Chamber and committees

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: S6W-16367

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set a target for reducing violent crime.

We are clear that any level or form of violence is unacceptable. In 2023-24, in addition to the budget for policing, we will be providing our partners with over £2m to support ongoing and innovative violence prevention activity across Scotland. To strengthen our approach, we will publish the first ever national Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, which will set out our vision, aims and actions to prevent violence and as and when it does occur, to reduce its harm.

Question reference: S6W-16369

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many items of contraband have been detected by the Scottish Prison Service, to date, through the photocopying of prisoners' mail.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. After clarifying the specifics of the question with the member, her response is as follows:

How many items of contraband have been detected by the photocopying of mail?
Photocopying of mail does not detect contraband. The process for establishments that have this in place is that original mail items are photocopied and the prisoner is given the copy with the option to destroy the original or have this placed in their property for issue upon release. If during the opening of correspondence an item is suspected to be suspicious then this is sent to security for testing on the rapiscan machine.
How many items of contraband have been detected by the rapiscan machine since the introduction of this policy?
Since the introduction of the photocopying of prisoners correspondence 2,677 items have tested positive on the rapiscan machine.

Question reference: S6W-16365

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation aimed at reducing violent crime, in light of the recent increase in non-sexual crimes of violence, as reported in the Recorded crime in Scotland: year ending December 2022 statistics.

We are clear that any level of violence is unacceptable but believe that we already have legislation in place to tackle violent crime. By any measure, the overall trend has improved but there are still areas of concern. In 2023-24, in addition to the police budget, we will also be providing our partners with over £2m to support ongoing and innovative violence prevention activity across Scotland. To strengthen our approach, we will publish the first ever national Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, which will set out our vision, aims and actions to prevent violence and reduce its harms.

Question reference: S6W-16364

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last evaluated the work of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, and what the results of its last evaluation were.

The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit has been central to making Scotland a safer place since this government took office, with recorded non-sexual violent crime reducing by 25% since 2006-07. The work of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit is overseen by a governance board and is delivered through various programmes which are evaluated and measured for effectiveness. While progress has been made to reduce violence across Scotland, we recognise we must continue to do more.

Question reference: S6W-16094

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw on 18 April 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 (a) applications have been received, (b) applicants completed the required Declaration of Non-Involvement in Serious Organised Crime and (c) applicants were rejected as a result of, or following, advice provided to the SPCB by Police Scotland.

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.

To support this strategy, and in line with procurement regulations, as a matter of policy the SPCB does not publish specific information regarding contracts or tenders which might prejudice fair competition, which would prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation or otherwise be contrary to the public interest.

I am therefore limited in the detail I can provide in response to your questions. I can confirm that two quotations were submitted for the contract advertised as FEB471362.

The SPCB has made the decision to award the contract to provide taxi services to City Cabs (Edinburgh) Limited in line with the advertised requirements.

Question reference: S6O-02126

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the guideline, Sentencing young people, issued by the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Question reference: S6W-16372

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is of the number of serious organised crime gangs operating in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-14812

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many transgender women are currently held within the female estate of the Scottish Prison Service; what crime, or crimes, each individual was convicted of and, in the case of any prisoners being held on remand, what crime they are accused of.

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

On 10 March 2023, there were 7 transgender women located within the female estate in the care of the SPS. Out of those 7; 4 individuals were sentenced, and 3 were held on remand.

The 4 sentenced individuals all had an index offence in the Non-sexual crimes of violence group. The remanded individuals are alleged to have committed index offences in the Non-sexual crimes of violence group and the Crimes against society group.

Question reference: S6O-02006

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

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over 600,000 people are on a hospital waiting list.

Question reference: S6W-14209

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any trends in reported incidents of spiking, and what steps it is taking to ensure that perpetrators are (a) caught, (b) prosecuted and (c) appropriately sentenced.

The Scottish Government does not intervene in or comment on the investigation, prosecution or sentencing of individual cases which are independent operational matters for Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the courts.

Police Scotland have advised they take all reports of spiking seriously and thoroughly investigates all reports.

A comprehensive Investigative Strategy has been developed and circulated to provide guidance and direction to staff responding to and investigating incidents of spiking. A Detective Superintendent has national investigative oversight and Senior Investigating Officers have been appointed within each policing division to lead on all spiking related investigations locally. Police Scotland’s focus is on identifying people who carry out an assault in this way, investigating fully, gathering evidence, and working with Crown Office to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Where evidence is provided to Crown Office as regards an offence, it is for independent prosecutors to decide what action to take. If a case is prosecuted, it is for the independent court to determine whether an accused person is guilty and if so, what an appropriate sentence should be.