- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many accused have been offered alternatives to prosecution for assault in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table sets out the number of accused receiving a direct measure as a first substantive marking compared to the total number of accused receiving a first substantive marking (all types including: court, direct measure, no action, no decision) in cases including an assault charge (within the Scottish Government Classification of “Common Assault”):
Year | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Direct Measure | 3,178 | 2,717 | 2,528 | 2,159 | 2,500 |
Total | 25,926 | 25,052 | 23,409 | 22,896 | 23,059 |
Direct measures include a range of alternatives to prosecution, namely: fiscal fines, compensation orders, combined fiscal fine and compensation orders, fiscal work orders, diversion from prosecution, referral to the Children’s Reporter and warning letters.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many fiscal fines have been issued to individuals who have committed an offence in Ayr in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table sets out the total number of accused reported to Ayr Procurator Fiscal Office receiving a first substantive marking of a fiscal fine in each of the last 5 years.
Year | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Fiscal Fine | 553 | 554 | 330 | 257 | 231 |
- Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any prison officers at HMP Kilmarnock who are equipped with body-worn cameras will retain these following the planned nationalisation of the prison in March 2024.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
Serco who currently operates HMP Kilmarnock are not contractually obliged to install Body Worn Video Cameras (BWVCs). There are currently no plans to retain BWVCs currently in use by Officers at HMP Kilmarnock, post-transfer in March 2024.
The feasibility of a pilot to test the introduction of BWVCs across the SPS estate is however being considered in partnership with Trade Union Partners.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown by local authority area of (a) the number of loans granted through the Energy Saving Trust e-bike loan scheme in each year since it was launched, (b) the value of those loans and (c) how many loans have been defaulted, and the value of any defaults.
Answer
The following data is accurate up to the end of July 2023:
Number and value of loans by local authority:
LOCAL AUTHORITY | PAID (£) | NUMBER PAID | TOTAL PAID (£) | TOTAL NUMBER PAID |
BUSINESS | DOMESTIC | BUSINESS | DOMESTIC |
Aberdeen City | | £ 224,230 | | 73 | £ 224,230 | 73 |
Aberdeenshire | £ 6,000 | £ 501,946 | 2 | 161 | £ 507,946 | 163 |
Angus | | £ 251,294 | | 82 | £ 251,294 | 82 |
Argyll and Bute | | £ 414,650 | | 123 | £ 414,650 | 123 |
City of Edinburgh | £ 96,968 | £ 855,070 | 17 | 293 | £ 952,038 | 310 |
Clackmannanshire | | £ 56,145 | | 15 | £ 56,145 | 15 |
Dumfries and Galloway | £ 5,299 | £ 475,894 | 2 | 166 | £ 481,193 | 168 |
Dundee City | £ 51,600 | £ 239,540 | 2 | 73 | £ 291,140 | 75 |
East Ayrshire | £ 4,200 | £ 113,792 | 1 | 36 | £ 117,992 | 37 |
East Dunbartonshire | | £ 185,556 | | 57 | £ 185,556 | 57 |
East Lothian | | £ 189,454 | | 66 | £ 189,454 | 66 |
East Renfrewshire | £ 5,748 | £ 154,435 | 1 | 52 | £ 160,183 | 53 |
Falkirk | £ 3,000 | £ 108,675 | 1 | 36 | £ 111,675 | 37 |
Fife | £ 6,000 | £ 583,523 | 1 | 193 | £ 589,523 | 194 |
Glasgow City | £ 50,795 | £ 533,500 | 10 | 172 | £ 584,295 | 182 |
Highland | £ 82,089 | £ 1,061,270 | 13 | 336 | £ 1,143,359 | 349 |
Inverclyde | | £ 50,703 | | 19 | £ 50,703 | 19 |
Midlothian | £ 2,925 | £ 103,596 | 1 | 35 | £ 106,521 | 36 |
Moray | | £ 245,367 | | 82 | £ 245,367 | 82 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | | £ 44,297 | | 17 | £ 44,297 | 17 |
