Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-23056

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Parole Board for Scotland plans to publish its annual report for 2022-23.

Question reference: S6O-02847

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of increasing violence towards teachers and students in schools.

Question reference: S6W-22259

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service expects to develop a system of notifying all victims when it is decided not to prosecute a crime reported by them.

The Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) proactively notifies victims of decisions not to prosecute in all solemn cases and all summary cases within the specified case remit of the COPFS Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service, including Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime. COPFS proactively notifies victims of decisions to discontinue prosecutions in all categories of cases. COPFS advises all victims of all decisions not to prosecute on request.

COPFS is actively exploring possible approaches to extending the current notification scheme to all relevant summary cases.

Question reference: S6O-02768

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the British Transport Police on Scotland’s railways.

Question reference: S6O-02715

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Census 2022.

Question reference: S6W-22262

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw MSP (on behalf of the SPCB) on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), in relation to the notice for a contractor to provide taxi services (Public Contracts Scotland reference FEB471362), how many of the applicants were rejected as a result of, or following, advice provided to the SPCB by Police Scotland.

The SPCB’s answer to question S6W-16094 explained that, in line with established procurement practice, the SPCB does not publish specific tenderer information which it considers might prejudice fair competition, which could prejudice the commercial interest of any person or organisation or where it would otherwise be contrary to the public interest to do so. The SPCB does not consider it appropriate to publish the information requested.

The SPCB’s procurement function operates in accordance with its published Procurement Strategy and established industry practice including guidance published by the Scottish Government. There are robust processes in place to deliver sustainable contracts that provide best value for money and resilient supply chain governance.

The latest SPCB Procurement Report can be obtained at Annual Report.

Question reference: S6W-22261

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw MSP (on behalf of the SPCB) on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in relation to the notice for a contractor to provide taxi services (Public Contracts Scotland reference FEB471362), how many of the two companies that submitted a quotation completed the required Declaration of Non-Involvement in Serious Organised Crime.

The SPCB’s answer to question S6W-16094 explained that, in line with established procurement practice, the SPCB does not publish specific tenderer information which it considers might prejudice fair competition, which could prejudice the commercial interest of any person or organisation or where it would otherwise be contrary to the public interest to do so. The SPCB does not consider it appropriate to publish the information requested.

The SPCB’s procurement function operates in accordance with its published Procurement Strategy and established industry practice including guidance published by the Scottish Government. There are robust processes in place to deliver sustainable contracts that provide best value for money and resilient supply chain governance.

The latest SPCB Procurement Report can be obtained at Annual Report.

Question reference: S6T-01623

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in response to reports of widespread violence against police officers and firefighters over the Bonfire Night period.

Question reference: S6O-02703

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the impact of crime on poverty.

Question reference: S6W-22275

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many breaches of discipline have been recorded by the Scottish Prison Service for a prisoner possessing an authorised personal communication device that was not provided by the prison governor for use by that prisoner, since the introduction of this rule to the present date, broken down by financial year.

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

The following table shows the number of breaches of discipline where an individual had in his or her possession, or used, an authorised personal communication device which was not provided by the Governor for use by that prisoner, up to and including 31 July 2023, the date in which the provision was withdrawn:

2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023*	TOTAL
332	541	537	186	1,586

* 01-04-2023 – 31-07-2023

Chamber and committees