The requested information on the number of recorded crimes of having in a school an article with a blade or point, split by local authority area, is provided below. As with the national picture, at least part of any reduction at the local authority level during 2020-21 (and any subsequent increase in 2021-22) will likely reflect the closure of the school estate during the pandemic related lockdowns.

Table 1: Having in a school an article with a blade or point not used in other criminal activity

The Scottish Government is aware that figures released by the Scottish Dairy Cattle Association (SDCA) in January reveal an annual reduction of the number of dairy herds in Scotland to 804 herds.

In their news release to accompany the publication of dairy herd statistics the SDCA however noted positively that there was considerable investment in new milking parlours and robots in South West Scotland.

We are continuing to support the Scottish dairy sector by funding the Scottish Dairy Hub, to provide dairy farmers with reliable, accurate and relevant information to inform decision making, as well as funding the Scottish Dairy Growth Board to champion growth of the Scottish Dairy sector in global markets.

As well as receiving farm payments through the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and other schemes, dairy farms have been eligible in recent years to receive support in purchasing farm equipment through the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) and the Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme (AECS).

As part of the Agricultural Reform Programme the Scottish Government has stated the intention of reforming agricultural support with conditions which reduce emissions and improve farm performance. In February we published details on areas of interest for future farm support conditions which included dairy cattle nutrition, breeding and health. If adopted these measures will support dairy businesses and herd improvement.

The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table.

Number of people convicted for animal cruelty offences, where main charge, 2016-17 to 2020-21.

The number of households, and particularly those with children, in temporary accommodation in some local authorities is unacceptably high. I have written to the Housing Conveners of the councils with temporary accommodation increases, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss how we can work together on potential solutions. The first meeting will take place later this week.

I have also asked an expert group, chaired by Shelter Scotland and ALACHO, for an action plan to reduce the numbers of people in temporary accommodation, with a strong focus on households with children. The group’s final report will be published at the end of March and will inform our approach to working with our local government and third sector partners to reduce the use of temporary accommodation.

Our strong homelessness legislation means that homeless households, including those with children, have a right to temporary accommodation. The majority of households in temporary accommodation are living in council or housing association homes.

The Scottish Government is grateful to Special Constables who are an integral part of Police Scotland’s workforce mix.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on Police Scotland’s Special Constable programme. Statistics on Special Constable numbers and recruitment are a matter for the Chief Constable.

Whilst Police Scotland are actively recruiting they have in recent years focused their investment on fully trained Special Constables who are willing to deploy regularly and able to fully support officers in our communities.

February 2011 saw the introduction of Community Payback Orders (CPO), making 2011-12 the first full financial year for which this disposal was available.

The latest available information, by court type, is provided in the following table which is based on people rather than number of cases. Total numbers of CPOs issued is also available from table 7a of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2020-21 statistical bulletin Supporting documents - Criminal proceedings in Scotland: 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Data for 2020-21 are affected by the pandemic and subsequent court closures and may not be indicative of long term trends .

People receiving a Community Payback Order by type of court, where main disposal, 2010-11 to 2020-21

I am grateful to WWF Scotland for this contribution to the important discussion on how we cut emissions from our homes and buildings while – critically - ensuring a just transition for all households. The WWF is an important stakeholder, and a strong supporter of the outcomes that the Scottish Government is determined to achieve. The report aligns with our focus on the importance of energy efficiency and on heat pumps and heat networks. Our targets are ambitious, given the seriousness of the climate emergency and the size of the challenge to reduce emissions from our buildings. We will continue to do everything in our power to meet these targets, and to make Scotland’s homes more comfortable and affordable to heat.

Scotland’s homes and buildings currently account for around a fifth of all our greenhouse gas emissions, and we are committed to taking bold, ambitious steps to ensure we reduce these emissions to meet our climate obligations. Our Heat in Buildings Strategy sets a hugely ambitious vision to cut carbon and improve energy efficiency across Scotland’s homes over the coming years and the report notes that the policies and targets set out in the Strategy will meet our overall objective for 2045.

We recognise that this is a decisive decade for action which is why, since the Strategy was published, we have been working to support and speed up the delivery of zero direct emission heating systems: ensuring the sector is ready to accelerate and that households have the appropriate information, financial support and incentives to switch to climate-friendly heating systems. I look forward to consulting on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill in the coming months, and seeking views on our plans for regulation to accelerate green heating installation and higher energy efficiency standards in Scotland’s homes and buildings.

The number of registered businesses in Scotland in 2022 was 175,175, which was down 1.1 per cent on 2021, but was 1,180 higher than in 2016. Registered businesses account for less than half the total number of businesses: the overall number of businesses (360,910) increased over the latest year and is now the second highest since the series began in 2000. The number of large firms in Scotland (employing 250 and above employees) has been affected by declines in sectors that have been most impacted by the pandemic and the cost crisis. However, employment in private businesses is estimated to have grown to quarter 3 2022 and is close to the highest in this series (beginning 1999), contributing to current high employment rates. For example, the latest Labour Force Survey estimates for Oct to Dec 2022 show the highest overall employment rate (76.6%) since records began in 1992.

Mairi Gougeon: From the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) programme, seven of the eight 2022 priorities have been met. They made 265 hectares of publicly-owned land available to new entrants in 2022, with an additional 263 hectares, originally planned for 2022, being made available in Spring 2023.

The FONE group’s members have worked incredibly hard to reach positive, year-on-year results. And I continue to support them as they aim to make 600 hectares available for new entrants in 2023.

Scottish Government officials have access to Corporately Owned Privately Enabled (COPE) mobile devices. They are built with business in mind but with the flexibility to allow the users to install other applications. These devices are securely configured in line with NCSC best practice and third party applications (such as TikTok) are prevented from interacting with corporate applications. The Scottish Government has a social media policy that defines the responsibilities of all Scottish Government staff when using social media, this can be found on their website at www.gov.scot/publications/social-media-policy/ .