mile-an-hour speed limit. It would have a major impact on speeding, but breaches, I am told, are frequent. What can the community do beyond contacting Police Scotland? I would say that the Scottish Government could practice guide on 20-mile-an-hour speed restrictions and suggest that any changes should be monitored and where compliance levels are not at an acceptable level. Considerations should be given to the addition of traffic calming measures or, in some cases, diverting to a 30-mile-an-hour limit if necessary. Those things are the result of a dialogue between a number of partners, primarily between the council and, in the member's case, the councils involved and Police Scotland. I know that the 20-mile roads in Midlothian South, Tweedian and Lauderdale are a mix of local roads. Therefore, under the responsibility of local councils, there are also trunk roads. I know that that is the concern of the members. Some speed surveys have been undertaken by the Borders Council, including on the trunk roads that are of concern to the member. I suggest that she wants to have further discussion both with the local authorities and with the police. I am happy to pass that message on and add my support to the further dialogue that she is seeking. Is the minister aware that new data reveals that there are 59 fewer local police officers in Lothian and the Borders compared to the period before the creation of Police Scotland? Does the minister share my concern that the savage SNP cuts to front-line policing are undermining efforts to issue fines, combat speeding and could be putting lives at risk in Stow across the Borders and the wider south of Scotland region? I am not wholly convinced that that referred to the substantive question. Cabinet Secretary, if you would like to answer very briefly. I will do just to say that, of course, what the member neglects to mention is that we have around 50 per cent more police officers per capita in Scotland than we do in England and Wales. It is his Government that has cut the funding for this. It is his Government that has cut 20,000 police officers in England and Wales, so it will take no lessons from the Tories on proper police funding. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with the outdoor education sector since December 2021. Minister, I met representatives from the outdoor education sector on 9 November. The meeting was also attended by Councillor McCabe, causeless children and young people spokesperson. Since that meeting, Scottish Government officials have held a series of meetings and further discussions with the sector. I am pleased to confirm today that an additional £2 million in support funding will be provided to the sector. Can I warmly welcome that £2 million commitment from the Scottish Government? I think that it is absolutely essential that that money is there to safeguard our outdoor education centres. I also, however, ask the Minister if she could comment on the article by Martin Davidson from the Outward Bound Trust in the Scotsman today to ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the inequalities in access to outdoor education for residential for many children across Scotland. Minister. I thank Liz Smith for her welcome of the additional funding and also for her question. She will be aware that, in 2021-22, we committed to providing financial support to low-income families, ensuring that all children can participate in curriculum-related trips and activities, not only trips to residential centres but also all forms of school trips that have a curriculum-related purpose. The programme for government further makes that commitment to ensure that secondary school pupils will be supported to go on at least one optional residential centre trip during the time at school. Can the minister provide an update on the Scottish Government's actions to expand outdoor learning, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and how will she work with organisations such as Outlet to play resources to achieve that? Our vision is that all children and young people are participating in a range of progressive and creative outdoor learning experiences. As Collette Stevenson indicates, there are a range of commitments within the programme for government relating to outdoor learning and school trips. During the course of this year, the Government will engage with key partners in local government and in the outdoor learning sector to progress those commitments. This work will build on our Covid-19 outdoor education recovery fund, which provided an additional £500,000 to outdoor learning experiences last year, reaching many pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. A report from last year's funding programme will be published soon. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the services that are available to people with a gambling addiction. We share the concerns expressed by many around the impact of gambling-related harms in Scotland, and we recognise that gambling can have disastrous consequences. We agree with a view of our stakeholders that a public health approach is needed to tackle those harms and to improve treatment services. We are working with Public Health Scotland and third sector stakeholders to develop an understanding of the scale of the problem in our communities. We are assessing person-centred and localised treatment options, recognising that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We welcome the review of the Gambling Act 2005 and further hope to see greater regulation and control of the gambling industry in the coming white paper to prevent gambling-related harms in Scotland. I thank the minister for that helpful and comprehensive answer. As we know, problem gambling is highly disruptive to sufferers and their families. Gambling research found that one in five problem gamblers spent more on the habit during lockdown, with young people particularly likely to increase their gambling. Will the minister therefore consider establishing or supporting the establishment of a residential clinic specifically for gambling addicts in Scotland? I thank the member for the question. Gambling-related harms are complicated in origin and may affect a whole range of people, not just those who are experiencing the most significant level of problem gambling for which residential clinics may be of most use. There is not just one single approach that will solve the issues related to gambling-related harms. The introduction of a residential clinic cannot be the only approach that is taking. As I said in my earlier answer, we are very keen to work with the third sector and those with lived experience to understand the person-centred treatment options for those who experience gambling-related harms and to consider localised approaches. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities in dealing with instances of bullying in schools. Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville Whenever it arises, in 2017 we published updated anti-bullying guidance for all adults working with children and young people. In 2019 we introduced a uniform approach to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools and published guidance on that. To support local authorities, schools and all those working with children and young people to build confidence and capacity to address bullying effectively, we have established and fully funded respect to me, Scotland's anti-bullying service. Fulton MacGregor I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. In the last few weeks I have been dealing with four constituent queries relating to significant alleged bullying in schools, three in secondary schools and one in a primary school. In all cases, the child who has experienced bullying has moved to another school and is doing well. However, what more can be done to help local authorities to educate those involved in bullying-type behaviours and to support victims so that it is not always they who have to move away to escape the abuse? Cabinet Secretary Well, this must have been an exceptionally difficult time for Mr MacGregor's constituents, particularly the young people involved in this. As I said in my original answer, our focus is very much on prevention and early intervention environments that engage with young people, promote respect, celebrate difference and encourage positive relationships and behaviour are key in supporting our young people. There are a range of strategies that schools use to improve relationships and behaviour and support in those approaches is provided by Education Scotland as well as, of course, through the relevant local authority. As I mentioned, the respect me provides support to all adults working with young people to give them practical skills and confidence to deal with bullying behaviour appropriately. I thank the cabinet secretary for those answers, which he considers extending the 2019 records so that identification of bullying using cyber methods, be it mobile phones or laptops, can be identified and centrally collated. Cabinet Secretary Well, I thank the member for that question. I'd be more than happy to follow up with him directly with this in further detail. We are, of course, very aware that, as society changes, then, of course, our bullying strategies need to make sure that they are up-to-date and relevant to the challenges that our young people are facing. As I said, I'd be very happy to meet the member to discuss his particular concerns on this and to go into this in further detail. To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the £10 Christmas payment will continue to be paid by DWP to recipients of disability allowance and personal independence payment once the benefits are fully devolved. The reason is because the payment that Mr Balfour refers to is a reserved benefit. It is not devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The £10 Christmas payment is a UK Government payment that is paid to people in receipt of various benefits, including disability benefits and low-income benefits such as pension credit. As Mr Balfour is aware, we have worked with the UK Government to ensure access to passported reserved benefits such as the Christmas bonus payment, as well as other entitlements for people receiving the Scottish Government's child disability payment and adult disability payment. The issue is that, from time on now, we are going to still have two lists every year where the agency is going to have to pass that information on to DWP. Has he had discussions with DWP about devolving its power to the new agency to save its administrative cost? The Scottish Government engages in regular dialogue with the Department for Work and Pensions with regard to data transfer and sharing of relevant information across the delivery of our devolved benefit programme. If Mr Balfour is now arguing for more social security powers to come to the Scottish Parliament, I welcome that, because we have seen on the evidence of delivery so far that both our agency Social Security Scotland and this Government are delivering social security in a way that is a human rights-based approach that is based in dignity, fairness and respect. We are delivering well, and with more powers we could do even more. Given that the £10 Christmas payment is a reserved benefit, does the minister agree that Jeremy Balfour might like to join me and others in calling for the full powers over social security to be devolved to this Parliament? Indeed, as I have already stated, the delivery of devolved social security to date is something all of this Parliament should be proud of. We have set up Social Security Scotland from scratch, and it is developing, growing and strengthening each day. We are about to deliver our 12th benefit, seven of which are new, including the remarkably important Scottish child payment, which has been strongly welcomed by stakeholders and families. Importantly, we are making a meaningful difference for thousands of households, spending £361 million extra above the fiscal framework and giving extra help. If we compare that to DWP, who, of course, withdrew £20 a week from family budgets, who, of course, have been found to have wasted billions of pounds worth, £8.3 billion in PPE contracts and £4.3 billion in fraud write-off, we are delivering well, we are delivering proficiently and with more powers we will be able to make an even bigger difference for thousands of families. I, along with many others in Scotland, look forward to the days coming soon when we will gain and utilise more powers to make an even bigger difference together.