 The first item of business is portfolio point of order. On a point of order, I would seek some guidance from you in relation to a matter of urgency. It's felt by my constituents and others. On the 24th of November, Scotland's teachers will hold their first national strike since the 1980s. I know that teachers are dedicated professionals. They don't want to strike. They want to be in school doing what they are qualified to do, teaching their pupils. However, they are sick to the bone of this Scottish Government failing the education of our children and ignoring the health and wellbeing of teachers. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has not come to this chamber of our own volition to make a statement and to answer questions from members about what is being done to avert this strike. Teachers are anxious to be leaving their posts. Parents don't know what's happening. Pupils will have their education disrupted again. I'd have a great deal of correspondence that shows that people are mystified as to why this matter is not top of agenda in the Scottish Parliament. Yesterday, we spent two and a half hours debating the future of Gaelic in Scots, and tomorrow we will have yet another debate about Brexit, rehashing the same old tired arguments of the past. As important as those matters are, I and many people who are tuned into the proceedings of this Parliament are mystified as to why we aren't discussing the fact that, next week, Scotland schools will close, and pupils will miss lessons due to what up until now has been a failed pay negotiation conducted by the Scottish Government. You will know that I have been seeking to raise this matter through all the normal channels open to me as a member of the Scottish Parliament, so can you now please give me some guidance? As to what it takes to get a Scottish education minister to come to this chamber and to answer the questions of members about a matter as urgent and as important as an impending teacher's strike. I thank Mr Kerr for his contribution. Mr Kerr will be aware that that's not a matter for the chair as regards requesting a statement. It is open to the member, of course. It is a decision for that locus. The member will be aware that it is the bureau, and it may be that the member wishes to take the issue up with his own party business manager in order that that matter could be pursued in the right place, which is the bureau. I have another point of order. In Mr Kerr's point of order just now, he seemed to get that tomorrow's debate on Brexit was a Government debate. I want to inform the chamber that this is a committee debate, given the committee's opportunity to hear its concerns about Brexit in our most recent report. I thank Clare Adamson for that contribution, and it will have been noted on the record that it is indeed, in case there is any dubiety, a committee debate tomorrow. I would now propose to move on to portfolio questions. The first portfolio this afternoon is Constitutional External Affairs and Culture. I remind members that questions 5 and 7 are grouped together, and that I'll take any supplementaries on those questions once they are answered. If a member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should press the request-to-speak button or enter the letters RTS in the chat function during the relevant question. I call question number one, Alex Rowley. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the independent theatres in Scotland. The Scottish Government provides support to theatres through Funding to Creative Scotland, who support world-class theatre through a portfolio of regularly funded organisations. Independent theatres in Scotland are eligible to apply to Creative Scotland's open fund, financed in 2223 by £16.3 million of national lottery arts funding for specific projects or productions. Alex Rowley. I thank the minister for that answer, specifically focusing on the Alhambra in Dunfirmland, which is the backbone of the nightlife economy. Obviously, a lot of theatres have struggled through Covid and are struggling to survive. Now the cost to living is putting up costs for them and those costs are being passed on and we're seeing reduced numbers. The only difference is that for most theatres in Scotland, they do get public subsidy, they get local authority subsidy, some of them are allios. Would he agree to meet with those independent sector theatres to see specifically what their issues are and how the Government can support them to ensure that no more of them actually go to the wall? I thank Alex Rowley for raising that point. I understand perfectly the role that the Alhambra plays in the local economy in Dunfirmland, as well as the contribution that it makes to wider cultural needs. The Scottish Independent Theatres Association wrote to me recently. I have replied and suggested on 4 November to extend an invite to one of our forthcoming round table sessions that Angus Robertson and I are hosting with the culture sector to discuss and chart a way through the very challenges that Alex Rowley has raised that are facing the cultural sector here in Scotland but also are not unique to Scotland but also being faced elsewhere in the UK. Of course I'd be more than happy to meet with Alex Rowley and the Alhambra Theatre as well and if he would like to meet right to me to suggest such, I'd be happy to take him up on that. I thank the minister for that update and share and my colleagues worry about the viability of independent theatres during this Tory cost of living crisis. Given the welcome summit this last week to bring together cultural organisations, does the minister agree with me that Labour should join with us in calling for the UK Government as the architects of this crisis to make additional funding available to enable the Scottish Government to more effectively respond to the challenges that this and other sectors face? Thank you. I thank Alasdair Allan for that question. Yes, I absolutely agree. I appreciate that this is an incredibly worrying time for the culture sector and agree that the UK Government should make additional funding available to address the cost crisis. It's not just an issue unique to Scotland in terms of cultural institutions facing challenges as a result of spiralling inflation and a cost crisis that the UK Government failed to get to grips with or in fact the impact that has been felt by the Covid recovery funding being withdrawn prematurely. Those are issues that are being faced across the UK so we believe that it's incumbent on the UK Government tomorrow to come up with the necessary funding to support culture across the UK. We will continue to press the UK Government to do that and we, through the roundtables that Dr Allan has raised, will continue to work with the sector as best we can to support them through this challenging time. Creative Scotland has delayed their upcoming funding initiatives from 2023 to 2024 after what they've called a realistic prospect of serious cuts by the Scottish Government. That clearly will affect venues such as the Tron and Glasgow. What additional support will the Government provide the sector to avoid other theatres closing their doors forever? Clearly, Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government are facing unprecedented challenges in terms of our funding situation as a result of spiralling inflation. Our own budget is worth £1.7 billion less this year than what it was when it was set in December. Creative Scotland published an update on its future funding framework postponing this until April 2025. That revised timetable gives the time for the development work, the sector engagement and pre-application consultation in spring and summer 2023 and will ensure that the process takes account of Creative Scotland's budget allocation and the context at that time. 2. Polly McNeill Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government how long it plans to house refugees from Ukraine on the ship docked on the Clyde MS Ambition. Thank you, Presiding Officer. We do not want to see anyone spend more time in temporary accommodation than is absolutely necessary. The MS Ambition was chartered on a short-term basis for six months to provide much-needed temporary accommodation for displaced people arriving from Ukraine. The contract is due to end in March 2023, and if required, those on board at the time of the ship's contract ending will be offered alternative temporary accommodation. Work continues to match those on board the ships to host and longer-term accommodation, and matching teams are operating on board both ships. I thank all those in Glasgow regarding this question from the City Council, local representatives and third sector organisations for everything they are doing to make our friends from Ukraine feel welcome. I thank the minister for the answer, and he will be aware that MS Victoria being used to house Ukrainian refugee jeans at least has more cabins without portholes than with. I wondered if he was able to tell me if that was the same with MS Ambition. The Government does not seem to have set a time limit for this other than the end of the contract, and I wondered if that would be the time limit. I am sure that the Minister will agree that windowless cabins in isolated ports are not the best for people fleeing war, but I welcome the leadership that the Scottish Government has given on the question of housing Ukrainian refugees, but I am just looking for assurances that this can happen sooner rather than later. I have been on both, as I should expect, both Victoria and Ambition. There are rooms that are when the ships company and the city councils are operating to try to make sure that they are shared across the hallway to make sure that there are shared cabins for families to be able to utilise. Other MSP colleagues, Faisal Chowdry, has been on board, has been able to see the standard of accommodation that there is both on Ambition and on Victoria. I would be happy to extend an invite for Pauline McDeill to be able to see that for herself as well, but I can assure her first of all in terms of the standard of accommodation, very, very strong, but also in terms of the work that we are doing to make people stay on both ships and in the hotels as short as possible. Those are individual human-based conversations that need to be have, both in terms of people's desires but also needs, but we are doing all we can through the new digital matching tool to try to make that as swift as possible. Along with other MSPs, I visited the MS Victoria here in Edinburgh last week. Can I ask what action the Government is taking to ensure that families with children who are already settled in schools can remain at those schools when they move from temporary accommodation to more long-term accommodation, whether on the MS Ambition, the MS Victoria or elsewhere? I thank Donald Cameron for his question and I hope that he found the visit to Victoria informative. We will do all we can when we are matching people out of temporary accommodation and host accommodation to ensure that people can have continuity in terms of their schooling, their education and in terms of their employment. We will do all we can. Sometimes there will be disruption to that by the nature of the initial accommodation being temporary, but we are working with local authorities, in this case, the Edinburgh City Council, to try to do all we can where people are matched beyond the initial locus of the schools to ensure that children can remain in those schools. It will not always be possible, but I will always do what I can to make sure that we can make that as smooth a process as possible. To ask the Scottish Government how the £15 million fund allocated for the Ukraine longer-term resettlement fund is addressing any issues of insecurity faced by affected Ukrainians. Since the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine more than eight months ago began, more than 21,500 people from Ukraine with a Scottish sponsor have arrived here, representing a fifth of all UK arrivals, the most per head of any of the four nations. The fund will help to boost the overall supply of homes that we can make available to support displaced people from Ukraine into longer-term sustainable accommodation. I think that that will help many to find the security that they need whilst they live in Scotland. The fund has so far provided over £400,000 to North Ayrshire and £6 million to the Edinburgh City Council. Can the Minister outline details of how the £5 million fund previously allocated for North Lanarkshire in my central Scotland region has directly impacted resettled Ukrainians? I thank Gillian Mackay for raising that. The £5 million award to North Lanarkshire Council, which was a pilot granted as a head of the full fund being operational, will help to bring up to 200 homes back into temporary use in tower blocks in Coopridge and Wusher to increase the number of homes available to support displaced people from Ukraine. We are already seeing the positive impact of the funding, with more than 20 families already having moved into the Wusher tower block. I was pleased to be able to see that for myself when I visited the tower in Wusher last month and spoke with the families who have recently moved in. I understand that they are settling in well to their new homes and community. I can also update that we expect the construction works at the tower block in Coopridge to be completed in December, which will further boost the supply of homes available to support Ukrainians rebuilding their lives in Scotland. I thank North Lanarkshire Council and the community teams around the towers for all that they are doing to be at the vanguard of the pilot project. I thank the minister for being able to attend a visit to the Gouthrapple flats in my constituency and to see the work that is being done. It is important that people understand that the Ukrainian families have a Scottish secure tenancy and that the same rights as other residents and tenants come to live in those areas, and to give some comfort to the people who may be reluctant and may be stalled in some of the cruise ships that the welcome is warm there and a secure family home for as long as is necessary is available for them. I thank Claire Ameson for raising that point and for highlighting the benefits of utilising the longer-term accommodation that is being made available. I am pleased to be able to visit the flats in Gouthrapple with Claire Ameson last month and I agree with her that it is positive to see the impact of the support that is helping Ukrainians settle in Scotland. We are actively encouraging other councils and local housing associations to apply for that funding as well. My officials continue to work closely with authorities and RSLs on proposed projects. Additionally, I will write to all MSPs and MPs in Scotland to encourage members to work with councils and consider what properties in their area that could be brought back into use. I am keen that we take a flexible approach to maximise the number of units that can be delivered from this funding and would encourage all college to consider possible sites and buildings in their areas that could be brought back into use or repurposed for long-term accommodation. