Chamber and committees

Scottish Government has a long standing commitment supporting local communities to become more resilient, sustainable, empowered and grow local wellbeing inclusive economies. This is delivered through a range of well-established programmes and funds that include the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and sponsorship of the Community Ownership Support Service.

The First Minister announced that Kathleen Jamie is to be Scotland’s next Makar at an event at the Scottish Poetry Library on 18 August and issued a news release which sets out all the details. This is available at: New Scots Makar - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In line with the updated guidance on reducing risk in schools and the move to Level 0, children and young people can now engage in all music activities in schools, indoors and outdoors. Safety mitigations, for example good ventilation and enhanced hygiene, should continue to apply in relevant settings where these activities are taking place.

The guidance can be found at the link below:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

To support education recovery during the pandemic, the Scottish Government has committed funding that has enabled local authorities to recruit an additional 1,400 teachers and 250 support staff. From April 2022, funding equating to £80m per annum will be baselined in to the local government settlement. This will ensure local authorities are able to offer sustained employment of additional teachers and support staff, while meeting local needs and benefitting Scotland’s children and young people.

This is in addition to the £65.5m permanent additional funding announced on
‎ 9 August for local authorities to recruit a further additional 1,000 teachers and 500 support staff.

The Scottish Government has awarded grants totalling £2,235,789 from the Coronavirus Resilience and Recovery Fund for Legal Aid (CRRF). Applications from 84 firms and law centres have been approved and 1 grant is pending subject to a recalculation of award, which is now in the process of being concluded.

The total number of applicants who did not meet the criteria for funding is 195 and is broken down into the following categories:

1. The applicant’s legal aid income did not meet the criteria – 22 applications.

2. No shortfall in applicant’s income was calculated compared with casework prior to pandemic, against the criteria for funding – 124 applications.

3. Applicants demonstrated no shortfall in expected fee income, against the criteria for funding, and have been or will be paid other forms of government support in excess of this sum - 49 applications.

Scottish Ministers made a commitment to keep the CRRF under review and have worked in collaboration with the Law Society for Scotland, the Bar Associations and the Scottish Solicitors’ Bar Association on the co-design and eligibility criteria of a new fund.

An announcement by the Scottish Government was made on 4 August 2021 to launch a new £6.7 million Legal Aid Business Support and Recovery Fund, in support of the Government’s Renew, Recover and Transform Programme which aims to deliver a wide range of measures in recognition of the important role in the Justice system of vital legal aid services in Scotland as we emerge and recover from the pandemic.

The Scottish Government is working constructively and collaboratively with the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and representatives of several bar associations to co-design and deliver a wide range of measures in recognition of the important role in the Justice system of vital legal aid services in Scotland as we emerge and recover from the pandemic.

As well as delivering the first stage of an uplift to legal aid fees of more than 10% over the next two years, the Scottish Government is providing up to £1 million over the next 2 years to support 40 legal aid traineeship posts. The Legal Aid Traineeship fund will increase the capacity and capability of the legal aid profession in Scotland by providing employment and training opportunities. The funding also aims to increase diversity and equality within the legal profession by the recruitment and retention of trainees from under-represented groups across the legal profession including people with a disability, from minority ethnic communities or from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Police management information, while a useful tool, should be used with caution. These are not official statistics and should not be taken as indicative of longer term trends. Due to the exceptional circumstances of the last year, caution is even more necessary when considering the information for 2020-21, as a rise in complaints and neighbour disputes in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 restrictions are included.

Measuring change in antisocial behaviour over time is best done using population-based measures and all the evidence points towards a long-term, sustained reduction in Scotland. For example, the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey shows the proportion of adults who feel people behave in an antisocial manner in their area has fallen from 46% in 2008-09 to 33% in 2019-20 (with no change identified between 2018-19 and 2019-20).

We remain committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour while recognising the progress made and will continue to work with partners to deliver the best outcomes for communities.

As set out in the Draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, which was published on 20 June in conjunction with the consultation paper on the introduction of new legislation on the sale and use of fireworks in Scotland, and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics Police Scotland has been a key driver in requesting the proposed offence and related stop and search power for pyrotechnics.

The new offence provisions will require Police Scotland to refresh their guidance on stop and search and pyrotechnics that is currently in place for their officers. Police Scotland has confirmed that there will be no additional resources required. Similar powers already exist for a person having an offensive weapon or dangerous instrument with them in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority and it is anticipated that the proposed new offence will be enforced in a similar manner. In due course it is hoped that the new offence and stop and search power for pyrotechnics will make our communities safer and reduce public disorder thereby reducing the number of police operations.

We are always ready and willing to listen to those tackling antisocial behaviour directly in our communities – they have the knowledge and expertise and we value their views. In our regular discussions with Police Scotland and local authorities on these issues, there have been no calls for the Scottish Government to consider an increase in the level of Fixed Penalty Notice for antisocial behaviour.

We therefore have no current plans to increase the penalty. Any proposed increase would have to be carefully considered to ensure the change was effective, proportionate and avoided unintended consequences.

Transport Scotland has been engaged, and will continue to be engaged, with key stakeholders prior, during and subsequent to the timetable consultation for May 2022 to seek to secure its preferred service pattern for Reston station namely up to eight daily direct services in each direction between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed.