Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is not responsible for meeting the cost of conducting repairs for the MS Victoria or the MS Ambition. Any faults or repairs are handled by ship staff and owners.

The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with Police Scotland to support delivery of the Joint Policing Strategy. The findings of the HMICS review of Strategic Workforce Planning, published this year showed that the focus needs to rightly be on capacity and capability.

The data requested are not held centrally by the Scottish Government as the recruitment and deployment of police officers and staff in Scotland is a matter for the Chief Constable under the oversight of the SPA. It is important that he has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to the challenges he faces by ensuring the right workforce mix.

The latest available information is provided in the following tables.

(a) N umber of offences related to drink/drugs driving, recorded by the police 2014-15 to 2021-22.

While the Scottish Government keeps alcohol licensing legislation under review, there are no current plans to update legislation for on-sales premises. Operation of the alcohol licensing regime is the day-to-day responsibility of independent Licensing Boards and Scottish Government officials regularly engage with a range of licensing stakeholders including clerks to Licensing Boards to help inform regular review and assessment of whether any legislative changes should be considered.

The following tables present the number of self-catering units registered on the Valuation Roll on 1 October 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, broken down in Table 1 by local authority, and in Table 2 by assessor. To note, self-catering premises require to be available to let for 140 days per year in order to be classed as non-domestic. From 1 April 2022, they additionally need to be actually let for 70 days in a financial year.

Figures for 30 September in those years are not available; 1 October is the closest available date. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Data source: Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll.

Table 1: Number of self-catering units on the Valuation Roll by local authority and date

The following tables present the estimated number of self-cateirng properties receiving Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief as at 1 July 2022, broken down in Table 1 by local authority, and in Table 2 by assessor, for properties (unit owners cannot be reliably identified from the information held) receiving 100% SBBS, 25% SBBS, and other proportions of SBBS (e.g. when combined with other reliefs), and no SBBS relief. These tables include all self-catering properties in receipt of SBBS relief. The Scottish Government cannot reliably estimate the cumulative rateable value of each ratepayer’s non-domestic properties and can therefore not state the number of self-catering units with a combined rateable value of £35,000 in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme relief. To note however, ratepayers with a combined rateable value of £35,000 may still be eligible for SBBS relief where the individual property has a rateable value of £18,000 or less. To note as well a property may receive an SBBS award other than 100% or 25% relief, e.g. if awarded in conjunction with another relief. Eligibility for non-domestic rates reliefs, including SBBS, is set out in legislation and it is for local authorities to administer reliefs to eligible properties in accordance with that legislation.

Figures are rounded to the nearest ten, and those relating to more than zero but fewer than five units have been marked [low] to distinguish from actual zero values. The data sources for both tables are the Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll as at 1 July 2022, and local authority reliefs information as at 1 July 2022. Final outturn data for 2022-23 may vary.

Table 1: Number of self-catering properties receiving SBBS relief as at 1 July 2022, by local authority and SBBS percentage

The Single Judge Rape Trial Pilot Working Group has concluded its consideration of the recommendation of Lady Dorrian’s Review to give further consideration to a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials. The Working Group’s findings have now been considered and endorsed by the Lady Dorrian Review Governance Group and will be published in December 2022.

The previous Scottish Veterans Commissioner highlighted the importance of improving the transition process for Early Service Leavers in his Positive Futures reports on transition in Scotland.

Much of the transition process is reserved; however, we have taken action to support this where we can. Our refreshed Veterans Strategy Action Plan refocussed the extensive services and support that the Scottish Government and our partners provide to all veterans, including Early Service Leavers.

We have also more than doubled the amount of funding provided through the Scottish Veterans Fund from £200,000 per annum to £500,000 and have included projects which offer support to Early Service Leavers as a priority category that the fund supports. Last year, nearly £100,000 was awarded to projects specifically offering support to these veterans.

While the Scottish Government awarded the £600 million R100 contracts to BT plc, the delivery timetable was determined by the successful bidder as part of the procurement process. Openreach, as the R100 contract delivery partner, is delivering the contract build in phases that have been designed to maximise efficiency and support wider network configuration.