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SEPA and partners, such as local authorities and Police Scotland, regularly use social media to publicise how members of the public can report any suspicious activity in relation to environmental or waste crime. Targeted campaigns are used when there is a new type of waste crime activity or mode of operation, to encourage both reporting but also raising awareness to allow proactive prevention. For example, to landowners making them aware of potential flytipping on unsecured vacant land or warehouse.

SEPA has also recently targeted a specific area of Renfrewshire where it is tackling an illegal site, which has involved encouraging members of the public to report any information they may have in relation to the site and waste operations in and around the area. This has included social media, local press coverage and a local household leaflet drop.

Our consultation on a new National Litter & Flytipping Strategy included proposals to review and improve mechanisms for citizen reporting of flytipping in Scotland. The final strategy will be published in 2023.

Together with Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government is developing a consensus statement on substance use prevention for young people. This will provide an agreed expert view and understanding in where our collective efforts should lie in improving practice and associated outcomes for children and young people. It will be used to support planning and delivery at a national and local level, and will include consideration of the specific needs of care experienced children and young people.

The Scottish Government’s whole family approach to drug and alcohol services is supported by our annual investment of £3.5 million through Alcohol and Drug Partnerships. Additional funding, such as the £3 million Children and Families Fund administered through the Corra Foundation, is in place to improve support for children, young people and families impacted by drug use.

The Scottish Government’s National Rail Conversation is focussed on the publicly owned railway, therefore concerns the provision of services by ScotRail. The National Rail Conversation will engage the views of rail users, regional transport partnerships, rail unions, local authorities, equalities groups, businesses, emergency services and rail industry organisations – as well as non-rail users – for their input in to the vision for rail services in Scotland. The Conversation will listen to feedback from passengers and stakeholders and shape a vision for ScotRail which best meets the needs of the people of Scotland.

Charter train operators such as West Coast Railways will be invited to provide input and insight as part of the wider stakeholder engagement process but are not within the scope of the Conversation itself.

The Scottish Government is committed to ending the placement of under 18s in Young Offenders Institutions (YOI) and supporting care based alternatives. We have already made significant progress, with the number of under 18s in YOI down to 4 on 28 February from over 200 in 2007. The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, introduced to Holyrood on 13 December 2022, will end this practice if it gains Parliamentary approval.

Such action is integral to Keeping the Promise, a pledge which has cross party support and to which this government remains steadfastly committed.

Beyond legislative change we are working closely with Local Authorities and the third sector to create the conditions for change. A practice guide for community alternatives has been drafted with key partners for expected publication by May 2023. The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice are supporting engagement with key partners and children and young people on the future of secure care, including defining issues, developing options for change and delivering on this, where agreed with Ministers.

We are engaging with secure care providers and local authorities to increase secure care capacity for under 18s. We are exploring funding options to provide financial sustainability for secure care providers going forward.

The Scottish Government remains committed to Keeping The Promise by 2030, working in partnership with all partners including Local Authorities, the third sector and importantly the care community to create the conditions for change at a national and local level.

We continue to support a wide range of projects and initiatives across communities in Scotland that improve outcomes for children, young people, adults and families who are care experienced and those on the edges of care.

The Scottish Government has committed £4 million per year up to March 2025 for The Promise Partnership Fund which launched in 2021. This has been established to help organisations with early intervention and to deliver changes to better support children, young people and families in or on the edges of care.

The 2023-24 budget allocated £30 million towards Keeping The Promise to children and families with care experience. In addition, £50 million has been allocated for Whole Family Wellbeing Funding. This funding will focus on the system changes required to shift investment towards early intervention and prevention activities, to ensure families can access support before they reach crisis point.

When undertaking trunk road maintenance works, Transport Scotland and its operating companies plan operations to minimise disruption to the public and businesses. Closures are avoided where possible, with works’ timings and traffic management operations designed to suit. Consultation feedback from stakeholders is considered in these plans.

Transport Scotland‘s Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, is currently planning a programme of maintenance and construction works on the Bridge. This will see replacement of the concrete deck from Autumn 2024 for approximately 6 months utilising overnight closures. This will be followed by repainting of the structure commencing in 2025 with a duration of 2 years and with occasional overnight closures.

Any bridge closures or delay as a result of the works on the structure will be carefully planned during a rigorous consultation strategy. This will reduce the effect of the works on vital services, local community and key stakeholders but also allow the vital work to the structure to be undertaken safely.

Should the bridge close due to an unplanned or emergency situation, a strategic diversion via A82 Ballachulish Bridge roundabout and A82 Tyndrum has been agreed with local councils and Police Scotland to ensure continued safe access to the region.

There are currently 56 stations equipped with defibrillators across the 359 railway stations on Scotland’s Railway. This includes stations with some of the highest footfall across the Scottish network, including Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street.

Circularity Scotland (CSL) is a private non-profit organisation and as such is not subject to the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

We recognise the importance of swimming pools and other sports facilities in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. sport scotland, our national agency for sport, are supporting Scottish Swimming to deliver the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project to accurately understand the current swimming pool provision, life cycle and predict the landscape in the short, medium and long term.

We have asked sport scotland to write to Mr Miles Briggs MSP with more details of the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project and to keep him updated as it progresses.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15073 on 16 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 .