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We regularly discuss matters relating to the operations of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) with the NLB and the UK Government and have discussed the issue of potential industrial action by NLB employees with both the NLB and UK Government counterparts. As an Arm’s Length Body of the UK Department for Transport, the NLB is responsible for the detailed negotiation of their annual pay remit, and is subject to the pay setting arrangements outlined in the UK Civil Service Pay Guidance.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. After clarifying the specifics of the question with the member, her response is as follows:

• How many items of contraband have been detected by the photocopying of mail?
• Photocopying of mail does not detect contraband. The process for establishments that have this in place is that original mail items are photocopied and the prisoner is given the copy with the option to destroy the original or have this placed in their property for issue upon release. If during the opening of correspondence an item is suspected to be suspicious then this is sent to security for testing on the rapiscan machine.
• How many items of contraband have been detected by the rapiscan machine since the introduction of this policy?
• Since the introduction of the photocopying of prisoners correspondence 2,677 items have tested positive on the rapiscan machine.

Bute House is the Official Residence of the First Minister.

Bute House is Category A listed building and is owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

There are no costs associated with the transfer of the use of the House between First Ministers: the lease for Bute House is between the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Ministers (the Scottish Government).

On 8 December 2022, the BMA Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC) officially announced their intention to ballot for industrial action. Since this date, the Scottish Government has exchanged correspondence with the BMA on the following dates:

• 12 and 15 December 2022

• 26 January 2023

• 9, 21 and 24 February 2023

• 16 and 17 March 2023

• 5 April 2023

Prior to the BMA SJDC officially confirming their intention to ballot for industrial action, the Scottish Government corresponded with the BMA SJDC on the subject of Junior Doctors pay on:

• 7 October 2022

• 11 and 30 November 2022

• 1 and 7 December 2022

I met with BMA on 11 April 2023 to discuss their concerns around pay and then again on 20 April when we entered into negotiations with Junior Doctors to secure a pay award for 2023-24.

In Scotland, guidance in relation to preparing for emergencies is generally structured around key consequences or themes, rather than specific risks. The Scottish Government’s suite of emergency planning guidance, “Preparing Scotland” ( https://ready.scot/how-scotland-prepares/preparing-scotland-guidance ), covers topics such as response, exercising, scientific and technical advice, preparedness assessments, public communications, and recovery from emergencies, which are all directly relevant to pandemic preparedness.

This guidance is developed in consultation with the organisations which have legal duties in relation to emergency preparedness under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, which includes all local authorities.

We are clear that any level or form of violence is unacceptable. In 2023-24, in addition to the budget for policing, we will be providing our partners with over £2m to support ongoing and innovative violence prevention activity across Scotland. To strengthen our approach, we will publish the first ever national Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, which will set out our vision, aims and actions to prevent violence and as and when it does occur, to reduce its harm.

We are fully committed through our employment policies and procedures to support employees who experience pregnancy loss at any stage of pregnancy, and our current package of support measures fully reflect the spirit and intent of the Pregnancy Loss Pledge. The ongoing NHSScotland workforce policies refresh programme offers the opportunity to go further in highlighting provisions and improving guidance for managers. These refreshed policies and supporting documents relating to the Pledge will be published in Autumn 2023.

The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit has been central to making Scotland a safer place since this government took office, with recorded non-sexual violent crime reducing by 25% since 2006-07. The work of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit is overseen by a governance board and is delivered through various programmes which are evaluated and measured for effectiveness. While progress has been made to reduce violence across Scotland, we recognise we must continue to do more.

In line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. This was the approach agreed and voted for by the Scottish Parliament when it approved the appropriate regulations.

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme is not a government scheme, in that it is run by and for industry, and therefore cannot be compared with companies and bodies that do administer government schemes.

Circularity Scotland is a privately owned company and is not under contract to the Scottish Government. It is therefore not a Scottish public authority for the purposes of the of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, and we do not consider there to be any implications for FOI legislation given this legislation applies to public bodies rather than private companies.

Fourteen beavers have been released in the River Teith catchment and seven beavers have been released in the River Leven (Loch Lomond) catchment since November 2021.

NatureScot engagement with local communities is ongoing on the potential translocation of beavers in the River Beauly catchment (Glen Affric) and in the River Spey catchment.