This Government is committed to action to reduce reoffending and we are taking forward a range of measures to support individuals to break this cycle. These include:

• maintaining record levels of funding of nearly £95 million for Criminal Justice Social Work services to tackle reoffending and the causes of crime;

• investing an additional £4 million in 2016-17 to increase the use of robust community services which evidence shows are more effective at reducing reoffending than short prison sentences, and this funding continues in the budget for this coming financial year; and

• providing £15.5 million over 2012-17 through the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund to support third sector services delivering practical, one to one offender mentoring services to women and prolific young male offenders, a substantial advance in the support previously available across Scotland to those completing short term prison sentences.

From 1 April, our new model for Community Justice will come into effect. Statutory Community Justice Partners will jointly plan and deliver services to prevent further offending and support those who have offended to reintegrate into communities. This approach will strengthen the way services and communities work together to break the cycle of offending, reduce re-offending and ultimately make our communities safer.

The national child protection policy will be published within 12 months of the statement. Support for the policy will be provided as part of the on-going child protection improvement programme.

There are currently around 1100 people subject to electronic monitoring in Scotland.

If the current scheme is extended as set out in the consultation: "A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation", the uptake and use of the extended scheme will be for the Judiciary, Scottish Prison Service and others to decide on.

Any legislation introduced will be accompanied by a Financial Memorandum, which will include estimates of how many individuals may be subject to electronic monitoring under legislative proposals.

The Scottish Government will consult on proposed amendments to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 (Cruelty to persons under sixteen) this year. New legislation will be brought forward in the current session of Parliament.

The Scottish Government has accepted all the recommendations of the Child Protection Systems Review, including the recommendation to establish a National Child Protection Leadership Group. As I stated in my answer to the member in the chamber, given the expectations that I am setting out for others to show leadership in this area I decided that I should demonstrate my own commitment to leadership by chairing the Leadership Group.

The budget for child protection for 2017- 18 is £1.166 million. This includes funding for the child protection improvement programme and frontline support for projects that help vulnerable children and families such as the Partnership Drugs Initiative.

As recommended by the Child Protection Systems Review, the Scottish Government has committed to working with Police Scotland to develop a flagging system on the national vulnerable persons database that will identify all children who are placed on local child protection registers. Preliminary work to develop this will begin shortly and we will work with Police Scotland to identify and address issues of access and data retention.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07694 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05429 on 14 December 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Further to the information previously provided, an additional £1.5m has been allocated for distribution amongst the 32 local authorities to support bail services for women in 2017-18.

Public sector bodies have a duty to secure Best Value in public services, including partnership working to use resources more effectively judged across the public sector as a whole. Decisions regarding such arrangements are matters for individual boards.