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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-18579

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the consultants that it engaged to advise on the BTP merger with Police Scotland were contracted on a (a) time and line or (b) fixed fee basis, and, in light of the merger no longer proceeding, what the cost will be of settling their fees.

Consultancy fees are a matter for Police Scotland who ran a competitive tendering process to engage professional services support for the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government made use of the Interim Manager Framework arrangements to secure services to support the delivery of the BTP Integration Programme. This arrangement is on a week to week basis and will have no settlement costs.

Question reference: S5W-18604

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require separate legislation to implement Finn's Law to differentiate between service animals and those protected under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and whether the proposals will place offences against service animals in a separate category from other animal cruelty offences.

Question reference: S5W-18429

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding in the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme 2018 report that, in 2017, only 13 of the 600 patients with severe ischaemic stroke who would be expected to benefit from mechanical thrombectomy underwent the procedure, and whether the remaining patients who did not receive this treatment were made aware that they would have benefited had it been available.

The Scottish Government wants everyone to receive the best possible care and treatment from our health and care Services. We have set out the wider policy within which NHS Scotland is expected to deliver services, and expect all NHS Boards to provide high quality stroke care that is safe, effective and person-centred. It is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment.

A Directors of Planning Thrombectomy Advisory Group is developing a national planning framework for the provision of thrombectomy for Scotland. It is anticipated the framework will be completed by spring 2019.

Question reference: S5W-18580

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm by what date it expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) to be fully open, in light of the comment by the First Minister on 4 September 2018 (Official Report, c. 16) that it "will be fully open by the end of the year" and the assertion in its Programme for Government that it "will be fully open to traffic this autumn", and whether it considers the First Minister's comment to be a guarantee that the AWPR will be fully operational on 31 December 2018.

Sections of the scheme are already opened to traffic, for example Craibstone and Dyce junctions at Aberdeen Airport and the 7km section of dual carriageway between Blackdog and Parkhill (Goval). More recently the section between Balmedie and Tipperty opened on 15 August 2018.

Transport Scotland is working closely with the contractor to bring forward sections of the project as soon as they are available and safe to open to traffic. The AWPR/B-T is expected to fully open to traffic in late Autumn 2018.

Question reference: S5W-18243

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Scottish Police Authority and (b) Police Scotland plans to reduce the cost of railway policing post-integration, and, if so, how.

Question reference: S5W-18237

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) undertake and (b) publish an analysis of Police Scotland's capacity and capability to absorb railway policing before a decision is made on the new implementation date for their integration.

Question reference: S5W-18238

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Scottish Police Authority report, which states that there may be significant differences in running costs following the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland and Police Scotland, what its position is on the Financial Memorandum supporting the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, which states that "the cost of railway policing is not expected to rise as a result of the changes made by this Bill".

Question reference: S5W-18239

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates the Police Scotland Digital, Data and ICT strategy, which is being developed in line with Policing 2026, will cost; where British Transport Police integration sits within the plan, and what the information and communications technology costs associated with integration are.

Question reference: S5W-18236

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Scottish Police Authority report, which states that Police Scotland may not have the capacity or capability to absorb rail policing and that there may be significant differences in running costs to those at present, whether it expects any Train Operating Companies to meet any additional costs.

Question reference: S5W-18235

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to ensure that full integration provides an enhanced service, whether, post-integration, railway policing in Scotland will be evaluated according to the same performance criteria as the remaining British Transport Police, or whether it will be assessed against different criteria from those used at present.

Throughout the re-planning process, commissioned by Scottish Ministers, we have been committed to listening to stakeholders. As part of the re-plan, recent advice from Police Scotland on a range of issues, and timing of implementation, particularly relating to ICT, has emerged. Based on that information, I have decided that we will re-examine all options for the devolution of railway policing, with clear governance structures that ensure accountability to the Scottish Parliament.

Full integration of railway policing into Police Scotland, as legislated for by the Scottish Parliament remains a long term goal and we will keep the commencement date of the Act under review. However, there is a need to identify interim arrangements that can give effect more quickly to the Smith Commission’s cross-party recommendation to devolve railway policing to the Scottish Parliament.

The absolute priority for all those involved is the safety and security of officers, staff and those who use Scotland’s railways.

I want to pay tribute to the on-going commitment of officers and staff of both police services, who I look forward to engaging with on this matter in the very near future.

I will commit to keeping Parliament fully updated on progress.