Seòmar agus comataidhean

As the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Edinburgh Filmhouse were both part of the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), any meetings and correspondence would have been with the CMI. The last meeting the First Minister had with the CMI was as part of the All Festivals Reception at Bute House on 8 August 2022. The last meeting the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture had with the CMI was as part of the Closing Gala of the EIFF 2022 on 20 August 2022. At both meetings, the 2022 EIFF programme and the value of the screen industry to Scotland were discussed.

In the last year, there has been no correspondence between the First Minister and the CMI. The CMI last wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 26 September 2022, outlining the financial challenges it was facing. This correspondence also highlighted that the CMI had highlighted the matter to officials at the Scottish Government and with Creative Scotland and Edinburgh City Council.

The Scottish Government is progressing its Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares as we recover from the pandemic. The Fair Fares Review is considering both the availability of services and the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry. The review will consider options that maintain and increase affordability for those who need it most, taking cognisance of the relative changes to the overall cost of travel. I have asked my officials to ensure that the terms and conditions attached to the Young Scot NEC card are considered as part of this wider review.

The GP contract regulations require all GP practice partners to be sufficiently engaged in providing primary medical services in Scotland. It is for the partners to determine how best to meet the clinical needs of their patients and to ensure there are sufficient GPs onsite to provide necessary face to face appointments and home visits.

Health Boards and Health & Social Care Partnerships are responsible for monitoring their contracts with GP practices.

The Scottish Government does not currently hold information on cessation support services, available in each NHS board area. However, The Scottish Government are developing an expert group that will be reporting on smoking cessation services early next year. We are also committed to working with our NHS cessation coordinators and pharmacy colleagues across Scotland to refocus and remobilise these services to ensure we are reaching those in our communities who are in most need of support to quit.

In addition, we encourage anyone wishing to stop smoking to contact the free NHS stop smoking service: 'Quit Your Way Scotland' helpline on 0800 84 84 84 to speak to an advisor. Alternatively, local pharmacies can also offer a range of therapies and interventions to help quit tobacco products.

SEPA’s grant in aid funding from Scottish Government has increased over the last five-year period from £34,936,000 to £41,406,000. SEPA determine the amount of resources allocated to water quality testing through their Annual Operating Plan in each year in agreement with the Scottish Government

SEPA Grant in Aid Funding

£34,963,000 in 2018-19

£34,425,000 in 2019-20

£37,098,000 in 2020-21

£44,449,000 in 2021-22

£41,406,000 in 2022-23

The Scottish Government understands the important issue of emerging contaminates of concern and has been funding research in this area since 2016 through strategic research at the James Hutton Institute, the Centre of Expertise on Water (CREW), and the Hydro Nation Scholars programme. For example, these studies produced the first national assessment of pharmaceutical pollution in Scotland’s water environment, published in 2022, covering existing data on 60 pharmaceuticals between 2014 and 2019.

Building on the earlier studies described above, the Scottish Government continues to support active research, by investing £32m per year overall, under the current RESAS Strategic Research Programme 2022-2027, and the Centre of Expertise on Water. Current plans include work which will further develop the understanding of sources and levels of emerging contaminants in Scotland’s freshwaters and river sediments and recommend priorities and strategic approaches for future monitoring in Scotland.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is currently trialling a new water analysis technique and is considering which chemicals of emerging concern to Scotland’s environment should be built into its surveillance network. SEPA is working with various UK partner organisations to identify and prioritise chemicals of emerging concern in the environment.

For example, Scottish Water has worked in partnership with the SEPA for many years in the Chemical Investigation Programme (Scotland). Through environmental investigation this project identifies contaminants of concern, their sources and concentrations leaving the sewerage system and how they should be addressed in the most sustainable way.

The average length of time between date of death and FAI completion date in days is 1,067.

