 The next item of business is topical questions in order to get in as many people as possible. I'd be grateful for shorting succinct questions and responses. At question number one, I call Russell Finlay. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take in response to sanctions announced by the US authorities against members of the Kinnehan organised crime group in light of the group's reported connections to Scotland. The Scottish Government continues to work with law enforcement agencies in Scotland and elsewhere to tackle organised crime. We cannot comment on individual operations, but we will continue to take any action that we can, as will our partners, within our current powers to ensure that organised crime groups do not see Scotland as a safe haven for their assets. Russell Finlay. Thank you. One Kinnehan gang member to be sanctioned is John Morrissey, along with Glasgow-based vodka company Nero Drinks, but the Kinnehans are not interested in flogging vodka. Their real business is cocaine and heroin, and it's widely known that this cartel is in partnership with Scotland's Lions gang, making vast profits from killing Scots. The SNP Government turned its back on the UK Government's project, Adder, which aims to tackle drug trafficking with tougher police enforcement, considering those international sanctions. Will the cabinet secretary rethink that decision? I'm sorry that so quickly Mr Finlay has adopted his usual SNP attack mode. I think that there's a very serious issue at the root of this, which is the pervasive influence of organised crime. I think that Police Scotland, working with other agencies, including the national crime agency, both ourselves and Police Scotland, do work very effectively in order to address the issue of not just organised crime, but drug scanks. I will continue to support Police Scotland in their efforts to do so, and I will continue to support the joint work that we do with the national crime agency and other partners both in Scotland and the UK. That seems to me the constructive and effective way to go forward, rather than seeking to throw mud wherever it's possible. Russell Finlay. Thank you. No mud was thrown in my part, but no answer was given in the cabinet secretary's part. Journalists in Ireland and elsewhere have taken great personal risks to reveal how the Kinehan cartel's dirty money has infiltrated boxing. Tyson Fury and the Scottish world champion Josh Taylor are among those to be represented by Daniel Kinehan. It's my contention that Scottish football is also contaminated by drugs money. Last year, the Scottish Government issued a video warning young players about the risk of being targeted by organised criminals posing as advisers. Can the cabinet secretary tell us therefore what tangible action has been taken against dirty money in boxing and football in the 12 months since this video was released? First of all, I've already mentioned the extent to which we work with Police Scotland and others, including the SFA and others on those issues. It's also worth saying that in relation to the action that's taken, whether it's against the gangs that Russell Finlay has mentioned or more generally against organised crime, it's often not the best course of action to lay out exactly what you're doing as you're doing it. He will know, I'm sure, that certainly in relation to sanctions and also other actions taken against organised crime groups, the more that you telegraph what you intend to do, the harder it is. So either find the evidence, either that or the proceeds of crime which derive from the activities of these gangs. So we will continue to work with our partners in sport and continue to work with the police to make sure that we are taking effective action and to make sure that people who are vulnerable and that includes young sports people as well are best protected by taking the advice that they can get from Police Scotland and other justice partners. Audrey Nicolle. To ask the Scottish Government how the updated Serious Organised Crime Task Force strategy will enable Scotland to combat serious organised crime. It does so by making sure that we work together with other organisations. Some of whom I've mentioned already, but that would also include COSLA, the NHS, SOLIS, the national crime agency I've mentioned, also HMRC and others represented on the Serious Organised Crime Task Force. We also benefit of course hugely despite what's been said in the previous set of questions from having the crime campus unique in the UK commended by most of the justice organisations and indeed the UK government on a regular basis given the frequency of their visits to see how that work is carried out. So that is carried out jointly by the attack on Serious Organised Crime with fantastic co-ordination at the national crime campus. We are determined that, despite the occasional brickbats thrown from elsewhere for party political purposes, we will continue to work in that way with our agencies, both in Scotland and across the UK. We recognise of course that Serious Organised Crime does not recognise borders and we have to be joined up in our response to it. Question 2, Paul O'Kane. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported recent outbreak in cases of hepatitis in children across Scotland. Further incident management meeting is being held this afternoon. However, the most recent information is that, to date, Public Health Scotland has identified 13 cases of severe hepatitis requiring hospital admission in children aged between 1 and 10 years old. The cases are spread across six health boards, although most cases have presented since March. One child was admitted to hospital in early January 2022. Cases have also been detected in other parts of the UK. Those cases are unusual because the hepatitis has not been caused by one of the recognised strains of virus. In an average year, we would expect to see only seven or eight such cases without some other underlying diagnosis. At present, we do not know the cause of the hepatitis. All potential causes are being thoroughly investigated, and a number of children have tested positive for adenovirus, which is generally mild but which can in some rare cases