Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-06786

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which funding streams in the creative sector specifically encourage youth workers and community-based projects to deliver courses and projects that seek to build skills in the positive use of social media.

The Scottish Government believes it is important to ensure young people build skills in the positive use of social media. In December 2021, UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom published its approach to online media literacy, setting out the need to build media literacy skills, including identifying misinformation on social media platforms.

There are no specific creative sector projects on social media being funded by the Scottish Government at this time but there are a number of projects and initiatives funded from other areas of the Scottish Government that seek to develop skills in the positive use of social media. Those relevant to youth workers and community groups are set out below.

In 2021-22, the Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit provided funding to Civic Digits CIC of £35,550, complementing funding from Creative Scotland, to deliver The Big Data Show to 2,400 children in schools and to a community organisation working with young people from black and minority ethnic communities.

In 2020, the Scottish Youth Parliament, with Scottish Government funding, also developed a digital resource called Mind Yer Time, to help children and young people use screens and social media in a healthy way.

Question reference: S6W-06818

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports have been made to Police Scotland of individual households experiencing a cyber-attack in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reports made to Police Scotland of households experiencing a cyber-attack. Information is held on crimes recorded under Sections 1 to 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Sections 1 and 2 relate to unauthorised access to computers, with the intent to commit or facilitate the commissioning of further offences. Section 3 relates to unauthorised acts which impair the operation of computers, including preventing or hindering access to programs, data etc. This is shown in the table below, from 1999-00 to 2020-21. No specific information is held regarding the characteristics of victims, including whether they are private households, businesses, charity organisations etc.

As highlighted in the 2020-21 recorded crime National Statistics, a procedural change was made to the recording of international crime in 2020-21, whereby cases carried out by a perpetrator who was likely to be outside the UK are now included. This may have led to some additional crimes being recorded in the latest year, though more broadly the increase may in part be due to the significant impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including behavioural changes with more people undertaking activities online.

Table: Number of crimes recorded by police in Scotland under Sections 1 to 3 of Computer Misuse Act 1990, 1999-00 to 2020-21

Year	Sections 1 and 2	Section 3
1999-00	1	0
2000-01	4	2
2001-02	9	1
2002-03	7	5
2003-04	4	2
2004-05	4	12
2005-06	3	13
2006-07	3	10
2007-08	14	5
2008-09	8	6
2009-10	10	18
2010-11	17	8
2011-12	22	9
2012-13	17	9
2013-14	6	9
2014-15	17	18
2015-16	14	31
2016-17	17	30
2017-18	33	22
2018-19	35	18
2019-20	36	21
2020-21	331	72

Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland

Question reference: S6W-06750

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it conducts of how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets there are across Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not currently monitor the number of public toilets, accessible public toilets or Changing Places toilets.

Some local authorities advertise their toilet provision on their website. There are a number of companies and charities that provide tools for members of the public such as https://www.toiletmap.org.uk/ . The UK-wide website https://changingplaces.uktoiletmap.org/ details the location of all Scottish Changing Places Toilets.

Question reference: S6W-06779

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial visits have been carried out in (a) Ayr, (b) Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, (c) Clydesdale, (d) Dumfriesshire, (e) East Lothian, (f) Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, (g) Galloway and West Dumfries, (h) Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley and (i) Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, since May 2017.

Question reference: S6W-06751

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets are accessible 24 hours a day, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-06766

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it regulates the build-to-rent sector.

The Build to Rent Sector is subject to the same regulatory requirements as other private rented sector accommodation. For example, complying with Landlord Registration and Houses in Multiple Occupation licensing. From 1 December 2017, new tenancy agreements for most Build to Rent properties would be Private Residential Tenancies and tenants will also therefore be afforded the rights and protections flowing from that regulatory framework (as set out in Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016).

Our New Deal for Tenants consultation, which runs until the 15 April, makes clear that all tenants should live in properties where quality and standards are high, and people have clear rights. It also seeks views on our vision for the future regulation of the rental sector - setting out that regulation should seek tenure neutral outcomes for tenants in all sectors, empowers tenants through routes to redress failures and support good standards across the rented sector.

Question reference: S6W-06819

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports have been made to Police Scotland of third sector or charity organisations experiencing a cyber-attack in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reports made to Police Scotland of third sector or charity organisations experiencing a cyber-attack. Information is held on crimes recorded under Sections 1 to 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Sections 1 and 2 relate to unauthorised access to computers, with the intent to commit or facilitate the commissioning of further offences. Section 3 relates to unauthorised acts which impair the operation of computers, including preventing or hindering access to programs, data etc. This is shown in the following table, from 1999-00 to 2020-21. No specific information is held regarding the characteristics of victims, including whether they are private households, businesses, charity organisations etc.

As highlighted in the 2020-21 recorded crime National Statistics, a procedural change was made to the recording of international crime in 2020-21, whereby cases carried out by a perpetrator who was likely to be outside the UK are now included. This may have led to some additional crimes being recorded in the latest year, though more broadly the increase may in part be due to the significant impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including behavioural changes with more people undertaking activities online.

Table: Number of crimes recorded by police in Scotland under Sections 1 to 3 of Computer Misuse Act 1990, 1999-00 to 2020-21.

Year	Sections 1 and 2	Section 3
1999-00	1	0
2000-01	4	2
2001-02	9	1
2002-03	7	5
2003-04	4	2
2004-05	4	12
2005-06	3	13
2006-07	3	10
2007-08	14	5
2008-09	8	6
2009-10	10	18
2010-11	17	8
2011-12	22	9
2012-13	17	9
2013-14	6	9
2014-15	17	18
2015-16	14	31
2016-17	17	30
2017-18	33	22
2018-19	35	18
2019-20	36	21
2020-21	331	72

Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland

Question reference: S6W-06778

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Energy Consents Unit has accepted an application from ScottishPower Renewables for the Carrick Windfarm without consulting the community, and, if so, for what reason.

An application from ScottishPower Renewables was submitted to the Scottish Ministers on 23 December 2021 for the proposed Carrick Windfarm development. Adverts were placed in the local newspapers Ayrshire Post, Ayr Advertiser, Carrick Herald, and national newspapers The Scotsman and Edinburgh Gazette between 25 January and 8 February 2022 to provide notice that the application has been submitted. A consultation was issued to Barr Community Council, Crosshill, Straiton and Kirkmichael Community Council and Dailly Community Council dated 25 January 2022, requesting comments be provided to the Scottish Ministers by 28 February 2022, unless an extension to this date has been agreed. The consultation is currently ongoing and the public can make representations to Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6W-06563

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the £1 million funding for the Community Bus Fund in 2022-23 will be sufficient to significantly increase bus passenger numbers across the 32 local authority areas.

The Scottish Budget allocated £1 million to develop the Community Bus Fund in 2022-23 to support Local Transport Authorities to improve public transport in their areas, and to explore the full range of options in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. We are currently working on the design and scope of the fund and this involves discussions with CoSLA and ATCO on how the £1 million may be best spent in 2022-23.

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