 Ardedig o'r twelyn gyda ffwrnaeth y cyfleoedd pwysig ar gyfer y sgolodau M shamid a'r gwrthoedau i gyflogu hyfyrddion gyffredigol, beidio cyflogu blofnolaeth a'r cyfleoedd bwysig fel pannegyrchu bwysig? Ar i gilyddol, yn ddaf i gyflym o'r trefeyddau cyfleoedd a'r eilon o'r 20 febury 2018. Felly, yr eileu llystfel, rwy'n gwybodaeth yn gwybod ddododd dae o'r cyfleoedd The British Transport Police Authority reviewed progress on operational matters at a workshop in February 2018 and concluded that a number of significant issues remain to be resolved. As a result of that assessment, the joint programme board was advised that further time is needed to deliver integration, most effectively and safely, for railway passengers, staff and officers. Ministers accepted that advice and that a replanning exercise would take place to establish a new delivery date. That reflects the importance that this Government places on ensuring that a safe, effective and smooth transition is achieved, which delivers continuity of service for rail users and staff. The next joint programme board meeting will be held in Edinburgh on 8 May. Mary Fee. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. A paper written by the British Transport Police Federation and reported on last week, found that the merger of BTP into Police Scotland not only risk creating life-threatening safety issues but could also cost between £225,000 and £500,000 per officer. Does the cabinet secretary agree with those costings and, if not, what have the Government estimated the cost per officer of the merger will be? Claimant, which the member made reference to, including pensions, could cost up to £500,000 per transfer of officers, is simply inaccurate. It does not take account of the fact that pension liabilities are met by assets and that schemes are currently fully funded. Actorial advice that was shared with the SPA in October of last year states that pension liabilities are about £97 million and are balanced by £99 million of pension fund assets, so we do not recognise those figures, although I recognise that the British Transport Police Federation opposed the integration of British Transport Police into Police Scotland. Liam McArthur. I follow on from Mary Fee's question. At the point of delay, does the Scottish Government set aside any additional budget to address some of the concerns that were raised by the British Transport Police Association and others? For the very reasons that I have just outlined to Mary Fee, we do not recognise the figures that they have produced and we have set out the reasons for that. We also made very clear that the funding for the work that we are taking forward just now through the integration programme has been met through the police reform budget, which is used for police reform measures within Scotland. John Mason. I wonder whether the cabinet secretary would accept that it is frustrating for the public that there is a delay in all of this, because the public does not understand why there should be one police force for a railway platform, a separate police force for a road a few yards away, and the sooner we can get a simpler system, the better. I recognise the frustrations that the member has expressed, but I can assure the member that we are fully committed to ensuring that British Transport Police are integrated into Police Scotland. I should say that progress has been made in a number of very important areas in taking forward the integration programme, including a significant amount of work that has been undertaken over the course of the last nine months. Alongside that, there has been work that has now been taken forward as part of the reprogramming exercise to ensure that there are clear timelines for the outstanding work to be taken forward. I reassure all members that the travel and public continue to receive a service from British Transport Police, alongside that, with Police Scotland, as and when necessary, in supporting their BTP colleagues when incidents do occur. Jamie Greene. Contrary to what Mr Mason just said, does the cabinet secretary not accept that there are still some serious concerns around the merger, especially around issues around ICT infrastructure? Is it about time that the cabinet secretary listened to experts and went back to the drawing board completely on this very unpopular merger? As the member will recognise, the merger of BTP policing into Police Scotland is something that was approved and agreed by a majority in his Parliament. I recognise that his own party plans to abolish British Transport Police and to move to an astro-infrastructure policing unit with the integration of BTP into the MOD policing and into civil nuclear policing, which would abolish BTP completely. My concerns about that particular approach is that I suspect that it would largely be an armed base force, given the nature of the work that is carried out by civil nuclear officers and Ministry of Defence police services. I recognise that there are concerns about the integration plans that we have here in Scotland. The replaning exercise is an important element of making sure that the areas of work that still have to be carried out and completed before full integration takes place, that that replaning exercise identifies the timeline for taking that forward. However, I do not share the member's view that we should abolish BTP and move it into a national infrastructure policing division in the way in which his party has proposed at a last election and was previously muted by the UK Government and is clearly the UK Government's policy going forward at the present time. To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has shared its experience of tackling knife crime with the Metropolitan Police. Police