Chamber and committees

We are committed to undertaking meaningful community consultation with regards to the development proposals at Knocknagael Farm. As a “major” planning application, there is a statutory requirement to host at least one public event prior to submission of the planning application. The Scottish Government hosted an event on 19 September 2012 which complied with this requirement. The exhibition provided information about what is proposed, its rationale and the expected timescales.

Although the event was appropriately advertised and local community groups informed, the event was poorly attended. So while there is no statutory requirement to do so, the Scottish Government will host a further community consultation event prior to submitting the revised planning application. This is likely to take place in mid-late August 2013. All identified community groups, including local community councils, the Allotments Association and any other bodies recommended by the planning uthority will be invited to the event. There will also a leaflet drop to houses in the immediate vicinity of the site and the event will be advertised in the local paper.

A detailed community consultation strategy will be prepared and agreed with the planning authority prior to these activities being undertaken.

There will be a consultation exercise with relevant industry stakeholders regarding the new tenancy at Balrobert. Their views will be taken into account before finalising plans. We will ensure that the group includes local representation.

The Scottish Government submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening report, prepared by Deloitte planning consultants, to the Highland Council on 23 January 2013, requesting that the council provide a formal screening opinion. The Highland Council confirmed on 18 April 2013 that a formal EIA was not required. Both the report and the council’s response are available to the public on the Highland Council’s public access portal (Reference 13/00361/SCRE).

Whilst a formal EIA was not required, the Scottish Government has instructed a number of supporting documents and technical studies to inform the development proposals. These have been prepared following pre-application discussions with the planning authority and to meet statutory requirements. These shall be submitted with the planning application and will be available for public viewing via the council’s public access portal at that time.

Following introduction of Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedures) Regulations 2008, neighbour notification is the responsibility of the planning authority.

The Scottish Government complied with all statutory requirements with regards to notifications including: serving a proposal of application notice on the planning authority and all community councils within whose areas the application site is located or adjoins, and submitting the appropriate ownership certificates with the planning application.

The planning application submitted on behalf of the Scottish Government, was withdrawn while the Highland Council progress their proposed Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. Once their local development plan is published, we intend to submit a revised planning application.

To support our further considerations, the Scottish Government will be working with its planning consultants, Deloittes to facilitate further community consultation events. This will provide an excellent opportunity for members of the local community to discuss the Scottish Government’s proposals in more detail and for us to receive more feedback on the proposal.

The amount of surplus land that we propose to dispose of equates to a loss of 8.2 hectares of land suitable for arable production, which has the capability to produce at most about 45 tonnes of barley per year. This is around one fifth of 1% of Highland barley production. (The proportion of Highland production is based on the proportion of Highland area of barley).

The remainder of the surplus land is grassland equates to a loss of grassland of one hundredth of 1% of grassland in the Highland area.

The following paragraphs cover harm reduction in: problem alcohol and drug use; needle exchange; mental health and domestic abuse.

Problem Alcohol and Drug Use:

The national drugs strategy, The Road to Recovery, and the alcohol framework Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol aim to ensure that those who need support and treatment for their drug or alcohol problem, get it.

Access to specialist treatment for alcohol and drugs has greatly improved with the introduction of the HEAT target for waiting times, over 90% of clients will wait no longer than three weeks from referral received to appropriate drug or alcohol treatment that supports their recovery.

The provision of prevention activity, recovery focussed treatment and support services, is for each local area to consider, taking account of local needs, circumstances and resources. Responsibility is devolved to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to commission (informed by robust needs assessment) evidence-based, person-centred and recovery-focused prevention and treatment services to meet the needs of their resident populations.

We have made a record investment of £237 million to tackle alcohol misuse since 2008, the bulk of the funding (£211 million) being invested in local prevention, treatment and support services. and £38.6 million in 2013-14.

We have also invested record amounts in frontline drug treatment and support services to help people recover, £30.3 million in 2013-14, an increase of more than 20 per cent since 2006-07.

We continue to work with national and local organisations to ensure that interventions are in place at every possible stage to tackle problem drug and alcohol use in Scotland.

We have introduced a national take home naloxone programme which can temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone is an important intervention, within a range of available treatment and support, which can help to reduce harm, support people towards recovery and save lives. 3,445 life-saving naloxone kits were provided to people, at risk of opioid overdose, in the community and on release from prison (2011-12).

Needle Exchange:

The Scottish Government has a longstanding commitment to increase the quantity and quality of injecting equipment provided to injecting drug users.

The provision of syringes is a public health priority particularly when the cost of providing injecting equipment is highly cost effective when compared against the treatment costs of hepatitis C and/or HIV infection.

Under the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework the government continues to provide almost £27 mililon a year to NHS boards which includes funding specifically for prevention services and injecting equipment provision.

Mental Health:

The Mental Health Strategy for Scotland 2012-15 recognises the importance of tackling the distress which underlies “a group of disorders, illnesses and behaviours which present particular challenges to services and to families”, including self-harm.

