Chamber and committees

There have been no recent discussions between Scottish Government and National Records of Scotland regarding access to the Historical Search Room and no discussions regarding service user requests for a new transparently-established users group.

The national frameworks for the Supply of Electricity and Supply of Natural Gas wholesale volumes are bought up to 2½ years in advance in tranches, following a proven ‘hedging’ purchasing strategy overseen by a cross-sectoral Risk Management Committee. The Committee comprises senior managers representing procurement, finance and energy management interests.

Whilst energy prices have risen to unprecedented levels because of global influences, the Scottish Government purchasing strategy has mitigated some of the increases for customers on the frameworks. However, given the substantially increased price risk that this market volatility has brought, the Risk Management Committee has temporarily suspended the on-boarding of all new customers with immediate effect in order to protect the organisations currently using the frameworks from increased costs. Organisations that are currently customers (including some third sector bodies) will remain on the framework.

The Risk Management Committee will keep that decision under regular review and when market conditions and risk profile allow, will permit new customers to join.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10239 on‎ 7 September 2022 which shows there has been no spend under Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) during the last six years. The most recent MTSE application was in 2015. The table below shows the total and average spend under MTSE and the number of MTSE cases that settled between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Any future procurement activity to secure new rolling stock for Scotland’s Railway will be governed by the Public Procurement Regulations , as all such procurements are.

By adhering to these regulations, ScotRail Trains Ltd will ensure that the Scottish supply chain, including those which specialise in hydrogen-related equipment, is given every opportunity to engage with these opportunities.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children who grow up in Scotland feel safe and protected. We recognise that where children and young people demonstrate harmful behaviour, the victims of their actions are often children themselves.

In June 2021 we published our Vision for youth justice in Scotland. The Vision sets out our priorities for young people who come into conflict with the law, including continuing to ensure that children, young people and their families are supported at an early stage through early intervention and preventative approaches in order to address the child’s needs and the circumstances which have led to their harmful conduct. This also includes priorities around how best to support child victims, such as improving support and information for child victims and their families, whilst respecting data protection and confidentiality, and ensuring support is trauma-informed and meets the needs of victims. We continue to work with partners to deliver the priorities within the Vision and to deliver a preventative approach which improves life chances for young people and which has seen dramatic changes in the youth justice sector.

We are also committed to preventing all types of harmful sexual behaviour and sexual offending involving children and young people. Collaborative work with statutory and third sector organisations across Scotland is underway to drive forward action in this area including initiatives to prevent children from becoming involved in harmful sexual behaviour through the publication of resources along with continued funding of services offering support.

We continue to implement the proposals from the Expert Group on Preventing Sexual Offending Involving Children and Young People and develop harmful sexual behaviour policy.

Scottish Government support for islands, and progress made towards delivery of the National Islands Plan, including strategic objectives one, two and three, is recorded in our annual report, presented to parliament each year. The first of these was the National Islands Plan: annual report 2020 , published 23 March 2021. The most recent report was the National Islands Plan: annual report 2021 , published 23 March 2022.

Furthermore, within the National Islands Plan, Scottish Government committed to publishing a detailed Implementation Route Map that addresses each of the 13 Strategic Objectives and accompanying commitments listed in the Plan.

The Implementation Route Map details how we will deliver our priorities over the lifetime of the National Islands Plan. It identifies the methods we will use to monitor progress towards fulfilling the many commitments in the NIP and sets out how we’ll deliver our work over the short, medium and long-term.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10585 on‎ 22 September 2022. 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 courts and judiciary are independent of Government. Operational court matters including the management of summary cause proceedings are a matter for them. It is for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service itself to assess the impact of any changes in its guidance relating to summary cause proceedings, including any impact on the rights of both tenants and landlords.

The Scottish Government received written advice from Public Health Scotland on the public health implications of waste accumulation as a result of the recent industrial action by refuse workers.

Public Health Scotland subsequently issued a public statement in relation to potential risks to human health and precautionary measures on 26 August 2022.

Officials are engaged in regular discussion with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities colleagues on a number of matters including the block grant expenditure and the possibility of further funding for cladding remediation. The Inter Ministerial Group, which last met in May this year, agreed that official level engagement on areas of policy of mutual interest on cladding safety would be increased. The next Inter Ministerial Group will meet again in Autumn where matters of building and fire safety and finance will be discussed.