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the removal of funding for Scotland's winter festivals fund. The Scottish Government recognises the difficulties faced by the culture and events sector but had to take the extremely difficult decision to withdraw funding for the 22-23 winter festivals. Feedback from the events sector to events Scotland confirms that some previously funded events will continue to proceed, some with reduced offering and others will have had to cancel. Events Scotland and Scotland's event industry advisory group continue to work with the events sector and there remains a range of existing winter and festive events planned by local communities and venues for both visitors and locals to enjoy. Deputy Presiding Officer, the minister, it seems, read a Christmas carol and saw a screwd as an aspiration rather than a warning, who, as he says, is the only department not to have had its budget cut. So what was it that he prioritised over support for major Scottish festivals like St Andrew's Night, Hogmanay, Burns Night? Was it another pointless foreign embassy, more civil servants to work on independence or more lawyers to pursue pointless legal cases? Minister? To be fair, Stephen Kerr is better than that, quite frankly. I respectfully remind Stephen Kerr. I did not want to take this decision, but he cannot divorce himself from association for the reasons why it was forced upon me. Spiralling inflation at a cost of living crisis that the Conservative UK Government, I assume— Excuse me. Minister, please resume your seat. Please do not shout from certain to position, Mr Kerr. Minister, please resume. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Spiralling inflation at a cost of living crisis that the Conservative UK Government, I assume that he still supports, means that organisations across the culture sector, not just here in Scotland but across the UK, are facing financial difficulties. It has also left the Scottish Government's budget £1.7 billion down this year compared to when it was set in December. The challenges faced by the culture and events sector are shared across the UK. That is why it was folly for the Covid recovery fund to have been cut before a meaningful recovery took place. I hope that Mr Kerr will echo my calls for the UK Government to use the borrowing powers that we do not have in Scotland to make sure that we can enjoy and invest in the sector using the Chancellor's statement to be heard tomorrow. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. We have already seen the closing of Edinburgh film house and the loss of international film festival. How the current economic crisis has affected Scotland's cultural landscape is that withdrawal of this year's winter festival fund will only intensify that problem for the cultural sector. What good does it do for the Cabinet Secretary to be flying around the world promoting Scottish culture if cultural institutions and festivals in his own constituency are closing down for good? I have had very positive engagement with Foisal Children in a number of issues and I do not think that he believes what he has read out there, that Scotland is uniquely unable to discuss shared importance, including on issues of international development and other areas that I know are close to Foisal Children's heart. Our international network provides a huge amount of investment to Scotland. It has provided significant economic benefit and it is absolutely right that we continue to enjoy our international network to ensure that it can continue to support our economy here in Scotland. Thank you to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what priority it attaches to developing relationships with other European countries. The Scottish Government continues to attach a high priority to developing relationships with other European countries. Doing so helps us to deliver real benefits for Scotland, such as attracting investment and creating domestic opportunities. While we attempt to stem some of the undeniable harm that Brexit is causing by protecting our friendship and links with European countries, we are absolutely clear that rejoining the EU at the earliest opportunity as an independent country represents the best future for Scotland. I thank the minister for that response. Back in June, the cabinet secretary confirmed he'd held discussions with the commission on establishing international exchange opportunities for young Scots. However, ministers have admitted that they have had no meeting specifically on their proposed Scottish Exchange programme. No funds are currently allocated to it, and there has not even been a consultation. Meanwhile, a £65 million scheme in Wales has already lined up over 5,000 international exchange opportunities from September this year with funding for the next four years. Does the minister believe that it is fair that young people in Scotland are being denied the same opportunities as their counterparts in Wales? On that basis, can he confirm that the Scottish Government programme will be up and running from next September? Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank Liam McArthur for that question. As a fellow proud European, clearly we want to continue to have strong working relationships with our neighbours in Europe, and I'm sure that his occasionally constituents will recognise that the only recognisable route that we have back into Europe and enjoying the benefits of a full Erasmus programme would be by being an independent country. However, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of educational mobility while we remain committed to Erasmus Plus in the interim. We are creating a Scottish Education exchange programme to support participants from across Scotland's education system. That is a programme for government commitment and will help to maintain Scotland's places and outward-looking internationally connected destination for work and study. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve Scotland's relationship with European countries and any benefits such initiatives can have to Scotland's people, public services and businesses. Engaging with other European countries helps us to build relationships and unlock new economic and trading opportunities. It helps to protect our interests in Europe in the light of Brexit and other recent events from the illegal war in Ukraine to the climate emergency and cost of living crisis. In May and June, I visited Baron Vertenberg to promote the game-changing trade opportunities emerging in the renewable sector and Warsaw and Krakow to show solidarity and to learn from their experiences over the impact of the war in Ukraine. Our relationship with European countries really matters when it comes to jobs, investment, export policy and cultural collaboration, and opportunities such as those are not taken by looking inward or staying at home. The Tory and Labour parties do not seem willing to accept economic and social consequences of Brexit, which they support. Following the ending of freedom of movement, many EU nationals working in health and social care have left the country, making it harder for people to get the support that they need. Does the minister agree with me that the only possible way we can develop economic and immigration strategies that work for us and rejoin the EU is Scotland to become an independent country? I thank Collette Stevenson. Scotland has its own distinct immigration requirements, which are different to the rest of the UK that has been recognised across this Parliament, as all future population growth is protected to come from inward migration. The UK Government's immigration policy fails to address Scotland's distinct demographic and economic needs and completely disregards key sectors relied upon during the pandemic. We were elected with a clear democratic mandate to offer the people of Scotland a choice over Scotland's future and committed to an independent referendum during this Parliament. Does the minister agree with me that the most effective way of deepening relations with our closest European neighbours, while enhancing our position as a constructive partner on the world stage, is to offer people in Scotland the democratic choice of embarking upon independence and restoring their status as citizens of the European Union? Yes, I absolutely do. There is broad relevance. The member may regard that as something that he may not wish to hear. It is a debating point and there is relevance. I would ask the minister to answer, focusing on the relevant bits. Thank you, Presiding Officer. It certainly would not be for me to challenge the authority of the chair. I absolutely agree with Emma Roddick. I think that she is absolutely right. We have seen the folly of Brexit. We have seen the diminished role that the UK now plays on the world stage as a result. Scotland is respected for its work as a good global citizen and we want to continue our alignment with the rest of the EU pending, our re-admission into the EU when we become an independent country. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any communication that is had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the retained EU law, revocation and reform Bill. We wrote to the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the latest one, on 8 November, after lodging our legislative consent memorandum, recommending the Scottish Parliament withhold consent for this bill. The letter clearly reiterates our significant and fundamental profound concerns regarding this bill, which were explained to the previous Secretary of State. This legislation puts at risk the high and vital standards that people in Scotland have rightly come to expect from EU membership. It represents further undermining of devolution and is being pursued with reckless speed. Last week, a legal expert to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee said that, while the UK Government's confusing dashboard of retained EU law currently contains more than 1,400 pieces of legislation, this sweeping bill could actually affect as many as 5,000 laws, leaving dangerous gaps in the statute books. Can the minister explain how the Scottish Government is preparing to alleviate the damage that could be done by Westminster's reckless Brexit obsession? I thank Colin Beattie for raising what is a really important and existential question. The only way to alleviate this bill's damage to Scotland is for it to be withdrawn in its entirety. Should the bill continue to progress, I am urging the UK Government to accept amendments that we published on Tuesday, which would lessen its detrimental impact. We need to be clear that the fact that this bill has been introduced at all demonstrates the cost to Scotland of Westminster governments that people here did not vote for and which are intent on posing a disastrous Brexit ideology that threatens the standards and projections that we enjoyed as members of the European Union. We need shot of it to ensure that we can set our own course in that by being an independent country. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on historic environment Scotland's site closures. The access restrictions at some properties and care are regrettable. However, protecting individuals' health and safety must come first. Historic environment Scotland has had to make informed, responsible and technically sound decisions about safety. Its prioritised inspection programme has progressed well and they have now completed the first phase. Whilst Historic Environment Scotland undertakes this work, no site is being left without care and there is full or partial access to 80 per cent of the properties that they care for. Details of the inspection programme and site reopenings are published on his website. Jamie Greene. Regrettable is an understatement minister. That comes off the back of years of chronic underfunding to protect these valuable sites and the devastating effect that it has on local tourism when people turn up to find them fenced off and crumbling, as is the case with Lochran's castle on the Isle of Arran, for example. Those must be addressed. We know that they are looking at very gloomy forecasts for their budget. This is not a budget question. This is about an organisational question. When is Historic Environment Scotland going to properly invest in these sites? Get them back open to the public and get this much-needed tourism back to these valuable assets that we have. Jamie Greene says that it is not a budgetary question, but the Historic Environment Scotland budget is higher this year than it was pre-Covid. We continue to invest in Historic Environment Scotland. With regard to Lochran's castle, there has been the removal of the external ffencing, but the site will remain closed internally until the high-level masonry survey is carried out. I think that Jamie Greene would agree that it is right that health and safety comes first, and the expectation date is still to be confirmed. I am happy for Jamie Greene to correspond with Historic Environment Scotland so that he can host him at either Lochran's castle or any other of the sites in his constituency. However, I note that he has not actually corresponded with his to-date. One HES site that we in Shetland do not want to see closed as Yarlshoff, site of a prehistoric and north settlement and described as one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the UK, what can the Scottish Government do to impress upon HES the importance of making progress with long-awaited toilet and car parking facilities to ensure that the visitor experience is not mad by having to search for the nearest public toilet? Just as with the questions from Jamie Greene, I would be happy to maintain contact with HES regarding the site in Beatrice Wishart's constituency. If she would take value from a site visit with HES to hear about the progress that they are making, then I am happy to make sure that that can be facilitated. Thank you Minister. That concludes portfolio questions on Constitut point of order from Jamie Greene. Thank you. In the response given notwithstanding the content of it, the minister seemed to imply that he knew of correspondence I had or had not had with a public body. First of all, can I ask how he knew that information and secondly could I ask whether it is appropriate for public bodies to share information of private correspondence between members and those organisations with ministers ahead of portfolio questions? I would be extremely concerned that ministers would be disclosing that sort of information to agencies or from agencies ahead of these question sessions to inform members of their responses in advance of questions even being asked in the chamber. I thank Mr Greene for his contribution. I am trying to respond to Mr Greene's point of order. I am not being assisted by members muttering away from sedentary positions. Can I please perhaps respond to Mr Greene's point of order first? Would that be possible? Thank you very much indeed to respond to Mr Greene's contribution. Mr Greene will be aware that the content of ministers' contributions or indeed any member's contributions are not a matter for the chair. The member will also be well aware of the various routes that he can pursue the matter through. I would leave that one there whilst I now take Mr Mountain's point of order. Sorry, Presiding Officer. I did not mean to interrupt you. I would not want to do that because I wanted to hear your answer. My point of order was the fact that I could not hear your answer because there was some barracking going on in the background. I find that when I am hard of hearing, it is quite difficult to comprehend. I apologise, Presiding Officer, for interrupting. I am grateful that I heard your answer. Thank you, Mr Mountain. Could I respond please to Mr Mountain's point of order? Thank you so much, Mr Kerr, for your kindness. I entirely agree that less barracking in the chamber would be beneficial to everybody concerned, including all our members in the public gallery who are here to listen to how we conduct ourselves. I am not sure what is happening, but perhaps you could. Maybe it is in the wrong way, perhaps? Right, so I am grateful—I forgive me for that incompetence—but I am grateful that you would take this point of order, because I am deeply concerned by the insinuation in the answer, and I would like your clarity. Would it be normal, as a protector of Parliament, would it be normal for a minister to have sought information from another public body about correspondence that may or may not have been engaged with between a member of this Parliament and that public body? That is what was insinuated in the response, and if that were true, that would be pretty sinister, from my point of view. I thank Mr Kerr for his contribution. That is not a point of order, because it is not a matter for the chair. I repeat what I said to Mr Green about the very first point of order in the subject, if I recall correctly. The substance and members' contributions are not a matter for the chair, as Mr Kerr well knows. However, if Mr Kerr or any other member wishes to pursue any particular matter, Mr Kerr will be aware of all the various routes through which that can be done. I think that we could now perhaps move on to the next item of business after a very short pause to allow a change of front-bench teams and so forth. The next item of business is portfolio questions on justice and veterans. If a member wishes to ask a question on a supplementary, I would ask them to press the request-to-speak buttons, which are an RTS in the chat function, if they are joining us remotely during the relevant question. I call question number one, Brian Whittle. To ask the Scottish Government in light of several high-profile cases of antisocial behaviour in Scotland, what are its responses to reports of escalating instances of antisocial behaviour at Cymarnock bus station? Before inviting the minister to respond, I would note that there are subjudice issues around the issue, but with that I call Minister to respond. I support Police Scotland and its partners to take a proportionate response to social behaviour, such as that that recently experienced in Cymarnock. The member and myself and other elected members attended multi-agency meetings that were debriefed after those events, which were, of course, a matter of some concern to us both and to the many other people in the area. Local partners confirmed that, in recent weeks, the situation has been improving, a full transport service has continued to operate and that there have been fewer incidents. Work continues locally, but I commend the substantial effort so far to tackle this unacceptable behaviour to restore public confidence in the area. I thank the minister for that answer, but I wonder if the minister would realise or recognise that this escalation in antisocial behaviour across the country is the cost when police numbers are cut and police time in the community is reduced because of the Government hauling out of back room staff, meaning that our police are spending more time in administration, less time on the beat. Does the minister realise that those cuts are false economy? I would say to the member that we have invested £10 billion in Police Scotland since 2013. We also have the highest number of police officers per capita in the entirety of the UK. As we are going forward into this year, I would ask the member to implore on his colleagues in Westminster that they ensure that this Parliament is adequately resourced to deal with the problems that we have going forward in this area. I would also like to point out that antisocial behaviour has been on a downward trend since 2013—a little bit of an uptick during the pandemic—but we are seeing that reverse again. We are working closely with the Scottish Community Safety Network on a consultation to better understand how we prevent antisocial behaviour and to help to build up a robust picture of what the issues are. I would also like to ask a similar question a few weeks ago. Police Scotland also gave me an assurance that measures were in place with key stakeholders to manage that issue and that no additional resource was required. The cabinet secretary recently said to me that he and colleagues would give some consideration to the suggestion of withdrawal of bus passes should that be established as contributing to the antisocial behaviour. Could the minister update the chamber on progress with that, please? I thank Willie Coffey for that question. I can confirm that the cabinet secretary has written to the minister for transport about measures that have been taken to address antisocial behaviour in the transport networks, and you will be updated on that soon. I understand that, for instance, the bus and rail operators can choose to restrict access to services in line with their own terms and conditions of carriage. The free bus passes for young people aged up to 22 years old continue to be a success. We have had nearly 27 million journeys since January, and we cannot limit the access to the service for those young people who are travelling and well behaved, but we welcome back to the member on the issues that he raised. Question 2, Stuart McMillan. Thank you for asking the Scottish Government whether it would provide an update on how it is tackling antisocial behaviour, including on the railway network. As I said