Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government considers that both Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd and ScotRail Trains Ltd should be subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

It is our intention for this requirement to be included in the governance arrangements for both organisations.

There is no single programme of monitoring and evaluation for the Winter Support Fund. Evaluations of the £25 million local authority flexible funding and £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be published by summer 2022. We do not intend to publish an overarching evaluation of the funding awarded to third sector organisations.

The review of deer management by the independent Deer Working Group (DWG) found that deer populations in Scotland have grown significantly since 1990, when the population estimate was approximately 512,000 wild deer. The DWG estimated the current deer population to be in excess of one million animals through analysis of data published by NatureScot in recent years. We have no reason to doubt the credibility of this estimate.

The DWG report is also clear that high densities of deer cause not only serious environmental and agricultural damage, but may also have a detrimental effect on wild deer welfare. That is why we asked the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission to consider recommendations made by the report, and we considered their views alongside all other evidence when forming our response, published last year.

The Commission's consideration of the DWG recommendations can be found here: Scottish Animal Welfare Commission: response to deer working group report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government's response to the DWG report can be found here: Deer Working Group recommendations: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The £25 million local authority flexible funding will be evaluated on the key activities delivered and key groups supported while the funding issued through the Fuel Insecurity Fund and to third sector organisations will be evaluated against the objectives and/or key performance indicators agreed with individual grant recipients.

The Scottish Government published the next stage of the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG) On 22 February 2022. This document reflects the results of the consultation that was held on the Planning Specification and Context Report last year and now describes the spatial parameters that will be used by Crown Estate Scotland to progress their related leasing round.

Given the proximity to ScotWind, the Initial Plan Framework and timelines were updated to account for the very significant and world leading results of the ScotWind process.

Spending on external legal support is a matter for each NHS Board. The Scottish Government do not hold information regarding this centrally.

This information is not held centrally. Where such services are currently available they are provided at a local level. As set out in the answer to S6W-06718 on 2 March 2022, we are working closely with stakeholders to deliver the Restorative Justice Action Plan, with the aim of making restorative justice services available across Scotland by 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

We absolutely remain committed to our policy position, which remains that public bodies should work with their staff representatives to negotiate no compulsory agreements for 2022-23 where it is practical to do so.

For a new body like ScotRail Trains Ltd, which does not have an existing agreement on no compulsory redundancies, I would expect there to be negotiations on this as part of the Public Sector Pay Policy discussions, which are crucial to the change that is needed as ScotRail comes under Scottish Government control on 1 April 2022.

As set out in the Restorative Justice Action Plan, we have committed to make restorative justice services available across Scotland by 2023 to all those who wish to access it. We are working with stakeholders on creating a ‘hub and spoke’ model for service delivery. This will consist of a National Hub that will have a strategic, oversight role, with services delivered locally via Regional Hubs. The location where facilitated meetings will take place will be determined by the needs of those looking to access the service.

I am delighted to announce the publication today (Wednesday 2 March) of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture which sets out the principles and values we will put at the heart of a robust and coherent framework to underpin Scotland’s future agriculture support regime from 2025 onwards.

We are committed to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Scotland will have a support framework that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high quality food production. Farming, crofting and land management will continue to play an important role in maintaining thriving rural and island communities, not least through the opportunities that change will create. Land management in Scotland will change as we tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crises which will present challenges and opportunities for farmers and crofters, building on their traditional leadership role in land management and stewardship.

In acknowledgement of the reliance that urban Scotland will have on rural communities and businesses to help deliver on our climate change targets and low carbon, net zero ambitions, we will support this change to ensure farmers, crofters and local communities can capitalise on the benefits and that there is a Just Transition.

The Vision is available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804351154 where it sets out the principles, values and objectives. The Vision also outlines the approach to the National Test Programme which is being developed with and alongside members of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).