Chamber and committees

Since the Climate Challenge Fund’s inception in 2008, a range of organisations have received cumulative funding which totals more than £250,000. The requested breakdown for these organisations is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 58761).

The Climate Challenge Fund is open to all eligible community-led organisations across Scotland, and there are robust procedures in place to ensure that funding is accessible to all types of communities.

A breakdown of all Climate Challenge Fund grants, since 2008, by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) decile is included in the following table.

In terms of application and monitoring processes, the Climate Challenge Fund works closely with grant recipients to continuously improve processes and ensure that they are straightforward and widely accessible.

Applications to the Climate Challenge Fund are assessed by an independent grants panel, which makes funding recommendations to Scottish Minsters.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of applications approved and declined by funding round.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09208 on 23 May 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Climate Challenge Fund does not specifically target communities in the highest ranked deciles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. The Fund’s administrator, Keep Scotland Beautiful, promotes the Climate Challenge Fund throughout Scotland and provides support to all applicants to assist them to make successful applications to the Fund.

Since April 2016 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had a regular meeting with the Chair of the Scottish Police Authority on: 10 August 2016; 5 October 2016; 3 November 2016; 14 December 2016; 16 January 2017; 7 February 2017; 7 March 2017; and 18 April 2017 and with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland on: 26 May 2016,10 August 2016; 7 September 2016; 05 October 2016; 9 November 2016; 22 November 2016; 13 December 2016; 17 January 2017; 28 February 2017; and 28 March 2017.

In addition, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice had meetings with both the SPA Chair and the Chief Constable on: 10 November 2016; 29 November 2016; 06 December 2016; 20 December 2016; 11 January 2016; 24 January 2017 and 22 February 2017.

The Supreme Court's ruling in the case of AB v. HMA concerns the defence at section 39 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 of "reasonable mistaken belief as to age." The defence applies in respect of offences at sections 28-37 of the Act concerning sexual activity with children aged between 13 and 15.

There have been 460 people convicted of offences at sections 28-37 of the 2009 Act (where this was the main offence for which they were convicted) between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

The Supreme Court's ruling that section 39(2)(a)(i) does not comply with the European Convention on Human Rights does not of itself have any direct effect on the convictions of persons with such offences. It is the case that anyone who believes they suffered a miscarriage of justice can apply to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to have their case referred back to the Appeal Court. The Commission can refer a case to the Appeal Court where they consider that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred and it is in the interests of justice to do so. It is for individual convicted persons to consider whether to make such an application in light of this ruling.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the terms of the judgement.

The Scottish Government is considering the full implications of exit from the European Union, including the impact on members of the legal profession when representing clients from the EU. We recognise the potential challenges that ending this and other mutual recognition arrangements presents.

This information is not held centrally. The deployment of tasers is an operational matter for Police Scotland. All incidents where a taser has been discharged are notified to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner for independent investigation and the subsequent reports can be found on the Commissioner's website at: http://pirc.scotland.gov.uk/investigations. Any complaints made by the public on the use of tasers are investigated by Police Scotland.

Scottish Ministers propose to establish an independent review of the regulation of legal services. The purpose of the review will be to make independent recommendations to reform and modernise the statutory framework for the regulation of legal services and complaints handling. The review is intended to ensure a proportionate approach to regulation that supports growth in the legal services sector. It should also place consumer interests firmly at the heart of any system of regulation, including the competitive provision of legal services. The review will focus on the current regulatory framework, the complaints and redress process for providers of legal services including solicitors and advocates, and ongoing market issues such as investigating the benefits of regulating firms as well as individual solicitors.

Key stakeholders including the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and the Scottish Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal have previously produced policy papers calling for change to the current system including reviewing the complexity of current processes. The Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 (“the 1980 Act”) forms the bedrock legislation underpinning the regulation of legal services in Scotland. It sets out how the Law Society of Scotland regulates solicitors. Some ‘legal’ matters such as will writing and other issues may be handled by unregulated firms or persons. Additionally claims management companies are unregulated in Scotland. The review will be able to investigate all of these areas.

The independent Chair of the review is Esther Roberton, current Chair of NHS 24. Ms Roberton has extensive senior leadership experience in the NHS and other areas of public life. She is also currently a Board member of the Scottish Ambulance Service (2014-18). She was Chairman of SACRO (2010-2014) and until recently also sat on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Audit and Risk Committee (COPFS ARC).

The Scottish Ministers expect that the review panel will undertake stakeholder engagement with the full range of stakeholders with an interest in its work and will gather evidence and have due regard to relevant research and previous reviews into the regulation of legal services where appropriate.

The remit for the Independent Review of the Regulation of Legal Services will be to review the regulation of legal services in Scotland and in undertaking this review, to:

• consider what regulatory framework would best promote competition, innovation and the public and consumer interest in an efficient, effective and independent legal sector;

• recommend a framework which will protect the public and consumer interest, promote the principles of accountability, consistency, flexibility, transparency, cost-effectiveness and proportionality;

• ensure that the regulatory framework retains the confidence of the profession and the general public;

• undertake specific research into the extent of the unregulated legal services market in Scotland and investigate any impacts on consumers, as well as developing a better understanding of the structure of the legal services market.

The review panel have confirmed their participation as follows:

• Christine McLintock - Immediate Past President Law Society of Scotland

• Alistair Morris - Chief Executive - Management Board, Pagan Osborne (Law Society of Scotland)

• Laura Dunlop QC- Hastie Stables (Faculty of Advocates)

• Derek Ogg QC - MacKinnon Advocates (Faculty of Advocates)

• Neil Stevenson – Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

• Nicholas Whyte – Chair of Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal

• Ray Macfarlane – Chair of the Scottish Legal Aid Board

• Jim Martin – outgoing Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

• Dr Dame Denise Coia – Chair of Healthcare Improvement Scotland

• Prof Russel Griggs - Chair of the Scottish Government’s Independent Regulatory Review Group

• Prof Lorne Crerar - Chairman, Harper Macleod LLP

• Trisha McAuley - McAuley Policy and Management

The independent Chair will lead the review and it is intended that it reports to Ministers within 15 months. The outputs will inform future reforms of the regulatory system for legal services.