 Good morning. The first item of business is general questions in order to get in as many members as possible. Short and succinct questions and responses would be appreciated. Question number 1 is from Stuart McMillan. To ask the Scottish Government what it's response is to reports that local authorities have encountered difficulties in engaging with electric vehicle charger contractors to repair EV charging points. Minister Patrick Harvie. Felly, gydaANfodau cymaint sydd oedd cyfathodau localei, i ddod gerfod i iechyd a chargwch i amddangos cyfrifiadau a'i fynd i brin perfectio o'r oblodau cyrraedd â hynny, yw i'n efo gwleidio'r teulu yn safbwyllt ar gyfer dech chi'r cyfrifiadau, ac i'r cofitio'r cyfrifiadau cofitio'r gyfrifiadau i amddangos cyfrifiadau i duio a'u bobladau. ond sydd eich reprwadau eich hunain o'ch cyfrinidau ein cyfrinidau i'r srwm, oedd mae'n cael manlyg o'r swydd o'i cyfrinidau i'r sefyllol o'r cwrnodol. Ieithi Gwbod Maenard. Rwy'n meddwl dwi'n rhoi eich hunain o'r un genlun cyfrinidau i ddefnyddio'r rhaid o'r remindio cynllun pyrdeidol. Oni, nhw'n rhaid i'r parwadau yn meddwl i'r remindio i'r remindio i'r remindio i'r remindio gael eich hunain. Rwy'n credu, mae ynghyddiadwg y mae'r Gwbwynt yn gr heedlu i gynnig i gynnig archeering rhywfannau desbyt i'r ffrindiau a'r cyfrifwysgol ar gyfer cyfrifwysgol ynghwyl fliadau i gynnig i gynnig ar throughput ynghylch Wow, ond mae hwn yn ysgolffydd i gynnig y ffrindiau i gynnig er700 a'r cyfrifwysgol i gynnig i gynnig i gynnig i Gwbwyntau i gynnig i Gwbwynt i gynnig i Gwbwynt eich lŷu gwyrdd a'r cyfrifwysgol ynghyddiadwg gynnig i gynnig i unigwam 60 miliwn pwn i gwybod sgiliau o'r cyflogu cyflogu cyflogu arall, o gwybod 6,000 cyflogwys ar y cyflogwys byd 2016. Snodd, Scotland, yn cael ei gilydd o rhan o gyflogwys i'r bwysig ar gyflogwys, yn ymdegos cyflogwys, bydd ei ddweud i ddweud i'r bwysig ar gyflogwys i'r bwysig i'r bwysig ar gyflogwys i'r bwysig ar gyflogwys i'r bwysig i'r bwysig ar gyflogwys i'r bwysig Efallee Fynifat肉 in Gwstiynau ac Ysbryndd aethen Aelodau across Scotland is critical, and Transport Scotland has been investing in mobile equipment for colleges to support training in more remote areas and support a just transition to net zero. Liam Kerr. Very good. One thing that will not help in the repair and maintenance of eavey charge points was the Scottish Government's decision to no longer subsidize the repair and maintenance of plug-in points, so cash-strap councils struggle to pay for the upkeep of the chargers, and that has led to huge hikes in the charges in places arferdinais, Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Siar and the Highlands. Will the Scottish Government reconsider that decision to ensure lower costs at the charge point for drivers? I have already indicated my first answer, the support that has been provided to local authorities funding to support maintenance of their existing chargers. The specific commercial arrangements for maintenance are a matter of negotiation between local authority o throses i ddam anonau, sc infringau a sum i dynnu ddechrau. Mae gynhwyl yn bufferio i ddimennas ar iswgron隙g, gyda'r ddim withare ar gyfer drwng mwyfr powersau yn cas o cas dra Rau gwleid espero hon a bod ymlais aNotocado d入an gan gechrygailing am bl 기 resolutions neu ddalig. Liam McArthur Rhoo i d hyn ac är enseñach speciall ei ddalig erbyn y poisoned a cael tyþrunkid. Cwcn am gyfer grants a brin, chi'n credu sicrhau the reported faults aren't reflected either in the number or duration of those faults? I wonder if the minister would commit to asking Transport Scotland to look again at the way in which it reports faults. Minister. I'd be certainly happy to discuss that with the new Transport Minister once they're in post. For chargers on the charge placed Scotland network, initially the help desk tries to remedy faults remotely where that's possible. If it can't be fixed remotely, a fault ticket is sent to the charge point owner and their chosen contractor to make them aware of the issue and engineers should be on site within 48 hours of the receipt of the fault ticket. I recognise that there'll be concerns around the country, particularly in remote and rural areas where there may be additional challenges, but we do think that across the country as a whole, the level of reliability at the network is high. To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to the fourth bike scheme and its partners in the light of the scheme ceasing to operate. I'm sorry to see that fourth bike has ceased to operate. We provided £181,000 of pilot funding to Fourth Environment Link when it launched in 2019, but they and other schemes have found themselves in similar positions as a result of issues facing Bewegan. Enabling people to access bikes in an affordable and easy way is vital to reducing health and income inequality and making communities safer and more pleasant. We're working with Cycling UK to establish a new £1 million fund for non-ownership cycle options. We expect that to support start-up and existing cycle schemes. We expect that to launch this summer. I thank the minister for that answer. Fourth bike has proved very popular locally, particularly in the Falkirk area, with over 65,000 miles this year. As the minister said, Bewegan, the Canadian bike share company involved, has experienced operating difficulties in Fourth Environment Link. Recycle bike and other partners have been trying to find a solution to keep the scheme running. Can I ask the minister what steps and discussions about financial and practical help in the short term have been undertaken by the Government to ensure that cycling provision in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire is not massively reduced? I completely agree with Gillian Mackay, and I want to celebrate the success that Fourth Bike has been able to achieve. I understand from discussions with stakeholders involved delivering other affected schemes that urgent commercial discussions are on-going, including with the Canadian company that Gillian Mackay refers to. In that case, the partners, led by Fourth Environment Link, who run the Fourth Bike scheme, have not contacted the Scottish Government or asked us to be involved in their discussion. I note that High Bike was able to reopen earlier this week, for example, and I hope for a similarly positive outcome for Fourth Bike and other schemes. That demonstrates the complexity and challenges of running public bike hire services, setting them up and running them, and that is why the new fund that I referred to in my first answer, providing support for the sector, is going to be very important and beneficial. We absolutely must have more concise responses, and I call Emma Harper at question number three. To ask the Scottish Government through which means rural communities can object to any of its proposed policies that would have a direct impact on the local sources of employment, culture or natural environment. The Scottish Government is committed to engaging with rural communities on policy proposals, which could directly impact them. Rural voices must be heard and must feel their views count. In addition to our usual consultations, which allow people to have their say, rural communities are also being given a voice to initiate change through Scotland's rural parliament, a grassroots democratic assembly. Of course, Scotland is the only part of the UK to enable a rural parliament such as this. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. I understand that the Scottish Government is at a very early stage of developing its proposals for HPMAs, and I welcome the commitment from the First Minister that no HPMAs will be imposed on communities that vehemently oppose them. However, I want to ensure that the voices of fishers in Dumfries and Galloway are listened to and that their concerns are taken into account. Can the cabinet secretary therefore indicate how communities can make their voices known and ensure that any concerns or objections are made clear as the Scottish Government develops its proposals? I reassure Emma Harper that we are committed to engaging with fishers and others with our island and coastal communities throughout the process to ensure that their voices are heard. It has always been our intention to develop ambitious proposals in close collaboration with those who are potentially impacted by them, and that is why we chose to consult at the earliest stage possible. Bonda, our initial consultation, we have already been engaging with stakeholders. That engagement will continue with more opportunities for people across Scotland, including Emma Harper's south of Scotland region, to share their views as part of that process. I am sure that Mairi McAllan, as the lead, is happy to keep the member updated as engagement plans are developed. Alexander Burnett Thank you, Presiding Officer. In February, Douglas Ross and myself met with the Cabinet Trust on the Murray Aberdeenshire border, as I had done previously with Richard Lochhead last year. We heard from a community decimated by the oversaturation of onshore wind farms, a ring of steel, as they described it. They now face an additional 54 turbines, making it 146 in total. One of those sites includes Craig Doarney, one of a few unexcavated and intact Pictish sites, only partially protected as a scheduled monument. Is there any protection that the Scottish Government will give to our rural communities, or will they continue these modern-day highland clearances and destroy our historic and natural environment? Of course, one of the big impacts on our rural communities is the impact of Brexit and some of the immigration policies that have absolutely decimated rural businesses. I will get the minister responsible to send a detailed