Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for ScotRail and Stena Line. ScotRail advises that it regularly meets with Stena Line to review potential service changes and ensure tickets are available on rail retail systems and Stena Line expands the service if demand dictates. Details of these tickets can be found via Rail & Sail to Ireland | Stena Line , which also provides contact details for Stena Line for further information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20183 on‎ 14 August 2023. 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 does not hold information on the percentage of police resources that are dedicated to tackling cybercrime.

The police budget has increased by £80 million in 2023-24 bringing the overall budget to over £1.45 billion. The allocation of this budget is a decision for the Chief Constable and Scottish Police Authority, including the allocation of resources to tackle cybercrime.

Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority work together to ensure the necessary resources and expertise are in place to tackle emerging areas of threat, such as cyber-crime and fraud.

The Scottish Government works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Police Scotland to ensure Scotland is well prepared for cyber threats and would urge all organisations to follow the NCSC’s advice and guidance.

The Climate Change Plan Advisory Group has undergone 4 of 7 plenary meetings and has so far elicited wide ranging input from diverse stakeholders into the next draft Climate Change Plan. This input includes on topics such as our vision for the future of Scotland, just transition work and energy use, with a Sub- Group meeting on the topic of heat in buildings planned in September.

The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.

The Scottish Government and CoSLA are jointly responsible for delivering the Creating Hope Together action plan 2022-2025 . We have appointed a new National Delivery Lead to work with Strategic Outcome Lead partners to drive forward delivery of the action plan; this includes ensuring the successful delivery of year one priorities to help achieve our vision of reducing suicide deaths.

Our previous suicide prevention action plan, Every Life Matters , created a suite of resources, learning, partnerships, and engagement forums, which has created strong foundations for delivering the new priorities. Specifically, we have ongoing work to build on in the following areas: United to Prevent Suicide social movement; Time, Space and Compassion approach to suicidal crisis; focused campaigns aimed at children and young people; tailored suicide prevention learning resources; suicide bereavement support services; and, reviews of suicide deaths.

Early development work has also started to support delivery of new priorities, including: creating peer support groups; improving safety at locations of concern; understanding help-seeking behaviour amongst people who may be suicidal; and, working in settings where there is a higher risk of suicide. We have already made progress in delivering the whole of Government and society approach to suicide prevention, which underpins our new strategy and action plan. For example, we have embedded suicide safety as part of the National Planning Framework 4 so that it can be actively considered in the preparation of local development plans and as part of new development proposals.

Finally, our new innovative delivery model, Suicide Prevention Scotland , creates a strengthened suicide prevention community for Scotland. This brings together valuable insights from our Academic Advisory Group, Lived Experience Panel and Youth Advisory Group, alongside the experience of national, local and sectoral partners who are working to prevent suicide. We will also bring in partners with particular skills and expertise as required. This delivery model harnesses our collective knowledge, expertise and resources allowing us to design and deliver our priorities in a way that is relevant and impactful across Scotland’s communities.

There is no recommended minimum distance between onshore wind turbines and residential properties. Policy 11: Energy of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) states that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker and cumulative impacts will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.

Cumulative impacts are specifically referenced in Policy 11 and are a consideration in the determination of wind farm proposals. Furthermore, Planning Circular 1/2017: Environmental Impact Assessment regulations sets out guidance relating to the consideration of cumulative effects.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate.

The operation and maintenance of these water towers is a matter for Scottish Water and, as such, I have asked them to contact you directly. One of the water towers, Cranhill, is no longer in use for water supply purposes and Scottish Water has advised that they intend to engage locally, as well as with relevant stakeholders, to identify potential future options for this water tower.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy has been developed and is led in partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. The current strategy was published in 2018.

All partners have committed to refreshing the strategy and to ensuring that it continues to be shaped by refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as those with expertise supporting them. We are currently developing professional and lived experience engagement events, which will take place throughout Scotland this Autumn to inform the next iteration of the Strategy. Publication of the strategy itself will follow after these events have taken place to ensure the views of those the strategy seeks to serve are properly reflected.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20206 on 14 August 2023. 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 .