 Hefyd ymydd o'r gwahodd hon sydd y teulu i fi'r duodd o'r gweithredig yw'r gwahodd byddai iawn diwrnod yn ddefnyddio i'r ffordd ar y cyfrif, yn y gyfer hefyd i'r Bandwys. Yr pethau'r gweithredig yr ystyried cyrraedd y byddai iawn yr ystyried gyfrif i wath yn Lerwych â'r segund ar feirio gwahodd, ar gyfer hefyd ar gyfer hefyd ni, ar gyfer hefyd y cyfrif gyfrif, d灾 regrets y flin, a fyddwn yn mae'r hawleredd mewn parysur, hamdodd wrth where Mor signolióa tamag y gwbi NSP. Tad Max will datblygu o'r ddalun cy例hion wrth eich tref장 iaf hynna i'r ffau Shelgor a Gwair frodd, nid oes na wneud am McLif 성 i mae wedi gwrthwil yn y tir argyffref i gerch featuredd wedi'u unigio'i trniadau, gweithre industria sy'n hawl à cymdeilog若 maeilad hyn y ladw i. yn y dysgwnt ymgyrchyniadol yn 40%-50% gyda y start y 2016. Mae cyfnodol yn y ffrindiau roedd o unrhyw o'r mwyloedd ymgyrch yn ei ddweud. Mike MacKenzie. I want to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Does he agree with me that the plans for a forthcoming Ireland Act offer a very significant opportunity for all of Scotland's island communities and offers the hope of ending the regional disadvantage that they have suffered for generations? The establishment of the working group led by a minister with responsibility for the islands has demonstrated, I think, the Scottish Government's strong commitment to tackling the challenges that Mike Mackenzie has just highlighted. The work of the group has taken forward since 2013 has included focusing on listening to the island councils and their communities and working with them in partnership to identify opportunities to support economic growth, job creation and improving services and connectivity. The Government's consultation seeks views on provisions for a future islands bill that was undertaken towards the end of last year. That consultation received over 190 responses. All the views expressed will help to inform the future development of a draft islands bill, and such a bill will be a key way of drawing together the various workstreams of the ministerial group and channeling our focus to ensure that we provide real change for our island communities with lasting benefits for generations to come. The cabinet secretary will be aware that all the island councils want the full management powers over the sea bed to devolve to those areas that are most affected and preferably without any delay. Does the Government support that position? There are a number of provisions that are still the subject of discussion in terms of the proposed Scotland Act, so those are discussions not just between the Scottish Government and the island councils that are mentioned by Tavish Scott but also with the UK Government. We have to await the final conclusions of that before we can say that we will further take on those powers to devolve them where possible to island communities. That issue is still in question, to some extent. Of course, the process of the Crown Estates assets being transferred to the Scottish Government has not been a straightforward one. There still remains disagreement between the two Governments, but I am happy to keep Tavish Scott updated or ensure that Derek Mackay, the Minister for the Islands, keeps Tavish Scott updated on the progress on that issue. 2. Jackson Carlaw To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a final decision on a deposit return scheme for beverage containers. I announced on 30 December the further work that would be undertaken following Zero Waste Scotland's call for evidence to consider the important issues that were raised in that call for evidence. Those issues include the implications for small stores, cost retailers and changes in customer behaviour where a deposit return scheme has been in place. Jackson Carlaw I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Reports suggest that the proposed bottle tax could cost consumers £155 million a year—£65 per household, or if I were to express it in terms of council tax, bans A, B and C in East Renfisher, that would be an increase of 8.6 per cent, 7.4 per cent and 6.5 per cent but of a reining on the Jamboree parade yesterday. Given that the vast majority of organisations responding to the zero waste consultation were opposed to a DRS scheme in Scotland, will the cabinet secretary, who is a man with a reputation for having a pungshaw for embracing lovely ideas, ensure that practical concerns expressed by wholesalers and others are at the centre of any final decision that is made on this proposal? Jackson Carlaw has taken scaremongering at a whole new level in this Parliament, because of course the point of a deposit return as you pay the deposit, you get it back and you return your bottle or item to a store of our location? In terms of the way forward, clearly we had our feasibility study. This is something that works in other countries. It is very effective in tackling litter and improving recycling rates. Of course this is Scotland who has to ensure that any scheme that we are to be brought forward in this country is suitable to Scottish circumstances. That is why we are taking further evidence and investigating some of the issues that have arisen due to concerns expressed by the retail sector and packaging sector and other sectors to see how this could potentially work in Scotland before we take a final decision. However, there is a lot of support for this way forward. It works in other countries and Jackson Carlaw should recognise that other things that work in other countries can work in Scotland as well in some cases. Question 3, Stewart Stevenson. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to tourism in Aberdeenshire. Minister, Fergus Ewing. We work closely with a range of public bodies, including Visit Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Natural Heritage, Skills Development Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland and with industry to increase tourism throughout the country, including in Aberdeenshire. I thank the minister for that substantial support that is being given to tourism's delivery in Aberdeenshire. In particular, I invite him to join me in welcoming the formation of the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Tourism Company, which is consolidating what had been a fragmented approach to tourism in Aberdeenshire. Over £1 million of initial funding looks set to deliver much more for Aberdeenshire in this important economic area. Fergus Ewing. Yes, in 2014, the total visitor spend in Aberdeen city and Shire region was £351 million, with £1.25 million trip. Plainly, there is a great deal of success already, but the establishment of the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Tourism Company