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In the most challenging budget settlement since devolution, we are providing nearly £13.5 billion in the 2023-24 Local Government Settlement. The settlement includes £436.9 million for Aberdeen City Council to fund local services, which equates to an extra £27.1 million to support vital day to day services or an additional 6.6 per cent compared to 2022-23. All local authorities will also receive a fair share of the currently undistributed sum of £329.8 million and have a range of revenue raising powers that are not available to other public services.

We are proud to have supported Sistema Scotland with annual funding since 2012, contributing to the Government-wide priority of tackling child poverty.

We are pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government will ensure that Sistema will get the funding they need to continue to deliver their programmes, including Big Noise Torry, which we understand is around £1.5 million.

Oil and gas exploration and production, including licensing and climate compatibility, remains reserved to the UK Government.

Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, published in January, sets out clearly that the North Sea basin is mature and production will inevitably decline. I have been clear about our intention to move away from a policy of unlimited extraction, even if the North Sea was not a declining resource. We need a new plan for Scotland’s energy system, the ESJTP seeks to do this.

Independent analysis on the energy system and just transition, published this month, includes a detailed assessment of oil and gas production in Scotland. Our forthcoming Climate Change Plan for Scotland, a draft of which is due in November, will set out our pathway to meeting our emissions reductions targets to 2040 alongside the costs and benefits of policies within the plan.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. The recruitment and deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable.

Policing is and will continue to be a priority for the Scottish Government. Scotland has a higher number of officers than at any time during the last administration – and more per head of population than England and Wales (30 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland, compared to 24 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales). Local police divisions have a core complement of officers who may be supported by specialist expertise and resources at a regional and national level.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. We rely on Historic Environment Scotland as the experts to conserve and protect our important heritage assets for current and future generations to enjoy and benefit from. I am pleased that Historic Environment Scotland provided £500,000 for the Union Chain Bridge project to fund repair work. As the site visit that was carried out at the Union Chain Bridge is an operational matter for Historic Environment Scotland, I have asked it to write to the member with a more detailed answer to his question.

Net mental health expenditure is published on the Public Health Scotland website Scottish health service costs under data files mental health expenditure Excel workbook. This information is available for financial years 2011-12 to 2021-22 for each NHS Board in Scotland, split by various types of expenditure including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), adult mental health services, and older adult mental health services. Please note that expenditure data is collected by broad specialties and therefore categories may include multiple ‘services’.

The Scottish Government’s mental health budget is delegated to the Directorate for Mental Health within DG Health and Social Care. The Directorate manages the budget in line with the scheme of delegation as set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM).

In line with the SPFM, the Directorate monitor the propriety, regularity and accuracy of financial transactions to ensure they are effective and efficient on a monthly basis via the DG Health and Social Care budget monitoring process. Progress is assessed on a regular basis and there is regular engagement with stakeholders in receipt of funding.

Advice Direct Scotland is one of our delivery partners for the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which also provides advice services. The Fuel Insecurity Fund, however, is focused on the provision of direct support to households, which is overwhelmingly provided in financial form i.e. fuel vouchers or direct payments to energy suppliers.

In many cases the individuals receiving support will have been referred on from an advice service which has already advised them. In other cases some energy advice may be provided in the course of issuing direct support, or the individual may be referred on to a separate advisory or advocacy service.

Organisations supported by the Scottish Government to provide advice services, such as Home Energy Scotland, are financed via separate funding streams.

Please see the answers to your questions in the following table. There were no Forced Marriage Protection orders issued or breached prior to the 2017-18 financial year.

The British Retail Consortium publication, Crime Survey 2023 Report, does not have a Scotland specific section, but does include references to the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 contained within it.

The report highlights the use of the new Act in dealing with incidents against retail workers in Scotland. The report also highlights the importance of retailer reporting of incidents and an effective response by the criminal justice system.

The Scottish Government considers those working in Scotland's retail sector do a valuable job and never more so during the recent challenging times of the pandemic. They, like anybody, should be able to work without fear of abuse. The Scottish Government supported the Protection of Workers legislation, which was a Members’ bill, when it went through Parliament. We fully support independent law enforcement agencies having the powers they need to deal with attacks and threats made against retail workers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15654 on 14 March 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