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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-34289

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of domestic abuse in the last 12 months; of these, how many were reoffenders of domestic abuse, and on how many previous occasions each reoffender had committed this crime.

The latest data published on the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard, shows that during the last past 12 months (January 2024 to December 2024), 1,067 people were convicted of at least one offence under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.

Of those 1,067 people, 46 were convicted for domestic abuse offences under different case references in previous years (from the implementation of the Act to December 2023). Of those 46 people:

41 were convicted for domestic abuse crimes under one different case.

4 were convicted for domestic abuse crimes under two different cases.

1 was convicted for domestic abuse crimes under four different cases.

Question reference: S6W-33996

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Verity House Agreement, whether it plans to introduce (a) legislation on the principles and (b) an annual review to ensure adherence to its core principles.

(a) It was never envisaged that the Verity House Agreement principles themselves would be introduced in legislation. However, much of the language used in the Verity House Agreement was heavily drawn upon from the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to supporting Mark Ruskell MSP to progress his Member’s Bill to incorporate the Charter into domestic law as soon as practical.

(b) A commitment was made within the Verity House Agreement to jointly considered the first year of implementation, not to complete annual reviews. This was fulfilled through the stocktake report published on the 21 November 2024. We are in the process of creating Accountability and Assurance arrangements and a monitoring framework and have committed to regular engagement with COSLA. These will ensure the delivery of our joint priorities and that VHA principles are being adhered to.

Question reference: S6W-33995

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to convene a national convention with local government representatives to collaboratively address the processes and measures required to establish a balanced budget.

As independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, individual local authorities are statutorily required to produce a balanced budget, taking account of local needs and priorities in the process.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget will deliver record funding of over £15 billion for Local Authorities, a 4.7 per cent real terms increase, along with full discretion over Council Tax.

More frequent and meaningful engagement with COSLA and Councils, in the spirit of the Fiscal Framework with Local Government, was fundamental to the decisions that led to that record budget. It is Ministers intention to publish an update on the Fiscal Framework alongside the final Local Government Settlement and remain committed to working in partnership with Local Government but have no current plans to convene a national convention with local government.

Question reference: S6O-04303

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported guidance issued by Rape Crisis Scotland, and its definition of the word "woman".

Question reference: S6W-32874

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02268 by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 January 2025, what action in response to child sexual exploitation it has taken to support the care sector in eradicating victim-blaming attitudes and language by (a) delivering training, (b) supporting internal audits and reflection and (c) measuring progress in dealing with the issue.

Question reference: S6W-32878

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02268 by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 January 2025, what work it has carried out with partners to deliver greater advocacy for children who are victims of sexual exploitation, including as part of the decision-making processes on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-32873

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02268 by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 January 2025, what research it has carried out into the scale and nature of child sexual exploitation, and how it has supported researchers by facilitating multiagency co-operation in the delivery of this research.

The Scottish Government agrees that research needs to be carried out in order to improve our collective understanding of all forms of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation. As such, we are continuously looking to improve local and national data and evidence around child protection, including child sexual exploitation. However, any data must be gathered in a manner that is appropriate, sensitive and minimises the risk of re-traumatisation of victims.

A National Child Protection Data Group has been established with members from the Scottish Government, Care Inspectorate and the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS), which oversees this work and has developed a work plan for 2024-25.

In a joint effort, CELCIS, the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Government has also developed a minimum data set for Child Protection Committees (CPCs), which is a ‘package’ of data collation, presentation, analysis, reporting and scrutiny supports to support child protection improvement, local planning and service development, and expanded analytical capacity.

In addition, a national dataset is published on an annual basis to support the publication of the Scottish Government’s annual children’s social work statistics. Data on prevalence of child sexual exploitation within child protection processes is included in this publication.

Childlight is also a global research centre of expertise on child sexual abuse based at the University of Edinburgh and has an aim of improving collection and use of data on child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). Officials continue to engage the Centre on its work and Childlight is a member of the new National CSAE Strategic Group.

Additionally, progress continues to be made on data gathering and sharing by agencies in Scotland. Data on reported concerns about child abuse or neglect is collected by Police Scotland and reported nationally in a monthly dashboard, and this dataset is currently being extended to provide more in-depth analysis of characteristics and trends in abuse and exploitation. This will provide an improved understanding of prevalence of different forms of abuse, including child sexual abuse and exploitation.

However, we continue to consider opportunities to explore the scale and nature of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Question reference: S6W-32875

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02268 by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 January 2025, what models of safeguarding in terms of policy and practice are being embedded across sectors involving children to respond to the risks and vulnerabilities children face with regard to sexual exploitation.

Question reference: S6O-04197

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the state of local government finance.

Question reference: S6T-02268

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in tackling child sexual abuse, in light of reported calls for a full UK national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs.