Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to reviewing the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to ensure the interests of children and their need to form and maintain relationships with key adults in their lives, such as grandparents, are at the heart of any new statutory measures. In reviewing the 1995 Act, the Scottish Government will continue to ensure that the welfare of the child in these cases remains paramount. The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to carry out this review.

The Scottish Government notes the recommendations of the National Prisoner Healthcare Network report, ‘Brain Injury and Offending’. NHS Boards are responsible for the provision of healthcare in prisons, in line with national guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment.

The focus of the Scottish Government’s work on land reform is on implementing the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, which received Royal Assent on 22 April 2016, and on our commitment to promote and facilitate community land ownership across the whole of Scotland.

Some of the provisions in the Act have already been commenced and our next implementation steps include appointing Scottish Land Commissioners by the end of 2016 and having a Scottish Land Commission operational by April 2017, the publication of a draft Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement for consultation this autumn before laying it before the Scottish Parliament in autumn 2017, publishing guidance in 2017 for landlords on how to engage with community groups, and consulting this summer on a register of persons with controlling interests in landowners and tenants, before laying draft Regulations in the Scottish Parliament.

There are no plans to introduce another Land Reform Bill to the Scottish Parliament at this stage.

Under Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, people have a right of access to most land and inland water in Scotland, so long as they act responsibly as detailed in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

With regard to sports or playing fields, the Act provides that access rights are not exercisable on:

grass sports pitches or playing fields whilst they are in use for their intended purpose;

golf greens, bowling greens, cricket squares, lawn tennis courts or other similar area on which grass is grown and prepared for a particular recreational purpose, whether or not in use;

sports pitches or playing fields with certain types of artificial surfaces, whether or not in use.

The Scottish Government does not have any plans to review Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

In total there have been five tobacco banning orders in the five years since the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 has been introduced.

In 2012–2013 one banning order was issued to a retailer who persistently sold illicit and counterfeit tobacco. In 2013–2014 two banning orders were issued to two different retailers who had sold packets of cigarettes to persons under 18 years old. In 2014–2015 one banning order was issued to a retailer who had sold tobacco to a person under 18 years old. In 2015–2016 one banning order was issued to a retailer selling tobacco in a premises which was not registered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01336 on 29 July 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01336 on 29 July 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01336 on 29 July 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01336 on 29 July 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01336 on 29 July 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx