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Meeting of the Parliament Wednesday 23 January 2019 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Wednesday 23 January 2019 CONTENTS Col. PORTFOLIO QUESTION TIME ............................................................................................................................... 1 TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY ............................................................................................ 1 Transport (Discounts for Young People) ...................................................................................................... 1 Levenmouth Rail Link ................................................................................................................................... 2 Active Travel ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Transport Scotland (Support for Tourism) .................................................................................................... 4 A83 Taskforce (Update) ............................................................................................................................... 5 Caledonian MacBrayne Employees (Western Isles Residents) ......................................................................................................................... 7 First Bus (Meetings) ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (Impact) ............................................................................................. 8 JUSTICE AND THE LAW OFFICERS ..................................................................................................................... 10 Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 (Compliance) ....... 10 Police Strength Statistics ............................................................................................................................ 11 Scottish Independence Referendum (Authorisation).................................................................................. 12 Kurdish Community (Relations with Police) ............................................................................................... 13 Draft Budget (Police Scotland) ................................................................................................................... 14 HMP Inverness (Capacity) .......................................................................................................................... 15 Hate Crime Policy (Input from Women’s Organisations) ....................................................................................................... 16 Accused Persons (Anonymity) ................................................................................................................... 17 REVIEW OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL EDUCATION ............................................................................................... 20 Statement—[John Swinney]. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) ...................... 20 CLINICAL WASTE SERVICES ............................................................................................................................. 31 Statement—[Jeane Freeman]. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Jeane Freeman) ................................................................. 31 SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP ................................................................................................................... 43 Motion moved—[Kate Forbes]. Amendment moved—[Dean Lockhart]. Amendment moved—[Rhoda Grant]. The Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy (Kate Forbes) ......................................................... 43 Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ............................................................................................ 46 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 50 Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) ........................................................................................................... 52 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ........................................................................ 54 Alison Harris (Central Scotland) (Con) ....................................................................................................... 55 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 57 Elaine Smith (Central Scotland) (Lab) ........................................................................................................ 59 Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 60 Tom Mason (North East Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................... 62 Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 63 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 65 Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) .............................................................................. 67 Kate Forbes ................................................................................................................................................ 69 POINT OF ORDER ............................................................................................................................................. 72 BUSINESS MOTION ........................................................................................................................................... 74 Motion moved—[Graeme Dey]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTIONS ................................................................................................................. 77 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]. DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 78 ADULT LEARNING ............................................................................................................................................ 87 Motion debated—[Colin Beattie]. Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) .......................................................................... 87 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ........................................................................ 90 Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con) ............................................................................................................... 92 Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 93 The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science (Richard Lochhead) ......................... 94 CORRECTION ................................................................................................................................................... 98 1 23 JANUARY 2019 2 Scot smart card programme. It provides all 16 to Scottish Parliament 18-year-olds and full-time volunteers up to the age of 25 with discounts on bus travel. A discount rail Wednesday 23 January 2019 card is also available for young people. We are always keen to ensure that we support [The Deputy Presiding Officer opened the young people in accessing public transport. On the meeting at 14:00] very specific measure that the member has proposed to provide further discounts over and Portfolio Question Time above what we provide at the present time, no doubt the budget from which she wants that to Transport, Infrastructure and come will filter through, in the process. Connectivity Levenmouth Rail Link The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine 2. Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): Grahame): The first item of business is portfolio To ask the Scottish Government what progress questions. I recite the usual mantra: short has been made in advancing the case and funding questions and succinct answers, and we will get for a new Levenmouth rail link. (S5O-02790) through everybody. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Transport (Discounts for Young People) Infrastructure and Connectivity (Michael Matheson): Transport Scotland is leading the 1. Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab): To ask transport appraisal work for the Levenmouth the Scottish Government what action it can take to sustainable transport study, in close collaboration allow young people access to cheaper transport, with Fife Council. The findings from the transport and what its position is on the discounts that are appraisal work will identify whether there is a currently offered by the bus and train operators. rationale for progressing the Levenmouth rail link. (S5O-02789) Since I last spoke in Parliament about the study, The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the initial appraisal report has been published and Infrastructure and