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The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table.

Number of people convicted under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, where main crime, 2011-12 to 2020-21.

The following number of people in Scotland made a non-directed kidney donation in the last five years:

The number of family members who overrode their relative’s express authorisation for organ donation after that relative’s death, in each of the last 10 years, is set out in the following table. Express authorisation is where someone, in life, has documented their donation decision either on the NHS Organ Donor Register or in some other form of writing.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The table below details the average number of purposeful activity hours per week for convicted prisoners across the prison estate, in each financial year that incorporates 2021, 2022 and 2023:

The Scottish Government has provided funding for 215 properties through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme since the Scheme was established in April 2020. 

Energy Savings Trust, who administer the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Loan Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government, do not hold this information in the format you have requested.

However, the Scottish Government has provided funding for 26 properties for renewables systems through the PRS Landlord Loan Scheme since the scheme was established in April 2020.

The Scottish Government has provided funding for 190 properties for energy efficiency measures through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme since it was established in April 2020.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17940 on 30 May 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The non-legislative changes delivered to date and as a result of Dame Elish Angiolini’s review are bringing greater transparency, fairness and accessibility to systems, policies and processes that underpin the police complaints and misconduct processes. These improvements are helping to make the police complaints system easier to navigate for members of the public, as well as increasing consistency, efficiency and swifter resolution for all those involved in complaints, investigations or misconduct procedures. They provide a firm foundation on which to deliver legislative improvements and enhance scrutiny by giving more powers to the PIRC.

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill continues that process for improvement. It provides the framework for, and helps focus attention on, the cultural and behavioural changes that are necessary at all levels of policing. Recommendations 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57 and 58, relating to Police Conduct regulations and enhancing the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner’s scrutiny role, are able to be delivered in Secondary legislation from powers already held by Scottish Ministers under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 and the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

Recommendations requiring secondary legislation in the Bill are detailed in the Delegated Powers Memorandum , and will be developed in conjunction with policing partners, dependent on the expected parliamentary passage of the Bill.

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill is part of a programme of work to respond to the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issue in Relation to Policing. The Bill addresses recommendations that require primary legislation, and continues to build on improvements made through the delivery of a number of non-legislative improvements (set out in the most recent Thematic Progress Report ).

However, in Scottish Ministers commitment to broadly accepting the majority of the recommendations from the Review, they also made clear that the Scottish Government would explore options where other routes or mechanisms may achieve the desired outcome. Following the Scottish Government’s engagement with stakeholders, and due to improvements already made by policing partners, the following recommendations are not being implemented at this stage:

• Recommendation 35. This is because current provisions within the Police Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 already provide appropriate and proportionate lines of accountability to Scottish Ministers, and in turn to the Scottish Parliament. This is in line with the governance and accountability arrangements in place for other office-holders the Parliament oversees.

Other recommendations, taken forward in secondary legislation, may also need to be taken forward in a manner that best takes account of circumstances at the time, therefore we are committed to working with policing partners and stakeholders as we develop secondary legislation and the written guidance that will underpin delivery of legislation.