North Ayrshire | £ 3,799 | £ 184,288 | 1 | 67 | £ 188,087 | 68 |
North Lanarkshire | £ 4,999 | £ 101,277 | 1 | 38 | £ 106,276 | 39 |
Orkney Islands | £ 6,000 | £ 58,947 | 1 | 20 | £ 64,947 | 21 |
Perth and Kinross | £ 55,858 | £ 1,026,956 | 9 | 292 | £ 1,082,814 | 301 |
Renfrewshire | | £ 138,619 | | 45 | £ 138,619 | 45 |
Scottish Borders | £ 10,875 | £ 376,075 | 2 | 130 | £ 386,950 | 132 |
Shetland Islands | | £ 33,799 | | 14 | £ 33,799 | 14 |
South Ayrshire | | £ 217,413 | | 86 | £ 217,413 | 86 |
South Lanarkshire | £ 2,199 | £ 225,768 | 1 | 81 | £ 227,967 | 82 |
Stirling | £ 21,931 | £ 349,147 | 3 | 111 | £ 371,078 | 114 |
West Dunbartonshire | | £ 78,666 | | 31 | £ 78,666 | 31 |
West Lothian | £ 6,000 | £ 108,839 | 1 | 43 | £ 114,839 | 44 |
GRAND TOTAL | £ 426,284 | £ 9,292,732 | 70 | 3,045 | £ 9,719,016 | 3,115 |
Number and Value of Impaired or Defaulted Loans by Local Authority:
Note - Loans are considered to be in default after two missed payments and impaired after three consecutive missed payments
| | DEFAULT | IMPAIRED | | |
LOCAL AUTHORITY | Count | Value (£) | Count | Value (£) | | Total Count | Total Value (£) |
Aberdeen City | 2 | £ 4,249 | 2 | £ 4,099 | | 4 | £ 8,348 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 2,500 | | | | 1 | £ 2,500 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 1,749 | 1 | £ 1,099 | | 2 | £ 2,848 |
Aberdeenshire | 6 | £ 20,217 | 3 | £ 9,700 | | 9 | £ 29,917 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 6,000 | | 1 | £ 6,000 |
2020-21 | 5 | £ 17,518 | 1 | £ 1,700 | | 6 | £ 19,218 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 2,699 | 1 | £ 2,000 | | 2 | £ 4,699 |
Angus | 2 | £ 5,699 | 2 | £ 4,659 | | 4 | £ 10,358 |
2020-21 | 2 | £ 5,699 | 2 | £ 4,659 | | 4 | £ 10,358 |
Argyll and Bute | 3 | £ 13,149 | 1 | £ 2,899 | | 4 | £ 16,048 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 1,750 | 1 | £ 2,899 | | 2 | £ 4,649 |
2020-21 | 2 | £ 11,399 | | | | 2 | £ 11,399 |
City of Edinburgh | 3 | £ 5,907 | 3 | £ 7,085 | | 6 | £ 12,992 |
2018-19 | 1 | £ 2,029 | | | | 1 | £ 2,029 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 1,579 | | | | 1 | £ 1,579 |
2020-21 | | | 1 | £ 2,000 | | 1 | £ 2,000 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 2,299 | 1 | £ 2,595 | | 2 | £ 4,894 |
2022-23 | | | 1 | £ 2,490 | | 1 | £ 2,490 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 5 | £ 16,255 | 4 | £ 13,746 | | 9 | £ 30,001 |
2019-20 | 2 | £ 7,138 | 2 | £ 6,999 | | 4 | £ 14,137 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 2,519 | | | | 1 | £ 2,519 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 3,000 | | | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 3,598 | 2 | £ 6,747 | | 3 | £ 10,345 |
Dundee City | 2 | £ 24,415 | 1 | £ 4,949 | | 3 | £ 29,364 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 4,949 | | 1 | £ 4,949 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 21,600 | | | | 1 | £ 21,600 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 2,815 | | | | 1 | £ 2,815 |
East Ayrshire | 2 | £ 6,148 | 3 | £ 10,299 | | 5 | £ 16,447 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 2,000 | 1 | £ 1,800 | | 2 | £ 3,800 |
2020-21 | | | 2 | £ 8,499 | | 2 | £ 8,499 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 4,148 | | | | 1 | £ 4,148 |
East Dunbartonshire | 1 | £ 4,398 | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 2 | £ 7,398 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 4,398 | | | | 1 | £ 4,398 |
2021-22 | | | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
East Lothian | | | 2 | £ 5,399 | | 2 | £ 5,399 |
2019-20 | | | 1 | £ 2,900 | | 1 | £ 2,900 |
2020-21 | | | 1 | £ 2,499 | | 1 | £ 2,499 |
East Renfrewshire | 2 | £ 4,900 | | | | 2 | £ 4,900 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 2,000 | | | | 1 | £ 2,000 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 2,900 | | | | 1 | £ 2,900 |
