Chamber and committees

Currently in Scotland a new constable will start on a salary of £28,074. In England and Wales the lowest starting salary for a Constable is currently £23,556.

You will wish to note that police pay negotiations are ongoing for 2023-24, therefore salaries for police officers in Scotland will be revised on the conclusion of those negotiations. You should also be aware that the UKG’s decision to accept PRRB’s recommendations in E&W, indicates that salary levels there are also likely to change.

More information on Police Officer salaries in Scotland can be found on the Police Scotland website using the following link: Pay and Grading Structure - Police Scotland .

We are progressing recommendations from the New Deal for Business Group on labour market participation, with a focus on supporting parents into employment through school age childcare and nurturing the skills which businesses need for a transition to net zero.

We are rapidly fulfilling commitments made in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, including developing a lifetime skills offer for adults, which will ensure future support is targeted at those who need it most. Our apprenticeship programme is enabling employers to invest in their work force and provide greater opportunities to those at the start of their careers.

UK government has temporarily eased visa rules for some construction workers in order to help fill job shortages. However, UK Government immigration policy fails to address Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs and highlights the need for a tailored approach to migration to best support Scotland’s communities, economy, and public services to flourish. With full powers over migration, Scotland could boost its workforce and tackle recruitment challenges, many of which have been caused by the end of free movement and the Brexit imposed on Scotland by the UK Government.

The Scottish Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) is the main forum for Scottish Government and industry interaction. The Skills and Workforce Working Group of the CLF, comprising public and private sector members, is currently co-developing a Transformation Action Plan to take action on the issues faced by the industry.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted ministerial interference.

This is a matter for Public Health Scotland (PHS), SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences for Scottish patients are analysed by the Bioinformatics team within PHS. The information is not held centrally, and I have asked PHS to respond separately.

This is a matter for Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences for Scottish patients are analysed by the Bioinformatics team within PHS and evidence based guidance on IPC is provided by ARHAI Scotland. The information is not held centrally and I have asked them to respond separately.

Reviews for the Network Support Grant and National Concessionary Travel Schemes are being taken forward this financial year and are ongoing. The review of concessionary travel is one of the workstreams being progressed through the Fair Fares Review.

Inequalities within the screening programmes are complex issues; tackling them will require sustained focus over the longer term, and an acceptance that improvements are likely to be incremental. This in turn will require leadership, collaboration and ambition, and this work must be a priority for Scotland’s national screening programmes, and everyone who supports them.

The National Screening Oversight (NSO) with the support of Scottish Government have developed the Equity in Screening Strategy which, combined with an action plan, will be published on 27 th July 2023. The vision of the strategy is for equitable access for all eligible individuals, across the full screening pathway.

The Strategy will launch alongside the Equity in Screening Network, which will support the strategy by capturing local and third sector research activity, and allow individuals that work across screening to share evidence, best practice and learning around screening inequalities.

(a) The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) considered the Scottish Police Federation’s (SPF) Deep Dive report in detail and was satisfied with the remedial actions which were planned and put in place by Police Scotland. The condition of the police estate remains a high priority for the SPA, and it continues to scrutinise Police Scotland’s plans for the delivery of improvements, which support the delivery of the Police Scotland Estate Strategy.

(b) Police Scotland closed its Lochgilphead custody suite between 3rd and 7th May 2019 to allow for urgent upgrade works to be carried out, during which time the custody suite operations were moved to Fort William.

Due to its rural location, and the distance to the nearest police stations, Police Scotland did not close Lochgilphead Police Station while other remedial repair works took place within the police station itself. As a result of this work Police Scotland is confident that the works identified in the SPF report were completed and the standard across both the police station and the custody suite were significantly improved.

In the years following the publication of the SPF report, additional inspections have been introduced and further works have been carried out which involved close collaboration with Police Scotland’s Health & Safety Team, SPF and Union representatives. Police Scotland’s Health & Safety Team has confirmed that the improvement works meet health and safety requirements.

Police Scotland continues to consider options for the future of Lochgilphead Police Station in line with the delivery of its Estate Strategy.

The Scottish Government has noted the LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s report and continues to listen to the lived experience of refugees and people seeking asylum in a variety of ways.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy was informed by engagement across Scotland, including refugees and people seeking asylum from the LGBT+ community. The strategy recognises that people seeking safety on the basis of their LGBT+ identity can face particular challenges within the asylum process and as refugees. The strategy seeks to ensure that these issues are understood when developing policy or taking action to support refugees and people seeking asylum living in Scotland. We are committed to working with our partners to refresh the New Scots strategy and more information about engagement will be available in due course.

The report also raises significant concerns relating to asylum accommodation. Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support. I hope the Home Office and its contractors will be engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing on their report to understand the issues people have experienced.

Scotland has a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge and asylum from war and persecution. The New Scots refugee integration strategy was informed by engagement across Scotland, including refugees and people seeking asylum from the LGBT+ community. The strategy recognises that people seeking safety on the basis of their LGBT+ identity can face particular challenges within the asylum process and as refugees. We are committed to supporting the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into our communities and working with our partners to refresh the New Scots strategy.

LGBT Health & Wellbeing’s LGBT+ Refugee Project received £277,000 from the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund from 2019-2023 and an additional £30,000 from the Equality and Human Rights Fund in March 2023.

The recent report from LGBT Health and Wellbeing raises significant concerns relating to asylum accommodation. Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support. I hope the Home Office and its contractors will be engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing on their report to understand the issues people have experienced.