The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential.

We expect developers to honour their commitments set out in the Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS) and a process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland (CES) to hold developers to account. Failure by developers to deliver on their commitments can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to a seabed lease.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

No policy development work on this subject was undertaken by these bodies prior to the 2024 General Election. Subsequent to the General Election, the Scottish Government has engaged with the new UK Government and has made clear that GB Energy should deliver clear benefits for the people of Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s (SG) definition of fraud is found within the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), under the section titled ‘Fraud’. The term ‘fraud’ is used to describe a wide variety of dishonest behaviour such as deception, forgery, false representation, and concealment of material facts. It is usually used to describe the act of depriving a person of something by deceit, which may involve the misuse of funds or other resources, or the supply of false information. Computer fraud covers the use of information technology equipment to manipulate programs or data dishonestly (e.g. by altering, substituting or destroying records, or creating spurious records), or where the use of an IT system was a material factor in the perpetration of a fraud.

The Scottish Government does not use a separate definition for ‘corruption’, as it is covered by its description of fraud. The general definition of ‘corruption’ describes actions that are fraudulent and carried out by those in a position of authority or control, often involving bribery. The SG has a definition for ‘bribery’, also contained with the SPFM, which aligns to the legal definition as contained within the Bribery Act 2010.

The Scottish Government Integrity Group permanent membership, as per its Terms of Reference, is as follows:

• The Head of Counter Fraud Profession (Chair)
• Strategic Lead, Risk, Control & Assurance Division
• Propriety and Ethics
• The Head of Finance Programme Management
• The Chief Information Security Officer
• A nominated HR representative
• A nominated Scottish Government Legal Directorate (SGLD) advisor
• A nominated Internal Audit representative.

The strategy, Protecting Public Resources in Scotland, is due to be updated with the 2024-25 objectives for planned continual improvement in Counter Fraud within Scottish Government and the public sector. The strategy remains extant in its current form. Current collaboration and engagement includes the following stakeholders/partners:

• The Public Sector Fraud Authority – UK Government
• The International Public Sector Fraud Forum
• The Government Counter Fraud Network – Scotland
• The Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre
• Audit Scotland
• NHS Counter Fraud Service
• Social Security Scotland Fraud & Error Resolution Unit

During the wider engagement for Protecting Public Resources in Scotland in 2015, the following stakeholders were involved and endorsed the strategy:

• Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service
• Student Awards Agency Scotland
• Audit Scotland
• The Department for Work and Pensions
• NHS National Services Scotland
• NHS Counter Fraud Services
• COSLA
• Serious Organised Crime Task Force
• Police Scotland
• Scottish Business Resilience Centre
• Scottish Public Pensions Agency
• Scottish Local Authority Investigators Group
• Scottish Local Authorities Chief Internal Auditors Group
• Revenue Scotland

As part of the planned update to the strategy, the Scottish Government will again engage with a broad stakeholder group to ensure that the strategy reflects the wider public sector and current counter fraud strategy and best practice.

The Scottish Governments approach to supporting the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland’s communities is set out in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy published in March 2024.

The Scottish Government does not provide direct funding to third sector organisations or local authorities specifically for the purpose of providing travel support for people seeking asylum.

However, people seeking asylum who are aged 60 or over or under 22 years old, or meet the disability eligibility criteria are eligible for concessionary travel in the same way as all other Scottish residents. I would encourage all those eligible to apply.

Community benefits from our abundant energy resources, and the potential for communities to own a share of renewable energy projects, are important components in empowering people and communities to help shape and benefit from the energy transition. We are currently reviewing our Good Practice Principles for Offshore Renewables ahead of public consultation. Further details are included in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

As the Bill is currently passing through the UK Parliament, we do not yet know what its final provisions will be.

However the Scottish Government welcomes the objectives of the Bill as introduced, which we believe align with the policy of Scottish Ministers that a fully publicly owned and integrated railway will deliver the best service for Scotland. Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd. is required to follow this policy.

The third vessel will be designed to serve the Sound of Barra and Sound of Harris routes; however, it will also have the flexibility to provide cover across a variety of other routes. As we progress the SVRP, this will improve resilience and flexibility within the fleet.

The Scottish Government is having to make very difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year. It is therefore unaffordable to progress piloting free bus travel for all people seeking asylum in Scotland.

It was considered appropriate in the first instance to inform members of the Working Group established to help develop the pilot. Accordingly, the group, consisting of representatives from third sector organisations supporting people seeking asylum and those with lived experience of the asylum system, was informed at a scheduled meeting on 16 August. Formal confirmation was provided by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison during a Ministerial Statement on the Pre-budget Fiscal Update in Parliament on 3 September 2024.

This decision sits within the wider context of extremely challenging financial constraints across the whole of the public sector in Scotland. I can confirm however, that people seeking asylum in Scotland who are currently eligible for free bus travel through the National Concessionary Travel Schemes, including those under 22, those aged 60 and over and those with qualifying disabilities, will continue to be able to make use of their entitlement.