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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-09695

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it plans to retain 1,000 more police officers on Scotland’s streets compared to Q1 2007, when the number was reportedly 16,234.

The recruitment and deployment of Police Officers is a matter for the Chief Constable, who along with the Scottish Police Authority, will continue to ensure the capability and capacity of Police Scotland to improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities in Scotland.

We currently have 31 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland compared to around 24 in England and Wales and despite constraints on Scotland’s public services through a decade of UK austerity, policing services have been maintained and improved.

On 2 August the HMICS published its Assurance Review of Police Scotland’s Strategic Workforce Plan and I look forward to discussing the recommendations with both Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

Question reference: S6W-09696

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill would allow the Scottish Ministers to direct the release of prisoners where the Parole Board for Scotland has not recommended release and has not subsequently altered that recommendation.

Section 7 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill, introduces a new temporary release licence for certain eligible long-term prisoners. Release on this licence would be subject to risk assessment and consultation with the Parole Board.

This licence would be available to Scottish Ministers (in practice, the Scottish Prison Service) in advance of the Parole Board’s consideration of whether to recommend release at Parole Qualifying Date (PQD), or in advance of a subsequent review by the Parole Board if the individual was not released at PQD.

Time spent on this licence will be subject to conditions including curfew (which can be monitored by electronic monitoring) and supervision by Justice Social Work. The licence would also state the period of time the individual was permitted to spend in the community, up to 180 days.

This approach is intended to better support the reintegration of certain long-term prisoners. It is also intended to provide further evidence to the Parole Board to inform decisions on whether to recommend the release.

Question reference: S6W-09697

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35742 by Humza Yousaf on 12 March 2021, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to reform the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001.

The Scottish Government is committed to a full rewrite of the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 and this is currently underway. On Friday 22 nd July 2022, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation ( Consultation on changes to the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 - Scottish Government - Citizen Space ) featuring a number of proposals that seek to modernise existing rules and certain procedures. These include, but are not limited to:

a new procedure for handling non-disclosure information and appointment of a special advocate
adding ‘refusal to disclose a victim’s body’ as a matter the Parole Board may consider
a new procedure to allow the Parole Board to review a decision.

Following analysis of contributions to the consultation, reformed parole rules will be laid in parliament in due course.

Question reference: S6W-09694

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current reported prison population of 7,427 is too high.

There continues to be an increase in the prison population since the easing of lockdown, which has been largely driven by growth in the remand population. We continue to monitor the prison population to ensure prisons remain safe and well ordered.

We are taking actions and working towards using imprisonment only for those who pose a risk of serious harm and only be contemplated where absolutely necessary.

We are making a total investment of over £3.1 billion in 2022-23 to strengthen and reform vital services across the justice sector including substantial expansion of community justice services supporting diversion from prosecution, alternatives to remand and community sentencing.

The Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Scottish Parliament on 8 June 2022. The provisions of this Bill are intended to introduce a number of reforms designed to deliver on the Scottish Government’s commitment to refocus how imprisonment is used. They are intended to ensure that, as much as possible, the use of custody for remand is a last resort for the court, and to give a greater focus to the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals leaving custody.

We are also investing over £500 million in the prison estate over this parliamentary term which will allow the Scottish Prison Services to meet the needs of the diverse prison population, realise the associated benefits and ensure equality of access to regimes and services.

Question reference: S6W-08843

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the next monthly recorded crime in Scotland statistics are due for publication.

When the monthly recorded crime in Scotland statistics were last published in April, they highlighted to users that these official statistics would be replaced with a quarterly release of National Statistics, which will present the latest rolling 12-month period. As part of the transition to a quarterly release schedule, and to ensure the publication of data in as timely a manner as possible, the release of the annual National Statistics publication for 2021-22 is being brought forward from September to 28 June.

These and other changes to the production of the recorded crime statistics are a matter for independent statisticians and the Scottish Crime Recording Board, not Ministers. They were approved by the Board following a public consultation of users. The Board’s remit includes ensuring the production of crime statistics is undertaken in a manner consistent with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. An associated report on responses to the consultation and the resulting changes was published on 24 March ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-future-recorded-crime-police-activity-statistics-summary-responses-discussion-next-steps/ ).

Question reference: S6O-01233

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scotland's Census 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08444

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the reported proposal by Serco to meet the cost of building an extension to HMP Kilmarnock, which would have created an additional 265 prisoner places, was rejected.

Question reference: S6W-08446

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any financial implications, including pension liabilities, of its decision to take HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) apply when a service is transferred from one employer to another, in this case ‘insourcing’. It provides those who are carrying out work which will be provided by a new employer with protection by transferring them to the employment of the new provider. Staff transferring to SPS employment will be consulted on the changes that will be made when SPS are managing the prison. Exact costs will become clear at the conclusion of the consultation exercise and the running costs are likely to be aligned to an existing public prison of a similar size.

Question reference: S6O-01126

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reasonable period of time for households to install interlinked fire alarms in line with the new legislation has now passed.

Question reference: S6W-08439

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the relevant minister signed off the decision by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board to hire the outside agency, Dorothy McKinney Ltd, to investigate complaints made against the Chief Officer.