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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-19101

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18309 by Angela Constance on 9 June 2023, whether any part of the three buildings has been closed and/or made unavailable for use.

Police Scotland updated the Scottish Police Authority Resources Committee on 9 May 2023, that the Fettes workshop has been closed, with business continuity arrangements put in place; and that staff have been relocated from the affected area in Baluniefield. No immediate action has been taken in Perth as the RAAC is limited to one small area and is graded low risk. Police Scotland has also provided assurance that there is no risk from RAAC to officers, staff or visitors across the police estate.

Question reference: S6W-19099

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18309 by Angela Constance on 9 June 2023, whether any estimate of the cost of providing the long-term solutions has been made to date.

Question reference: S6W-19159

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle crimes related to sextortion.

The Scottish Government recognises the harm and distress this activity causes to those targeted. I would urge anyone impacted to report it to Police Scotland for investigation. Police Scotland have been clear that all reports will be taken seriously, dealt with in confidence and without judgement.

The Scottish Government works closely with national and UK partners including Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland to tackle cyber-crime, including sextortion scams. There is a range of advice to help people improve their online safety, found on CyberScotland.com, as well from the National Cyber Security Centre, Cyber Aware, Take Five and Get Safe Online. Further, Police Scotland have information for victims and links to support services on their web site - Sextortion - Police Scotland . Also, the National Cyber Security Centre have specific guidance on sextortion scams that advises on practical steps for victims to take which is available at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/sextortion-scams-how-to-protect-yourself .

Via the Scottish Government “Our Delivering Equally Safe Funding” £110,822 has been provided to the South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd to deliver helpline advice to those who have experienced intimate image abuse and improve awareness and understanding throughout Scotland – available here: Revenge Porn Helpline - 0345 6000 459 | Revenge Porn Helpline . Further, we recently refreshed our Safer.scot webpages, which include a section on intimate image abuse: Striving for a safer Scotland - Safer.scot .

Question reference: S6W-19138

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings have taken place in each month since July 2021.

The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programme is commissioned by National Services Scotland (NSS) and operates out of eight centres across Scotland. Scottish Government does not hold the information requested centrally as this is a matter for Regional Screening Centres. However, Public Health Scotland publish programme statistics on an annual basis and the latest report can be viewed at : https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-aaa-screening-programme-statistics/scottish-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-aaa-screening-programme-statistics-year-ending-31-march-2022/

Question reference: S6W-19134

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have attended a breast screening programme appointment in each month since July 2021.

The breast screening programme is commissioned by NHS National Services Scotland (NHS NSS) and operates out of six centres across Scotland. Scottish Government do not hold the information requested centrally as this is a matter for Regional Screening Centres. However, Public Health Scotland publish programme statistics on an annual basis and the most recent publication can be accessed on the following link : https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-breast-screening-programme-statistics/scottish-breast-screening-programme-statistics-annual-update-to-31-march-2022/

Question reference: S6W-19137

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many diabetic retinopathy screenings have taken place in each month since July 2021.

Question reference: S6W-19139

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many cervical cancer screenings have taken place in each month since July 2021.

NHS National Services Scotland provides national coordination for the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme, which is commissioned by Boards and delivered by primary care. Scottish Government does not hold the information requested centrally. However, Public Health Scotland publish programme statistics on an annual basis and the latest report can be viewed at : https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-cervical-screening-programme-statistics/scottish-cervical-screening-programme-statistics-annual-update-to-31-march-2022/

Question reference: S6W-19144

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many newborn screenings have taken place in each month since July 2021.

Question reference: S6W-19158

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of sextortion have been recorded by Police Scotland in each year since 2017.

The National Statistics on recorded crime do not include a specific code for crimes of ‘sextortion’ (i.e. extortion involving the threat of sharing sexual information about the victim). There are however two types of crime that include activity that could be considered to constitute ‘sextortion’.

Table 1 shows the estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online, from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This is based on an annual review of crime records (commenced in 2019-20) which aims to estimate how many cyber-crimes are recorded in Scotland. It should be noted the figures below are based on a sample of police records (rather than all police records), so should be seen as providing a broad estimate of the volume of this type of crime, rather than an exact count.

Whilst not all online threats and extortion will necessarily have a ‘sextortion’ based element, it is very likely a high proportion (and certainly the majority) of the cases shown below do. Where ‘sextortion’ related crimes are recorded under this heading, it will be where the perpetrator has made demands for money or other valuables.

Table 1 - Estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online: 2019-20 to 2022-23

	Estimated volume committed online
Crime type	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Threats and extortion	290	730	1,260	1,830

Source: Recorded Crime National Statistics, Police recorded cyber-crime in Scotland

The second type of crime in the National Statistics that may also be considered to show an element of ‘sextortion’ is Threatening to disclose an intimate image. Table 2 below shows the number of these crimes recorded since the associated Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act was implemented on 3 July 2017. Where a crime of Threatening to disclose an intimate image is recorded, the motive is something other than financial gain, for example a demand of a physical sexual nature may be made, or some other attempt to exert control over the victim.

Table 2 – Count of crimes of Threatening to disclose an intimate image: 2017-18 to 2022-23

Crime type	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Threatening to disclose an intimate image	193	255	275	337	382	302

Source: Recorded Crime National Statistics, Scotland

Question reference: S6W-19145

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times since January 2019 train services between North Berwick and Edinburgh Waverley have been cancelled for (a) all and (b) part of their journey due to (i) track problems, including signalling and flooding, and (ii) track congestion.

ScotRail advised that between 6 January 2019 [the start of 2018-19: reporting period 11] and 27 May 2023 [the end of 2023-24: reporting period 2], there were 444 full cancellations and 122 part-cancellations on the North Berwick line as a result of infrastructure issues. This is out of 68,274 trains planned for that route during this time (0.82 percent).

While full- or part-cancellations as a result of track congestion are not reported separately, ScotRail also advise that there were a further 46 full cancellations and 39 part-cancellations to ScotRail services as a result of the actions of other train operating companies. This is out of 68,274 trains planned for that route during this time (0.12 percent).