 Y cyfnod y mae'r cyfrannu gyfan, i chi'n ffordd y dyfodol throwingaeth, a'i ffordd rwy'i gyfrannu cyfrannu ei gwylliant, dweud,cymdeithasol, ac o'n ymwnaeth beth sydd hynnyabeon yn ymwrth i'n ddweud yr ysbygol ym mwyaf ymwyaf, oherwydd rydych chi'n cyfrannu cyf battus, a'u siarad o'i ffodol through rwy'i cyfrannu cyfrannu cyfrannu cyfrannu. Da, ddweud, gwrs, mae'n gweithio i chi'n gwrs honno. I ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any assessment that is made of the potential impact on Scotland's relations with its closest European neighbours, including regarding the trade links of the UK Government's EU retained law revocation bill. Minister Neil Greene. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The Scottish ministers remain fundamentally opposed to the retained EU law bill, which aims to deliver the UK Government's divergent and deregulatory agenda with respect to the EU. The UK Government has not shared which of the EU laws it intends to reform, repeal or preserve. Their own impact assessment has been branded by the Regulatory Policy Committee as, I quote, not fit for purpose. European Commission vice-president Mara Sheffcovic said at the EU-UK parliamentary partnership assembly in November last year that divergence means more friction and less trade, simple as that. We know that trade with our neighbours is growing at a slower rate due to Brexit, with businesses now facing an array of different obligations to sell into international markets. The bill risks adding to this burden, leading to a lack of business certainty needed in order to work, plan and trade effectively. Jim Fairlie. I'd like to thank the minister for that answer. We've just passed the three-year anniversary of Brexit, and it's clear that these three years have brought nothing but chaos to Scotland's economy. The Tory's retained EU law bill is set to make things worse, hurt the Scottish producers and consumers. So what action has the Scottish Government taken to cushion the blow of the so-called Brexit freedoms for our society? Thank you, and I thank Jim Fairlie for that question. The Scottish Government is working at pace to identify devolved retained EU law and coordinate the effective and consistent management of the secondary legislation that will be necessary to stop essential devolved laws being lost should the bill pass. However, this is a significant undertaking and impacts on officials' ability to dedicate time to otherwise urgent issues affecting the people of Scotland, like the energy and cost of living crisis. The bill should be withdrawn completely, and the Scottish Government has recommended that the Scottish Parliament refuse consent to the bill. The Scottish Parliament has also called for it to be scrapped. Stakeholders from various sectors are saying the same, and the Scottish ministers will do whatever we can to protect Scotland from the UK Government's damaging and deregulatory policy agenda. However, legislations such as the bill and the Internal Market Act demonstrate the limitations of devolution in the face of the UK Government determined to undermine it, and the best way to limit the damage to our economy and our society is for Scotland to become independent and a member of the EU. That's what we're meant to do, Willie Rennie. I was going to say that I could agree with everything that the minister said until his last few words. Nevertheless, he's right about the damage that the UK Government is doing to the economy, industry and our way of life. Has the minister done any assessment? I've asked that repeatedly, but I'm unable to get an answer. Any assessment about the parallels with independence? We're still feeling the consequences of breaking up the European Union. We've been with that for 50 years. We've been 300 years in the Union of the United Kingdom, so breaking up would be so much harder. Has he done any assessment on what that impact would be? The opportunities of independence are absolutely clear and are laid out in the various policy papers that we have started to set out, and we will continue to set out. As I've offered on previous occasions to Willie Rennie and others, I'm more than happy to sit down and have a conversation about the benefits that will come to Scotland from independence in rejoining the EU. Question 2 has been withdrawn. Question 3 is not lodged. To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed in official meetings that took place on 4 October 2022 between the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and various European delegates. Details of Angus Robertson's visit to Paris last autumn have already been published on the Scottish Government's website. The visit included the unveiling of a plaque at Les Invalades to commemorate Scots who have lost their lives fighting in France, involved meetings and engagements with a range of French ministers, partners and stakeholders to pursue and augment a range of policy, cultural, trade and investment priorities. I have an FOI response, which reveals that one of the things discussed during these meetings with the European delegates on 4 October was the Cabinet Secretary repeating the claim that Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe's offshore wind potential. In the absence of the cabinet secretary today, can the minister tell me when did officials first advise the cabinet secretary against using the 25 per cent claim on the basis that it was poorly evidenced? Obviously, I was not at the meeting that has been spoken about by Liam Kerr, so I do not know as to the veracity of that or indeed the context of the conversation. I do know that Angus Robertson met with the Secretary of State Boon and she was interested in Scotland's energy offer and how we promote further engagement around sport as well as Secretary of State Morales, who is eager to explore ways in which we include young people and remembering those who have died in times of war. I would be more than happy if Liam Kerr wanted to get further information on that for my colleague to look to have a discussion with him another time to ensure that the confidence of Liam Kerr in this scenario can be assumed. As a committed European, I am reassured that the Scottish Government continues to value the importance of our relationships with our European Union neighbours. What next steps is the Government taking to continue the closest possible relationship with the European Union over the coming year? Thank you for that important question. Maintaining close relations with the European Union, EU member states and other European nations remains a key priority for this Government. We are committed to working with EU partners to support and deliver the priorities of the EU presidencies, including the current Swedish presidency, and we are committed to continuing to align with the EU where appropriate and as far as possible and in a manner that contributes towards protecting and advancing standards across a range of policy areas. We remain steadfast in our determination not to allow Brexit nor the actions of the UK Government to diminish those commitments and will continue to do all we can to be an outward looking nation holding firm to our shared European values pursuing shared goals and priorities. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on culture organisations in Scotland of the UK Government's levelling up fund. The funding received by and for individual projects is welcome. The Scottish Government fundamentally disagrees with the principle of the UK Government making decisions in devolved areas. Levelling up was supposed to replace EU support but has fallen drastically short. The levelling up fund operates in Scotland using the internal market act, which means that it cuts across devolved policy. It is administered in a piecemeal manner that is not always in line with the Scottish Government's wider strategic games, creating fragmentation and confusion for our local authorities and partner agencies. I welcome any funding given to Scottish organisations and I agree that this is a matter for the Scottish Government as a UK Government does not appear to even know what levelling up means. Can I ask the minister if the Scottish Government has received any clarity from the UK Government on what the regulations are for the levelling up funds and how they will foresee them impacting devolved issues? The fund overlooks Scotland's unique economic needs. It is incredibly disappointing that applications from some of Scotland's most deprived areas have been unsuccessful and that our rural communities have also lost out. The UK Government promised Brexit would bring a simpler, more streamlined funding system to support regional economic development. Thus far, the new system delivers less money for projects, decreased powers for devolved governments and more bureaucracy and delays for regional partners. By passing the Scottish Government, the UK Government has introduced policy incoherence and duplication into the devolved system and is failing to ensure that their interventions align with regeneration policy here in Scotland. The question was about the impact on culture organisations in Scotland. When it comes to the actions of the Scottish Government, the real danger to the future of cultural organisations in Scotland is, of course, the SNP Green Government's 10 per cent cut to create a Scotland's budget, endangering the future of 60 of our cultural organisations and 5,000 jobs. Minister, will you now reconsider those planned cuts to create a Scotland's budget? I thank Donald Cameron for that question. The major threat to cultural institutions in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK is the UK Government cutting back on the Covid recovery funding on not getting a grip on inflation and spiralling energy costs and Brexit, which is making it more difficult for our organisations to be able to recruit the talent that they need. That is not just an isolated issue here in Scotland, but has been raised at Prime Minister's Questions today, where a Conservative member of Parliament was questioning the Prime Minister about cultural organisations and spending in England. So I'll take no lessons from the Conservatives about how to run cultural organisations here in Scotland. Question 6, not lodged. Question 7, Edward Mountain. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will start publishing information collected via Scotland's census of 2022. Thank you, Presiding Officer. National Records of Scotland are currently consulting with data users to ensure that census outputs are accessible and provided in a format that meets the needs of census data users. The consultation was made available to users on 12 October 2022, and since launching National Records of Scotland have received responses from users in central and local government, academic institutions, charity organisations and users responding in a personal capacity. Once the consultation closes, NRS will review all responses and finalise plans for publishing census outputs based on the feedback received. A summary report will subsequently be published on the Scotland's census website. Census data collection phases concluded in the autumn and, as previously noted, NRS are planning to publish the first census outputs approximately a year after the conclusion of the census data collection phases. The first outputs will be rounded population estimates at a national and local authority level by age and sex. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As a veteran, I welcomed last year's census in that it included for the first time a question on former service in the armed forces. Can you confirm, Minister, what actions the National Records of Scotland will be taking to assess and publish this specific information and how it will be used by this Government to fulfil its obligations under the armed forces covenant? Obviously, we will look at the information that comes through the census, as would be expected, and across Government will assess the data that is contained within it. In respect of the armed forces, I know my colleague to the right, the Veterans Minister will be looking at that with keen interest. Question 8, Alexander Burnett. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Creative Scotland, and I note my register of interests regarding the barn at Woodend Bankery. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Creative Scotland, as a public body, receives significant support from the Scottish Government. The published level 3 budget for 2324 includes £64.2 million for Creative Scotland and other arts. That covers support for regularly funded organisations, youth music and community-based cultural projects. The Scottish Government will continue to work with Creative Scotland to identify barriers to immediate and long-term recovery of the culture sector. Alexander Burnett. Creative Scotland has been forced to use its UK national lottery reserves to maintain regular funding following SNP cuts. Using reserves was justified by Angus Robertson, as he said, for Scottish Government face difficult funding decisions. However, in a letter to the Culture Committee last month, he insisted that the Scottish Government does not make funding allocation decisions by reference to reserves. Which is it then, Minister? Can the Minister also confirm what will happen when those reserves are bled dry and organisations are left without long-term support, including Devron projects in my constituency, who recently wrote to the Scottish Government detailing the real impact those devastating cuts will have on their future? Devron projects received £110,000 via this route recently. Obviously, we understand the difficult situation that is across the culture sector. This is an inflationary challenge that has also been felt by the Scottish Government. We had to take difficult decisions and asked Creative Scotland to utilise its national lottery reserves. We feel that this year was the right thing to do. This has maintained regularly funded organisations funding. The discussion at the Constitutional Affairs and Culture Committee regarding use of reserves was regarding the funding of arts organisations as opposed to public bodies. The situation regarding Creative Scotland as a public funder is different. We have provided Creative Scotland with over £33 million over five years to compensate for generally reduced lottery funding. Against the backdrop of continued impacts of Covid, public spending constraints and the cost of living crisis, we have had to make difficult choices to live within budgets. We are doing all that we can to protect Scotland's culture and historic environment to ensure that our diverse and world-class cultural scene and rich heritage continue to thrive. I welcome the Scottish Government's continued support for our creative industries during this turbulent economic time. Can the minister tell us what the financial impact is of the UK Government's decision to abruptly end Covid recovery funding? Does he agree that that has placed an additional unwarranted strain on Scotland's creative sector? I agree with Kenneth Gibson that many of the difficulties facing the sector are as a result of the UK Government prematurely cutting Covid recovery funding despite the Scottish Government warning against that action. We will continue to argue that the UK Government should take a different approach to public finances in order to ensure sufficient support is made available for Scotland's culture sector. The challenges that we face in Scotland are not unique to Scotland. As I have said at Prime Minister's Questions today, we heard about Conservative members having concerns about cultural organisations and spending in England. We would encourage the UK Government to come forward with the support that is necessary and required for cultural organisations so that the Scottish Government in turn is able to do likewise and support our fantastic cultural heritage organisations to a much greater extent. That concludes this portfolio. There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next portfolio question. The next portfolio that we will come to is justice and veterans. If a member wishes to ask a supplementary question, I would invite them to press their request-to-speak buttons or put an RTS in the chat function if they are joining us online during the relevant question. To ask the Scottish Government what the benefits are of the agreement on the court legal aid fees between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Lizards Bar Association and the Law Society in regard to the structure of legal aid payments. The legal aid fee structures are complex and the reforms will simplify the current structures and support the court recovery programme. The changes will be implemented this April. In solemn cases, the structure moves away from the current hybrid payment model and extends the use of inclusive or block fleas fees resulting in easier billing, reduced administrative costs and faster payment of account solicitors. In summary cases, the reforms simplify the summary criminal fix payment arrangements so that full payment can be achieved in the majority of cases via a single all-encompassing fee and reverse many of the fee changes and complexities introduced by regulations in 2011. In both solemn and summary cases, simplification reduces the scope for abatement of accounts and subsequent negotiations, seeking additional payments. Paul McLean. I thank the minister for her answer. With the new structure of criminal legal aid fees changing, this will hopefully lead to more swift resolution of cases. Can I ask what this agreement will do in regard to addressing the backlog in court cases due to Covid? Minister. The reform package encompasses a number of fees across solemn and summary. However, the Scottish Government was specifically asked to look at section 76 fee for early resolution of solemn cases and at the summary core fee. The average total payment on the summary 76 case will increase by over 60 per cent. In the other cases that were resolved prior to trial by over 15 per cent by supporting early resolution in appropriate cases, those reforms will reduce the number of cases for which trial diets are fixed, assisting with the court recovery programme and tackling a backlog of cases due to Covid lockdown. Thank you. A couple of supplementaries. First, Jamie Greene. Thank you. The president of the SSBA in response to the legal aid package announced by the minister said, and I quote, This package isn't really going to address the fundamental issues, which is the recruitment and retention of new staff in the legal system, given that we've lost around a third of solicitors doing legal aid work and 60 per cent of young solicitors are actively seeking to perhaps leave the profession. We're looking down the barrel of our recruitment crisis. What is the minister's response to that? I understand that representatives of the profession have spoken a lot in recent years about the increase in fees. The Scottish Government is quite clear that that's not the only way that we have to actually look at this problem. I have agreed with the faculty advocates that this is something that I have a keen interest in working with the entire sector to address. By prioritising a review of legal aid fees, we plan to meet with the law society and the Scottish solicitors bar association this week to begin that process. We also have to think about widening the diversity within the sector itself, so that's something that the Government is actively participating in and pursuing. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's important that solicitors are paid adequately to keep performing the important work that they do, representing people and keeping the wheels of justice turning. There's a shortage of local legal aid solicitors and mainland Scotland legal aid solicitors are reluctant to take on clients in Shetland, citing the current levels of legal aid funding and prohibitive travel costs. I understand that this has been the experience of some constituents who have faced domestic abuse. One constituent stated to me that the current legal aid system only now provides, and I quote, justice you can afford. Does the minister say that that was justice at all, and does the minister recognise the problems facing those seeking justice who cannot afford legal representation? I thank Beatrice Wishart for that question, and it is a situation that I am acutely aware of. While we cannot compel individual law firms or lawyers to take on legal aid work, that is an area that I want to pursue closely, due to the nature of the issues that she raises with regard to domestic abuse. That is something that I am happy to write the member in as that unfolds. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote safety around aced over bodies of water during the winter period. Recent tragedies have illustrated how important this topic remains. The Scottish Government funds Water Safety Scotland throughout the year, winter and summer, to support and coordinate water safety campaigns designed and delivered by our expert partners, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Royal Life Saving Society and the RNLI. That recently included issuing clear and consistent advice about staying safe around frozen locks and rivers. Water Safety Scotland is also working with partners to deliver an ice safety workshop, which will be delivered directly to school children, but will also be available for general use. I thank the minister for that response. In December, across the country, we were horrified to hear about the tragic events in Sully Hill during the cold weather. During the same period of weather in my constituency, a man fell into the east over mountains canal while trying to retrieve his dog. Thanks to the incredibly brave and quick actions of two young girls, Emily Dees and Lauren Campbell, thankfully all are safe. Will the minister join me in paying respects to those who were bereaved in Sully Hill during this impossibly difficult time? Praise Emily and Lauren for their selfless actions in December in Coatbridge and can I ask if there is anything else that can be done to get as strong a message out as possible to people to please? Never, never step on to an ice over body of water. I join Fulton MacGregor in paying my respects to those who have lost their lives and extend my condolences to their family and friends. Regarding the incident at Monklands canal, I can only express my gratitude and relief that Mr MacGregor is able to report a positive outcome and I commend Emily and Lauren for their swift actions. Tragically, as noted by Water Safety Scotland, many past incidents have involved attempted rescues of another person or a dog in trouble on or in frozen water. Water Safety Scotland and partner organisations such as SFRS publicise expert advice and I urge people to take this on board. That centres on a warning not to venture on to frozen water. Ice may appear thick but can quickly become thin and crack. If you see someone else in trouble, the recommendation is to contact emergency services quickly and from a stable position to try and reach the person with something like a rope or pole or a buoyancy aid. The Scottish Government has included an additional £60,000 within this year's grant to the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents to reinforce its contribution to water safety in Scotland and the support given to partner organisations to help get that message out and promote the work of our drowning prevention strategy. I will be tearing the next Water Safety stakeholder group on 1 March, where the issue will be discussed. To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being considered to tackle crime involving pets. The Scottish Government understands that crimes involving family pets can be upsetting and traumatic for the owner and, of course, for the pet itself. We take all crimes, including those against pets, seriously. There are wide-ranging laws currently available in Scotland to deal with anyone who commits a crime involving a pet. Those include theft, robbery, as well as a range of animal welfare offences such as animal cruelty. We fully support law enforcement agencies taking effective enforcement action to deal with any offences involving pets as they consider necessary in any given case. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Ensuring that the law treats dogs as living beings instead of property is one of the aims of my new dog abduction bill. It would mean that those abducting dogs would receive punishment based on the harm that they cause to a dog's welfare and the impact on the dog's owner, which can be considerable given many regard their dog as part of the family. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the welfare-led approach is the right way to tackle dog abduction? I think the first thing to say is in relation to the member's bill, which he's mentioned, that the Scottish Government, of course, will consider the member's proposed bill as and when he formally provides for the detail of the plans, including if and when he introduces the bill to Parliament. I would say the point that he makes about taking into account the welfare of the animal, and I think also he's made, if not just now previously, the point of the value of that pet to the family as well. There's no evidence that I'm aware of that shows that courts don't take those things into account. There's certainly no inhibition on the courts in taking those things into account. I think it's a very good track record in the way that the situation currently is dealt with. Under half of the crimes that have been detected so far, I should say that the number involving pets in three years ago was 48. It went up to 62 years ago, back down to 48 for the last year that we have records. The dogs have been recovered in two thirds of those cases. We do feel that this is dealt with effectively just now, but, as I've said, we'll look to see what the member comes forward with in terms of his bill and take a view on that at the time. Question 4 is not lodged. Question 5 has been withdrawn. Question 6, Kenneth Gibson. To ask the Scottish Government what specific training is provided to help serving police officers to deal with members of the public who have mental health issues. Scotland is one of the first police services in the UK to implement mental health and suicide intervention training for all officers, right from probationary constables up to the rank of inspector benefiting the workforce and the communities that they serve. In addition, staff in C3 division command control and coordination has a first point of contact received training in risk and vulnerability assessment and staff working in custody suites received mental health awareness training. Kenneth Gibson. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. An increasing number of people who come into contact with police Scotland do have mental health issues. Following on from the vision for justice in Scotland document last year, can the cabinet secretary update us on how the Scottish Government will also work with partners to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of people who come into contact with the wider criminal justice system and indeed those who work within it? The Scottish Government recognises that there are significant pressures facing mental health services and the impact that that has on other services, including policing. We are working with partners across the health and justice sectors to address those issues. There are also directly investing in mental health support and services of £290 million in 2324. That represents in itself an increase from the updated 2223 budget of £252 million following the emergency budget review. We have also provided £250,000 over three years to fund trauma specialists to develop a framework for training staff to create a more trauma informed and trauma responsive justice system. I am glad that the member mentioned that in his question because one of the most important aspects of that justice system, although it will probably be the one that gets fewer headlines, is if we are able to manage at the end of that period to have right across the justice system in all its different agencies, training having been undertaken, people being informed about how to produce a trauma informed response, that will be one of the biggest achievements of that vision if we are able to achieve it. I have committed that justice ministers will also be, and I have had training in this already, and I am sure that I will have further training, so that right across the system we recognise that people that interact with the justice system will very often have suffered trauma in that process, and we do not want to answer that trauma. Again, I thank the member for his question on this very important area. Further to Kenny Gibson's question, Scotland's under pressure police officers have become, in some ways, the de facto emergency mental health service, which can add to their own mental health pressures. I have been speaking with friends and families of officers who have taken their own lives and those who have survived suicide attempts, and they would like to know what the Scottish Government is doing to help prevent more police suicides. I have said that the measures that I have already mentioned are also beneficial to police officers themselves, and he will be aware from previous answers that I have given the chamber about specific support that we have to police officers themselves. We are also supporting the development of enhanced mental health pathways for those in distress or in need of mental health support, because one of the pressures that Russell family rightly identifies on police officers is knowing how best to deal and not become further traumatised by dealing with people with mental health issues when they are presented to the police. We also have action 15 of the Scottish Government's mental health strategy, which is a commitment to fund 800 additional mental health workers to increase capacity in key locations where people may need help the most, including police custody suites. At the end of that commitment, we expect to have 958.9 whole-time equivalent mental health posts right across the piece. I think that we are providing additional support and capacity to police officers to help them deal with this admittedly increased situation over recent years and also to make sure that they are able to draw on the resources of the health service as well. Mental health practitioners train for years, they are experts in their own field, but increasingly, as has already been referred to, we rely on police officers to help people with poor mental health, even though they are not the experts, despite the training that the minister has highlighted. Are we not letting those police officers down by failing to have adequate services elsewhere? Referring to the point that he made about the 800 additional professionals helping also in the police service, where are we with that? How many in numbers do we have embedded in the police service so that they are working alongside the police to help people with mental health issues? I would say that we have, first of all, in the emergency department settings 35.6 whole-time equivalent posts in police custody suites. Police Scotland has been key national partners in the development of the innovative distress brief intervention programme, the DBI programme, which allows for front-line services a new option for supporting people who present to them in emotional distress but who do not require emergency clinical intervention. As just for the member's information, as at 30 November 2022, DBI has supported over 36,000 people since launch in 2016. Referrals to DBI from Police Scotland account for 9 per cent of that figure. Up to June 2022, a total of 1,238 Police Scotland staff have undertaken DBI training. I would also mention the redesign of the urgent care programme, which is relevant in this regard. Given the question that he has asked about where we are at in terms of the 800-plus figure, because that goes across a whole number of portfolios, I am happy to write to the member with updated information. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on expanding the use of electronic monitoring for non-violent criminals. Since the management of offenders Scotland Act 2019 was passed, the Scottish Government has procured a new national contract for provision of electronic monitoring services. We have now commenced the vast majority of the act. On 17 May 2022, we commenced through the act two new policy uses to allow electronic monitoring as part of bail and to allow use within community payback orders at first disposal. Progress continues to be made towards expanding electronic monitoring using a broad range of licences and community orders. In the last few months, I have seen a record high in the number of individuals electronically monitored in Scotland. I thank the cabinet secretary for that helpful answer and it is good to hear that progress. Does he agree with me that reducing the amount of non-violent offenders in the prison has helped to reduce disruption to children and families who are negatively impacted both emotionally and financially and that we must continue to make progress in this area? I certainly do agree that we have to shift the balance between custody and justice in the community as one of our key priorities. To do so, we need to ensure that the relevant community justice services are available, consistent and of high quality. That reflects a discussion that we had at the external justice committee this morning. While funding for community justice services is constrained by the current economic circumstances, we have continued to protect the community justice budget. Additional funding of £11.8 million was provided in 2021-22 to bolster capacity and support recovery from the pandemic. That has increased to £15 million this year, including a specific investment of £3.2 million to support bail assessment and supervision services, directly supporting an increase in the provision of bail supervision with services now running in 30 local authority areas. In total, we invest around £134 million in community justice services, which will be maintained next year as well. To ask the Scottish Government how it provides support to victims of violent crime in the pre-trial period. Victims of violent crime are supported in different ways during the pre-trial period. The Scottish Government, for our part, fund a range of victim support organisations, both generally and for specific crime types, who are then able to engage during this time and provide practical and emotional support. The victim information and advice service is also available from the Crown Office. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. He will be aware that section 24.5 of the Criminal Procedures Scotland Act 1995 sets out the standard conditions for bail, including that the accused does not behave in a manner that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress to witnesses. Would he agree with me that, where the accused and the victim of a violent crime live in the same building, the condition seems impossible to fulfil failing victims? And would he meet with me to discuss this matter further? I am happy to say, of course, that the member is raising an important issue on behalf of one of her constituents. I hope that she will, although in turn, appreciate—I cannot comment on the specific decisions made in the criminal courts— that there are powers for the court to consider further conditions, as it is termed, of bail, which are designed to help compliance with the standard conditions. Further conditions can include things such as an accused person having to change address if the court deems it necessary. In addition to that, and in relation to the individual case that the member mentions, as I have said, I am not able to publicly comment on individual decisions taken by the courts, but I am happy to meet with the member to understand more about the case that she has raised. One of the ways that we can support victims is properly enforcing bail conditions and breaches of bail. Bail-related defences are at a 10-year high. One in four bail orders granted will go on to be breached. Victim support Scotland says that victims often feel as they have to police the bail conditions themselves. Can I ask the cabinet secretary which bit of his forthcoming bail and release from custody legislation that the Government is bringing forward will deal with those concerns and make sure that bail conditions are properly adhered to and that breaches are severely dealt with? We are playing some of the discussion that we had this morning. I mentioned the fact that I think that if we can get bail, the conditions under which bail are approved, on to the terms that are proposed in the bail and release bill, that in itself can help to reduce risk, help to reduce offending while on bail and help to reduce re-offending at the other end of a custodial sentence. I think that we are taking this forward. It is also true to say that I have just mentioned, in response to a previous question, the way in which we are increasing, having increased this year and will increase next year, the resources to local authorities who are often the bail supervision authorities looking after that. We have more to do and we have to ensure that that increases. However, it is also true to say, as I said this morning, that in judging the conviction rates for those on bail, to be meaningful, has to be compared with the conviction rates of those who have a full custodial sentence or who are remanded in custody to make sense of how that is affecting the situation. Of course, we have to try to minimise the number of convictions committed by those on bail and I think that the track record of the resources that we have put in, given the general financial circumstances last year and next year, shows that we are very serious about doing that.