Scotland routinely works in collaboration with other forces and recently hosted a visit from the Metropolitan Police to explore issues of common interest. That included a discussion of efforts to reduce violence and knife crime areas where, as the member knows, Scotland continues to face challenges but has, through our public health approach, made some significant progress. Kenneth Gibson I thank the justice secretary for that answer. Under the SNP Government, knife crime has fallen by 69 per cent in a decade from 10,110 incidents to 3,101, with an even steeper fall, 77 per cent in my own area of North Ayrshire having previously doubled under the Labour, Lib Dem administration. Does he agree that having six per cent more police on the streets under the SNP, compared with a 17 per cent fall in England under the Tories, has made a difference? Given the appalling tragedy of 39 young people stabbed to death in London so far this year, what further advice can the cabinet secretary give on how best to tackle this scourge? Can I write, members? I quite like short questions, cabinet secretary. The cabinet secretary is right to highlight the fact that crimes involving handling offensive weapons in Scotland has significantly reduced since 2006-07. However, we know the devastating consequences that should come from knife crime in our communities. We certainly have no way to afford to be complacent about the progress that we have made. In my view, one knife crime will always be one to many. Alongside the very tough enforcement action that we have taken in our approach to tackle knife crime, we have also had a firm focus on prevention and early intervention, which has no doubt played a significant role in helping to reduce knife crime in Scotland, including to the levels that the member made reference to in his constituency. We have invested significantly in the national violence reduction unit, which has allowed us to make sure that there is a clear focus on violence prevention. That has also included the development of medics against violence, a prevention programme that has been delivered in some of our schools in Scotland and also the mentors in violence prevention programme that has now been delivered in schools across the country to teach young people about the risks and the dangers of violent crime, but also to promote healthy relationships and to help them to keep them safe. Alongside that, specifically on knife crime, we have the No Knives Better Lice youth engagement programme, which aims specifically to reduce the instance of violence and knife carrying among young people. That has now been delivered in 24 of our local authorities and is on track to be delivered in all 32 of our local authority areas this year. As we have made good progress in the course of the last 10 years, I can assure members that we are absolutely focused on continuing to bear down on violence, and in particular knife crime in Scotland. Our prevention approach is one that we have reached the benefits of in recent years, and we will continue to invest in in the years to come. Thank you to ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Sentencing Council is making with guidelines on sentencing in relation to deaths caused by driving. The Sentencing Council is an independent body. However, my officials have been in touch with the council in connection with the question, and I can confirm that the council has advised that a sub-committee has been established to consider the development of the guidance in relation to deaths by driving. The sub-committee will be responsible for the development of the guidelines, including considering the specific timing for development of the guidelines, what research will be needed and what presently available data is held. The area of law is reserved, and it is also worth noting that the UK Government consulted in 2016 to changes to the maximum penalties for death by driving cases. In October 2017, it announced that legislation would be introduced to increase the maximum penalties for certain death by death by driving offences. That announcement can, of course, be expected to impact on the timing of the development of the guidelines by the Scottish Sentencing Council. Willie Coffey I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. He will be aware of the tragic case of my constituent William Murray, who was killed as a result of a motorbike accident in 2013. The other person involved was convicted of careless driving, given a community sentence and ban from driving for five years, but flouted that ban last November and was given another community sentence. What assurance can be given to William Murray's family and other families that the justice system will take full account of previous convictions and recommend custodial sentences for repeat offenders under any new sentencing guidelines? Cabinet secretary. I am aware of the case that I have met with the constituency member to discuss the matter, but he will also appreciate that I am not able to comment specifically on any individual case. Low members will recognise that the courts take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances when it comes to making decisions on sentencing, and that includes the fact that they are dealing with someone who may be a repeat offender. Of course, in any given case, those are decisions for the court to make, informed by the information that is provided to them, by the prosecution and also by the defence. I can understand why victims and their families are keen to understand how sentencing decisions are made and why the court has come to a particular determination. That is one of the reasons why transparency in sentencing is important and why we establish a Scottish In Sentencing