The Scottish Government is working constructively and collaboratively with the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and representatives of several bar associations to co-design and deliver a wide range of measures in recognition of the important role in the Justice system of vital legal aid services in Scotland as we emerge and recover from the pandemic.

As well as delivering the first stage of an uplift to legal aid fees of more than 10% over the next two years, the Scottish Government is providing up to £1 million over the next 2 years to support 40 legal aid traineeship posts. The Legal Aid Traineeship fund will increase the capacity and capability of the legal aid profession in Scotland by providing employment and training opportunities. The funding also aims to increase diversity and equality within the legal profession by the recruitment and retention of trainees from under-represented groups across the legal profession including people with a disability, from minority ethnic communities or from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Permission from the Scottish Government was not required by Abellio ScotRail to commission Professor Iain Docherty to produce the Scotland’s Railway after the pandemic report.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01865 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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

Transport Scotland has been engaged, and will continue to be engaged, with key stakeholders prior, during and subsequent to the timetable consultation for May 2022 to seek to secure its preferred service pattern for Reston station namely up to eight daily direct services in each direction between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Current observed levels of compliance with the requirement to wear face coverings, as reported by transport operators to the Scottish government, are broadly in line with levels reported previously throughout the pandemic. However as more restrictions ease and offices begin to reopen following the move beyond Level Zero, we will start to see people using public transport for the first time since the pandemic began. Given that context, Transport Scotland and operators are reinforcing messaging on the continuing legal requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public places including public transport.

Police management information, while a useful tool, should be used with caution. These are not official statistics and should not be taken as indicative of longer term trends. Due to the exceptional circumstances of the last year, caution is even more necessary when considering the information for 2020-21, as a rise in complaints and neighbour disputes in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 restrictions are included.

Measuring change in antisocial behaviour over time is best done using population-based measures and all the evidence points towards a long-term, sustained reduction in Scotland. For example, the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey shows the proportion of adults who feel people behave in an antisocial manner in their area has fallen from 46% in 2008-09 to 33% in 2019-20 (with no change identified between 2018-19 and 2019-20).

We remain committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour while recognising the progress made and will continue to work with partners to deliver the best outcomes for communities.

We are wholly committed to becoming a net-zero economy by 2045 and, whilst oil and gas licensing is ultimately a reserved area, any Scottish Government support for oil and gas businesses operating in the North Sea is conditional upon them contributing to a sustainable and inclusive energy transition, and ensuring a secure energy supply.

The oil and gas sector has a positive role to play in our journey to net zero. Indeed, we are clear that the North Sea has a vibrant future in renewable energy, hydrogen, and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage. Meeting our climate obligations while ensuring a secure energy supply and supporting our highly skilled workforce to transition to the green jobs of the future must all go hand in hand. We will continue to work closely with industry, trade unions, communities and workers to ensure the right skills and training are in place to protect and create jobs as we become a net-zero economy.

Oil & gas, and wider energy policy is reserved to UK Government, including the licensing of exploration and extraction of offshore reserves. UK Government did not consult with Scottish Government prior to issuing the licence for Cambo. On the 12 August, the First Minister wrote to the UK Government, making our position clear that the UK Government to reassess oil and gas licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced. This would include the proposed Cambo Field. There was a further call for a four nations summit to be convened in order to discuss how we can work together, both in the run up to COP26 and beyond, to ensure that we provide clear leadership to ensure a just transition to net zero that does not repeat the mistakes of the past.

The Scottish Government has offered to work with the UK Government on a revised licence process – to ensure that licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced are now reassessed in light of the global climate emergency which all of us now face. As part of this process, we would expect to see robust analysis of the climate impacts of the developments.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01865 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01865 on
‎ 18 August 2021. 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