Chamber and committees

Is the point that you are making about the mechanism for identifying who might be vulnerable in the context of the bill?

I am asking about the criminal justice space. Obviously, I am interested in your comments about children in the civil space, but my question was more about the experience of special measures used in criminal cases.

Our next agenda item is consideration of correspondence from the Scottish Government on access to court transcripts. I refer members to paper 3. Members will recall that we have been writing to the Lord President and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs with a view to the process for survivors of rape and sexual offences to access court records being reviewed and any charges being eliminated. As part of that, the cabinet secretary agreed to set up a pilot, and the latest update from Angela Constance is set out in this week’s papers.

Before I open up the discussion to members, I want to highlight a couple of points. First, we might wish to check whether the pilot will be retrospective and open to the survivors who first raised the issue with the committee. The clerks could be asked to check that with Scottish Government officials. Secondly, members are asked to note that copies of the cabinet secretary’s letter have been sent to Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid and Victim Support Scotland.

I invite members to consider whether any further action is needed at this stage, beyond keeping the Scottish Government’s plans under review and taking the action that I have mentioned already.

I am not sure that anyone is able to comment.

What analysis has the Scottish Government undertaken of why retail crime, including incidents of violence against staff, has risen?

I also pay tribute to all the responders and communities involved in storm Babet and extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives.

Given the harrowing scenes that emerged of the extensive damage that storm Babet caused to people’s homes, what initial discussions have taken place with the Association of British Insurers, which I understand has deployed extra resources into contact centres and on the ground to assist people, including those who are affected now and those who might be affected in the future?

Yesterday, Aberdeenshire Council highlighted the sudden drop in temperatures and the on-going impact of storm Babet on its 3,500-mile road network, harbours and other services. We are no strangers to severe weather, but what action is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that the public is adequately informed and prepared for adverse weather, especially as we move towards the winter months?

I, too, commend all the local responders and communities who worked tirelessly before and during storm Babet, and I extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those who were lost during the storm.

Recent extreme weather events have severely impacted the north-east, and I now have constituents who have incurred significant financial and emotional costs arising from the devastation of repeat flooding that has been exacerbated by failing nearby water infrastructure. As regional resilience partnerships continue to develop the organisational response to specific events, what steps is the Scottish Government taking to assist householders in coping with increased flood risk and in becoming resilient to future flooding events?

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact of storm Babet on communities in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside and Perthshire. (S6T-01591)

I am pleased to speak in the debate. At the outset of my contribution, I pay tribute to all our military personnel who have committed to making the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, to our veterans commissioner, and to all the organisations that support our armed forces and the veteran community. I pay particular tribute to the charity Support Our Paras.

I will focus on two areas: education and employment. Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Associate Research Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith of the centre for military research, education and public engagement at Edinburgh Napier University to discuss the findings of her report entitled “You’re In Your Own Time Now: Understanding Current Experiences of Transition to Civilian Life in Scotland”. Among the issues that are explored in the report is access to education. It notes that, despite the advantages that result from academic qualifications, veterans do not often pursue such a pathway. I am therefore pleased that an articulation mechanism has been developed with the University of Strathclyde to allow those with a higher national diploma qualification to enter initial teacher education. I am also pleased that the Scottish Government continues to develop the Service Children’s Progression Alliance to support service children to access higher and further education.

Separately, though, I am aware that access to education for spouses and partners is challenging where service personnel have enlisted in England but are now based in Scotland. In those circumstances, a partner who wishes to study in Scotland is not entitled to have their fees paid. Although I understand the circumstances of the restriction, bearing in mind that families play a vital role in facilitating successful transitions, I am interested in any update that the minister might be able to provide on options for considering the issue further.

I turn to the role of veterans in the energy sector. Energy companies increasingly recognise the benefits of recruiting men and women from the armed forces, and they can offer them a range of employment opportunities. Qualities such as team leadership, organisational skills and technological knowledge are all highly prized by the sector. Career opportunities exist in the fields of engineering, project management, health and safety, and the skilled trades. To meet its future commitments, the sector is already working to match industry job profiles with military roles, and to identify transferable positions and, importantly, training and conversion opportunities. I am pleased that—