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Following detailed partnership working between the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, Police Scotland and the Crown Office (COPFS), facilitated by the Scottish Government, details of a new service specification have been developed and shared with COPFS.

The specification, which seeks to meet the parameters set out in the Lord Advocate’s statement from November 2021, will now be considered by COPFS.

If appropriate, it will then be referred to the Lord Advocate for consideration of any related statement of prosecution policy

We have worked carefully with partners to help them develop a sustainable approach which will allow for any such facility to operate to maximum effect.

Parliament will be notified when further updates become available.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS is using learning from the pandemic to reshape its delivery model for purposeful activity as part of our 5-year Corporate Plan which is due to be published in Summer 2023.

Although purposeful activity hours have increased since the pandemic, focus will now shift to qualitative improvements rather than quantitative improvements. SPS recognise the importance of an individual's rehabilitation and reintegration and will structure pathways to support progress towards release.

I welcome the innovative approach that Glasgow City Council have chosen to take on school meal debt.

Councils have the power to make discretionary offers of free school meals to families, where they are experiencing financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances, who do not meet the regular eligibility criteria.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with COSLA on a range of issues, which has included school meal debt.

As set out in the answer to parliamentary question S6W-16999 on 2 May 2023, within the broad general education phase there is the opportunity to teach the topic of the British Empire within the people, past event and societies section of social studies, and in the senior phase, there is an opportunity to teach the topic of the British Empire within the History qualifications, for example through the ‘Migration and Empire’ and ‘Atlantic Slave Trade’ topics.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

There are no plans to review the definition of long-term vacant with regard to the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP).

Each application received will be assessed by the Independent Investment Panel. Projects concerning sites that have been vacant and derelict for fewer than 15 years are not ineligible.

15 years registered does provide a marker for a significant length of time that indicates market forces alone will not be likely to bring the site back into use. However where a site has potential to become long term vacant and derelict, a project proposal may be able to justify bringing forward investment to unblock its reuse.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) 2021-2022 Incident Statistics outline that the total number of fatal casualties from fires in dwellings during 2021-2022 was 30. As further information may yet come to light, for example from coroners reports, this figure is subject to change.

SFRS Fire and Rescue Incident statistics are published annually and include figures on fire fatalities and trends. These can be found here https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/about-us/fire-and-rescue-statistics.aspx .

The following table shows the percentage of primary schools delivering Level 2 Bikeability training for each year broken down by local authority. The entries showing "no return" reflect that Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire delivered alternative training. Argyll and Bute and East Ayrshire started delivering Bikeability training in 2020-21.

During 2021-2022 there was a 20% increase in the number of pupils participating in Bikeability Scotland. A record 52,604 pupils received training.

59% of primary schools are timetabling cycle training and delivering at least one level of Bikeability Scotland. 50% of schools delivered the national standard, level 2 on-road programme shown to have the greatest impact.

The Scottish Government has not specifically discussed the issue of education on the history of the British Empire with other devolved governments, the UK Government or international governments. However, there are opportunities to engage on curriculum design and delivery more broadly with the other nations of the UK, and in January 2023 the Scottish Government engaged with the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent during their visit to the UK, and this engagement included reference to opportunities within the curriculum to embed Black history - including the impact of colonialism, racism and society today.

For more information on opportunities to learn about the British Empire within the Curriculum for Excellence, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16999 on 2 May 2023. 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

We plan to publish the proposed new cancer strategy in Spring 2023. We do not have a specific date.