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Supporting Fair Work is one of Creative Scotland's current strategic priorities.

The Review of Creative Scotland - which was announced in the Programme for Government last September as part of wider work into how the culture sector is supported - will consider Creative Scotland’s purpose and functions; structure and performance; governance and leadership, finances and distribution of funds; and collaboration, relationships and partnerships

The Review is independent of the Scottish Government and will deliver its recommendations in November 2025.

I refer the member to the answers to question S6W-38063 answered on 12 June, and question S6W-38064 answered on 10 June 2024. 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 have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-38480 on 23 June 2025. 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

Following the Scottish Government commitment in the December 2023 Culture Strategy Action Plan the short-life Culture Fair Work Task Force was created with an independent Chair appointed in April 2024. The aim of the taskforce is to consider and develop actions to further implement Fair Work in Scotland’s Creative industries to be put forward as recommendations for a sectoral Culture Fair Work Agreement.

The details and narrative in the STUC report "Freelance and forgotten", together with other relevant evidence, will be considered as part of the work of the Task Force. This reflects a commitment to worker participation and consultation - although it is solely the responsibility of the members of the Culture Fair Work Taskforce to shape and agree the final proposed recommendations.

The final report of the Culture Fair Work Task Force will contribute to the current evaluation of Fair Work First by the Scottish Government which will provide another opportunity to look closely at how effectively Fair Work First is delivering our policy intent, and to consider what more we can do to strengthen the Scottish Government approach. The project will provide ample opportunities for stakeholder engagement.

The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in RNID Near You, which provides an aftercare service delivering hearing aid support, access to information and advice and early detection and prevention through hearing checks, in partnership with the NHS in Shetland, Glasgow, Lothian, Fife and Borders. The scheme aims to reduce pressure on the NHS. Boards report savings in staff time and patient travel and monitoring is through regular meetings and reviewing outcomes against targets. The Scottish Government is not responsible for outcomes of third sector relationships procured in other health board areas in the delivery of NHS audiology services.

The Division of Commonties Act 1695 was discussed at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s stage 2 consideration on 17 June 2025 and I undertook to provide an update on the Scottish Law Commission’s work on it as part of its work on statute law repeals. I can confirm that following a request by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Law Commission undertook preliminary work on the Division of Commonties Act 1695, and the issues arising in relation to it. The Commissioners took the view that a review of the Act would not be an appropriate law reform project for the Scottish Law Commission and advised Scottish Government of this in August 2018.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

Private landlords in Scotland are required to register with their local authority which has responsibility to investigate and take any necessary action arising from complaints from tenants of private rented properties.

Where a tenant believes their rented property does not meet the legal repairing standard, they can take their landlord to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing & Property Chamber). The Tribunal can enforce repairs by issuing the landlord with a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order (RSEO) which compels the landlord to carry out specific repairs within a set timeframe.

Where a landlord fails to comply with an RSEO the Tribunal will send a copy of the failure to comply decision to the local authority. The Tribunal may also issue a Rent Relief Order restricting the rent payable until the RSEO has been complied with. A local authority has powers to apply to the tribunal on behalf of vulnerable tenants.

I have asked Colin Lancaster, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to respond. His response is as follows:-

Business continuity arrangements already exist for the Solicitor Contact Line (SLC). Should the GMB Union notify SLAB that their SCL members intend to progress to industrial action, SLAB will consider whether further contingency planning is needed to mitigate any potential impact of that action on those in police custody who do not already have a solicitor.

SLAB’s approach to discussions with the GMB has been collaborative and consultative. SLAB continues to engage regularly with the GMB and SCL staff. GMB is supportive of engaging with ACAS, which SLAB is currently arranging.

I have asked Colin Lancaster, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to respond. His response is as follows:-

The Solicitor Contact Line (SCL) is a team of publicly funded criminal defence lawyers who provide telephone advice and in-person representation to suspects in police custody. The majority of publicly funded advice for those in police custody is provided by solicitors in private practice: SCL assists the around 30% who do not already have a solicitor, mostly by way of telephone advice.

Where SCL identify that in-person representation is needed, this will normally be provided by duty solicitors from either the private sector or the Public Defence Solicitors’ Office. The SCL provides contingency cover which is called upon in a small proportion of cases.

There has been no formal ballot for industrial action and it is unclear whether or when any such a ballot might take place. If the result of any ballot supports action, the form or extent of that action is also unclear. At this stage it is therefore not possible to comment on potential impacts.

Violence towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

Responsibility for addressing concerns in specific local authority areas rests with the local authority, as the employer of school staff.

In August, we published our action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools, jointly owned with COSLA. The plan sets out 20 actions to be taken by 2027, including actions to reduce violence in schools. In March we published the first progress report on delivery against the plan, which highlighted progress has been made across all 20 actions.

In response to the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023 about support staff’s experiences of violence, the Scottish Government provided £900k funding for training of support staff in direct response to findings of the research that staff would welcome such training.

As part of Programme for Government, we are investing £29m to support the recruitment, retention and training of the ASN workforce via local and national programmes.

On 17 June I published new guidance to support school staff on fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment, including the use of consequences. I also published guidance on risk assessments for violent, aggressive, and dangerous behaviour.