answer to the issues that the member raises. One of the things that the Tories cannot continue to do is to pretend that they support the green economy and renewable energy in order to meet our climate change objectives and then oppose every single measure that is brought forward nationally or locally that stands in the face of that. You really need to come clean and be honest about your position. To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to prevent recent cuts to bus services in Renfrewshire. Minister Patrick Harvie. It is disappointing to see service cuts in Renfrewshire, as Mr Bibby is well aware. Since the deregulation of the Thatcher era, Scottish ministers don't have the power to intervene over specific bus services. We do remain committed to supporting the sector with £421 million allocated in 2324 for bus services and concessionary fares, and we've delivered powers for local authorities to run their own services, setting alongside existing powers to subsidise services. We're working with COSLA on the community bus fund and encourage operators and local authorities to collaborate for the benefit of passengers. Neil Bibby. I thank the minister for that answer, but I think that the answer that the minister was looking for is nothing. Despite McGill's cut in a huge 13 per cent of services in Renfrewshire, the Scottish Government have done nothing. SPT and councils only have very limited resources to step in. A busy public meeting in Linwood this week, people from across Renfrewshire told that the huge impact that those cuts are having on NHS staff and patients, college students and working parents. People in Renfrewshire think that those cuts are unacceptable. Does the minister agree that those cuts are unacceptable? If so, what is the Government actually going to do to reverse those cuts? I share the member's concern about the cuts that he refers to and others around the country, but he is also as well aware as I am that the deregulated model of bus services provision does not give Scottish ministers the power to intervene in specific services. What we have done, as I have already said, is set out new powers for local authorities to run their own bus services and committed to the community bus fund, which will give them the resources to start using those powers. I hope that Mr Bibby will join with us in encouraging local authorities, including those in his own region, to use those powers to work with us as constructively as possible. To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on resourcing community sport as part of efforts to eradicate health inequalities. Physical inactivity is identified by the World Health Organization as one of the four main modifiable behaviours that increase the risk of non-communicable disease, which is why our aim is that Scotland meets the WHO global target of a 15 per cent relative reduction in physical inactivity amongst adults by 2030. Community sport can play a significant role in the achievement of this aim, and Sport Scotland works in partnership with governing bodies of sport, local authorities, leisure trusts, clubs and community organisations to provide opportunities for all to participate in sport. We also invest through Sport Scotland in key programmes such as community sports hubs that benefit communities across the country. At last week's health committee, there were two particular contributions in community sport that the Government may wish to listen to. Access to community facilities is one of the largest challenges that sport and the voluntary sector face. We do not have a national strategic approach to ensuring that there is investment in community sport activity as a key route to health and wellbeing. Does she agree with me, and is it not the case that this Government's incessant cuts to our local councils and therefore cuts to our communities show tackling health inequality has never actually been a priority to this Government? Whilst I agree with Carol Mochan that tackling health inequality is absolutely one of the most important things that this Government and this Parliament can do, I completely and profoundly dispute her narrative around this Government's role. I am sure that she will welcome yesterday record investment for Scottish sport in 23-24 from Sport Scotland, with up to £36.7 million for Scottish governing bodies of sport, local authorities and wider national partners. That is an 8.6 per cent uplift on the previous year. In terms of the funding for our local authority partners, over the last decade, this Government has suffered a period of austerity since 2010. There has been 5 per cent— Thank you, minister. You must draw your response to a conclusion. There's been a—I can't respond. Thank you, minister. I will move on to the next question, and I call Fiona Hyslop. Is the minister aware that the community swimming pools in Roxburn and Armadale are