Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-03185

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of a National Crime Agency warning about synthetic opioids being linked to rising numbers of deaths.

Question reference: S6W-27399

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any drug-free wings within the Scottish Prison Service estate.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS takes a multidisciplinary approach to meet both the emotional and physical needs of those in our care, as well as taking steps to safeguard prisoners and staff from the harm of illicit substances. We work closely with NHS partners and others to meet individual needs, including those receiving treatment for substance use and those abstaining from substance use.

Within our estate the SPS recovery agenda is strong, and we work collaboratively with third sector partners, including the Recovery Consortium, to ensure we meet the needs of those on their recovery journey.

Question reference: S6W-27398

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of (a) the number of paediatric pathologists based in Scotland and (b) any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months.

a) The information requested on how many paediatric pathologists are based in Scotland is not centrally available. Information on paediatric pathologists, employed by NHS Scotland, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.

b) The information requested on any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-27400

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Ford Ranger vehicles purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. As Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I regularly meet with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of the equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Ford Ranger vehicles were purchased to a UK specification and framework. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-27401

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns that have been raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Angloco all-terrain vehicles that have been purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Angloco vehicles were purchased to a SFRS specification. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-27226

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the vulnerable persons database that is operated by Police Scotland.

The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the Information Commissioner's Office regarding the iVPD during this period.

For further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-27230

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people on the Sex Offenders Register notified Police Scotland that they had formally or informally changed their name, or had used an alias, in the financial year 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-27227

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the vulnerable persons database that is operated by Police Scotland.

The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the iVPD during this period.

For further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-27235

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any research that it has commissioned into the functions of the Law Officers, including the scope of any such research and its anticipated timescales.

The Scottish Government commissioned an expert report from Malcolm McMillan on the roles and functions of the Scottish Law Officers. The purpose of the report is to outline the history and development of the roles and functions of the Scottish Law Officers; describe their current roles and functions; highlight the role of Law Officers in a number of other jurisdictions; describe the constitutional context relevant to a review of the roles of the Scottish Law Officers; and provide a summary of insights and comments on the Scottish Law Officers’ roles from former and current holders of these offices and relevant officials. The work to publish the final report is ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-27228

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with the (a) Lord President of the Court of Session and (b) Judicial Office for Scotland regarding a public inquiry into criminal prosecutions relating to the takeover of Rangers FC, since the Scottish Government announced in February 2021 that it was committed to such an inquiry.

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