Chamber and committees

CalMac Ferries Ltd have reduced their operational carbon footprint by 6.4% based on the 2015/2016 baseline, and state they are on course to meet their 7.5% reduction target by March 2020.

During the 2018/19 contract year, CalMac has reduced its operational consumption of water by 24% and increased their waste recycling rate to 47%. CalMac are on target to achieve 75% waste recycling by 2025, in line with Zero Waste Scotland targets.

As per the requirements of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act, CalMac will update their biodiversity report in 2020.

NorthLink Ferries have reduced their operational carbon footprint by an average of 17.1% across the RoPax fleet based on the 2012 baseline. The NorthLink fleet has been operating exclusively on Low Sulphur Marine Gas Oil since 1 January 2015.

NorthLink is forecasting a minimum 67,500-litre reduction in water consumption during 2020 in comparison to 2019 as a result of newly introduced urinals and are currently feasibility testing other water saving initiatives.

Between 2012 and 2018, NorthLink Ferries has more than doubled recycling volumes and sent 93% less waste to landfill. NorthLink Ferries has already achieved the 2025 Zero Waste Scotland Target.

As Orkney Island Ferries and Shetland Island Ferries are operated by the respective local authorities, the Scottish Government does not hold information about those ferry services’ carbon footprint, water consumption or recycling rates.

If an individual has concerns about the actions of an officer or their treatment in police custody then this should be raised with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

If, once a response from Police Scotland has been received, the individual remains dissatisfied they can refer the matter to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC). PIRC have responsibility for providing independent scrutiny of the way the police respond to complaints from the public.

All sites controlled by CalMac Ferries Ltd across the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network have delivered actions from the biodiversity plan, primarily focussing on litter prevention and clean up, control of non-native invasive species and raising biodiversity awareness.

CalMac’s Biodiversity Report 2015 – 2017 can be found by following this link: https://www.calmac.co.uk/corporate/environment/biodiversity-report .

As per the requirements of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act, CalMac’s Biodiversity Report will be updated in 2020.

As these are private commercial ferry operators, the Scottish Government does not hold information regarding the operational carbon footprint of Pentland Ferries or Western Ferries.

There are many ways in which the Scottish Government is supporting Highland Council to deliver more homes. We will invest almost £194 million in the Highland Council area to deliver on our ambitious commitment to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the duration of this parliament.

Additionally we have awarded £13 million to Highland Council towards an infrastructure fund to open up both affordable and private housing developments. And separately we have provided the £30 million Rural Housing and Islands Housing Funds that provide communities and organisations in the rural and island areas with a mechanism to support new housing.

A number of organisations highlighted the value of the IHRA definition in helping to tackle anti-Semitism, including the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and Community Security Trust.

The Scottish Government has always been clear that our immediate priorities remain the completion of the MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 and securing a future for Ferguson Marine and its workforce. We continue to be committed to finding a solution to support future shipbuilding at the site, including low-emission vessels for our own ferries networks, as we seek to deliver on our commitments under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) Act 2019. The work we are doing in developing the next Ferries Plan for the period beyond 2022 will also be informed by the work and modelling being undertaken in preparation of the updated Climate Change Plan.

Minister for Community Safety is responsible for provision of duty solicitors.

The immediate responsibility for ensuring that people taken into police custody have access to a solicitor is the responsibility of Police Scotland custody staff at the custody suite the individual is taken to.

All persons taken into police custody have the right to consult with a solicitor at any time while in police custody. No-one is denied access to a solicitor.