Chamber and committees

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.

The Scottish Government is wholly committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change and doing so in a way that is fair for all, ensuring a green recovery and a just transition that supports good green jobs, skills and expertise and leaves no-one behind.

No specific conversations have taken place with the UK Government, or any international parties, during COP26 on this issue. However we are working with industry to assess the transferability of skills across energy sectors to enable easier job transferability. This is being undertaken in conjunction with industry leaders, employers and trade unions. I also intend to meet with OPITO, the global, not-for- profit, skills body for the oil and gas industry, to discuss their work to promote skills transferability for the sector.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04001 on 8 November 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-04001 on
‎ 8 November 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
‎

The use of facial recognition technology is an operational decision for Police Scotland, operating within the boundaries of current legislation. The Scottish Government understands from the service that there are no plans to use the technology during COP26, either in a live or retrospective capacity.

The use of facial technology by security teams within the COP26 Blue Zone is a matter for them given the designated status of the area for the duration of the conference.

Since 25 January 2019, a period largely covered by Covid restrictions, there have been the following cases referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for consideration of prosecution:

Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes family reunion and the establishment of refugee resettlement schemes. UK immigration rules currently only allow for the reunion of dependent children under 18 and spouses, or long term partners, with refugees already living in the UK.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly urged the UK Government to review its family reunion policy and to consider expanding eligibility so that more people can be reunited safely with their family in the UK. Most recently, I raised concern about the impact of the Nationality and Borders Bill on family reunion rights in my letter of 1 September to the Home Secretary. The Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration replied on 19 October. He responded on some of the points raised and indicated further discussion with Scottish Ministers should follow. The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government for clarity on the implications of this legislation for Scotland.

We have an ongoing and unwavering commitment to land reform. We will aim to bring forward a new Land Reform Bill by the end of 2023, and we plan to double the Scottish Land Fund to £20m by the end of this Parliament, providing more support to enable communities to own land and assets.

We will undertake a wide-ranging consultation in the course of 2022 on proposals for the Bill, and remain committed to working with all stakeholders, including land owning interests and community representatives, to develop policy and legislative solutions to progress our proposals.

The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution and External Affairs and I met with the then Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts on 16 June 2021 to discuss the New Plan for Immigration. This was prior to the introduction of the Nationality and Borders Bill at Westminster on 6 July. Scottish Government Ministers have had no subsequent discussions with UK Government Ministers on the Nationality and Borders Bill.

The First Minister wrote to the Home Secretary on 26 July, setting out significant concerns about the implications of the Nationality and Borders Bill, including measures which propose to differentiate between refugees and treat them differently based on their journey to the UK and not their protection need.

I wrote to the Home Secretary in further detail on 1 September. That letter is available on the Scottish Government website: Nationality and Borders Bill: letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government to Secretary of State for the Home Department - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We consider that as part of a package of measures in the forthcoming Land Reform Bill, a public interest test could potentially make a significant contribution to our longstanding land reform objectives by stimulating a more productive, diverse and dynamic pattern of land use.

The test will aim to ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of particularly large scale land holdings, and we will aim to introduce a pre-emption in favour of community buy-out where the public interest test applies, and where it is appropriate to do so. We intend that the public interest test will help address the issues associated with concentrated land ownership.

It will comply with both the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to private property, and the terms of the current devolution settlement. This reflects the principled position of the SG, and our explicit commitment to respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights for every member of society. It will also complement existing Community Right to Buy legislation.

We will be undertaking a wide-ranging public consultation on proposals for the Bill in 2022, including the public interest test, and we are committed to engaging with all stakeholders to develop policy and legislative solutions to progress our proposals.