Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27516 on 22 May 2024. 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 Data Lab has secured long term investment of up to £2 million per annum as part of the overall Scottish Government-funded SFC Innovation Centre programme, which will see investment of up to £8 million per annum across four innovation centres. The Scottish Government will also continue to provide additional funding for Data Lab of £945,000 until March 2026 through the Scottish AI Alliance’s programme of work .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27332 on 22 May 2024. 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 .

Funding was provided in the 2023-24 financial year to City of Edinburgh Council, North Ayrshire Council, South Ayrshire Council and Dundee City Council to support their work on firework control zone development. Based on discussions with officials funding has also been allocated for provision to Glasgow City Council in the 2024-25 financial year. The Scottish Government continues to be open to expressions of interest in funding from local authorities for the 2024-25 financial year.

A funded local authority may decide that firework control zones are not appropriate, for example based on further discussions with partners. The powers are discretionary and local authorities are entirely responsible for how they choose to use the powers so long as they comply with the legislation and have regard to guidance.

Local authorities do not have to make any kind of application for a firework control zone. However, before designating a place as a firework control zone or amending or revoking an existing firework control zone, a local authority must prepare and publish a proposal in relation to the designation, amendment or revocation of the zone. The local authority must also carry out a consultation on the proposal. The Scottish Government is not aware of any consultations having been published.

While not a statutory requirement, guidance says that local authorities should where possible establish a local process to give communities the ability to make the case for the designation of a firework control zone. The Scottish Government is aware that eight local authorities have introduced firework control zone community request processes and made details available on their website. These councils are Angus Council, Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Dundee City Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Falkirk Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council and Shetland Islands Council. A number of other local authorities have advised that they aim to introduce these over the coming months.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. As Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I regularly meet with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of the equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Ford Ranger vehicles were purchased to a UK specification and framework. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Angloco vehicles were purchased to a SFRS specification. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

As part of the on-going forensic analysis, NHS Dumfries & Galloway identified that files belonging to National Records of Scotland, that were stored on the NHS D&G IT infrastructure, have been stolen as part of the cyber-attack. As National Records of Scotland are the data controller for those files, they are now considered a second victim in this incident. As such a crime report has been made to Police Scotland.

National Records of Scotland have undertaken a risk assessment and are taking appropriate actions to notify individuals that have been affected. National Records of Scotland will issue a news release later today to provide further information to members of the public.

It is a matter for local licensing authorities to determine how to licence taxis and private hires within their areas within the powers they are provided with in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This includes in terms of setting conditions as part of granting a licence. It is open to local licensing authorities to set conditions that may relate to payment methods that must be offered within taxis and private hires. For taxi and private hire operators themselves, offering card payment as an option would seem an important aspect to consider given the wide proliferation of card payment methods that are in common use.

More generally, the Scottish Government Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing - Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities and Taxi and Private Hire Car Operators recognises the importance of flexible transport services and makes clear that it is possible for taxis and private hire cars to provide flexible transport services in a number of different ways. Such services can play a valuable role in meeting a range of transport needs. Local licensing authorities are encouraged, as a matter of best practice, to play their part in promoting flexible services, so as to increase the availability of transport to the travelling public.

NHS Scotland uses the internationally accepted categories for BMI to categorise people’s weight in relation to their health. BMI should not be used as a single defining measurement but as part of a holistic assessment alongside other criteria to help inform best treatment options for patients.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific assessments of use of BMI in diagnosing eating disorders. However, clinicians are aware of its limitations in relation to eating disorders diagnosis and this is reflected in the National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland.

In the National Specification, it is stated that assessment of an eating disorder should not be based on single measures such as BMI. Instead the full set of symptoms and individual circumstances should be considered. The National Specification was consulted on earlier this year and the consultation results are currently being analysed with the aim to publish the final National Specification document later this year. The implementation of the National Specification will be supported by the National Eating Disorders Network.

This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.

The relevant recommendation is:

Recommendation 2

In relation to the reporting of domestic abuse cases, COPFS should work with Police Scotland to:

[...]

(c) ensure that the approach to counter allegations set out in the joint protocol on challenging domestic abuse is followed in practice by both reporting officers and marking deputes. Managing counter allegations should form part of training

[…]

The Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.

COPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.