represents an opportunity for even further success. I am delighted that there has been such support from all parties, including Sir Ian Wood's one initiative, to further build on the success of tourism in Mr Stevenson's part of the world. Alex Johnson. The minister will be fully aware of the potential impact on tourism in the Royal D-Side area, in particular after the flooding during the winter. Is there anything that the minister can do to assist directly those who have had their businesses impacted? In particular, is there any flexibility available so that those who are unable to let holiday accommodation might make it available to those who have been displaced as a result of flooding without being impacted by the changes in private rented tenure regulations? I think that Mr Johnson is entirely correct that this area, particularly Ballotau, has been extremely badly hit and I have been in contact with some of the businesses there that have been most affected by that. I am advised that there has been support of flood hit businesses of a certain extent, as the member will know, but of course we are willing to look to see what else, if possible, can be done to support all possible businesses that have been affected so badly, and especially the Caravan park in Ballotau, with whom I have been in contact. I am happy to look at that matter further and meet with Mr Johnson if he so wishes. Neil Findlay. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on fracking. The Scottish Government is taking a precautionary and evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, including hydraulic fracturing. In January 2015, we introduced a moratorium on unconventional oil and gas developments. In October last year, we announced details of an extensive programme of research into the potential impacts of this industry and the timetable for a full and comprehensive public consultation. Neil Findlay. Thank you very much. We know that there is a moratorium on fracking in place and that conveniently, and I am sure that it will, totally coincidentally, report after the election, but is the minister responsible for the policy? In the spirit of new, open and transparent politics, do the voters deserve to know what the minister's position is on fracking prior to the election? Come on, minister. Go on, just tell us as you know you want to. The approach of openness and transparency, the member says, is new. Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's old. I've always been open and transparent, as members in this chamber know. So consistent with that spirit of openness that I hope I have followed for the last 16 years as a member of this place, I entirely support the Scottish Government policy of pursuing on the basis of the evidence. That was the approach that Scotland bequested to the world through the great thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment. If it was good enough for them, it's good enough for me. Even the Liberal Democrats have seen sense on the question of fracking. Isn't it time that the minister was true to his own instincts and just joined the growing consensus that we should get on with fracking in, of course, a properly controlled and regulated fashion? Minister. Well, I'm absolutely determined that the people of Scotland should have the benefit of the most substantial corpus of evidence that has been produced in relation to how hydraulic fracturing may impact on Scotland. That is precisely why we have commissioned the most substantial series of pieces of research into all of the relevant aspects. Now, I thought that Mr Fraser was a reasonable chap, Presiding Officer. Therefore, well, I did. Maybe that was a mistake. Should he, as a lawyer like myself, not be willing to look at the evidence first and make his conclusions afterwards, because that's what we are committed to do and that's what we all do. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In light of the openness and transparency that the minister has outlined, could the minister give us some transparency in relation to the community organisations that are being consulted as part of the consultation exercise? After several attempts, I'm still waiting on the answer from the minister. Minister? Well, the process of consultation that we have committed to, that we have expounded, that we have explicitly stated in many public utterances, including parliamentary answers, is that there will be a full national consultation after the evidence, and that will involve everybody. So I would have thought that Mr Wilson would be deliriously happy about that. Question 5, Margaret Mitchell. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Professor Neil McEachney's statement, the Police Scotland's decision to issue on-the-spot recorded warnings for the possession of cannabis rather than report people to prosecutors, is a massive white flag to Scotland's drug problem. Recorded police warnings allow police to deal more quickly and efficiently with a range of offences that already commonly result in non-court disposals. The types of crime covered by the scheme are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of his independent role as head of the system of prosecution. Those offences will still appear in official statistics on recorded crime. The system provides a mechanism that is timely and proportionate, avoids a need for the preparation and submission of a standard police report and enables the procurator Fiscal and Court to focus on more serious crimes while giving police the range of powers they need to respond quickly and appropriately to less serious offences. Those offences are still recorded as crimes. As the member will be aware, the classification of drugs is currently reserved to Westminster. However, it should even be game responsibility for the issue. We have no plans to legalise or decriminalise drugs. The Scottish Government and our partners place a high priority on education in Scotland's young people on the dangers posed by drugs and continue to invest in treatment services and delivery of recovery services for those affected by drugs. We will always seek to disrupt and prosecute those supplying the drugs that destroy the lives of individuals. Margaret Mitchell The minister will be aware that, since March 2015, police in England and Wales have been using roadside drug testing kits to detect and deter those driving under the influence of drugs. Can he confirm that those will be made available for police to use these in Scotland and, if so, when? What has been the hold-up so far in introducing these kits? The use of such techniques is obviously an operational matter for Police Scotland and, indeed, for prosecuting authorities. I will happily write to the member on the position that there is in Scotland. However, what we are trying to set out today is that we remain robust in terms of our response to the prevalence of drugs in Scotland. Thankfully, the prevalence of drugs is not at its highest level. It has been reducing over recent years and we will continue to focus on tackling the supply of drugs that is destroying the lives of individuals and their families and, indeed, communities. Is the minister able to confirm whether there are targets for such warnings? I can confirm that there are no such targets. It is a matter that is used by Police Scotland to deal appropriately with matters as they arise. As I said in my original answer, it allows the police to release resources to tackle the more serious offences that occur in our society. Question 6, from Anne McTaggart, has not been lodged. The member has provided me with an explanation. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the 2016-17 local government settlement will have on communities. Officially, the 2016-17 settlement funding package for local government, agreed by Parliament on 25 February, is firmly focused on the delivery of our joint priorities to deliver sustainable economic growth, protect front-line services and support the most vulnerable in our communities. Those shared priorities will improve outcomes for local people. We are protecting the council tax freeze for a ninth year, which will provide much needed financial relief, particularly to vulnerable groups, investing £250 million in integrating health and social care services and improving educational attainment by maintaining the pupil-teacher ratio in Scotland schools. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, even in spite of yesterday's massive U-turn by the SNP on the council tax, the effect of this coming year's local government settlement will mean millions of pounds of cuts in school, teacher and pupil support budgets, driving a stake at the heart of Scotland's communities and thwarting efforts to promote investment in education? It is no surprise that I do not agree with the member that the overall impact on local authority expenditure budgets is a cut of under 1 per cent. Any local authority who has to cut into their education expenditure as a result of a reduction of less than 1 per cent in their overall budget is not managing their money very well indeed. When I look at councils such as North Lanarkshire, where the amount of waste in some of the things that they do, I am absolutely sure that they can save a lot of money and reinvest that in education. Thank you for asking the Scottish Government how it will take forward the recommendations of the working group on consumer and competition policy for Scotland. I established the independent working group for consumer and competition policy for Scotland to consider how new consumer and competition powers that are to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Bill could be put to best effect. The working group's report published at the end of October last year included 46 recommendations. We are considering those carefully and we will issue our response shortly. On the back of the group's report, I have come pleased for the Scottish Government to use the powers in the Scotland Bill around consumer advocacy and advice to contribute to tackling the menace of nuisance calls. Can I ask the cabinet secretary how the Government considers those powers might be best to deploy around this issue and whether he will work with Westminster on this important matter? The specific point that Mr Day makes about nuisance calls is an issue that is reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament and will not change as a consequence of the Scotland Bill. Therefore, the responsibilities that are transferred to us around consumer advocacy will be important that we utilise those powers in a way that can support individuals who are troubled by the persistence of nuisance calls. There is a lot of good research that has been undertaken on the subject by the organisation in which we have co-operated with which, in many respects, around the design of consumer and competition policy in Scotland. We look forward to continuing that dialogue and to working with the United Kingdom Government on this question. To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a decision regarding the possible electrification of the North Glasgow Suburban railway line. Elitification of the North Glasgow Suburban railway line will be considered as part of the Scottish Government's next high-level output specification for control period 6 due in July 2017. The Scottish Government remains committed to a substantial rolling programme of electrification that will bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits, providing Scotland with a sustainable world-class transport system. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but he will be aware that those passengers who travel on this particular railway line have in recent times suffered severe disruption from a number of causes, one from Egypt and one from problems with the fourth road bridge, all of which are perhaps understandable, but they will now also have 20 weeks of considerable disruption, as journey times are likely to increase substantially during the period of works to the tunnels and other parts of the railway outside Queen Street station. I wonder whether he could perhaps consider making an early announcement about the electrification of this particular line so that we can bring that line into the same situation as all the other suburban lines in Glasgow. It would be extremely helpful if he could. I think that one of the things that I say to Patricia Ferguson is that one of the delays or disruption causes, of course, is the Egypt process itself, which is bringing substantial benefits to Glasgow. I think that there is more electrification happening in and around Glasgow than in any other part of the country. As to an earlier announcement, I think that these things are best considered when all the different options are considered together. There are other parts of Scotland that are very interested in seeing roll-out of electrification to their areas, and we have to consider it against the resources that we expect to have available at that time. For that reason, I do not think that it would be right to bring it forward, but it is worth saying that, in addition to Egypt, and also to Ayrgyr Bathgate in the Paysley corridor, there is a substantial amount of electrification, but it is also committed, as we previously said, to 100km per year of further electrification beyond Egypt. Of course, it is in that context that we will consider our announcement on Mary Hill.