We have recently completed a public engagement process on developing a new strategy on suicide prevention and reducing self-harm. The results of this are currently being analysed to inform the development of a new strategy on suicide prevention due for publication in the autumn.

Consideration is being given to continuing work in relation to Responding to Self-Harm in Scotland: Final Report – Mapping out the Next Stage of Activity in Developing Services and Health Improvement Approaches and to improving our knowledge about identifying suicidal self-harm and how best to intervene and deliver better outcomes for people at this level of distress.

Domestic Abuse:

The Scottish Government continues to work with key partners including COSLA, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and voluntary organisations to tackle domestic abuse and to reduce harm

We have allocated £34.5 million funding over the next three years to tackle violence against women, including domestic abuse.

This funding demonstrates strong commitment to this area at a time of unprecedented financial constraint. It enables us to support a wide variety of projects and organisations, like Scottish Women’s Aid, which focus on supporting victims.

The Caledonian System (£3.5 million), which works with perpetrators to change behaviours, reduce reoffending and to improve the lives of women and children. Domestic Abuse Court Advocacy Service (£3.15 million) which supports the victims of domestic abuse who are taking cases through the specialist domestic court in Glasgow

Training for up to 300 domestic abuse advocates (£180k) providing specialist case work for high risk victims. This will ensure that specialist court provision and multi-agency risk assessment conferences across Scotland will have a consistent, trained, accredited advocacy service available (£180k 2012-15)

The Domestic Abuse Court Advocacy Service supports the victims of domestic.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with COSLA, is producing a more comprehensive blueprint for reducing, and ultimately ending, violence against women, including domestic abuse as opposed to a simple refresh of Safer Lives Changed Lives which was published in 2009.

This is because developments such as, the creation of a single police force for Scotland and the re-establishment of the cross government strategy group on Violence Against Women (VAW) all present unparalleled opportunities for embedding, and mainstreaming, work to tackle VAW into a wide range of areas. It is anticipated that the document will be published for consultation by the end of 2013.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual provides guidance to relevant public bodies on the proper handling and reporting of public funds, emphasising the need for economy, efficiency and effectiveness across all aspects of delivery and financial transactions.

The manual is reviewed on an on-going basis as required by changes in good practice and standards of propriety. Guidance for Accountable Officers on Best Value was published in 2006, updated in 2011, specifying the requirements for the duty of best value in public services:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/spfm/BestValue

Sustainability is one of two cross-cutting best value themes that, alongside equality, are required to be embedded across all the activities by which relevant public bodies deliver their outcomes.

Scottish Ministers expect all accountable officers of the Scottish Administration and accountable officers of other public bodies to comply with the duty of best value placed upon them. Compliance with the duty of best value (as described in the SPFM) is an auditable requirement and subject to scrutiny under the terms of section 22(1)(c) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (“the PFA Act) for any organisation subject to audit by the Auditor General for Scotland.

The Scottish Government has no jurisdiction over police units that have a UK-wide remit.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency may carry out activities in Scotland in relation to an offence which it suspects has been committed (or is being committed) with the agreement of the Lord Advocate.

The Lord Advocate, as head of the system of prosecutions in Scotland, has primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland.

(a) UK Security Services.

The Lord Advocate does not instruct the Security Services, but can instruct the Police Service of Scotland who may work in partnership with them.

(b) Special Demonstration Squad

There is no information held to suggest that officers of this Unit have ever provided mutual assistance to Scotland in terms of section 98 (5) of the Police Act 1996 and accordingly no information to suggest they had ever been subject to direction in that context by the Lord Advocate.

(c) National Domestic Extremism Unit

The Lord Advocate has no remit in instructing this Unit, but where relevant, could instruct the Police Service of Scotland as a law enforcement agency who may work in partnership with this unit in Scotland.

(d) Other police units with a UK wide remit when they operate in Scotland

Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)

The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was established by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. In terms of section 22 of that Act SOCA may only carry out activities in Scotland in relation to an offence which it suspects has been committed (or is being committed) if it does so with the agreement of the Lord Advocate. In carrying out any such activities in Scotland SOCA must comply with such directions (whether general or special) as it may receive from the Lord Advocate or from the procurator fiscal. If it suspects that an offence has been committed (or is being committed) in Scotland, SOCA must report the matter to the procurator fiscal as soon as is practicable.

Terrorism Incidents

In a national terrorism incident, the Senior National Coordinator - Counter Terrorism (SNC-CT), who may be an officer from another UK jurisdiction, will assume strategic command for the operation. However in Scotland, the SNC-CT exercises such strategic command with the authority, but still subject to the direction, of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland. Thus, the SNC-CT is also subject to the direction of the Lord Advocate, or appropriate prosecutor.

Since 2000-01, the Scottish Government has made the following payments to UK-wide units, under the remit of international policing. Figures are not available prior to 2000: