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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: S5W-32189

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the next publication of statistics relating to drugs deaths.

Question reference: S5W-32366

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what rate of cycles Scotland’s polymerase chain reaction tests for COVID-19 are being run at, and for what reason they are being run at this rate.

Question reference: S5O-04687

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports island-based veterans.

Question reference: S5W-32186

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the refit period for the MV Hamnavoe will take place; how long it will last, and what plans are in place to ensure that a passenger vessel will be allocated to the Stromness-Scrabster route as replacement cover during the refit period.

The MV Hamnavoe will be unavailable for five days in January 2021 and the dry docking will coincide with the forecast period of least demand identified from both a passenger and freight perspective.

Serco NorthLink continue to use their best endeavours to search for suitable tonnage available on the charter market taking account of the specific requirements of both Stromness and Scrabster.

At present, no final decision has been taken by the operator. In the absence of replacement tonnage either MV Helliar or MV Hildasay will be utilised on the Pentland Firth crossing during this short period as has been the case in recent years.

Question reference: S5W-32187

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Transport Scotland and SERCO Northlink Ferries to find a suitable replacement vessel for when the MV Hamnavoe is on refit.

The subject continues to be discussed between the Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland officials and Serco NorthLink during regular contract management engagement.

The MV Hamnavoe will be unavailable for five days in January 2021 and the dry docking will coincide with the forecast period of least demand identified from both a passenger and freight perspective.

Serco NorthLink continue to use their best endeavours to search for suitable tonnage available on the charter market taking account of the specific requirements of both Stromness and Scrabster.

Serco NorthLink’s plans for the MV Hamnavoe refit will also be discussed at the next scheduled six monthly Ministerial meeting with the operator on 15 December 2020.

Question reference: S5W-31973

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31492 by Fergus Ewing on 18 September 2020, whether the full £65 million budget for the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) will be reinstated for 2021, and how it plans to continue funding LFASS in future years.

Question reference: S5W-32068

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide updated COVID-19 guidance for livestock keepers.

The Scottish Government has published three sets of guidance that refer to livestock. The latest guidance "Farmers and Crofters" is published on the Rural Payments website and was last updated on 22 September 2020. The document provides guidance for working safely on farms and crofts during COVID-19. It provides links to more detailed industry guidance on sheep shearing, animal health, inspections, attending livestock marts, and tests for livestock. The latest revisions to both the "Coronavirus Advice for Animal Owners", and "Coronavirus Advice for Livestock Keepers on Statutory Testing" were updated on gov.scot on 02 October 2020. All documents are kept under constant review.

Question reference: S5W-32005

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to (a) maintain and (b) expand the Aberdeen Problem Solving Approach.

Specific project funding of around £78,000 per annum was allocated between 2016-17 and 2018-19 to help the Aberdeen problem solving approach (PSA) become established. The Scottish Government also funded and commissioned research which was published in 2018.

In line with the funding model for community justice (which is agreed with COSLA), specific support for the Aberdeen PSA was focused on assisting its establishment, with the expectation that, if successful, the approach would be mainstreamed by local partners utilising the overall funding allocated for community justice services.

The Scottish Budget for 2020-21 increased investment in community justice services to more than £117 million, which is an increase of over £6.5 million compared with 2019-20. £106 million is paid directly to local authorities which includes an allocation of over £4.9 million to Aberdeen City Council in 2020-21.

Funding to local authorities includes an additional £4 million this year to support the expansion of structured deferred sentences (SDS), diversion from prosecution and bail supervision, with flexibility to focus on priorities in the context of COVID-19. This is intended to support and encourage an expansion of SDS, which are often used as part of problem solving approaches and show potential in helping prevent reoffending.

We have also committed in our Programme for Government to publish guidance on SDS which will support consideration of problem solving approaches.

Question reference: S5W-31870

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to minimise the time taken between a person being convicted and sentence being passed; how it monitors this; what the average time has been in each of the last five years and, if no monitoring takes place, how it can ensure that the convicted person’s rights are protected.

Sentencing decisions, including sentence deferrals, are operational matters for the independent courts, who may defer sentence in any given case after conviction for a period and on such conditions as they may determine.

Data held by the Criminal Justice Board Management Information System provides the average time from date of verdict to date of closure of a summary case (where date of closure is used as a proxy for date of sentence) in each of the last 5 years is:

2015-16 – 67 days

2016-17 – 67 days

2017-18 – 70 days

2018-19 – 72 days

2019-20 – 68 days.

Comparable data is not held for solemn cases.

In general terms, there are a number of reasons why the court may wish to defer sentence upon conviction before disposing of a case. For example, to obtain a criminal justice social work report detailing the circumstances of the offence and the character of the offender, with a view to assisting the court in determining the most suitable method of dealing with any person in respect of an offence. The court may also wish to defer sentence for a period of good behaviour with a view to issuing a lesser sentence if good behaviour is demonstrated by the offender.

Structured Deferred Sentences (SDS) are also a valuable tool to provide a short period of intensive supervision managed by Justice Social Work. SDS is used in a variety of ways and can provide a flexible and effective intervention which can help prevent individuals who have offended becoming further drawn into the justice system, as well as address the underlying causes of offending and contribute to safer and fairer communities for all.

As was made clear in the recent Programme for Government, building on the presumption against short custodial sentences, which was extended to 12 months or less in 2019, the Scottish Government will promote and expand the availability of effective community interventions, including publishing guidance on structured deferred sentences.

Question reference: S5W-31861

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 29 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide updated COVID-19 health and safety guidance for taxi and private-hire car licensees.

The Scottish Government guidance for transport operators in Scotland was first published on the Transport Scotland website in May and has been reviewed on an on-going basis throughout the pandemic with amendments made at appropriate points. This guidance is applicable to taxi and private-hire operators. The guidance can be found using the following link https://www.transport.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/transport-transition-plan/guidance-for-transport-operators/#overview

In addition, there is separate guidance to support taxi drivers to safely operate produced by the lead Local Authority group of Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers and published by the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards which can be found using the following link https://www.scotss.org/covid/taxiguidance13august.pdf .