Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 48000 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-04257

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of hate crime, abuse, attack or assault have been recorded in the last 12 months that were identified as having sexuality as the aggravator or were defined as LGBT+ related crime or offences, and what the overall trends are for such incidents.

The Scottish Government published a study on the characteristics of police recorded Hate Crime in February 2021. The following table shows the number of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes recorded by Police Scotland from 2014-15 to 2019-20. The table also shows how many of these crimes were assaults (common or serious) and crimes of threatening or abusive behaviour. The number of hate crimes with a sexual orientation aggravation presented below is higher than the figures provided in the aforementioned study. This is because the table also includes hates crime that have multiple aggravations (one of which is sexual orientation).

The study also looked in more detail at the prejudice shown by perpetrators. In the vast majority (94%) of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes in 2018-19 the perpetrator showed prejudice towards the gay and lesbian community. In over two-thirds (69%) of crimes the words used or actions taken by the perpetrator showed a prejudice towards the gay community, with a further quarter (25%) showing prejudice towards the lesbian community. In 2018-19, the study showed that 39% of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes had a Police Officer as a victim.

A second study into the characteristics of police recorded hate crime is due to be published in 2022. This will provide the same type of detailed disaggregated data and information on police recorded hate crimes for the year 2020-21.

Year	Sexual Orientation aggravated hate crimes
	Number	Of which were common or serious assault		Of which were threatening or abusive behaviour
	Number	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
2014-15	1,121	126	11%	716	64%
2015-16	1,143	97	8%	818	72%
2016-17	1,177	127	11%	850	72%
2017-18	1,224	141	12%	860	70%
2018-19	1,338	115	9%	990	74%
2019-20	1,501	145	10%	1,110	74%

Question reference: S6W-04197

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to address reported concerns about the accessibility for disabled people of existing electric car charging points.

Question reference: S6W-04293

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support the call of Living Streets Scotland to (a) agree and publish in the first half of 2023 guidance as to when the ban on pavement parking and other related provisions, including drop kerbs and double parking, will be fully enforceable, (b) agree and publish an implementation timetable with local authorities, (c) launch a proactive campaign to promote responsible parking behaviours that protect older people, disabled people and children ahead of the legislation coming into force and (d) make a commitment to begin evaluating conditions on streets, taking into account the experiences of disabled people in particular, ahead of the ban.

a & b) As you will be aware, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, (the act), introduces new national provisions, prohibiting pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs. A suite of secondary legislation is required for this prohibition to work in practice and give local authorities the power to implement and enforce the prohibitions.

In relation to the points regarding bringing forward dropped kerbs and double parking first, Scottish Ministers need to ensure that local authorities have an effective enforcement regime in place and that local authorities are able to issue Penalty Charge Notices correctly. As such, the enforcement regimes cannot be split and need to remain constituent parts of the same package of enforcement measures. For example, in order to issue all types of ticket, the means to provide a right of appeal needs to be in place and the changes to legislation which govern this need to be made at the same time once all of the other parts of legislation are in place.

We are continuing to consult with Local Authorities, following our initial pivot to deal with the Covid 19 pandemic, to develop both the secondary legislation required to allow them to enforce the National pavement parking prohibition as well as the Parking Standards Guidance which will underpin the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Additionally, we need to consult with the public on some areas contained within the secondary legislation. Local authorities will be required to undertake an assessment to identify and progress any exemptions to the pavement parking prohibition they consider necessary. We are actively working with Local Authorities to undertake this work and Scottish Ministers have provided the requested £2.4 million of funding to enable this to be progressed in a timeous manner.

The majority of the secondary legislation is likely to be in place by 2022. Some aspects however, such as the appeals process for those who wish to appeal a ticket issued for pavement parking, as mentioned above, may not be in place until 2023.

c) Transport Scotland will be undertaking an in-depth publicity campaign before implementation to make the public aware of the date that the new provisions come into force. We have previously discussed this with disability groups and within our Parking Standards Group of which Living Streets are a stakeholder. We will be progressing this in due course as per the legislative program . In addition to this we are currently exploring other ways of proactively promoting the unacceptability of parking on the pavement and highlighting the risk it causes others. We intend to undertake this as soon as possible and indeed well before mid-2022.

d) The Scottish Government recognises the detrimental impact that obstructive and irresponsible parking can have on vulnerable groups, as well as Emergency vehicles and other road users in general. Scottish Ministers have already undertaken an extensive consultation on this matter, (Improving Parking in Scotland Consultation 2017). Feedback obtained from this consultation is available at the following link:
‎ https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/42239/improving-parking-in-scotland-may-2018.pdf
‎
‎ Prior to the pavement parking provisions coming into force under the Act, Local Authorities will be required to assess their footways for the purposes of determining which, if any, may be appropriate to be exempt from the pavement parking prohibition. Local Authorities will be required to consider their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 throughout this determination process and prior to an Exemption Order being proposed. Ministerial Directions and Pre-Implementation Guidance will be published to assist Local Authorities in undertaking this determination process.

Question reference: S6W-04198

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will embed accessible design standards into the future provision of electric car charging points.

Ensuring electric charge points are accessible and user friendly for all is a core part of the Scottish Government’s approach to building out Scotland’s charging infrastructure. All chargers supported by Scottish Government funding must meet the requirements and recommendations set out in Transport Scotland’s good practice guide. This makes clear that installations by local authorities and other chargepoint owners should take account of duties set out in the Equalities Act 2010, noting specific accessibility considerations including in areas such as hatched markings and dropped kerbs.

Transport Scotland is also working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise through the Can Do Innovation Challenge framework to improve the design of electric vehicle charge points to make them even more accessible. This project is being advanced with input from the disabled community and organisations including Motability, the Mobility and Access Committee, The Roads for all forum, Perth and Kinross Inclusive Living Centre and Disabled Equality Scotland.

To ensure outcomes of our current innovation challenges and user engagement is captured, Transport Scotland is working with The Department for Transport, the charity Motability, and the British Standards Institution on the development of Accessible Electric Vehicle Chargepoint standards. The set of advisory standards are due to be developed by Summer 2022, once developed, they will provide specifications for the installers and operators of public charging infrastructure to ensure a more accessible and inclusive charging system across Scotland, and the UK as a whole.

Question reference: S6O-00468

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish, in full, details of its engagement with GFG Alliance in relation to operations at the Lochaber smelter site.

Question reference: S6O-00471

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Tay Cities Region Deal is having on Dundee.

Question reference: S6O-00458

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the amount of heroin seized by Police Scotland has increased by more than 400% since 2016-17.

Question reference: S6O-00474

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what teaching and resources schools are providing to encourage pupils to engage in climate issues and ensure their experiences and ideas are acted on, including through the Climate Assembly.

Question reference: S6O-00461

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public inquiry examining the events surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh.

Question reference: S6O-00462

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what targeted support it is providing to communities to help deal with antisocial behaviour.