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According to Police Scotland's most up to date information, there are 101 mapped Organised Crime Groups in Scotland as at 31 March 2023.

The Lochaber businesses continue to perform well and support jobs in the region. GFG has created 40 new jobs in Lochaber since 2016 – increasing direct employment in the complex to 200 jobs and supporting a valuable supply chain with hundreds of associated jobs.

Marine Scotland has not received any information or indication of an increase in sea bass landed in Cumbria by fishers from England with permits to fish on the Solway Firth.

The current commercial level of European sea bass which may be caught within British fishery limits is subject to the provisions contained within The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which came into force on 1 April 2023.

Crown Estate Scotland are responsible for the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process. The INTOG leasing process is still ongoing.The first agreement stage in the leasing process, the offer of exclusivity agreements for offshore wind development rights over an area of seabed, was announced on 24 March 2023.

Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland are progressing the next stage of the joint planning and leasing process for INTOG. Scottish Government is committed to the sustainable management of Scottish seas. The on-going planning process will consider the potential impact of INTOG on the marine environment and other marine sectors. Following conclusion of the planning process in 2024, INTOG projects will be offered Option Agreements, the next stage in the leasing process.

As a matter of general good practice, any initiative such as INTOG would be evaluated following its completion to identify any lessons learned.

In line with the 2021 Programme for Government commitment, the Ministerial Working Group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) reconvened and met on 29 June 2022. Going forward, the Ministerial Working Group will support and input to the Wellbeing and Sustainability Bill scheduled to be introduced in 2024 under the stewardship of the Deputy First Minister.

The following Minister’s attended the 29 June 2022 meeting:

Then Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, (Chair) Neil Gray

Then Minister for Equalities and Older People, Christina McKelvie

Then Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport, Maree Todd

Then Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater

Then Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey

Then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee

It should be noted the Working Group, apart from being Chaired by the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, has no fixed membership as Ministers are invited to attend as, and when, areas within their ministerial portfolios are discussed. Our approach is for responsibility for PCSD and its delivery to reside across all Ministerial portfolios, with the Group providing Ministers with the opportunity to reflect on how their portfolios shape and influence these issues, and what is required to improve policy coherence, not just within but across portfolios.

The Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing is administered by Crown Estate Scotland who are responsible for completing the process of due diligence in line with relevant guidance.

Crown Estate Scotland advises that all INTOG applicants were required to confirm their compliance with all legal obligations regarding human rights. INTOG applicants were also required to make specific commitments ensuring that they, their group companies, and their supply chain partners have the appropriate policies and mechanisms in place regarding human rights.

Crown Estate Scotland reserves the right to void any application which is found to have provided false information in these commitments. If any companies have been found to have made false declarations on these matters Crown Estate Scotland will take the appropriate action including termination of Exclusivity Agreements.

The Scottish Government is clear that both public authorities and private enterprises have a responsibility to ensure human rights are respected and protected in the workplace. Scottish Ministers remain committed to defending the vitally-important legislation which protects human rights in Scotland and in the UK – including both the Human Rights Act 1998 and the constitutional protections built into the Scotland Act 1998.

No Scottish Government official or Minister has been called to give evidence to the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry. As the Inquiry is independent of Ministers, it is for the Chair to determine how the Inquiry’s terms of reference are interpreted and direct how the Inquiry carries out its duties. It is entirely for the Chair to consider who to seek statements from and who to call to give evidence to the Inquiry.

The Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry publishes its expenditure on a quarterly basis on its website: http://www.shekubayohinquiry.scot/inquiry-costs

The latest published figures show that the Inquiry has spent £10.4m since its setting-up date on 30 November 2020 until 31 December 2022:

The pardon provided for under the Miners’ Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Act 2022 recognises the disproportionate impact felt by former miners and those closest to them, as a result of taking part in the strike. The purpose of the pardon is to remove the stigma of a conviction, to restore dignity, and to help the mining communities heal old wounds. Due to the lack of surviving records, it was not feasible to require people to formally apply for the pardon. That is why the pardon was designed to be collective and automatic for those who consider that the qualifying criteria set out under the 2022 Act are met. This is a pardon for people to own for themselves or for their loved ones.

Given that there is no application process nor any requirement on an individual to notify the Scottish Government that they have successfully met the criteria, the Scottish Government has no information as to how many people have undertaken a self-assessment. However, it should be noted that data published at Westminster after the strike had ended indicates that 720 people were convicted in Scotland in respect of 993 offences relating to the strike.

The Scottish Government has produced guidance to assist people to self-assess whether they are eligible. The guidance is available at www.gov.scot/publications/miners-strike-pardons-scotland-act-2022-pardon-eligibility-self-assessment-guide/ and confirms the types of offences included in the pardon and who may be eligible.

The Scottish Government’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) attended the Home Office ESMCP Programme Board on 22 March 2023.