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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-25773

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a list of the modes of communication used by (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) its officials for business purposes, and how it monitors the use of these.

The modes of communication used by (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) its officials for business purposes on Scottish Government devices are:

Fixed Telephone lines
Mobile Phones (including text messaging and access to SmartPhone Apps)
Government email is available on a host of centrally-managed devices.
Video and audio Conferencing (including Skype for Business)
Social Media channels
Saltire intranet
Yammer (enterprise social network)

Some parts of the organisation may use other modes of communication within their local business areas e.g. Marine Scotland use radio communication packages to aid communications between ships and aircraft.

All modes of business communication are monitored in accordance with guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre. There are a number of communications tools that staff can download to mobile devices but which are not provided by the Scottish Government. All users are reminded that such usage remain subject to an acceptable use policy as outlined in our IT Code of Conduct and their use is subject to FOI(S)A 2002 and compliance with our Information Management Principles.

Question reference: S5W-25775

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what limitations it places on the modes of communication used by its staff for business purposes, and how these are enforced.

Question reference: S5W-25772

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its staff have completed training regarding their duties and responsibilities under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

Following the Scottish Information Commissioner’s 2018 intervention, new training packages have recently been compiled for delivery to all business areas within the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government’s FOI Unit has designed these packages with input and approval from the Commissioner’s office and are in the early stages of delivery. Participation in electronic training will be mandatory for all staff, with additional face to face training for designated case handlers. Numbers of staff participating will be monitored.

Previously, training on FoI for Scottish Government staff has been delivered through an e-learning package. There is no collected data on how many staff members have completed the package.

In addition to the training available, the Scottish Government’s intranet provides comprehensive guidance on the handling of information requests and the FoI Unit offer full support at all stages of the process.

Question reference: S5W-25777

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the use of (a) ProtonMail and (b) other encrypted messaging apps or services for business-related communications.

Officials who use the Scottish Government’s mobile telephony services may install third-party applications for business use, including encrypted messaging apps. There are a number of communications tools that staff can access via the web or download to mobile devices, but which are not provided by the Scottish Government. All users are reminded that any web or mobile apps are subject to an acceptable use policy as outlined in our IT Code of Conduct and their use is subject to FOI(S)A 2002 and compliance with our Information Management Principles.

Question reference: S5W-25774

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many responses to Freedom of Information requests that it has released in each of the last three years have included details of communications conducted via (a) WhatsApp, (b) Facebook, (c) Twitter, (d) Instagram, (e) Snapchat and (f) text message.

The Scottish Government has received around 8,500 Freedom of Information requests over the last three calendar years. The Scottish Government has not recorded how many of the responses to these requests included information originally communicated via specific media platforms, as there is no business or legislative requirement to do so.

The Scottish Government fully recognises that the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 apply to all types of recorded official information, from any source and our guidance to case-handlers is explicit that appropriate searches should be carried out.

Question reference: S5T-01848

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it will make in light of the recent report by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and its finding of an “emergency” in Scotland’s prisons.

Question reference: S5W-25793

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on funding low-carbon heat technologies in off-gas grid areas as part of the Warmer Homes Scotland programme rather than replacement fossil fuel boilers.

Question reference: S5W-25567

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what timetable and process has been agreed for the completion and publication of the Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Section 7(4) of the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy)(Scotland) Act 2019 requires Scottish Ministers to lay the first proposed Fuel Poverty Strategy before the expiry of the period of 1 year beginning with the day on which section 6 comes into force. In light of the commencement of section 6 of the Act on 19 September we will lay the proposed Strategy in the Scottish Parliament before 19 September 2020. The Parliament will have then have 40 days to consider the Strategy before it can be finalised and published.

Question reference: S5W-25339

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Prison Officers' Association Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-03665

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to set out a clear timetable for the delivery of the R100 programme.