This figure is based on COPFS figures rather than the published FAI Statistics (the difference being that COPFS records the FAI as concluded when evidence is concluded, not when the Determination is issued) and accordingly it relates to 42 cases and not the 44 on the FAI statistics. Of those 42, the shortest length was 322 days and the longest 3,440 days. 32 out of the 42 (76%) of the FAIs related to deaths which occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020. As stated above, once a First Notice has been lodged with the Sheriff Clerk, the Crown has limited control over the timescale for commencing and concluding an FAI.

Whilst it is accepted that the average timescale has increased, this can be explained by COPFS progressing its oldest cases and ensuring that the FAI process is commenced. It should also be recognised that FAIs have been progressed and concluded in 2021-22 and the preceding year notwithstanding the considerable effect on COPFS and court business placed by the COVID pandemic, including courts being closed for a number of months and thereafter a phased reintroduction of court business. Court users quickly and successfully adapted to new ways of working including the use of WebEx to conduct FAIs online to ensure cases were progressed.

In 2020-21 and 2021-22, over 15,000 deaths were reported to COPFS. This was a 40% increase from 2019/20. Notwithstanding this increase, in 2021-22 95% of deaths where no investigation was required were closed within 6 weeks of receipt of the death report, and 49% of deaths requiring further investigation were concluded within 12 weeks. Only a small proportion of reported deaths result in a Fatal Accident being held.

In relation to deaths which require further investigation, there are a number of factors which may influence when those investigations may be concluded and many are outwith the Crown’s control. These include the need to await the outcome of investigations by other reporting agencies, information from other public bodies and receipt of expert opinion. In addition, in some cases criminal proceedings require to be initiated and concluded before a decision can be taken on the holding of an FAI.

The lodging of a First Notice is the process by which the Crown will intimate that a FAI requires to be held. Thereafter, the Crown has limited control over the timescale for commencing and concluding the Inquiry. Matters such as the scope of the Inquiry and the evidence that requires to be led are ultimately for the presiding Sheriff to determine.

The following information relates to the five FAIs in 2021/22 which took the longest time to conclude:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11684 on‎ 4 November 2022. 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

The management of Scottish waters is an area of devolved competency. Whilst there are currently no supertrawlers in the Scottish fishing fleet, a number of other fleets operate within Scottish waters, including a small number of EU supertrawlers. As well as vessels from the rest of the UK, the TCA UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows EU vessels full access to fish shared stocks within UK waters.

It is important to note that all vessels authorised to operate in Scottish waters do so under the appropriate licenses, and are obliged to follow Scottish domestic management rules, including mesh size restrictions and closed areas. These vessels also operate within agreed quotas. The majority of commercial stocks fished are managed by the use of Total Allowable Catches (TACs). TAC levels are informed by the best available independent scientific advice, and are used with an aim to ensure sustainable fishing levels in the long term. Vessels, regardless of size or gear, are only permitted to fish the quotas that they have been allocated, in line with TACs set for each stock.

I am aware that a multinational fleet has operated in the UK/Faroe ‘Special Area’ for a number of years under the Faroese Government’s authority. This is an area of water overlapping both UK (Scottish) and Faroese waters, which the UK and the Faroe Islands both claim, and over which both Parties are entitled to exercise jurisdiction and other rights. Both the UK/Scottish Government and the Faroese Government can issue sea fishing licences, including to third country vessels, which include the right to fish within the Special Area. Under the 1999 Agreement, neither Party can prevent or impede the other from issuing such licences.

I was, however, deeply troubled by the Russian fishing activity within the Special Area earlier this year. Whilst I fully recognise that the Faroese Government has the right to license third country vessels to fish in this area, I do not condone or support the continuation of any activities which will deliver economic benefit to the Russian Federation at a time when their unlawful invasion of a sovereign state continues to pose such a threat to the global order. In the spirit of the constructive relationship we have developed with the Faroese Government, I met with the Faroese Fisheries Minister on 11 July to discuss this matter, and to reaffirm Scotland’s strong position.