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The Scottish Government annually update and publish information relating to Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) contracts which is available from the following link www.gov.scot/npd/pfi .

In addition, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) have published several guidance notes relating to the operational management of these contracts which are available from their website at the following link www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/operational-ppp

The Scottish Government also has a transparent approach to the delivery of infrastructure projects that reports on the progress of major projects every six months to Parliament. Our major projects reporting shows how projects progress from proposal to detailed design and costing to procurement and subsequent delivery. Our major projects reporting is published and available from the following link www.gov.scot/infrastructure/projects

The NPD model replaced the PFI model in 2010 and although not used for new projects since 2018, NPD improved documentation as unlike PFI, most commercial information in NPD contracts was published two years after the asset was completed rather than the twenty-five years that older PFI contracts envisaged. NPD standard contracts were also more flexible than PFI allowing public bodies to make small changes or use agreed contracted rates to price changes. Further information on NPD contracts is available from the SFT’s website at the following link www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/contracts

The only private finance approach currently available is the Mutual Investment Model (MIM), which will be restricted to deployment by the Scottish Government, its agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. This route was identified by SFT in response to the request to identify a profit sharing, privately financed infrastructure investment route that could be added to the range of public sector funding and financing routes. SFT published the Options Appraisal on the use of MIM which is available from their website at the following link www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/mim .

The deployment of MIM is currently being explored by the Scottish Government.

As the first mission orientated investment bank in the UK, the Scottish National Investment Bank was established to respond to the need for long term ‘patient’ capital investment in Scotland. This means support for innovation and the creation of new markets where private investors are not yet ready to act.

The Missions, which were agreed across Parliament, are designed to steer the activity of the Bank into areas facing considerable challenge. The missions for the Bank are:

• Achieving a Just Transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2045
• Extending equality of opportunity through improving places by 2040
• Harnessing innovation to enable our people to flourish by 2040

As the Bank operates independently, how they set out their investment strategy in order to achieve these missions is a matter for the Bank to decide.

To highlight an individual investment as an example, in January 2022 the Bank invested £35 million into the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour. This expansion allowed greater land and water access for offshore wind developers. The increased capacity will also play a vital role delivering the supply chain benefits of the ScotWind leasing round, supporting the Bank’s mission to achieve a just transition to net zero.

The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) (most recently published in 2021) ( The Scottish Government's Medium Term Financial Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ) sets out the revenue finance models available to the Scottish Government. The mutual investment model (MIM) is considered alongside a range of financing approaches including capital grant, capital borrowing, financial transactions and other forms of finance when determining how to finance projects. The approaches are regularly reviewed to ensure the best value for money.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government as part of the forthcoming Fiscal Framework Review. The scope and timings of the review are subject to agreement with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The review must ensure the Scottish Government and Parliament has the necessary powers to manage the risks we face within our devolved responsibilities, and to support economic recovery.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted on 13 February 2023. Delivery of NPF4 is not the sole responsibility of one organisation or sector and implementation of the proposed actions will support leadership and collaborative working across the public and private sectors throughout Scotland.

Our NPF4 Delivery Programme will guide how NPF4 will be implemented by all relevant stakeholders and aims to create the conditions under which place-based collaboration can underpin the implementation of NPF4, by clearly setting out strategic actions, responsibilities and ways of working. The Delivery Programme proposes a governance structure that will include providing oversight of NPF4 implementation and delivery, supporting its incorporation into Scottish Government and wider stakeholder decision-making, promoting alignment across sectors and providing a framework through which delivery partners can communicate, identify barriers to delivery and be solution-focused. This includes establishing a new Planning, Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group, with a core membership of key external delivery partners and key agency representation, supported by a Scottish Government secretariat.

Where a person has been convicted of any offence, including murder, they can appeal against the decision of the independent court. Even where the normal appeals route is exhausted, if the person considers they have suffered a miscarriage of justice, they can apply to the independent Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to have their case reviewed. The SCCRC have a power to refer a case back to the High Court for a fresh appeal if they believe there may have been a miscarriage of justice, and it is in the interests of justice to do so. If an applicant is dissatisfied with how the SCCRC have considered their application, it is open to the applicant to seek judicial review of the SCCRC's decision not to refer their case to the High Court.

Under the Inquiries Act 2005, the Scottish Ministers are empowered to establish a public inquiry where particular events have caused, or are capable of causing, public concern, or where there is public concern that particular events have occurred. In view of the fact that Mr Mitchell's conviction for murder remains in place following appeals and consideration by the SCCRC, the Scottish Ministers are not currently giving consideration to a public inquiry in respect of Mr Mitchell's conviction.

Whether or not to grant a warrant for entry is a judicial decision.

Legislation places a duty on all government ministers; law officers; and members of the parliaments to uphold judicial independence, barring them from trying to exert influence over judicial decisions.

For the purpose of upholding that independence, there is a duty on the First Minister, the Lord Advocate and the Scottish Ministers not to seek to influence judicial decisions through any special access to the judiciary. "Special access" refers to any access which they may have which a member of the general public may not.

Additionally, if judicial training is considered necessary then this is entirely a matter for the Lord President as Head of the Judiciary.

For these reasons it would not be appropriate to meet with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals service to discuss the increase or otherwise of the number of warrants granted.

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

SPS continually monitor both the prison population and the number of available spaces for all those in our care. The current women’s estate, excluding HMP & YOI Cornton Vale provides 349 single room spaces as follows:

• HMP Edinburgh     92
• HMP & YOI Polmont   117
• HMP & YOI Grampian   48
• HMP Greenock     52
• The Lilias Centre     24
• The Bella Centre     16

The current average number of Women in SPS care is 282.