Media Briefing by the First Minister's Official Spokesperson (FMOS) & the First Minister's Special Adviser (FMSA).
The FMOS welcomed journalists to the briefing.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has announced the latest recording crime figures, which are at a 37 year low. The statistics show that the number of crimes recorded by the police in 2011/12 fell by three per cent compared to the previous year – a decrease of around 9,000.
Transport Scotland have announced that work will start two years earlier than planned on a section of the A9 south of Aviemore. This will be a complex and challenging programme, which will act as a major catalyst for growth in the cities of Perth and Inverness and bring real benefits for Scotland’s tourism industry.
Housing Minister Keith Brown has welcomed new homelessness statistics. There has been a 19 per cent fall in homelessness applications and a 15 per cent fall in households assessed as either homeless or threatened with homelessness. The FMOS noted that the Scottish Government has already backed the Scottish Housing Options Approach and an additional £150,000 will now be distributed to the programme.
The FMOS highlighted a news release showing the benefits of the ‘Alcohol Brief Interventions’ and the impact that that has on helping people reduce their drinking, almost 100,000 Scots have been helped to cut their drinking.
When asked if there was a breakdown by health board, the FMOS referred the journalist to the Health Desk.