The policing of COP26 was an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who ensured that the delivery of the event would be compliant with human rights legislation and that the priority of Police Scotland was to facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensure public safety.

The service prioritised regular engagement with activist groups in preparation for COP26, and throughout the summit. I am very pleased to note that this proportionate and facilitative approach resulted in a low number of arrests.

Mindful of the need for, and benefits of, independent and transparent oversight, Police Scotland established an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to consider issues of policing around the conference. This is chaired by John Scott QC and membership includes environmental campaigners, human rights experts, academia (including representatives from national human rights institutions), policing oversight bodies and a representative from the United Nations. Specific meetings of the IAG were convened on Friday 5th November and again on Tuesday 9th November to discuss the issue of police containment raised in a letter from climate campaign groups.

There also was detailed and continual scrutiny of the approach to the policing of protest at the Conference, including at all recent meetings of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and its dedicated monthly COP26 Oversight Group. A review published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland in June also highlighted a high degree of assurance around Police Scotland’s planning for the event.

The Chair of the IAG has been invited to attend the meeting of the Board of the Scottish Police Authority on 24 November to offer an initial assessment and the group plans to complete a final report to the COP 26 Oversight Group of the SPA in March 2022.

I met with Police Scotland’s senior command on a daily basis about issues related to the conference and I am hugely grateful to officers and staff who ensured the safety and security of 127 World leaders, many thousands of delegates and activists and of course the people of Glasgow.

We have committed to invest at least £1.8 billion over the course of this parliament to support growth in zero emissions heat and energy efficiency measures, and to support those least able to pay.

(a) Home Energy Scotland provides up to £15,000 interest-free loans for energy efficiency measures and up to £17,500 for renewables measures. Registered private landlords owning five or fewer properties are eligible for interest free loans, and owners of six or more properties are subject to interest at a rate of 3.5% APR.

We are working with the private rented sector to introduce regulations in 2025 which will require all private rented properties to reach a minimum standard, with a backstop date of 2028. We have also committed to introduce an all-tenure zero emissions heat standard to be phased in for off-gas grid areas from 2025 and on-gas grid areas from 2030, with all buildings meeting this standard no later than 2045. We are establishing a Green Heat Finance Taskforce and will take account of its recommendations ahead of the introduction of regulations, so there is a clear and identified range of financial mechanisms available to support building owners to meet proposed regulatory obligations.

(b) We will review the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2), and are currently considering the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce’s recommendation that this review happen before 2023. We have committed £200 million to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund over the course of this parliament, investing in a sector that is already leading the way in energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation.

We recognise the key role that ferry services play in supporting the economic, social and cultural development of island and remote mainland communities. We continue to invest in maintenance of the current ferry fleet, alongside our programme of new build and port investments.

The maintenance costs for the CalMac fleet in the period of the request are as follows.

The pay deal between the RMT and Abellio ScotRail was rightly negotiated between the operator and staff representatives, and the same applies to Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited (SCSL) and the RMT.

Scotland’s railway faces significant financial challenges and it is only right that discussions around efficiencies, addressing ideas both from the business and the union, should form part of the dialogue around funding a pay deal.

We understand that, following discussions, SCSL made a pay offer which RMT’s Scottish leadership had confirmed would be acceptable. It is disappointing that the pay offer was then rejected, not least because when considered with the pay increase already awarded last year, the combined rate was as good as or better than any other deal for train operating company staff in the rail industry.

Social Security Scotland routinely publish information as part of the quarterly Official Statistics release ‘Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods’. This includes information on the value of payments issued for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments each month.

Number and value of Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments issued, by year

To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers have received support through the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme since 2018

The Victim Surcharge Fund is opened for applications from victim support organisations once sufficient money has accumulated to enable a viable exercise, which in turn is dependent on the number and value of fines imposed by the courts.

The Scottish Government will reopen the Victim Surcharge Fund for applications from victim support organisations to allow funding to be allocated during the 2021-22 financial year.

The funds distributed will depend on the amount that has accumulated in the Fund and the level of successful applications received.

The following table provides information on the number of theft of a pedal cycle crimes recorded by the police in Inverclyde between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

Table: Number of theft of a pedal cycle crimes recorded by the police, Inverclyde, 2016-17 to 2020-21

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This year the Scottish Government has increased funding for policing in Scotland by £75.5 million to more than £1.3 billion. The allocation of these resources across policing priorities is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable to determine.

People living in Scotland’s rural areas are less likely to be a victim of crime now than a decade ago, as detailed in the 2019-20 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey. Over three-quarters (76%) of those living in rural areas believed that the local crime rate had been stable or fallen in the previous two years.

The Scottish Government will continue to bear down on crime in Scotland, through protecting police budgets as well as through substantial investment in preventative programmes.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on any community pharmacy that has failed to notify the NHS Board of a closure in the last 12 months. The provision of community pharmacy pharmaceutical care services are the responsibility of territorial Health Boards as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009, including pharmacy closures.

Any challenges faced by community pharmacies in ensuring the safe and effective dispensing of treatments, should be discussed with the local Health Board to minimise impact and risk to patients.