- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on Scotland of its network of international offices.
Answer
Scotland’s international network continues to deliver tangible benefits to our people, businesses and institutions.
We welcomed the recommendation made in 2022 by the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee for the Scottish Government to publish an annual report, setting out the contribution made by the international network. The first annual report was published in December 2023. This was followed by the 2023-24 annual report in November 2024, which can be found at the following link: International network: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot.
The 2024-25 annual report will be published later in the year, and will include additional reporting on the delivery of the International Strategy.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how frequently it reviews the implementation status of fatal accident inquiry recommendations with relevant organisations or bodies.
Answer
The determination of an FAI will set out the Sheriff's recommendations, which will be aimed at the relevant public body. The Scottish Government would expect any public body to take cognisance of any recommendations.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the adequacy of training provided to sheriffs who preside over fatal accident inquiries.
Answer
Training of the judiciary, including the training provided to sheriffs who hear fatal accident inquiries, is not a matter for the Scottish Government but rather for the Lord President.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35531 by Richard Lochhead on 18 March 2025, whether it remains committed to all of the targets set out in its 2021 document, A Strategy for Space in Scotland.
Answer
2021’s A Strategy for Space in Scotland is not a government-owned document but one jointly developed and owned by industry, academia, and government. The Scottish Government, for its part, remains committed to the ambitions set out within.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects feedback from families involved in fatal accident inquiries regarding their experiences of the inquiry process, and how it uses any such information.
Answer
The operation of FAIs is a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service rather than for the Scottish Government. The experience of families will inform the forthcoming focused review of FAIs in relation to deaths in custody.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any impacts on bereaved families of prolonged fatal accident inquiry processes.
Answer
The experience of families will inform the forthcoming focused review of FAIs in relation to deaths in custody.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how much it has spent on business (a) analysts and (b) consultants in each year since 2017-18.
Answer
Business Analysts operate across both our directly employed and contingent workforce. Within our directly employed workforce, they operate across two of our Professional groups (Professions); the Digital Profession and the Operational Delivery Profession. A definition of a Business Analyst role can be found here Business analyst - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
A breakdown of the expenditure on the directly employed staff in Business Analyst roles can be found here Breakdown of Scottish Government spend on Lawyers and Business Analyst roles: FOI release - gov.scot
There may also be some Business Analysts working in a temporary capacity in our contingent workforce, however our data on contingent workers is not captured at a job title level and this may not adhere fully to the definition provided above.
Scottish Government expenditure on consultants is publicly available and can be found here. Business Consultant is not a commonly applied definition in the Scottish Government.
2023 to 2024 - Government expenditure - gov.scot
Government expenditure: 2016 to 2023 - gov.scot
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) support and (b) guidance it provides to organisations to implement recommendations arising from fatal accident inquiries.
Answer
FAIs cover a wide range of policy areas and recommendations are equally wide-ranging. The Scottish Government expects that the relevant individual policy area or public body would take action in light of any recommendations.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiry recommendations have required legislative changes in each of the last three financial years, and how many of these have been implemented.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the effectiveness of fatal accident inquiries in preventing similar fatalities.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the independent judiciary's careful examination of matters in FAI determinations and believes that valuable learning is offered through the process.