Chamber and committees

COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.

COPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.

Scottish Government ministers and officials liaise with Police Scotland officers of various ranks on a regular basis. I and accompanying officials met the then Divisional Commander for Edinburgh in August 2023 as part of a short visit to the joint Police Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council operation overseeing the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The operational deployment of officers is however a matter for the Chief Constable. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 is very clear on this point, and that Police Scotland is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference.

Responsibility for measuring Scotland’s annual inward investment performance rests with Scottish Development International (SDI) on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies. SDI reports for the financial year 2022-23, of the 8,533 jobs generated in Scotland, 2,629 were created or secured through supported inward investment projects with UK headquartered businesses across 23 supported inward investment projects.

SDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. According to the latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2023), Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continues, with Scotland maintaining its position as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the eighth year.

COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.

COPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.

COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.

COPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.

COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.

COPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27757 on‎ 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government provides guidance for local authorities to support the preparation of Local Housing Strategies including the provision of accessible and specialist housing. Separate guidance requiring local authorities to set all-tenure wheelchair accessible housing targets as part of their Local Housing Strategy has also been provided.

Where local authorities identify a strategic requirement for a particular type of home, including wheelchair accessible housing, projects to support delivery of these homes are expected to be included in Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans for delivery through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Seabed leasing for offshore wind is administered by Crown Estate Scotland (CES), which sets the terms of lease. CES keeps the terms of lease under regular review to reflect any legislative updates or changes to CES or Scottish government policy. Leasing terms will therefore vary between leasing rounds to ensure that such agreements remain fit for purpose and reflect the latest statutory requirements and policy positions, as demonstrated by changes between the ScotWind and INTOG leasing terms.

CES appraise lease applications as part of a rigorous internal assessment and due diligence process to confirm developer suitability, and only make awards to organisations that satisfy this assessment process. As part of this process companies provide a written statement to CES to confirm they have not been convicted of unlawful activity in relation to a range of requirements, including corruption, bribery, fraud, and human trafficking and exploitation, within the last five years. Only companies providing such assurances could proceed with bids. Five years was chosen by CES as a practical timeframe that balanced the need for the required statement to be robust, pragmatic and timely.

The criteria underpinning this assessment process is published for the purposes of transparency and accountability. CES also considers the impact of developments with regards to social and environmental wellbeing in Scotland.

In both the Scotwind and INTOG leasing rounds, CES required a statement of commitment from each applicant and any project partners confirming that they were not in contravention of a range of legislation. This requirement safeguarded against the successful participation of companies convicted of unlawful conduct either within the UK or internationally, including unlawful conduct in relation to ecologically damaging developments.

CES also have responsibilities under the Scottish Government’s Slavery and Human trafficking statement and follow guidance on due diligence in relation to human rights.

CES are committed to taking all appropriate action to prevent the Scottish seabed from being used by any company that does not meet its terms of lease.

CES reserves the right to void any application in relation to ScotWind, INTOG or other developments which is found to have provided false information.

In addition, all offshore wind developments in Scotland are subject to strict environmental assessment processes for the purposes of preserving our natural environment and mitigating any damage.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27757 on‎ 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .