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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: S6F-03566

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-31187

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of land there have been that can be classed as land capable of supporting (a) arable agriculture, (b) mixed agriculture, (c) improved grassland and (d) rough grazing, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not collate information regarding land use capability in this manner. Information on Scotland’s land capability is available at a National Scale through the Land Capability for Agriculture map and can be accessed here: National scale land capability for agriculture | Scotland's soils (environment.gov.scot).

Please note that the land capability for agriculture assessment was carried out in 1981 using data collected between 1978 and 1981 and is not broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-31189

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting mixed agriculture has been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-31207

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) homicides, (b) culpable homicides, (c) attempted homicides, (d) inmate-on-inmate assaults and (e) inmate-on-prison officer assaults have been recorded in each prison in each year since 2016.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

1.In the period 2016-17 – 2023-24 there was 1 death in custody which has been classified as a Homicide.

2.In the period 2016-17 - 2023-24 there were 2 deaths in custody which have been classified as Culpable Homicide.

3.There have been no attempted homicides in the period 2015-16 - 2023-24. It should be noted however, that SPS are unlikely to record an instance of attempted homicide until the individual has been found guilty in a court of law, until such time it will be recorded as an assault.

4.The following table provides a breakdown of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults for the period 2016-17 – 2023-24:

Prisoner on Prisoner Assaults
Establishment	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
Addiewell	38	38	77	126	82	77	116	165
Barlinnie	53	67	115	193	123	163	117	120
Bella							0	0
Dumfries	12	12	11	13	6	8	12	10
Edinburgh	64	82	116	98	83	81	61	94
Glenochil	22	34	71	47	26	27	12	25
Grampian	64	71	67	56	37	38	37	30
Greenock	15	16	14	9	15	12	16	12
Inverness	16	12	18	25	24	21	15	15
Kilmarnock	33	49	61	141	65	52	65	83
Lilias							0	0
Low Moss	39	47	72	61	36	53	54	44
Castle Huntly	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
Perth	76	65	74	103	59	75	55	88
Polmont	69	138	170	189	193	248	165	98
Shotts	27	25	21	37	30	28	14	31
Cornton Vale/Stirling	13	11	11	4	5	0	2	0

1.The following table provides a breakdown of prisoner on staff assaults for the period 2016-17 – 2023-24:

Prisoner on Staff Assaults
Establishment	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
Addiewell	24	29	38	46	51	51	44	62
Barlinnie	30	30	35	44	35	49	30	45
Bella							0	0
Dumfries	1	28	26	4	4	6	2	5
Edinburgh	14	3	3	26	33	29	21	21
Glenochil	6	26	42	20	8	19	6	7
Grampian	25	11	19	37	29	29	19	21
Greenock	2	26	37	5	5	0	9	4
Inverness	2	4	3	18	11	11	5	4
Kilmarnock	9	3	1	39	25	32	24	38
Lilias							0	0
Low Moss	9	9	22	22	15	20	10	41
Castle Huntly	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Perth	16	11	27	40	23	29	29	21
Polmont	23	24	35	32	29	43	23	18
Shotts	15	19	15	20	33	12	8	12
Cornton Vale/Stirling	14	28	26	16	6	4	9	2

Question reference: S6W-31210

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) local authority and (b) housing association homes have been built since 2016, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-31048

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction of a licensing scheme in Scotland for the sale of vaping products would help tackle youth access to, and illicit imports of, vaping products.

In line with Tobacco and Vaping Framework, work is underway to improve the technical infrastructure of the existing register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers, which has been welcomed by stakeholders. We plan to continue to review the register going forward.

At this time the Scottish Government’s view is that introducing a licensing scheme would put undue pressure on local authorities and the retail sector.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will expand Scotland’s existing registration scheme to include retailers selling herbal smoking products and nicotine products.

The purchase of vaping products is age restricted. It is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18. In Scotland, local authorities already have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to retailers and individuals who commit offences related to the age of sale.

We work with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland on enforcement of existing legislation, including around underage sales and illicit tobacco and vapes. We also work with HMRC and Border Force who undertake intelligence led action to tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border.

Question reference: S6W-31188

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting arable agriculture have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-31190

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting improved grassland have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-31157

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any barriers that prevent women from accessing support and rehabilitation services for drug misuse.

As residential rehabilitation is a cross-cutting intervention for both alcohol and drug use, the answer provided to one of the member’s proceeding questions (ref. S6W-31156 on 21 November 2024), specific to alcohol use is also applicable to this question about drug use.

The Scottish Government has been working with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to aid the development of clear pathways into through and out of residential rehabilitation, and has commissioned the establishment of residential rehabilitation pathway development clusters by Healthcare Improvement Scotland which has resulted in 29/30 ADPs publishing their pathway. This will facilitate an increase in publicly funded placements across the country, and support utilisation of new and renovated facilities.

We also announced the completion of a national online service directory in August which provides a nationwide list of residential rehabilitation providers for the first time, empowering individuals and their loved ones to learn about and access quality residential rehabilitation and identify the best service to support them.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-31172

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that it recommends a change to the dual role of the Lord Advocate, what process it will follow within its statutory power to give effect to the report by the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission regarding the offices of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, and within what timescale.

The baseline report is aimed at developing the understanding of the roles and functions of the Law Officers with a view to consulting on their role. The Law Officers’ role is secured by the Scotland Act 1998. What any changes to that role would require by way of an Act of the UK or Scottish parliament would depend on any changes proposed. As we have said, the Scottish Government will engage further with the UK Government when the research has concluded.