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We are working with Young Scot and third sector partners to co-design an online resource for young people on gender-based violence. Young Scot hosts up to date material on a range of subjects, developed for and by young people aged 11 to 25.

The online resource will complement other work we are undertaking to improve young people’s knowledge and awareness of gender-based violence. These include the Equally Safe at School project which works with pupils and staff to address issues of gender inequality in their school. We are also funding the increased coverage of the Rape Crisis Scotland national sexual violence prevention programme to each local authority.

In 2016 the Scottish Government announced £24 million for the design and construction of a new grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk as part of a package of additional investment alongside, but separate to, the Aberdeen City Region Deal, as such the scheme is being progressed through the Scottish Government’s Motorways and Trunk Roads Capital Land and Works budget.

The delivery of police ICT projects, is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and the Chief Constable.

Police Scotland is investing £3.9m in a national computer network to improve service and efficiency across Scotland. This will deliver increased network performance, stability and capability by removing legacy network services. This is currently being rolled out across the country.

While Audit Scotland found that recommended good practice was followed in the planning and procurement of the i6 programme, Police Scotland has learned lessons from this and from other projects, as outlined in the Audit Scotland report: Principles for a digital future: Lessons learned from public sector ICT project . These lessons have been built into Police Scotland’s outline business case for the development of Digital, Data and ICT (DDICT) capabilities. The agreement reached with the provider of i6 ensured that there was no financial detriment to Police Scotland or to the public purse.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the transformation of policing as outlined in the ten year policing strategy, Serving A Changing Scotland . Improved DDICT capability is key to this. To support this, we have continued police reform funding, with £28.6 million available in the current financial year.

The 2019-20 policing budget also includes a 52% increase in the capital allocation. In addition we have ensured that policing will benefit from being able to reclaim VAT of around £25 million a year, previously paid to the UK Government, bringing Police Scotland into line with every other police service in the UK.

This funding is supporting the development of a new national computer network, the rationalisation of core ICT systems and the roll out of mobile devices to police officers across Scotland.

We continue to press the UK Government to refund the £125 million paid by Police Scotland in VAT between 2013 and 2018.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24741 on 6 September 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The Justice in Scotland: Vision and Priorities document was published in July 2017. It provides a framework for a more progressive, evidence-based approach to justice. It was developed in collaboration with the Justice Board and other key stakeholders and set priorities to help shape collective effort from 2017 to 2020.

‘ Protecting Scotland’s Future ’, our Programme for Government for 2019-20, includes our commitment to set out our next long-term vision for our justice system, including how we respond to the changing nature of offending in ways which are proportionate, just, effective and promote rehabilitation, as well as keeping our communities safe and responding to the needs of victims.

This will be progressed in the year ahead and will be informed by work with justice agencies, local government, the third sector and others to identify and further progress the whole system changes we need to make, including to respond to Scotland’s internationally high rate of imprisonment. Our approach will be informed by public health responses to issues such as the misuse of drugs and the impact of adversity, trauma and multiple disadvantage. It will also draw on the work of our Victims Taskforce, reflecting our continuing commitment to put victims at the heart of justice system reforms.

On 13 June 2019 I announced to the Scottish Parliament Justice Sub-Committee on Policing my intention to form an independently-chaired reference group to scope the possible legal and ethical issues arising from emerging technological developments in policing. I can confirm that preparatory work is currently being undertaken including consideration of the terms of reference and membership. I will provide an update on progress to the sub-committee in due course.

As the First Minister set out in Programme for Government we will introduce a Defamation and Malicious Publication Bill this parliamentary year. The Bill will take forward the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission and will simplify and modernise the law of defamation. The reforms will ensure that a more appropriate balance is struck between protecting reputation and freedom of expression. Amongst other changes, the Bill will recognise a defence of publication on a matter of public interest and ensure that no proceedings can be brought where a defamatory statement is made only to the person who is the subject of it.

Local authorities have flexibility to use the ring-fenced funding for Justice Social Work of just over £100 million, which is protected in the 2019-20 budget, for bail supervision. This includes investment of £1.5 million annually since 2015-16 specifically for the development of bail services and early intervention schemes for women.

From April 2019-20, Scottish Government has made available an additional £550,000 per annum (£1.65 million over 3 years) of funding to bolster existing provision for supervised and supported bail as an alternative to the use of remand.

This funding is intended to double capacity for bail supervision services, but take up of this funding with be subject to the use of this alternative to remand by the judiciary.

At the end of 2018, the Scottish Government committed over two million pounds of capital and associated revenue costs to enable the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to provide new and upgraded state of the art evidence suites to allow children and vulnerable witnesses to give their evidence in criminal trials in a safe, sensitive and secure environment. It is anticipated that the new facilities in Glasgow will be operational from October 2019, in Inverness by March 2020 when the new Justice Centre is due to open, and the upgraded facilities in Edinburgh and Aberdeen by March 2020.

We are working with all of the criminal justice bodies and the Victims Organisation Collaboration Forum Scotland (VOCFS) which is chaired by Victim Support Scotland, to facilitate engagement on the development of the annual standards of service for victims and witnesses.

This work is overseen by the Victims Taskforce and includes attendance of the justice bodies at VOCFS meetings to discuss progress against the current standards and seek suggestions directly from VOCFS members on key issues the standards should focus on in the following year.