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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-25101

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether victim support organisations will have the power to demand changes to criminal justice bodies’ annual standards of service for victims and witnesses.

We are working with all of the criminal justice bodies and the Victims Organisation Collaboration Forum Scotland (VOCFS) which is chaired by Victim Support Scotland, to facilitate engagement on the development of the annual standards of service for victims and witnesses.

This work is overseen by the Victims Taskforce and includes attendance of the justice bodies at VOCFS meetings to discuss progress against the current standards and seek suggestions directly from VOCFS members on key issues the standards should focus on in the following year.

Question reference: S5W-25105

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will commence the sections of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 that deal with the home detention curfew regime.

The Management of Offenders Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25 June 2019 and received Royal Assent on 30 July 2019. The Scottish Government are currently in discussion with stakeholders, including criminal justice social work, the Police and the Scottish Prison Service, about commencement of the Act. The precise timescale for commencement will be informed by stakeholder readiness. Our intention is that provisions in the Act in relation to Home Detention Curfew (HDC) are likely to be amongst the first provisions commenced. On current planning we would expect commencement of the provisions in relation to HDC before the end of 2019.

Question reference: S5W-25103

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether its calculation that £9.5 million a year more has been invested in Criminal Justice Social Work since 2015-16 is based on cash or real terms.

Ring-fenced Criminal Justice Social Work funding is in addition to increases to revenue funding of local authorities and has increased by 7.3% compared with 2015-16 while the number of Community Payback Orders has reduced by 8.3% nationally, broadly reflecting reductions in court volumes.

The £9.5 million additional funding invested in community justice services, such as community sentences and electronic monitoring, takes the total allocation to over £100 million.

The impact of the extended presumption against short sentences and related evidence will inform budget considerations and discussions with COSLA around Criminal Justice Social Work funding.

Question reference: S5W-25107

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will introduce the Defamation and Malicious Publications (Scotland) Bill.

As the First Minister set out in Programme for Government we will introduce a Defamation and Malicious Publication Bill this parliamentary year. The Bill will take forward the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission and will simplify and modernise the law of defamation. The reforms will ensure that a more appropriate balance is struck between protecting reputation and freedom of expression. Amongst other changes, the Bill will recognise a defence of publication on a matter of public interest and ensure that no proceedings can be brought where a defamatory statement is made only to the person who is the subject of it.

Question reference: S5W-25102

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the fire service's Youth Engagement Scheme has replaced the Cadet Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-25097

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide detail on the work that it plans to consider the sustainability of policing.

The Scottish Government has included sustainability as one of its draft Strategic Police Priorities. These are the subject of a current consultation, and will set the long term strategic direction for the policing of Scotland and the carrying out of the Scottish Police Authority's (SPA) functions.

The Scottish Government continues to support the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland to deliver financial sustainability. This includes protecting the police revenue budget for the lifetime of this parliament, continuing reform funding to support transformation, and a 52% uplift in the police capital budget in this financial year.

We have also ensured that policing will benefit from being able to reclaim VAT of around £25 million a year, previously paid to the UK Government, bringing Police Scotland into line with every other police service in the UK. We will continue to press the UK Government to repay the £125 million of VAT paid by Police Scotland between 2013 and 2018. The SPA has a three year financial plan in place which outlines how it will eliminate its budget deficit to reach a financially sustainable position.

The Scottish Government has recently agreed to provide an additional £17 million to cover the policing costs of EU exit.

We continue to support and work closely with the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland, including through the spending review process, to ensure we have a modern and responsive police service which supports its workforce and shapes its services around the needs of individuals and communities.

Question reference: S5W-25095

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the independent jury research report.

Question reference: S5W-25106

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will set out a long-term vision for the justice system.

The Justice in Scotland: Vision and Priorities document was published in July 2017. It provides a framework for a more progressive, evidence-based approach to justice. It was developed in collaboration with the Justice Board and other key stakeholders and set priorities to help shape collective effort from 2017 to 2020.

‘ Protecting Scotland’s Future ’, our Programme for Government for 2019-20, includes our commitment to set out our next long-term vision for our justice system, including how we respond to the changing nature of offending in ways which are proportionate, just, effective and promote rehabilitation, as well as keeping our communities safe and responding to the needs of victims.

This will be progressed in the year ahead and will be informed by work with justice agencies, local government, the third sector and others to identify and further progress the whole system changes we need to make, including to respond to Scotland’s internationally high rate of imprisonment. Our approach will be informed by public health responses to issues such as the misuse of drugs and the impact of adversity, trauma and multiple disadvantage. It will also draw on the work of our Victims Taskforce, reflecting our continuing commitment to put victims at the heart of justice system reforms.

Question reference: S5W-25100

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will invest to upgrade facilities for child witnesses, and over what time period.

At the end of 2018, the Scottish Government committed over two million pounds of capital and associated revenue costs to enable the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to provide new and upgraded state of the art evidence suites to allow children and vulnerable witnesses to give their evidence in criminal trials in a safe, sensitive and secure environment. It is anticipated that the new facilities in Glasgow will be operational from October 2019, in Inverness by March 2020 when the new Justice Centre is due to open, and the upgraded facilities in Edinburgh and Aberdeen by March 2020.

Question reference: S5O-03587

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to initiatives in the north east that aim to tackle climate change.