facing closure due to west loading council proposing withdrawal of all management fees to the leisure trust? There is no council in Scotland who currently make no management fee whatsoever. Those are communities with serious health inequalities and with six-week waits for NHS referrals to Roxburn swimming pool and the need for low-impact exercise pending long waiting list for orthopedic surgery. Is she aware that this decision by west loading council was made before proper engagement with health services and patients? What can the Government do to support my constituents on low incomes who need low impact exercise who don't own cars to get to the neighbouring swimming pool and when west services have been cut in those two towns? I'm well aware of the proposed closure of those facilities in west loading. Our leisure facilities are absolutely crucial to the health and wellbeing of our population and play a really important role in rehabilitation, for example. We're fully aware of the impact of energy costs and there's such a significant issue facing many sports facilities, particularly swimming pools. I'm very happy to examine what support I can provide. Of course, the UK Government holds most of the levers for controlling energy bills and we are working with Westminster. We've repeatedly called on the UK Government to use all of the powers at its disposal to tackle the cost of living crisis and to provide appropriate energy bill relief to leisure facilities. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of pride months, what it is doing to tackle any discrimination against LGBT plus people. We all have a responsibility to protect and support LGBTQI people from any form of discrimination. It's a responsibility that I take seriously and I think all politicians need to show leadership on this issue. We have published our hate crime strategy, our vision for Scotland free from hatred and prejudice, where people are empowered, inclusive and safe. We're developing a non-binary equality action plan to reduce barriers and discrimination currently faced by non-binary people and we will soon be launching our consultation on a new human rights bill for Scotland, which will give effect to a wide range of human rights and will contain provision to ensure that everyone has equal access to those rights. I thank the minister for her answer. LGBT plus hate crimes are soaring across these islands that our words both within and outwith Parliament have consequences. This week Douglas Ross added to his sorry record on LGBT plus rights by suggesting that drag queen story time is inappropriate for children. Will the minister join me and LGBT plus members in allows across the chamber in condemning any homophobic and transphobic bigotry, which we know fuels anti-LGBT plus hate crimes? Karen Adam raises an incredibly important point that we must take seriously. As I've said, we all have a collective responsibility to protect people from harm and the Scottish Government is clear that any hatred or prejudice will not be tolerated. Mr Ross may want to reflect on his recent comments, which follow others that he's made in regards to gypsy travellers as well, and we all know there has been a proud tradition of drag artists in our society for many decades, indeed just two weeks ago the media noted the death of Scottish comedian George Logan, who was best known for being one half of the drag act Hingian Brackett, who performed at the Royal Variety show and regularly on the BBC in the seven days and eighties. Unless Mr Ross also wants to stop children going to the pantomime, I suggest he apologises for his comments, reflects and attends the reading session in Elgin library, because he may learn something in the meantime that they have my support for this undeserved backlash. I recently met Matt Dabrowsky, the chief executive of Out Scotland, the UK's first chamber of commerce for LGBT-owned businesses, which provides business development opportunities for member businesses and supports and promotes supplier and procurement diversity. I wonder if the minister would be interested in meeting with the group to understand better their work in this area. Yes, I'm grateful to the member for raising this, and I commend the aim of Out Scotland to support LGBTQI business owners and professionals. I gather that they provide networking opportunities, training business support and mentoring, and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with them to find out more about how their support in LGBTQI businesses is in Scotland. Thank you. That concludes General Questions. Before we move to First Minister's Questions, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery the honourable non-embago, Notemba Boyce, who is the speaker of the Cwazulu Natal Legislature. I would also invite members to join me in welcoming her excellence, Evita Burmister, ambassador of Latvia to the UK.