Falkirk | 2 | £ 9,113 | 1 | £ 3,298 | | 3 | £ 12,411 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 3,795 | 1 | £ 3,298 | | 2 | £ 7,093 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 5,318 | | | | 1 | £ 5,318 |
Fife | 6 | £ 14,923 | 5 | £ 16,249 | | 11 | £ 31,171 |
2018-19 | 2 | £ 5,998 | 1 | £ 2,999 | | 3 | £ 8,997 |
2019-20 | 2 | £ 4,725 | 1 | £ 2,800 | | 3 | £ 7,525 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 1,700 | 1 | £ 6,000 | | 2 | £ 7,700 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 2,500 | 2 | £ 4,450 | | 3 | £ 6,950 |
Glasgow City | 8 | £ 22,299 | 3 | £ 17,095 | | 11 | £ 39,394 |
2019-20 | 2 | £ 8,400 | | | | 2 | £ 8,400 |
2020-21 | 3 | £ 6,148 | 1 | £ 5,495 | | 4 | £ 11,643 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 3,753 | | | | 1 | £ 3,753 |
2022-23 | 2 | £ 3,998 | 1 | £ 5,700 | | 3 | £ 9,698 |
2023-24 | | | 1 | £ 5,900 | | 1 | £ 5,900 |
Highland | 16 | £ 53,878 | 3 | £ 13,056 | | 19 | £ 66,934 |
2018-19 | 1 | £ 3,796 | | | | 1 | £ 3,796 |
2019-20 | 6 | £ 21,061 | 2 | £ 9,398 | | 8 | £ 30,459 |
2020-21 | 8 | £ 23,423 | 1 | £ 3,658 | | 9 | £ 27,081 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 5,598 | | | | 1 | £ 5,598 |
Inverclyde | 1 | £ 3,000 | 1 | £ 1,600 | | 2 | £ 4,600 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 1,600 | | 1 | £ 1,600 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 3,000 | | | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
Moray | 2 | £ 3,699 | 3 | £ 8,179 | | 5 | £ 11,878 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 1,280 | | 1 | £ 1,280 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 1,699 | 1 | £ 4,100 | | 2 | £ 5,799 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 2,000 | | | | 1 | £ 2,000 |
2022-23 | | | 1 | £ 2,799 | | 1 | £ 2,799 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | | | 1 | £ 3,698 | | 1 | £ 3,698 |
2020-21 | | | 1 | £ 3,698 | | 1 | £ 3,698 |
North Ayrshire | 2 | £ 6,409 | 3 | £ 7,148 | | 5 | £ 13,557 |
2018-19 | | | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 1,709 | | | | 1 | £ 1,709 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 4,700 | 2 | £ 4,148 | | 3 | £ 8,848 |
North Lanarkshire | 1 | £ 1,798 | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 2 | £ 4,798 |
2021-22 | 1 | £ 1,798 | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 2 | £ 4,798 |
Perth and Kinross | 11 | £ 54,794 | 8 | £ 32,397 | | 19 | £ 87,191 |
2018-19 | | | 4 | £ 17,499 | | 4 | £ 17,499 |
2019-20 | 6 | £ 19,695 | 2 | £ 6,299 | | 8 | £ 25,994 |
2020-21 | 2 | £ 8,099 | 2 | £ 8,599 | | 4 | £ 16,698 |
2022-23 | 3 | £ 27,000 | | | | 3 | £ 27,000 |
Renfrewshire | | | 1 | £ 2,849 | | 1 | £ 2,849 |
2021-22 | | | 1 | £ 2,849 | | 1 | £ 2,849 |
Scottish Borders | 3 | £ 12,427 | | | | 3 | £ 12,427 |
2018-19 | 1 | £ 3,998 | | | | 1 | £ 3,998 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 6,000 | | | | 1 | £ 6,000 |
2020-21 | 1 | £ 2,429 | | | | 1 | £ 2,429 |
Shetland Islands | | | 1 | £ 5,929 | | 1 | £ 5,929 |
2021-22 | | | 1 | £ 5,929 | | 1 | £ 5,929 |
South Ayrshire | 1 | £ 3,778 | 3 | £ 6,098 | | 4 | £ 9,876 |
2019-20 | 1 | £ 3,778 | | | | 1 | £ 3,778 |
2020-21 | | | 3 | £ 6,098 | | 3 | £ 6,098 |
South Lanarkshire | | | 3 | £ 8,448 | | 3 | £ 8,448 |
2019-20 | | | 2 | £ 5,448 | | 2 | £ 5,448 |
2020-21 | | | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
Stirling | 4 | £ 23,098 | 3 | £ 5,246 | | 7 | £ 28,344 |
2020-21 | 3 | £ 11,098 | 1 | £ 1,645 | | 4 | £ 12,743 |
2021-22 | | | 2 | £ 3,601 | | 2 | £ 3,601 |
2022-23 | 1 | £ 12,000 | | | | 1 | £ 12,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | | | 2 | £ 4,199 | | 2 | £ 4,199 |
2021-22 | | | 1 | £ 3,000 | | 1 | £ 3,000 |
2022-23 | | | 1 | £ 1,199 | | 1 | £ 1,199 |
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the proportion of total journeys that will be made by bus by 2030 as a result of its policies.
Answer
The appraisal that supported the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) assessed the change in access public transport use and accessibility at a national and regional level to a range of locations, including health care; education and employment centres. The outcomes of this work were reported in the final-technical-report-28-december-2022-stpr2.pdf (transport.gov.scot) and accompanying detailed-appraisal-summary-table-national.pdf (transport.gov.scot). This appraisal was supported by a set of updated transport forecasts to 2045, which considered the impact of a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030 and an alternative scenario. Details of how these were developed can be found here: https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/52476/appendix-f-approach-to-scenario-planning-december-2022-stpr2.pdf .
It should be noted that the STPR2 appraisal and assessment covered infrastructure interventions and so did not specifically consider the future impacts of, for example, potential bus franchising in Scotland, the establishment of local council operated bus companies, or the outcomes of the Fair Fares Review. The impact of individual policies on bus use may be evaluated on a policy by policy basis through the transport appraisal process as they are developed
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed timeline and target date are for the national roll-out of the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans’ Recognition Scheme.
Answer
The General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans’ Recognition Scheme has been developed in conjunction with practices who agreed to be part of an initial pilot. The pilot finished in December 2022 and since then work has been on-going to update the training according to feedback from the pilot, ensuring that relevant training content, processes and data gathering are ready prior to a wider rollout to other practices. It is anticipated that the full roll out will take place later this year.
We do recognise the potential value of such as scheme and want to ensure that the benefits of the scheme are optimised for both the patient and the practice.
If General Practises are keen to be involved ahead of the full launch they can contact gp-afv@gov.scot for more information.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on classifying different end uses for steel as either socially beneficial or harmful.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not currently have a position on classifying different end uses for steel. As part of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan we are considering consultation responses and relevant research, including those relating to steel and the circular economy in line with our Just Transition Principles/Outcomes.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what framework will be used to judge the effectiveness of the public sector four-day working week pilot proposed in its Programme for Government 2023-24.
Answer
The 2023-24 Programme for Government and Pay Strategy maintains our commitment to a four-day working week public sector pilot to assess environmental, health and wellbeing benefits and productivity gains this could bring.
The pilot and the concluding report will ensure meaningful insights are gained on the benefits and risks of a four-day working week approach.
We are currently seeking an expert partner organisation to support pilot participants, assist with the pilot design and produce an evaluation report. The work of the expert partner organisation will define the framework to judge the effectiveness of the public sector four-day working week pilot proposal.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much it has spent to date on its challenge of the decision of the UK Secretary of State for Scotland to issue an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 in respect of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The costs incurred in this legal challenge are the necessary price of protecting democracy and devolution in Scotland. On 19 April 2023 I undertook to publish the costs of this action once it is completed, and as the member will be aware the substantive hearing in this case was held in the Court of Session earlier this week. In the spirit of transparency and accountability we will publish the costs accrued by the Scottish Government, up to and including those associated with this week's hearing, once they are available.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the carer awareness training will be developed, and what resources are being set aside, as set out in its recent publication, Scottish Mental Health Law review: Our Response.
Answer
In our response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review we committed to establish a Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme to further enhance and protect human rights within legislation, policy and practice. This includes a commitment to enhance carers’ rights and role in practice through further developing and promoting carer awareness training for staff working with people with mental or intellectual disability across health and social care settings, by 2026.
These actions will also be set out in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan, which will be published in Autumn 2023.
We have funded NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce, including those working with mental or intellectual disability across health and social care settings, to help them to identify, include and support unpaid carers. We expect those to be launched by the end of 2023.
