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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-17950

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17474 by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018, whether it has received any legal advice that states that, under no circumstances, any British Transport Police officer in Scotland would be in a redundancy situation following the merger with Police Scotland and, if so, whether it will provide that advice.

Question reference: S5W-17949

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17471 by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018, whether it will answer the question that was asked and confirm what assessment, if any, it has undertaken on the integration, and whether it will provide such assessment.

The extensive re-planning work which has been underway has brought to light practicalities that were of concern to Police Scotland and in light of their recent advice, and as announced on 27 August, we now looking at further options available. We remain committed to full integration as legislated for in the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017, which we will keep under review in the intervening period.

Question reference: S5W-17946

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17468 by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018, whether it will answer the question that was asked, and provide the list of external consultants that was requested, and the contractual rate agreed by each provider.

Police Scotland held two separate competitive tender processes in relation to BTP Integration. One for Programme Management Support and the other for specialist integration Due Diligence analysis. The successful bidder for both tenders was Ernst & Young who have been engaged through Police Scotland/SPA. The tenders are priced at £400,000 and £298,000 respectively and are being delivered on budget.

Scottish Government engaged an independent consultant through Harvey Nash Recruitment at a rate of £595 per day charged.

Question reference: S5W-17941

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether conviction rates are a useful measure of crime levels or of the success of the justice system as a whole.

The number of people convicted of criminal offences in Scotland's courts is one measure which can be used to assess trends in levels of crime. Other measures which help to provide a picture of levels of crime are the number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland and the number of crimes experienced by adults in Scotland, including those not reported to the police.

For example, the latest Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, a large-scale social survey which asks people about their experiences and perceptions of crime, including crimes that haven’t been reported to, or recorded by, the police and captured in police recorded crime statistics, estimated there were 712,000 crimes experienced by adults in Scotland in 2016-17. This represents a reduction of nearly a third (32%) since 2008-09. Over the same time period, the proportion of the adult population that reported through the SCJS having been a victim of at least one crime fell from an estimated 20.4% to 13.4%.

Comparing the same years' figures for crime recorded by the police, in 2008-09, the police recorded 377,433 crimes. In 2016-17, they recorded 238,651 crimes, a reduction of 37%

The number of people convicted of criminal offences in Scotland's courts also fell over the same time period. In 2008-09, there were 125,893 people convicted of criminal offences. In 2016-17, there were 92,334 people convicted of criminal offences, a reduction of 26.6%.

Together, these statistics indicate that there has been a significant reduction in crime over this time period.

Other statistical information, for example concerning the proportion of crimes that are 'cleared up' by the police, the level of re-offending and the proportion of cases tried in court that result in conviction may help to provide a fuller picture of the effectiveness of the justice system as a whole.

Question reference: S5W-18034

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 27 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) has been and (b) will be paid to the former chief executive of NHS Tayside following the termination of her employment, broken down by (i) pension, (ii) ex gratia, (iii) notice, (iv) holiday and (v) any other payments.

The conclusion of any matter relating to the termination of employment of any NHS Scotland employee is principally a matter between the employing health board and former employee concerned. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to make any comment in individual cases.

In this case NHS Tayside have indicated that, upon leaving the board, Ms McLay received what she was contractually entitled to and nothing more. In concluding all employment matters, NHS Scotland health boards are guided by both national and local employment policies and the principles of UK employment law.

Question reference: S5W-17844

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the UK’s three largest rail unions have warned against continuing with the merger of British Transport Police with Police Scotland, and comments by (a) Mick Cash of the RMT union, that the merger could leave taxpayers with a "ballooning bill” and (b) Manuel Cortes of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) union, that it was “putting nationalist dogma ahead of the safety and well-being of Scotland’s rail passengers merger would jeopardise the specialist policing offered by the BTP”.

As you are aware in our submission to the Smith Commission in 2014 we said we planned to use devolved powers over railway policing to integrate it into Police Scotland. We are committed to the safe and seamless integration of BTP into Police Scotland following Parliament’s vote to pass the Railway Policing Act. This will deliver continuity of service for rail users and staff and a single command structure, with seamless access to wider support facilities and specialist resources.

Scottish Ministers have confirmed that our triple lock guarantee will protect jobs, pay and pensions for BTP officers and staff transferring to Police Scotland. We meet regularly with all partners involved in the integration and will continue to work closely with them on addressing issues that emerge.

Question reference: S5W-17466

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) costs since January 2016 and (b) projected costs of the merger, including (i) to the Scottish Government, (ii) to Police Scotland, (iii) to the Scottish Police Authority and (iv) consultancy costs.

Question reference: S5W-17474

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will confirm that, following the merger, (a) any redundancy liability for former BTP officers will be covered as set out in their BTP contracts, and (b) who will meet this liability.

Question reference: S5W-17470

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, what its position is on whether any proposed benefits of integration will outweigh the anticipated costs and risks, and how it will ensure that any analysis of these will be independent, transparent and evidence-based.

The benefits of the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland are set out in the Policy Memorandum which supported the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2017. As the re-planning of the Programme, and the integration Programme itself, progress, costs and risks will be kept under regular review by the Joint Programme Board overseeing the integration. The Programme will be subject to an independent deliverability assessment in September.

Question reference: S5W-17475

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland with Police Scotland, in light of the Scottish Police Federation only being regulated to represent officer holders, and BTP officers having dual status, which staff organisation will represent transferring BTP officers.

I wrote on 15 November 2017 to the Convenor of the Justice Committee clarifying how employment representation will be provided for BTP officers when they transfer into Police Scotland.

The letter advised that for BTP officers in Scotland, their status as constables means that those currently represented by the BTP Federation (BTPF) will become members of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) under Regulation 4 of the Police Federation (Scotland) regulations 2013. We are engaging with the SPF to discuss what the implications may be of them representing officers with different employment and pensions arrangements and further discussions will be held with the SPF and the BTPF.