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The LLB is an undergraduate degree that sits at either Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 9 for an Ordinary degree, or SCQF Level 10 for an Honours degree. When postgraduate programmes are developed they are required to meet the level descriptors at SCQF 11 or above. Applicants to the accelerated LLB programme are required to hold a first degree to ensure they can demonstrate their ability to cope with the demands of an undergraduate degree condensed into two years.

The Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) Scheme was managed and operated by the UK Government in partnership with the Co-Operative Bank. The decision not to re-procure for new PCDL contracts was a decision solely for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government however responded to the closure of the scheme by extending the eligibility criteria of the current postgraduate support package to include Research Masters courses from academic year 2019-20. Students on Research Masters courses are eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 and a living cost loan of up to £4,500 (for full-time students) across the duration of their study.

There are no plans to develop a national database that identifies support for people who have been affected by suicide. However, Action 4 of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan, every life matters refers. This states: with the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG), the Scottish Government will ensure that timely and effective support for those affected by suicide is available across Scotland by working to develop a Scottish Crisis Care Agreement.

The latest update on this action from the July NSPLG shows that research has been done to identify an effective programme of support for those bereaved by suicide. A formal proposal is expected at the October meeting.

When taking statements, officers follow the guidelines set out within Police Scotland’s Case Reporting Standard Operating Procedure and their Reports and Statement Writing Guide. Police Scotland have advised that these documents are publicly available on their website.

Police Scotland have also advised that if someone wants to provide an update to officers, having previously given a statement, they should contact the police, who will take an additional statement referencing the previous one.

The Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing, commissioned by the Lord Advocate and previous Cabinet Secretary, and led by Dame Elish Angiolini, is ongoing.

Dame Elish published a detailed preliminary report containing 30 recommendations on 21 June and we are working closely with key partners and stakeholders to fully consider her findings.

Dame Elish will be continuing her engagement during the second phase of the Review with a view to producing a final report and further recommendations later in 2020.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25265 on 24 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 .

I wrote to the former Minister of State for Immigration about immigration detention issues, including the need for a time limit and community-based alternatives, on 1 April 2019. Following changes in Ministerial responsibilities, it is not yet clear who leads on this for the UK Government, so I wrote again on this issue to the new Home Secretary this month.

Our policy is that the current immigration detention system is inhumane and needs to be overhauled.

Scottish Government Ministers have offered to explore the feasibility of undertaking a pilot on alternatives to immigration detention in Scotland on a number of occasions. To date, the Scottish Government has not received a response from the Home Office on the possibility of Scotland being a location for implementing alternatives to immigration detention or taken up our offer to discuss further.

Attendance Allowance for self-funders in care homes in Scotland was withdrawn by UK Government when Scotland introduced free personal care in 2002. This is because UK Government determined that personal care payments to those residing in care homes were a contribution towards the resident’s care, accommodation and living costs. This was regardless of whether the personal care payment was made directly to the individual or to the care home

Therefore, currently it is not possible to receive both a payment for free personal care and Attendance Allowance if you are a self-funder in a care home in Scotland. This is regardless of how the payment is made – whether to the care home directly or to the individual.

When the decision was made to withdraw Attendance Allowance for self-funders in care homes, the then Scottish Executive increased the size of personal care payments for care home residents to compensate for this loss. This ensured self-funding residents continued to receive financial support.

Personal and Nursing Care payments in 2019-20 are £177 for personal care and £80 for nursing care per week. Attendance Allowance rates in 2019-20 are £58.70 (lower rate) and £87.65 (higher rate) per week.

There is no reason why an individual would be better off receiving Attendance Allowance rather than free personal care, whether they receive the payment directly or it is paid to the care home. The rate for free personal care payments is higher than the Attendance Allowance rate at both low and high level.

We have no immediate plans to change the process of free personal and nursing care payments to self-funders living in care homes.

The Scottish Government welcomes the recent submission by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK to the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for Voretigene Neparvovec (Luxturna ® ), for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients with vision loss due to RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy, through the new ultra-orphan pathway. The ultra-orphan pathway, which was introduced in October 2018, allows medicines for extremely rare conditions to be available on the NHS in Scotland for up to three years after initial consideration by SMC, while further evidence on their clinical effectiveness is generated.

We expect the SMC to consider Luxturna ® towards the end of 2019.