Council and why the work that it is taking forward will be important in encouraging greater transparency around sentencing decisions. The publishing of sentencing guidelines for the first time this autumn represents a real opportunity to improve public understanding of sentencing and how it works. While I recognise the independence of the sentencing council, what representations has the Government been making to the council so that we can ensure that guidelines lead to transparent, understandable sentencing and reflect the seriousness of the crime in general? As the member mentioned in his own question, is an independent body responsible for taking those matters forward in the manner in which it sees as being most appropriate? It consults the Scottish Government on its draft business programme, however the content of that is a matter for the Scottish Sentencing Council. Once it has completed the delivery of any work to establish new sentencing guidelines, it will then be a matter for the Scottish Sentencing Council to determine how it will take that forward. I would expect that to be taken forward in partnership with the judiciary, including the Lord President, in ensuring that our senators are aware of the new guidelines once they have been implemented. They can have support in that work through the judicial institute, which is responsible for helping to support the training of our sentensers. However, decisions on taking that forward are rightly a matter for the Scottish Sentencing Council, and I do not think that it would be appropriate for the Government to start intervening in how they take those matters forward and how they then disseminate that information once their work has been completed. The Scottish Sentencing Council was formed in October 2015, which is now two and a half years ago. Guidelines were promised on death by driving in October 2016, one and a half years ago, yet only now are we seeing some action. The Scottish National Party also promised action to crack down on drug driving last September after pressure from the Scottish Conservatives. What progress has been made? Clearly, the member does not understand how the Scottish Sentencing Council operates on the basis of an independent body that is headed up by the Lord Justice Clerk, with a range of experts who are appointed to for their purposes to support them in drafting guidelines for our courts and sentensers. The member may wish to reflect on that in understanding how it operates. In relation to drug driving, the member will be aware, although he may not be aware, given that he was not a member of the Parliament at the time when this decision was made, that we made a decision on the basis of the recommendations that came in relation to both drink and drug driving about the priorities that we would set in adjusting the existing or the previous drink driving rate or introducing new provisions for drug driving. The UK Government took an approach where it chose not to lower the drink driving limit in the way in which we chose to do so. We did that and we now have the lowest drink driving limit within the whole of the UK in order to promote greater safety on our roads. We said at that time that once that work had been completed and that it had been embedded with Police Scotland operationally, we would then turn to the introduction of drug driving tests. That is exactly what has now been taken forward and that work has presently been undertaken in partnership with Police Scotland. Once that work has been completed, Scotland will have the most robust drink driving and drug driving limits in the whole of the UK. I hope that that helps member in understanding what was previously agreed here in Parliament and the approach that we are taking. That is the important progress that we are making in ensuring that our roads in Scotland are as safe as possible from those who too often simply ignore the safety risks that are associated with drink driving and also drug driving. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the concerns raised by Rape Crisis Scotland and others regarding the Crown Office and procurator fiscal services changes to prosecution policy in cases of rape and sexual violence. The Lord Advocate and I had a helpful and constructive meeting with Rape Crisis Scotland on 19 April, and we have committed to work with them to provide reassurance in relation to how the policy will work in practice and ensure that victims can be given accurate information in that regard. We confirmed that the focus of the Crown's revised policy is not compelling rape complainers to testify. The focus is to ensure that the burden of prosecutorial decision making lies properly with the Crown and to ensure that decisions are made after the most careful consideration of all of the relevant circumstances. The Crown is committed to doing all that it can to prevent violence against women and girls and to protect the public from serious sexual violence. As prosecutors, we know only too well and understand the challenges that the criminal justice system can present for complainers in rape cases. That is why the Crown continues to work with others to address the features in the system that contribute to reluctance and witness attrition. Christina McKelvie I thank the Solicitor General for that response and welcome the on-going work with Rape Crisis Scotland. I am sure that many of us here will welcome that work indeed. Is it the case that the Crown would not take action against any complainer who failed to give evidence after a warrant was issued? If it is the case, can the Scottish Government give me and Rape Crisis Scotland and others assurances that no rape complainer will be jailed if they are unable to give evidence even where a warrant