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Determinations by Sheriffs are a matter of judicial independence and it would not be appropriate for Scottish Government to comment on specific determinations or the approach of the judiciary in general. The Sheriff has heard the evidence and is the only one in a position to decide if recommendations are necessary. In individual cases, the Sheriff may conclude, given the particular circumstances, that no recommendation should be made.

Whilst statistical data in this report points to differences between Sheriffdoms in the rate of making findings, the report noted that ‘The numbers here are too small to assess statistical significance and therefore qualitative investigation will be a priority of future research.’

We welcome this future research and will give consideration to the findings.

As a Government, we take deaths in custody very seriously, which is why the former Cabinet Secretary for Justice asked the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland to undertake two independent reviews on deaths in custody.

Fatal Accident Inquiries play a significant role in ensuring there are systems to safeguard and protect those held in legal custody. However, they are just one part of the system for scrutinising deaths in custody. In addition, the prison service, with the NHS and other relevant organisations, carry out a Death in Prison Learning Audit and Review meeting normally within 12 weeks of all deaths in custody. This provides a system for recording any learning and identified actions from individual incidents.

I can confirm that sport scotland received a stage 1 application for investment into the Park of Keir site. This was considered in 2019, with a decision on whether to progress the project to full application stage deferred until further information is available.

The Private Storage Aid Scheme (Pigmeat)(Scotland) Regulations 2021 were laid in the Parliament on the 5th of November. The scheme went live on the 9th of November and is now open for applicants.

The benefits of the project, post Covid-19, remain the same in terms of delivering a carbon free journey for rail passengers along the entire length of the route and has been improved by the inclusion of a range of accessibility improvements at key stations. This includes a new station at Hairmyres which will also be an active travel and interchange hub.

This preferred option was recommended by and agreed with rail industry partners Network Rail and ScotRail following detailed consideration of a wide range of options, the business case appraisal of which has followed appropriate Scottish Government processes. This analysis took account of ScotRail’s pre-covid passenger count data and the industry’s forecasted post-Covid demand patterns, which the preferred combined electrified double and single track option will be able to serve fully and more reliably than the current diesel train operation.

This Government has a proud record of supporting our rural and land based industries, including our beef producers. From 2018 to now we have supported the industry with a number of schemes including:

The Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme has provided total £118.8 million from 2018 to 2020. An uplift worth £12.67 million was made to this scheme via the convergence payments made in 2020.

The Beef Efficiency Scheme has provided £9.37 million to beef farming businesses since January 2018, while supporting businesses with training events and the use of carbon auditing tools.

The Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) also provides support to specialist beef farmers, for which £144 million has been paid out between 2018 and 2020.

The pilot Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme offered financial support to farmers and crofters to purchase specific items of agricultural equipment and technology to support them in the delivery of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions; as well as supporting sustainable farming and land use, improving land and livestock management and encouraging changes to land use to capture more carbon. The scheme proved popular and received 3,735 applications, with over 3,500 applications approved at a total value of £16.95m, of that £10.25m was awarded to 2,267 Suckler beef farmers and crofters.

We are considering a range of options on how to take the steel sector forward in light of our net zero ambitions, including electric arc furnaces. These are large-scale ambitions that need large-scale solutions and will require significant private sector investment, and the Scottish Government is discussing these potential opportunities with industry partners.

Since 2013 we have invested over £50 million in Chargeplace Scotland (CPS), Scotland’s public charging network, which now has more than 2000 publicly available chargepoints. Figures show that Scotland is leading the way on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The latest figures show that Scottish electric vehicle drivers benefit from almost 40 public charge points per one hundred thousand people, compared to fewer than 30 in England, Just over 20 in Wales and less than 20 in Northern Ireland.

We also provide funding for the Domestic Chargepoint fund which supports the people of Scotland by providing grant funding of £250 (£350 for those in remote parts of Scotland) to install a Domestic Chargepoint at their home. To date this fund has supported the installation of almost 12,000 Domestic Chargepoints to a value of just over £4m.

Our Business (non-Public) Chargepoint fund has helped almost 1300 businesses to install chargepoints for the sole use of occupiers, staff and visitors to a value of just under £10m.

We are currently consulting on draft policy options for the installation of electric vehicle charge points in a number of different buildings types, including an option that sets out a minimum requirement for all new residential buildings with parking spaces.

Transport Scotland are working with Scottish Futures Trust and industry to consider the most appropriate structures and approach to growing and developing charging infrastructure, lever commercial investment and engaging commercial operators to develop the public electric vehicle charge point network at scale and at speed across all of Scotland.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is a public body and, as such, are bound by the Scottish public procurement regulations and must competitively tender projects of this value. CMAL ensured they followed the procurement regulations; considering quality, value for money and the timely delivery of vessels to serve our island communities.

In line with normal procurement practice, Scottish Government Ministers had no role in the process or in assessing the bids. No meetings between CMAL and Ministers have taken place specifically to discuss the tender process for the new ferries earmarked to replace current vessels serving Islay.

Transport Scotland officials hold regular working group meetings with CMAL along with CalMac and have done so from January 2019 when the project was initiated. These regular meetings are still ongoing.

The total rolling stock (a) is currently 350 trains, made up of 1,039 carriages, leased by Abellio ScotRail. These operate around 2,000 weekday services, providing capacity (b) of 551,000 seats across the ScotRail network on a weekday basis. Saturday capacity is approximately 507,000 seats; Sunday capacity is approximately 295,000 seats.

The proposed May 2022 timetable, which is subject to review of consultation responses, would require approximately 593,000 seats per weekday, around a 17% increase on the current timetable. Sufficient rolling stock will be provided to deliver this.

The responses to the invitation to tender (ITT) for the two new ferries are expected in December 2021. The responses to the ITT will be evaluated with the preferred bidder identified by February 2022, numbers of jobs that will be supported can be advised when the preferred bidder and the programme is finalised. The investment in these vessels does of course support the communities served by the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service and the jobs associated with the economies on these islands.