 Fel cyfweld dishesnaethau arferng ha tri oconf prematurell. Here you are. Arthaf, mae y bydd y cynhyrch chi dechrau am hollu iawn nag sylff, maithFinally for those with conditions such as MS. Adam disability payment was developed in close co-operation with disabled people. We have made several improvements to provide a far more positive experience compared to personal independence payment, which it replaced. Social Security Scotland seeks to apply the eligibility criteria fairly and consistently to get more decisions right first time. We have been raising awareness of the consultation on the eligibility criteria for the mobility element of adult disability payment through stakeholders, including disabled people's organisations and consultation events. We are encouraging people to reply to the consultation and tell us about their experiences of adult disability payment. Fulma Griga. I thank the minister for that answer. Does he agree with the MSSI to have been in touch with me regarding this issue that assessing an individual's mobility cannot solely be evaluated in the ability to walk on a flat surface for 20 metres as that does not take into account variable surfaces and fatigue that takes place after the exertion? Will the analysis of the consultation take that into account? It is essential that Social Security Scotland makes person-centred decisions that take individual circumstances into account. That is why Social Security Scotland case managers have training and guidance to consider the individual mobility needs of disabled people. That includes how to take into account the impact of pain, fatigue and fluctuating conditions, starting from a position of trust. The consultation asks people to give their views on the eligibility criteria for the mobility component, including the 20 metre rule and the impact of fluctuating conditions. We encourage people to contribute to the consultation and the analysis will reflect people's views on this matter. A couple of supplementaries first. Jeremy Balfour joins us remotely. I ask the minister if the rule was extended when mobility rule was extended from 20 to 50 metres, how much would that cost? If he does not know the figure, can he write to me at a later stage with that figure? I am happy to take the point away on behalf of the member. Those are important considerations with regard to the financial position. However, at the moment, I encourage people to reply to the consultation on the issue. Pam Duncan-Glancy. The Government promised that there would be pre-consultation engagement with stakeholders, but conversations that I have had with those in the sector suggest that this did not really happen. Can I ask the minister to set out more detail on any pre-consultation engagement and which organisations the Government engaged with? We engage with stakeholders with regard to adult disability payment on a regular basis. The most important thing now for all of us for the collective common good is that we encourage people to contribute to the consultation. I know that Pam Duncan-Glancy has done through our social media. I thank her for that, and I encourage others to do the same. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the beauty house agreement commitment to ensure that community housing trusts are adequately funded so that they can support the delivery of enhanced rural home building plans. I am delighted to say that we have made significant progress in delivering this commitment, and last week I met the community housing trust to provide an update. I recognise the vital support that the organisations are continuing to provide in rural and island areas to ensure the delivery of the right homes in the right places that will meet the needs of communities. My officials will continue to progress this as a priority strand of the remote rural islands housing action plan, and I will provide further details shortly. I thank the cabinet secretary for that encouraging answer. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that community housing trusts play a vital role in making sure that affordable housing and placemaking is delivered in some of our most rural remote areas where the addition or return to use of only a small number of homes can make the difference to whether a school or a shop stays open or closes? That is why the agreement between the green MSPs and the Scottish Government attaches such importance to securing their funding. I fully recognise the important work undertaken by community housing trusts to support the delivery of more affordable homes in rural and island communities. The delivery of what we may think of as a small number of homes can make a big difference in sustainability to a local economy and public services, and to help with the retention of people in an area, particularly young people. I have seen at first hand that high-quality energy-efficient homes are delivered by communities through the rural and island housing fund, including in Fort Augustus and Strachathrow, and I have heard from tenants how those projects have made a significant impact in our local communities. The Scottish Government has been active in identifying innovative ways to finance the pledge for 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 10 per cent will be in our rural and island communities. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that this rural focus has been successfully built into the Scottish Government's housing strategy going forward? Yes, we are making £3.5 billion available through the affordable housing supply programme, this parliamentary term, to support the delivery of the ambitious target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032. That includes support of up to £30 million through our demand-led rural and island housing fund for communities and organisations not able to access traditional affordable housing funding, and it works alongside our wider affordable housing fund. It will also shortly publish the remote rural and island housing action plan to support the delivery of homes in rural and island communities. I strongly support the community housing trust model, alongside the use of rural housing burdens. I think that it can play an important role in constituencies like mine in the East Newk, where there is a real problem with the growth of second homes and holiday lets, but not many councils know about this power or these trusts outside the Highland areas. What more can the Government do to encourage the use of the model in places such as Fife? Willie Rennie makes a fair point. I hope that the new remote rural and island plan, alongside the funding sustainability of community housing trusts, as Willie Rennie points out, is operating mainly in the north of Scotland and south of Scotland. It will be able to share some of that good practice and expand some of the good work that it is doing, because we know that it is a model that works, and I am happy to keep him appraised of that. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any economic inequalities that are faced by unpaid carers. We value all carers for their contribution, which is why our carer strategy sets out what the Scottish Government is doing to tackle the economic inequalities that are faced by unpaid carers. It takes a cross-government approach to financial inclusion, including through social security and supporting carers in employment and education. The carers allowance supplement, which will be five years old this year, and the young carers grant are Scottish Government benefits only available in Scotland that are vital in this and are providing further financial support to unpaid carers. Those receiving carers allowance supplement this year will receive an extra £541 more than those in the rest of the UK. As we move into spring and summer, we are all hopeful for some needed respite from household expenditure with energy use dropping. However, that is little comfort to tens of thousands of households across Scotland who continue to exist on the precipice of financial insecurity due to exorbitant energy bills. However, carers face significantly higher energy costs as they must often operate essential life-sustaining equipment. In this chamber, in response to questions from myself and my colleague Jackie Baillie, the Government has previously stated that it would look to provide additional support for unpaid carers for that life-sustaining equipment, but no detail has yet been forthcoming. I would ask the minister if and when the Government plans to publish details and perhaps a timetable for such additional funding to be made available to carers. Thank you very much. Paul O'Kane makes a very serious point here about the impact of the cost-of-loving crisis. We have heard those same concerns from all the organisations and support organisations and carers that we know. In introducing the carers allowance supplement, it alleviates that in some way. The specific points around health and medical equipment are an issue that the health secretary is dealing with and I will ensure that he can get that response on that point to Paul O'Kane as quickly as possible. My MP colleague Wendy Chamberlain is taking a bill through the UK Parliament that would give unpaid carers the right to take leave from their job. What additional steps can the Scottish Government take to support unpaid carers and ensure that any inequalities faced by unpaid carers are addressed? Thank you very much to Beatrice Wishart for that question. I will look with interest to Wendy Chamberlain's work on that because she knows that employment law is reserved to Westminster. However, we have heard those same concerns from carers and their support organisations about the impact of the challenges around work and the rules that come alongside that. We have our fair work principles that we are working on right now. We will publish our response in the coming weeks around about carer support payment, which has just been highlighted in a recent consultation. We can come back with that information when we have that consultation analysis. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to reform the compulsory purchase order process to make it easier to convert empty buildings into council housing. Local authorities already have broad compulsory purchase powers to support a range of development and regeneration projects, including bringing vacant derelict and underused land or property back into productive use. The Scottish Government remains committed to reforming and modernising the compulsory purchase system in Scotland and to make it fairer, clearer and faster for all parties. An estimated 112,300 properties in Scotland are unoccupied at any one time, with nearly 30,000 empty for over a year. Over 130,000 people are homeless or in waiting lists. Will the Scottish Government carry out an analysis of how compulsory purchase orders are currently being used with the aim of making it easier for councils to provide housing to those in need? Two things on that. First of all, an audit of empty homes is currently under way to gather evidence about the effectiveness of our current approach and help with thinking on options for future policy and funding. I should say that, through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, it has already helped to return more than 8,000 homes back into use as warm, safe and secure housing for those who need it. We are going to be, as a first step, establishing an advisory board that will be appointed to help inform the development of options for reform of the compulsory purchase order process. It is important that we look at what levers we have and what additional levers we need, because I absolutely agree that we need to incentivise the use of empty homes being brought back into use and perhaps disincentives to people who are hanging on to empty homes that are not used productively. I am happy to keep the member updated. Compulsory sale orders would be another lever that local authorities could use to get those properties back into use, and the Government consulted on the introduction. I wonder if it is still the Government's policy to support that introduction and what the Government has done to work through some of the human rights issues that the Cabinet Secretary mentioned last time in the chamber. The member is aware, as I am, of the ECHR implications for compulsory sales orders, and they continue to receive careful consideration. I would be happy to update Mark Griffin on that at a point at which there is more information available if that would find that helpful. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with its tackling child poverty delivery plan, including in relation to expanding free-skill meal provision. We are focused on delivery of the wide-ranging actions in best at bright futures and will lay a statutory annual progress report before Parliament by the end of June 2023. In relation to free-skill meal provision, Scotland already has the most generous provision of free-skill meals anywhere in the UK, with 362,000 pupils benefitting from support during term time, saving parents £400 per eligible child per year. That includes all pupils in primaries 1 to 5 and eligible pupils in primary 6 to S6. Recent additional investment announced means that we will expand free-skill meals for all primary 6 and 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish child payment. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for that update and welcome the Government's commitment to the roll-out of universal free-skill meals. Six months ago, the Government said that it would pilot universal free-skill meals in secondary schools. Can the cabinet secretary confirm which schools are involved and how the pilot is going? Will she or relevant minister agree to meet me and campaigners, including the Scottish Youth Parliament and the SUC Women's Committee, to see how we can speed that up? I am happy to make sure that Monica Lennon is furnished with the information about which schools I do not have that information in front of me. I am sure that she can have a meeting with the relevant minister in order to discuss those issues in more detail. The IFS has noted that, among the poorest 30 per cent of households, those with children will see their incomes boosted by around £2,000 a year on average as a result of Scottish Government benefit policy and progressive taxation. Can I ask the cabinet secretary for her response to the analysis? I certainly welcome the IFS analysis. It shows the positive impact that progressive choices are having for low-income families, even within our limited powers and budget. Of course, an important part of that is the 13 benefits, seven of which are only available in Scotland, including the game-changing Scottish child payment. That is in marked contrast to what is available in the rest of the UK and particularly the UK Government's welfare system. That shows the difference between our two Governments. We want to tackle poverty and inequality, not push people further into hardship. To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of any potential impact that the UK Government's proposed illegal migration bill could have on devolved social justice powers and the duties of Scottish local authorities. We have written to the UK Government to state unequivocally that the Scottish Minister does not support the illegal migration bill. It is imperative that safe and legal routes exist for people seeking safety and protection from war and persecution. The bill will remove the right to seek refugee protection and, of course, risks pushing people into exploitation and destitution. We should be upholding the UN Refugee Convention, not undermining its international protection. We are considering the detail of the bill, including the impact on people and services, as well as considering any legislative consent implications. The immigration law practitioner's association says that the clauses of the bill dealing with modern slavery and trafficking breach the UK's obligations to victims of trafficking under article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights. I ask the cabinet secretary if she agrees with me that not only are the actions of the UK Government deeply immoral but they are also illegal. The Home Secretary, of course, was unable to state that the bill's provisions were compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which tells us all we need to know about the support legislation. Of course, it follows on from the shameful nationality and borders act and a further restriction on the provision of support to human trafficking victims penalises particularly vulnerable people. People who have suffered unimaginable trauma, including sexual exploitation, are being forced through violence to work for no pay and they will be prevented from accessing the safety and support available to them in the UK. Importantly, children will be left in a shocking position until they turn 18, where they will then be detained and removed to a third country where they have no connections or family. That is shocking and cannot be allowed to happen now. I would have thought that the whole chamber would agree with that. The UK Government's illegal migration bill is likely to have a significant impact on migrants and asylum seekers in Scotland. Scotland's legal profession alone will likely have their caseload skyrocket under the provisions for removal in the bill. Many asylum seekers that have arrived in the UK and Scotland have risked their lives and arrived with nothing. It is likely that any legal assistance that many asylum seekers will require would have to be pro bono. Will the cabinet secretary advise what the potential impact of the bill will be on Scotland's legal aid service? Foisal Chowdhury raises one issue of which there are many about the impact of the legislation. The real concern is that it leaves more people destitute without recourse to public funds. That has a major impact on services as well as the impact to the individuals themselves. We will continue to do what we can by supporting third sector organisations, some of which are involved with the issues of legal support and legal advice. We will look to see what more we can do, but let's be under no illusion that the legislation will have a profound impact on those affected and on services in Scotland. We should all unite in condemnation of the UK Government over this move. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities to ensure the provision of local services, including swimming pools and leisure centres, and meeting the needs of local communities. Minister Ben Macpherson. The Scottish Government believes that everyone should have access to local sport and leisure facilities that help to support the physical and mental health of the nation. We understand the challenging financial circumstances faced by local authorities, significantly due to the cost of living crisis. For its part, the Scottish Government has increased the resources available to local government by over £793 million in the financial year 2023-24 at a real-terms increase of £376 million, or 3 per cent. Minister, swimming pool is much loved and a hugely valued community resource, but it is due to close on 16 April because of devastating cuts to sport Aberdeen's budget by Aberdeen City Council. It is the only pool in Aberdeen to have a shallow stair entry for the elderly and disabled. It is used twice weekly by additional support needs department of Bucksburn Academy, with the nearest pool two bus rides away, and more than 8,400 people have signed a petition to keep it open. Will the Scottish Government intervene with Aberdeen City Council and sport Aberdeen to give hope to the local community and save Bucksburn swimming pool? We are aware of the decision taken by Aberdeen City Council to close the Bucksburn swimming pool and understand the disappointment that members of the community feel at this closure. However, the Scottish Government understands that, while everyone should have access to local leisure facilities, it is for local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on leisure facilities. On the basis of local needs and priorities, we note the member's points and, following the financial package announced yesterday by the UK Government to support swimming pools in England, we are examining what support can be provided to the sector in Scotland if the member wishes to submit any further follow-up correspondence to this question to, first of all, the local authority, but also to the Scottish ministers, we will of course look at that. I welcome the £13.5 billion local government settlement. I wonder if the minister can say any more about the new deal for local government, especially around the area of fiscal flexibility. The Scottish Government is committed to working with COSLA and SOLIS to agree a new deal for local government with the aim of agreeing shared priorities and providing greater flexibility over local funding, with clear accountability for delivery on shared priorities and outcomes. It is very important to consider the point that those are shared. The new deal for local government reflects the desire on both sides to reset the relationship between the Scottish Government and local government. The Deputy First Minister made clear in his letter of 15 December to the COSLA president that we want to develop such a partnership agreement at pace and look forward to doing that. Thank you very much minister. That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow the front benches to change.