Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-02368 on‎ 19 September 2018. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11673&i=105729

Supporting the shift to electric vehicles will help us reduce climate change emissions, improve air quality, and deliver new economic opportunities, all of which will benefit society as a whole.

To realise these benefits, we are committed to widening access to electric vehicles across all of Scotland through a range of grants and initiatives. For example, our ChargePlace Scotland network approach is developed in partnership with local government and ensures charging infrastructure coverage across the country, including in rural and remote areas, allowing all electric vehicle owners and users to access charging. Also, we have recently launched the Plugged in Households initiative widening access, including through housing associations and car clubs.

Electric vehicles are just one of our key transport initiatives. The National Transport Strategy (NTS) Review will set the strategic direction for transport setting out a compelling vision for the kind of transport system we want for Scotland over the next 20 years. A Fairer Scotland assessment is being taken forward as part of this review.

The Scottish Government and Police Scotland support the public’s right to peaceful protests that are conducted within the law.

I have received correspondence both directly from women affected by issues related to transvaginal mesh, and from MPs and MSPs representing them, but to date have had no individual meetings.

Last autumn the Chancellor announced he would set aside £1.5 billion of additional funding in each of the years 2018-19 and 2019-20 for EU Exit preparations. The Scottish Government has received £37.3 million of consequentials for 2018-19, comprising £35.8 million resource and £1.6 million capital.

As set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations in his statement to Parliament on 11 September around wider EU Exit preparedness, initial allocations of £26.6 million resource and £0.5 million capital funding have been made to support vital EU exit preparation activities.

In line with the Scottish Government budgetary cycle, further detail of the allocations to specific portfolios will be confirmed as part of the Autumn Budget Revision, which is expected to be laid before Parliament before the end of September.

The balance of the 2018-19 consequential funding remains available to meet further readiness preparation costs as these emerge.

All children in Scotland have the right to an education, whether that be in a school or another setting. Within schools, each local authority is responsible for the care, safety and welfare of their pupils. All adults who work in schools have a responsibility to ensure the mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of the children and young people in their care. The guidance document for schools, ‘Health and Wellbeing - Responsibility of All’ is in place to ensure each practitioner fulfils their role in promoting open, positive, supportive relationships across the school community.

Education authorities must ensure that all children and young people are supported to reach their full learning potential. Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended in 2009 ), education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those who are victims of trafficking. Under the Act, looked after children and young people are deemed to have additional support needs, unless they are assessed otherwise, and education authorities must consider whether they require a co-ordinated support plan, to ensure that support is provided if it is needed.

Our Switched on Scotland Phase Two: An Action Plan For Growth sets out a range of actions to acceleration the uptake of electric vehicles. https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/39306/switched-on-scotland-phase-2.pdf .

Information on new registrations and number of licenses of ultra low emission vehicles in Scotland is available in Chapter 13 of Scottish Transport Statistics at https://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/statistics/#42763. This information is not broken down by socio-economic group.

We are committed to widening access to electric vehicles across all of Scotland. We have recently launched the Electric A9 expanding access in rural as well as urban Scotland and the Plugged in Households initiative widening access, including through housing associations and car clubs.

In accordance with Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 language translation and interpretation assistance is provided to victims of trafficking through local authorities.

The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking came into force on 1 February 2008 and the Convention was ratified by the UK Government in December 2008.

Prior to 2009, potential victims of human trafficking under the age of 18 where identified by local authorities and Police Scotland. The number of children who have been identified as victims of human trafficking are not held centrally by the Scottish Government for this period.

In 2009, as part of its implementation of the Convention, the UK Government set up the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), a procedure for identifying victims of trafficking and providing support. The NRM is operated by the Home Office. Potential victims of human trafficking under the age of 18 are automatically referred into the NRM process.

NRM statistics on the number of children identified as victims of human trafficking from 2009 are available at:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130812095745/http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics .

NRM statistics on the number of children identified as victims of human trafficking from 2012 until present are available at:

http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics .

Tackling human trafficking is the joint responsibility of the Scottish Government, the UK Government, the police, local authorities and support agencies.

A child victim of human trafficking is a victim of child abuse and the child’s safety remains the principal consideration. Potential victims of trafficking under the age of 18 will automatically be entered into the National Referral Mechanism process.

Support and protection for child victims in Scotland is provided by local authorities through child protection processes and the Getting It Right for Every Child approach to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Where a child victim or suspected child victim arrives in Scotland unaccompanied and separated from their family, they will receive additional support from the Scottish Guardianship Service. The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 placed the Scottish Guardianship Service into law and a duty for public bodies to refer to it.

Scotland’s first Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy , published in May 2017 sets out how we will improve the identification and support for victims. Section 4 of the Strategy sets out 18 child specific actions. The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy: first annual progress report , which was published in June 2018, sets out progress during the first year of implementation.

The Scottish Government continues to take forward the Child Protection Improvement Programme , of which child trafficking is a specific work stream.