previously, I support Police Scotland and its partners to reduce antisocial behaviour, making full use of the available resources and powers. Those include the use of antisocial behaviour orders and fixed pens that it notices alongside diversionary activities. I also support the British Transport Police, who lead on law enforcement on railways, and the work with Police Scotland, transport operators and local authorities to make public transportation safe. Inverclyde, BTP, has worked with ScotRail's travel safety team specifically to reduce antisocial behaviour. I commend my colleagues' work as chair of the Inverclyde community hub and the sustained improvement that has been seen in the area. Stuart McMillan. I thank the minister for that reply and I wish her well in her new role. Inverclyde is well served when it comes to the number of railway stations, but that has certainly proven to be a driver for some antisocial behaviour in parts of the constituency. The presence of the British Transport Police is vital for dealing with antisocial behaviour on the railway network, so I can ask whether the minister will engage with the British Transport Police to ensure that the BTP officers covering the Inverclyde railway lines have the resources to deal with the seasonal antisocial behaviour that happens. I commend the work that has been done locally to make the Inverclyde network as safe a transport environment as it can be. I understand that lower levels of antisocial behaviour are now being reported. BTP officers work constantly to provide visible presence on the railway network in Scotland. As we approach the festive season, they will conduct an increased number of on-train patrols to minimise antisocial behaviour and provide reassurance to the travelling public and the rail staff. I can ask that the chief superintendent in charge of BTP in Scotland will write to the member with more details of their plans to deal with seasonal antisocial behaviour. Question 3 comes from Annie Wells, who joins us remotely. To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the licensing scheme set out in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles Scotland Act 2022. Work is under way to implement the remaining provisions within the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act 2020 so that further positive change is in place for communities as soon as possible. Whilst the act sets out the core elements and functions of the licensing system, further work is required to operationalise it. That includes progressing regulations to set out the administrative details, which will be widely consulted on as well as an IT system development. Therefore, in line with the timescales that were set out when the act was introduced, the earliest the system will be in place is late in 2023 or early 2024. I thank the minister for that answer. Scenes of antisocial behaviour that we witnessed, including in Glasgow, was unacceptable. The SNP's flawed fireworks bill could have prevented thugs to commit antisocial behaviour from purchasing fireworks, but the SNP rejected our amendments which would have enabled us. Does the minister still believe that those convicted of antisocial behaviour should be able to buy fireworks? As part of the licensing condition, those who have found guilty of antisocial behaviour will have to disclose that when they are applying for a licence. Police Scotland has confirmed that they have made 18 arrests so far following recent public disorder incidents. We understand that the fire and fire-related calls on 5 November were down by 10 per cent on last year to just over 500. We understand also that there is a decline in the number of calls on 4 November was even steeper. What I would say is that, on after the night, the gold commanders did tell us that the new legislation was hugely helpful to them. Given incidents in my constituency over bonfire weekend, can the minister outline how the licensing scheme and indeed other measures within the act will reduce the inconsiderate use and misuse of fireworks? The licensing system will put robust checks and balances in place before someone is permitted to purchase, possess and use fireworks in Scotland. Mandatory elements such as the training course and the requirement to disclose relevant convictions upon application will ensure that licence holders know how to use fireworks in a safe, lawful and considerate manner. The measures that are set out in the ground baking legislation combined with the wider activity set out in the fireworks action plan, such as education and awareness raising with our partners, are part of our holistic approach to addressing the harm and distress that fireworks can cause. Edinburgh has recently seen evidence of the damage that reckless use of firework can do in conjunction with anti-social behaviour. Now that there is a legislative framework for a licensing scheme, can the minister give assurance that Police Scotland has the necessary resources to enforce the law as passed by the Parliament? I would say that, at this stage, we are not in the immediate budgetary process and that that is something that we will take into consideration going forward, because we absolutely want the police to be able to respond and implement the act that we have passed in this place. To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to highlight the risks of drink spiking as we near the Christmas party season. Several round-table meetings have taken place to help steer the joint Scottish Government and public sector response to the act of spiking. Significant work was undertaken to ease awareness and heightened vigilance in the run-up to the return to university and college campuses. We are currently working with members of the round-table to bring together the range of initiatives and information within one source area in advance of the festive period to reassure the public that it is a co-ordinated response to the dangers of spiking in whatever form it might take. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Police and Stirling have recently praised licences in the city centre for working with them on a range of initiatives, including staff training, awareness and promotion of the Ask Angela scheme. Does the cabinet secretary join me in praising the work of city centre licences in Stirling and what steps will the Scottish Government take to encourage that collaborative approach across Scotland? I praise the work of Stirling Council. Ask for Angela is one of several safety initiatives that have been promoted under the best bar none scheme, the administration of which is funded by the Scottish Government through the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, and I welcome and support the good work in Stirling and across the country, which is reflective of the co-ordinated approach that we will continue to promote as part of the Scottish Government-led round-table forum to tackle the Abhorrent Act of Spiking. When Jess Insell was spiked in a night out in Glasgow, she felt badly let down by the police in NHS. Six months later, she is still waiting for her test results. Since raising her case with the First Minister, I have been contacted by many other victims, spiking is sinister, dangerous and widespread. Victims like Jess have little faith in yet more talking shops and we would like to know what meaningful action will be taken to protect them and to bring predators to justice. Can I say that if the member has information about cases of spiking, he should pass those on to the police with the proper authority that will consider and take the action. That would be the sensible and responsible thing to do. I am briefly Beatrice Wishart. Ms Wishart, could you resume your seat point of order, Russell Findlay? Just for the purpose of clarity, it is a very important point that the Cabinet Secretary raises any individual who has contacted me with information about spiking. They have decided whether or not it is right for them to do so. It is not my job to disrespect the earwishes and report that to the police. Drinks spiking is serious and no one should be victim-blamed or victim-shamed. Will the Scottish Government ensure that whatever it steps to highlight the risks of drinks spiking, it will do so with the engagement of a wide range of organisations and others, ensuring that the right ethos is captured throughout the process? I can give the member that assurance. I also say that that is what we have done, whether it has been landlords, the organisations that I have mentioned already, with the police, with universities and higher education representatives and representatives of students. We will continue to do that, taking that forward. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its proposed consultation on the separation of the functions of Scotland's law officers. Work is progressing towards a Scottish Government consultation, and development of the consultation will be informed by an initial phase of expert research, which is currently under way. That research will ensure a detailed baseline understanding of the many distinct roles and functions of the law officers, and will provide information on how the functions of law officers operate in other countries as well. Cabinet Secretary for that response, the consultation was originally promised not in this year's programme for government, but in last year's programme for government. We have not heard much about it since, so it is good to hear that some progress is being made. It is an important matter. There is clearly a potential conflict of interest between the roles of the law officers as heads of the prosecution service and also legal advisers to the Scottish Government. The issue was resolved in the English and Welsh system more than two decades ago. Can the cabinet secretary tell us when he expects us to get some concrete progress on this? I can just correct Murdo Fraser. Of course, it was mentioned in the programme for government, but not for completion in this year. This is a commitment that we will undertake through the parliamentary term. We have around 20 bills to take through in this parliamentary term, and that will be one of them, as we stated. To say the example of the UK that he gives, of course, we have had in the past the Lord Chancellor who was head of the judiciary as part of the executive and the legislator. That is not a clearly resolved situation in England and Wales, but it is right, of course, that we learn the lessons and take forward some of the indications that we get from the research. The reason for that is because they are surprisingly little research being done on the role of Scottish law officers. I am sure that the member would agree that it is right to proceed with the best foundations to have the research done to inform the consultation that we then undertake. That seems to me to be the responsible way to go forward. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to prevent motorcycle thefts in light of reports of rising motorcycle theft numbers. Measures to Combat motorcycle thefts are an operational matter for Police Scotland since 2012-13 crimes of dishonesty, which includes motorcycle theft, have reduced by 32 per cent. However, that should not detract from the seriousness, the serious nature of these incidents. Supporting Police Scotland to keep our community safe remains a priority for the Scottish Government. Police services have been maintained and improved and, as we have heard, we have invested over £10 billion in policing since 2013. We will continue to support the vital work of Police Scotland in delivering effective and responsive policing across Scotland. Motorcyclists are 11 times more likely to experience vehicle theft than other vehicle owners, but it is not currently separately reported. That is a long-term problem, but in recent months it has definitely been getting worse. I have received reports of motorcyclists being bike-jacked at traffic lights, and B&B owners having their guests' motorcycles stolen, which obviously has an impact on our important tourist industry. What communication has the cabinet secretary had with Police Scotland about improving reporting, updating their standard operating procedures and with local authorities on the security steps that they can take? I am hosting a round table on the 28th of November with police, motorcyclists and motorcycle retailers and guest house owners. I would be very happy to have either the cabinet secretary or the minister for community justice if he would consider coming along too. I hope that the member will allow me to check my diary before committing to undertaking that commitment, but if it is a possibility, I will certainly do that. On the points that the member makes about the reporting of those crimes, that would be a matter to take up with relevant authorities. We do not direct statistics. It may well be that this is a very good case to be made, but I suggest to remember that I am happy to write to him and tell him exactly where he might best take up that issue, both with the police and with the statistics authority. It is true that, over the 10-year period from 2012 to 13, theft of motor vehicle crime has seen a decrease of 21 per cent. However, theft of a motor vehicle has seen a 5 per cent increase in the most recent year, so that might include those for motorcycles. On the reporting of those incidents, I suggest that he takes that up once he has had confirmation from me of the best place to go to try and raise that issue. The offence of theft of a motor vehicle rose 10 per cent last year. How did the cabinet secretary respond to Deputy Chief Officer David Page, who made it clear that offences such as theft and burglary will simply go to the bottom of the queue as the officer struggled to meet demand in the environment of reducing police numbers? I do not have the same figure that Jamie Greene just mentioned. I have the figure of a 5 per cent increase in the most recent year from 4,311 crimes to 4,512. Also, in relation to the resourcing of the police who have heard this already, we have far more police in Scotland, they are better paid, we have lower crime in Scotland. Perhaps the Tories should take the example of Police Scotland and inform their colleagues how to run a police service south of the border. