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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: S5T-00778

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken in response to recent allegations of child sexual exploitation in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-12362

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings and discussions (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Police Scotland, (ii) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (iii) other stakeholders in the last year regarding the zero-tolerance policy towards domestic abuse, and whether it will publish any (A) minutes and (B) correspondence.

Question reference: S5W-12361

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was carried out before Police Scotland ended its zero-tolerance policy towards domestic abuse.

The Joint Protocol on Domestic Abuse between Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) sets out the relevant policies and approach taken by COPFS and Police Scotland to tackling domestic abuse. the current Joint Protocol, which was launched on 24 March 2017, is the revised 4th edition of the Protocol.

The Joint Protocol commits Police Scotland and COPFS to a consistent and robust approach to domestic abuse. It recognises the significant and enduring impact which domestic abuse can have on victims and children. It requires the police to report all cases in which there is a sufficiency of evidence to the procurator fiscal; and states that there is a presumption in favour of prosecution in all cases of domestic abuse where there is a sufficiency of evidence.

The Joint Protocol was revised and launched in March 2017 after extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation by COPFS and Police Scotland with a wide range of agencies and organisations with experience and expertise in domestic abuse and representing the needs and interest of victims. The consultation took place over 11 months and included both workshop events and consideration of detailed feedback and comments from stakeholders.

The Joint Protocol includes guidance on the factors to be taken into account by the police when considering whether to release an accused person way of an undertaking to appear in court or to hold the accused in custody. Consideration of any ongoing risk to the safety of victims, children or any members of the public, the nature of the offending and the likelihood of reoffending are key factors which the Joint Protocol directs police officers to take into account. The guidance is consistent with section 50 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 which, when it comes into force, will require police constables to take every precaution to ensure that a person is not unreasonably or unnecessarily held in police custody.

Question reference: S5W-12360

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment ministers made of the zero-tolerance policy towards domestic abuse before Police Scotland changed its approach to this.

The Joint Protocol on Domestic Abuse published in March 2017 relates to operational matters for Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). These are matters for Police Scotland and COPFS rather than the Scottish Government. They lie within the Lord Advocate’s independent function as head of the system of prosecution. As such, no separate assessment was made by the Scottish Government in respect of the Joint Protocol.

In publishing the Joint Protocol, Police Scotland and COPFS advised that the agreement committed them to a consistent and robust approach to domestic abuse and recognised the significant and enduring impact which domestic abuse can have on victims and children.

Question reference: S5W-12548

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 November 2017

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 provide cover on the Pentland Firth Route.

The MV Hamnavoe, which operates from Scrabster to Stromness on the Pentland Firth is scheduled to undergo her period of scheduled unavailability due to a period of essential dry dock during the first quarter of 2018. The dates of the dry dock are not currently available and the associated plans to provide cover on the Pentland Firth have yet to be finalised by the operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries. (SNF)

The Public Service Contract between SNF and the Scottish Ministers requires that, during periods of Scheduled Unavailability and / or in the event of a Relief Event, the operator must use all reasonable endeavours to minimise the disruption to the services and provide reasonable notice and assistance to users of the services.

Question reference: S5W-12270

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of comments in The Sunday Express on 29 October 2017, what its response is to the report that 815,000 people have been recorded on Police Scotland’s vulnerable person database and the Information Commissioner stating that the database was in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Question reference: S5W-12269

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Police Scotland vulnerable person database will be compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998; what the lifespan is of the database; what will replace it, and what analysis it has carried of whether non-compliance carries any risk.

Question reference: S5W-12279

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the effectiveness of Compass contracts in Scotland for housing asylum seekers; whether it has made representations it has made to the UK Government to ensure that the accommodation provided under these are fit for habitation, and, if so, whether it will publish any minutes or correspondence regarding this.

Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Government. This includes the delivery and management of asylum accommodation.

I have made representations to the UK Government on a number of issues relating to asylum accommodation, including during my meetings with the Immigration Minister on 11 October 2016 and 12 July 2017. I also wrote to the Home Secretary on 23 June 2016 and the Immigration Minister on 27 July 2016 and on 2 March and 7 November 2017. Copies of these letters have been placed in SPICe under bib number 59293.

Question reference: S5W-12267

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments by the chief executive of the Refugee Council in The Guardian on 27 October 2017 that asylum seekers arriving in the UK faced living in “squalid, unsafe, slum housing conditions”; what discussions it has had or plans with the Refugee Council about the conditions faced by asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland; what action it is taking to ensure that they are provided with safe accommodation that meets their needs, and how it is measuring the effectiveness of its approach.

Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Government. This includes the delivery and management of asylum accommodation.

The Scottish Government has not had discussions on this issue with the Refugee Council, which is based in London and focuses on support for refugees and asylum seekers in England. The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the Scottish Refugee Council on a range of issues, including asylum accommodation.

Question reference: S5W-11963

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency measures it has in place should the 2018 National Care Home Contract negotiations are unsuccessful.