is issued? Christina McKelvie We can never exclude the possibility that there could be circumstances where a witness warrant might be sought if a complainer refused to attend a court when lawfully cited. Whilst we accept that, we expect that this would and could only arise in the most exceptional of circumstances, which I may say have not arisen in the time that I have been prosecuting rape in the High Court for the past 10 years as a law officer or, indeed, since the 12th of March, since the policy was clarified. Should that issue ever arise before any decision was taken about the appropriateness of seeking a warrant in the first place, very careful consideration and assessment would be given by an experienced prosecutor to all the relevant factors in that individual case, the circumstances of the complainer, her vulnerabilities, the nature and reasons for her reluctance, and also, crucially, the nature and circumstances and gravity of the offence and the offender. Only after considering all of those circumstances will any decision be taken and I may say that this will be an assessment that is one of many conducted through the entire process. We will take careful account of the risks of not proceeding against a particularly dangerous accused, but the complainers' views, her welfare and her interests are at the heart of the Crown's prosecution policy in relation to reluctant complainers. The policy underlines the importance of exploring the reasons for that reluctance and of working, along with other agencies, to address those concerns where we can, to re-engage and to support that witness. However, all of that means in practice that there will continue to be cases where taking account of all of these relevant circumstances, the right thing to do is not to take proceedings or to discontinue them. I have only managed to get to question 4 and I am going to take two brief supplementaries on question 4, but I want to say that it is important that not only I say this to the entire chamber, that questions are short but answers are succinct as well. I appreciate one has to be very careful, particularly in justice issues, with the answers that are given, but to only reach question 4. I would ask those who have been in here today speaking to look at the time they have been on their feet, because next time I am in the chamber I will intervene if answers, as well as questions, are too long in order that we can at least let other members get in. Reaching question 4 is not good enough in my book, but I will now take Kezia Dugdale on a supplementary on that question. Please make it brief to be followed by Margaret Mitchell with a brief supplementary, and please short answers. Thank you. Can I ask this list to general what further work is undertaken to support rape victims during the court process, with specific regards to the length of time it takes cases to get to trial, and indeed the number of delays that victims face? Thank you. There is a lot of work going on, most notably in relation to reduction of the pre-petition workload that contributes to a delay, the journey time from report to trial. We have reduced the number of those cases from 700 in 2016 to 200 today. We continue to act on feedback from rape crisis Scotland directly on the lived experience of complainers and have changed our practices already in that regard. We will continue to work with others in the system to address those system-wide features that contribute to delay and the other circumstances that contribute to reluctance and attrition. Can I ask this list to general to confirm how many rape victims have applied for legal aid and been accepted to oppose the disclosure of sensitive medical records and what advice the Crown and Procurator Fiscal gives to the victims that this option is available? I do not know the numbers and advice that is given in that regard. Thank you very much. I apologise indeed to the five members who are not called. I trust that I will not repeat this again. It means that I cannot call supplementaries if they are very long answers and I do not want to cut out supplementaries in important questions. Now we want questions on culture, tourism and external affairs, question 1. That advice, or telling off, I have given a pertain to the next set. I call Angus MacDonald. First question. To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Event Scotland will receive in the current financial year. Cabinet Secretary, Event Scotland is part of Visit Scotland's events directorate and, as such, it does not receive direct grant and aid funding from the Scottish Government. Its funding is an operational decision for the Visit Scotland board. I will ask the Visit Scotland chief executive to write to the member with the details once the funding for 2018-19 has been agreed by the Visit Scotland board. I can tell Mr MacDonald that, in 2017-18, Event Scotland was allocated £9.3 million. Angus MacDonald. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response and clearly welcome this year's funding. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the established motorsport event, the bonus revival classic car show on hill climb held annually in my constituency. Over the past three years, it has received funding from Event Scotland's national events programme, however, there is a maximum limit of three awards from that fund. Does she agree that there is possibly a chance to mention to Event Scotland that there could be a possibility of relaxing the three-year rule on a discretionary basis to allow continued funding for events such as the bonus hill climb? I am aware of the revival classic show on hill climb in Bonesa, an important event. It would be a decision for Visit Scotland if it were to relax that three-year funding. Of course, that would mean that if it had another year's funding for that organisation or indeed any others, it would mean that less funding would be available for new events if existing events received funding for a fourth year. I understand that the chairman of the bonus hill climb had a productive meeting with Visit Scotland only on Monday, and it will continue to provide non-funding support and advice to the event to help it to develop a more sustainable commercial business for the future. Rachel Hamilton To ask the cabinet secretary what percentage of funding will be allocated to events that will encourage diversity. Cabinet secretary, if the member was listening to my very first answer, she will be aware that the Scottish Government does not provide direct grant and aid to Event Scotland decisions about event Scotland and indeed the distribution and indeed to which organisations are promoting diversity will be a decision for the Visit Scotland board. However, as I replied to the first question, I will ask Visit Scotland to advise the member once he makes that decision. To ask the Scottish Government what scope there is through its international development fund to support projects that are not in its four partner countries, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Pakistan. Our new international development strategy, published in 2016, focused our work on, as the member said, four partner countries with which we have strong historic and contemporary links to ensure that our £10 million international development fund has the greatest impact. Scottish-based organisations working in any country whose human development scores medium or low on the current United Nations human development index are, however, eligible to apply for our small grants programme for feasibility or capacity building grants of up to £10,000. Ivan McKee I thank the minister for that answer and I agree with the strategy of focusing on four countries to ensure maximum impact. However, retaining flexibility to fund projects in other countries enables us to respond to and support specific needs as they arise. As the minister will be aware, I recently visited Palestine, a country badly in need of development support. I would like to ask the minister if he would meet with me to discuss specific projects in the occupied west bank that would benefit from some limited Scottish Government funding support. Ivan McKee I am more than happy, of course, to meet the member to hear his concerns that he wishes to raise around that issue. I just want to mention possibly in passing 2, however, that we have provided in the past one-off funding, humanitarian funding for Gaza. Also, the Scottish Government has sought to be helpful to fire fighters in Scotland who are seeking to provide or make sure that a fire engine made its way to Palestine to assist people in that part of the world, too. Jeremy Balfour To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland regarding the appointment of the head of the new screen unit. The recruitment of the executive director of Screen and Creative Enterprise is a matter for Creative Scotland. Creative Scotland updates Scottish Government regularly about progress with the screen unit, including on recruitment at project board and screen committee meetings, and at the routine meetings that it has with sponsored department officials. I am also updated in meetings with them. Creative Scotland has invited the Scottish Government director for culture, tourism and major events to sit on the selection panel. Yes. Jeremy Balfour, please. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. Will the cabinet secretary commit to regular meetings and will she also report back to this chamber of how those meetings go? Cabinet secretary. I have regular meetings with Creative Scotland. My communication to Parliamentarians is normally via the convener of the relevant committee, and indeed on 8 March there was a letter from Creative Scotland to that committee, making sure that they were aware of the developments and the progress. If the member has a particular interest in following that, I suggest that he might look at the papers and publications that come from that committee as they are open to every Parliamentarian in this committee. As the cabinet secretary will be aware, the culture committee is undertaking an inquiry into the screen sector, including scrutiny of the new screen unit. Is she confident that the governance arrangements under the head of the new screen unit will work, who will work underneath Creative Scotland, are appropriate for meeting the specific needs of this sector? Cabinet secretary. Yes, I do. Indeed, in the letter that went to the committee itself, and in my response to the committee as well in terms of my correspondence, it was set out that one of the things that we think is absolutely crucial is that Creative Scotland board members appointed that have screened experience. Those adverts are about to go out. Also, in terms of the governance, lead members from within the screen sector themselves, very respected members, will be part of that governance arrangement as well. That is something that has given confidence to me, but also to others in the screen sector. I call the breathless number 4, Bob Doris, who has just arrived in town. I certainly have, Presiding Officer. I apologise for getting my timings wrong. I know that was my responsibility to ask the Scottish Government how it supports built heritage in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency. Cabinet secretary, the Scottish Government supports built heritage across our communities through the lead public body historic environment Scotland. Maryhill borough halls was restored in 2012, with help from public funds awarded by the former historic Scotland and the Scottish Government. Bob Doris. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I point out that Springburn has been plated by the loss of a number of buildings of heritage over the years, but the illicit winter gardens in Springburn part remains a wonderful asset despite being on the buildings that risk of register. The Springburn winter gardens trust is making an ambitious, large-scale heritage lottery fund bid to save and repurpose the winter gardens for future generations at the defining moment in the project's future. Can I ask the cabinet secretary to offer her best wishes for the bid and can I extend an invite to visit the winter gardens and hear more about those ambitious plans? Cabinet secretary, I certainly can provide my best wishes for those and the local trusts that are looking at the A-listed glass house in Springburn part, the winter gardens there. I am pleased that Historic Environment Scotland has managed to maintain the repair grant scheme and the funding for that. I have provided £14.5 million for a further year from the Scottish Government, and the Glasgow City Heritage Trust can help to fund those organisations. In terms of visiting, I am very interested in our historic heritage in all parts of Scotland, and I should provide that I would be very willing to come and see what is happening in Springburn. I am obliged at this point to inform the chamber that the First Minister has appointed me as parliamentary liaison officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, and I further wish to refer members to my register of interests, specifically my membership of the Music and Union. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports participation in music. The Scottish Government supports participation in music in many different ways. Our long-standing investment of £100 million since 2007 in the Youth Music Initiative has made a huge impact, helping young people in all 32 local authorities to access music-making opportunities, helping to ensure that every people is offered a year's free music tuition by the end of P6. A further £9 million of funding has been allocated to the initiative in 2018-19. We are providing £2.5 million to System of Scotland as part of our four-year funding package in communities in Stirling, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. We are also investing £22.5 million in our national performing companies this year. All of them have music content within their programmes and outreach programmes. We are providing £10 million towards the new Edinburgh impact performance venue, which will provide a home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Creative Scotland also works with a range of partners to ensure that people have the opportunity to participate in music. The recently announced regular funded network includes strong support for all music genres, from contemporary to jazz to classical to traditional. Tom Arthur. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for that answer. For many people, their first experiences of participation in music occurs, of course, in school. Does the cabinet secretary share the concerns that are expressed by many musicians that children and young people will lose out on opportunities to participate in music-making if some local authorities continue to reduce instrumental teaching services and increase tuition charges? I am very concerned about the decision by some local authorities to cut access to instrumental music tuition, particularly at secondary level. The Deputy First Minister also shares my concerns. I have asked Scottish Government culture officials to work with education officials to assess the impact and identify ways. Respecting the autonomy and responsibility local councils have for this, I have asked them to work with key stakeholders to ensure that we have a vibrant music tuition provision in the future to inspire the many young people who currently benefit from it. Gordon Lindhurst. Does the cabinet secretary also share the concern about the proposals in West Lothian to cut certain instruments from free music tuition and to charge for tuition, which could lead to the detriment of disadvantaged children and the council in West Lothian blaming the Scottish Government budget cuts for this? Cabinet Secretary. Of course, the member will be aware that local government as a whole in Scotland did have a real-terms increase, and in particular West Lothian has had an increase in its budget as well. I am very familiar with the situation in West Lothian. My constituency is the Nolisco constituency, and I think that it is absolutely shocking in a county where it has been championed and regarded across Scotland as providing some of the best of music tuition that it would even contemplate abolishing string tuition and also percussion tuition. I think that at the intervention of the Children's Commissioner who identified that they hadn't even consulted children and young people about that provision, they are now looking again at that provision and I would urge them seriously to do so. It is not just the reputation of West Lothian council as a music making champion that is severely at risk, it is the opportunities that young people in my constituency and across West Lothian face. Question 6, Murdo Fraser. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to ensure that historic battlefields are preserved. Historic Environment Scotland has a statutory duty to compile and maintain an inventory of historic battlefields of the national importance. The inclusion of a battlefield on the inventory means that particular consideration must be given to any impact on the site of any development or activity on it. The effect of a proposed development on inventory battlefields is a material consideration in the planning system. Scottish planning policy sets out the matters that planning authorities should consider in determining planning applications relating to historic battlefields, including protecting, conserving and enhancing their key landscape characteristics and special qualities. A further layer of scrutiny is provided by a planning direction from 2012, which sets out when ministers have to be notified over planning proposals that affect historic battlefields. Where development is not within the planning system, for example, in forestry or trunk roads proposals, Historic Environment Scotland's policy statement sets out that public bodies should ensure that nationally important battlefields are given consideration in their plans. Murdo Fraser. I thank the cabinet secretary for that comprehensive response. She will know that the success of the Outlander books and TV series has caused a renewed interest in the Jacobite period. Yet, at the same time, two important Jacobite battle sites are being threatened by development, one being Culloden, the other being Kilicrankey in the area that I represent, where plans by Transport Scotland to extend the A9 dual carriageway to the south would cover what is the most sensitive part of the battle site where most of the casualties were incurred. That is particularly unfortunate, as there is a viable alternative to extend the A9 to the north side with a lesser impact. Would the cabinet secretary accept that, if those plans at Kilicrankey go ahead, the protections that she has outlined in her answer will be exposed as worthless? I am aware of those two developments, in particular in relation to the A9, in terms of the development of which the Scottish Government is pursuing, and I think that it will make a transformational difference to the transport between Inverness and the south. However, he will be aware that, in that particular instance, Scottish ministers will be called upon to determine the case in due course. It is not therefore appropriate for me to comment on the proposals or the objections that have been raised. However, he will be aware that Historic Environment Scotland itself, as part of the process that I outlined in my original answer, has already made its concerns about the issue known. Question 7, Peter Chapman. Government, what action is it taking to encourage more tourists to visit Orkney in Shetland? Cabinet Secretary, the Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of tourism to the economies of both Orkney and Shetland. The numerous attractions of our northern isles, for example UNESCO sites of Neolithic Orkney and Jalsof on Shetland, are actively promoted by Visit Scotland through its many marketing campaigns. It also directly supports the sector to ensure that it maximises the potential of tourism. Other public bodies play a key role, such as Highlands and Isles Enterprise, Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish National Heritage, promoting and enhancing the area's natural environment. It recognises that the popularity of sites on the islands and other rural areas brings challenges to public infrastructure. We launched the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund last year to address those issues, and one of the fund's pilots announced last month was £80,000 towards car parking at the stones of Stennis, providing much-needed facilities at a popular Neolithic site. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. In its 2016 manifesto, the SNP pledged to reduce ferry fares on services to Orkney and Shetland. Last year, the minister stated that the fare reductions would be rolled out in the first half of 2018, saving visitors up to £100. With only 10 weeks until this timeframe ends, surely the Government has some plan in place, or is this just another SNP-broken promise? I point out to the member that I am the tourism secretary. I am not the transport minister. The transport minister, I can reassure the member, is actively involved in the issue, and I am sure that he will be more than happy to update the member appropriately. However, I think that he should be taking the opportunity here and now in tourism questions to champion Orkney and Shetland the wonderful sites that they have instead of complaining about an issue that he knows that I cannot answer. Liam McArthur Thank you. I thank the cabinet secretary for giving a tour de force of the tourist attractions in my constituency, as well as Shetland. I ask her to join with me in impressing upon her colleague the transport minister, who will be in Orkney and Shetland this Friday and Saturday, to come armed with a timeframe for the delivery of the road equivalent tariff that has been promised for our lifeline ferry services. Cabinet Secretary I say that we have a very proactive and committed transport and islands minister who will take every opportunity to make sure that departments across the Government know of the importance of transport links and, indeed, the importance of tourism and the island economies as well. I am sure that, as I have just replied to the previous member, we will be able to make sure that he is updated appropriately. However, again, for the second time, I can tell him that the transport minister is actively engaged in the issue and will communicate at the appropriate time as he has the responsibility for ferries. I pray that that concludes questions, portfolio questions and culture and tourism. I apologise to the three members that I was unable to call, but it was a darn sight better than the previous session. Thanks to the questions and the short answers. We will have a short break as we move on to the next item of business.