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when HMP Highland will become operational and whether it will accommodate female prisoners. The construction of HMP Highland is currently scheduled to complete in late 2024. An opening date will be confirmed earlier this time to ensure that the prison is operational within a sufficient time frame to allow for commissioning and staff familiarisation. There are a limited number of spaces for females who were used to accommodate brief stays for court appearances. Edwomain. Thank you, Presiding Officer, a lot in that. A new prison was promised in 2011, promised again in 2016, with a price of £66 million with a completion date in 2020. Now the price without it going out to find a design or tender is £140 million, and yet the cabinet secretary feels confident that he can give a date of when it's been completed. The simple fact is that the longer you delay, the more you're going to pay cabinet secretary. Can we please have a confirmed date when it will go out to tender so that we will know when it will be completed? I don't know whether Evermountain supports the building of a new prison in Highland. This is an example of the commitment of the Scottish Government to Highland. I would also mention in that regard the burial braze, which for generations were left in the state that they were by previous Governments. I'd also say the work that we're doing on the A9 when the Conservatives, like Murdo Fraser, wanted to put the money towards trams in Edinburgh. So I think we have a strong commitment to the Highlands. The building, as I've said, is scheduled to complete in 2024, but I do not. I'm very grateful to you, Presiding Officer. Can you please tell us what remedies are available to members? We wish to correct the record, but they've clearly told an untruth to the chamber about the voting record of another member, as we've just heard from the cabinet secretary. Mr Fraser, I think you're well aware of the remedies to deal with that. Could I just observe that we've had a number of points of order over the course of these two portfolio sessions, which is simply eating into the time to allow other members in for portfolio questions? I very much welcome the cabinet secretary's update on HMP Highlands. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the modernisation of the estate will transform support available and enhance dignity for people in custody? That's exactly the case. Of course, we could also mention the new justice centre in Inverness, funded by this Government, but the record will show, Presiding Officer, I think that you are a member of the Parliament as well, that murder-phrase is voted to have trams at a cost of £500 million. I made that point, and he's never accused me of an untruth, so we will have to see how that figures in the official report. I'll not do as has been done repeatedly through these exchanges raise a point of order, but I do think it's important that members stick to the facts. Question 8, Paul O'Kane. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns raised by the chief constable and SPH here regarding the impact of the reverse spending review on service delivery in Police Scotland. We remain fully committed to using the resources available to us to support the vital work of the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland. We will continue to invest across the justice system in 22, 23, 24, and support the continued operation of vital front-line services, provide support for victims and witnesses, and tackle the underlying drivers of offending. Police officers in Scotland have been sounding the alarm for some time now as to the lack of support that they have been experiencing. Police Scotland has already been staffed of funding by this Government. Indeed, senior officers have explicitly called for access to equipment, like body cameras, but have stated that they have no budget to be able to deliver what is described as basic kit. That would give them parity with their counterparts elsewhere in the UK. Indeed, those cuts will have devastating implications for community policing and elongating call-out times and enabling crimes of dishonesty to increase across our communities unresolved. I would ask the cabinet secretary to listen to front-line police officers and explain how he will deliver the basic equipment and resources that they need against the backdrop of his proposed cuts. We have seen a situation where the police in Scotland are better paid than any other police force in the UK, including in Wales. In fact, a starting constable starts on £5,000 a year more in Scotland. I have never heard a word of commendation for that. It is also true to say that we have more police than anywhere else in the UK, which is quite an important point and has helped us to have some of the lowest crime figures ever recorded. There is no question that there are challenges in relation to budgets, but surely the member must see the cause of that. It is the Brexit fiasco that we have seen down south that cuts to our budget. Once in a while, the Labour Party would draw attention to the real problem here, which is underfunding from Westminster. I have two brief supplementaries. I am keen to get them both in, but the questions will need to be brief and likewise the responses first. Despite UK Government austerity, the Scottish Government has invested more than £10 billion in policing since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the UK Government must no longer impose renewed austerity, thereby worsening the extreme pressures already being faced, but instead make additional funding available so that we can provide our vital public services, including policing, with the funding required? I agree with that. It seems obvious to me not just for the Scottish Government, but certainly for other public services in England and Wales. If you have runaway inflation, of course, caused by the economic mismanagement of the Tories, surely you have to acknowledge that within the year. The additional pressures caused by the cost of living, whether it is police pay, whether it is paying for heating and lighting and feeding in hospitals, jails and police stations, surely you would recognise that, but there has not been one word from the Conservatives or, as far as I know, Labour saying that you have to increase the funding available if you want to protect those public services. Just as we have done with the police, we will continue to protect all the public services in Scotland to the best of our ability with the resources available. Alex Salmond and Kenny MacAskill repeatedly told us that police centralisation was essential to protect police budgets. Why is that promise not being kept? I do not know whether Willie Rennie was here rather on when he heard the figure of over 10 billion pounds of funding since the creation of the single force in 2013. I talked to senior police officers as well as rank and file police officers on a regular basis. They believe that the single force is a great development and is one of the best examples of public sector reform that we have had. I am not wishing away the issues that were in the earlier years, but it is extremely effective. I was sighted in support of that, the way that they dealt with Covid, the way that they dealt with COP26 and the way that they dealt with the death of the monarch. I think that the police service in this country is excellent and they have been well supported over the years, although I acknowledge that there are budget pressures because of the cuts that we are now seeing from Westminster. That concludes portfolio questions. We have a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front benches to change.