cause hepatitis. The most effective way to minimise the spread of adenoviruses is through good-hand and respiratory hygiene. I therefore urge anyone taking care of younger children to supervise hand-washing and ensure good hygiene. I also urge parents to contact their GP or other healthcare professionals if they notice signs of jaundice in their child. That can be a yellow tinge in the whites of their eyes or on their skin. Other symptoms include dark, urine, pale grey-coloured stool, itchy skin, muscle and joint pains, tiredness, feeling sick, a high temperature or loss of appetite and stomach pain. Although investigations into the cause are on-going, we are able to definitively confirm that there is no connection between the Covid-19 vaccination and those cases. None of the infected children have received a first dose. Although I know many will be concerned by the situation, please be assured that Public Health Scotland is working hard to identify the cause and is working closely with health agencies across the United Kingdom and international partners. I thank the minister for that response. This is naturally a very concerning situation, and I appreciate that there has been an increase in those cases across the UK with the World Health Organization informed and the UK Health Security Agency coordinating that investigation. It is vitally important that work to identify the factors causing the infection's moves at pace, and that a high level of support is offered for the affected children and families. Of course, we would all want to avoid speculation on the causes of infection, as that would cause further anxiety in communities. However, there has already been media reporting suggesting a number of potential causes. I note what the minister said about the Covid-19 vaccine, but there have also been stories about toxins in food, drink and toys, which all can have caused concern in the wider community. Will the minister say when she expects further detail on the causes to avoid such speculation and to ensure that the right plan is in place to tackle those concerning infections? I would definitely give commitment to update Parliament when we have definitive information. I have no problem with doing that. We are working not just with UK agencies, but also with international partners. Public Health Scotland published a Euro Surveillance Journal article to alert international colleagues, and I am aware that there have been a number of reports in the US of a similar type of hepatitis. That is a global concern that people are working on around the world. At present, there is not a known cause, so I cannot put an end to that speculation, but all potential causes are being explored. I can assure the public of that. Infection is considered to be the most plausible cause at the moment. I am more than happy. There are a number of clinical advisors who would be better placed to give more information on that, and I am more than happy to get that information to parliamentary colleagues as smoothly as I can. I thank the minister for that undertaking, and I think that everyone in the chamber would welcome that detail as the situation continues to develop, because it is a concerning and developing situation. To push the minister further on our previous answer, how does the Government intend to increase awareness of symptoms with parents and carers, given the importance of early diagnosis and health interventions? Public Health Scotland has also highlighted the importance of increased hand and general hygiene, as the minister alluded to. How will the Government support those messages for families at home, but also for early learning and childcare settings and school settings particularly, and at this time, when people may be becoming more lax or less observant in those sorts of areas because Covid-19 regulations are changing? I am more than happy to get back to the member with definitive answers on that, but it would seem sensible to me to work closely between healthcare professionals and education colleagues and parent club, which is an excellent resource and is very well trusted by parents in Scotland to ensure that the appropriate information is there. In fact, this is what we have been practising for the past couple of years with regard to Covid. It is good respiratory hygiene, coughing into your elbow, washing your hands after coughing and making sure that your hands are washed with the virus—if it is a virus, it is particularly important to clean hard surfaces—so all the lessons that we have learned over the past couple of years will certainly stand us in good stead in facing this particular threat. It is concerning that an unusual number of hepatitis cases have been detected in young children across Scotland's central belt. While I appreciate that this has been investigated at pace by Public Health Scotland and the UK Health Security Agency, what urgent steps is the Scottish Government taking to trace this outbreak and to raise public awareness in addition to the comments that the minister has made in his chamber today and the awareness of hepatitis symptoms among parents and guardians across Scotland so that those susceptible are better protected and are able to receive life-saving treatment far more quickly? Certainly, as soon as that was signalled, we put out communications as soon as we were sure that there was something to tell the public about, we very quickly followed that up with public information. I am aware that at the moment there is so much going on in terms of the news agenda that not everybody is engaged in it and I am more than happy to reflect and consider if there are better and more specific means of communicating to particularly healthcare professionals, to parents and to education facilities to ensure that everybody is well informed about what we are looking for. As I said in my earlier answers, this is still an evolving situation. We are not entirely sure of what the causative agent is but there are certain rules and guidance that we can follow to try to reduce the risk regardless of the cause. Thank you. That concludes topical questions. The next item of business is a statement by Kate Forbes on transforming Scotland's tech sector.