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-27658

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27231 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether it has sought from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) Police Scotland a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a Recorded Police Warning, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

Decisions about when to issue Recorded Police Warning’s (RPWs) are an independent operational matter for Police Scotland and the offence types covered by Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs) are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of Scotland’s system of prosecution. Police Scotland's Direct Measures Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) sets out a standard and instruction where an officer dealing with an incident may issue a RPW, where he or she has reason to believe that the person has committed one of the relevant offences and meets the necessary criteria.

As such, the Scottish Government has not sought a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a RPW from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service or (b) Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03544

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to revise the terms of reference that it has set for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

Question reference: S6F-03185

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of a National Crime Agency warning about synthetic opioids being linked to rising numbers of deaths.

Question reference: S6W-27399

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any drug-free wings within the Scottish Prison Service estate.

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

SPS takes a multidisciplinary approach to meet both the emotional and physical needs of those in our care, as well as taking steps to safeguard prisoners and staff from the harm of illicit substances. We work closely with NHS partners and others to meet individual needs, including those receiving treatment for substance use and those abstaining from substance use.

Within our estate the SPS recovery agenda is strong, and we work collaboratively with third sector partners, including the Recovery Consortium, to ensure we meet the needs of those on their recovery journey.

Question reference: S6W-27398

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of (a) the number of paediatric pathologists based in Scotland and (b) any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months.

a) The information requested on how many paediatric pathologists are based in Scotland is not centrally available. Information on paediatric pathologists, employed by NHS Scotland, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.

b) The information requested on any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-27400

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Ford Ranger vehicles purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. As Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I regularly meet with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of the equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Ford Ranger vehicles were purchased to a UK specification and framework. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-27401

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns that have been raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Angloco all-terrain vehicles that have been purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Angloco vehicles were purchased to a SFRS specification. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-27233

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with (a) the Scottish Football Association and (b) individual football clubs regarding the potential threat posed by organised crime groups.

Question reference: S6W-27224

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Police Authority regarding Police Scotland’s reported plan to join the National Police Wellbeing Service.

Scotland’s police officers and staff do a challenging job and it absolutely right that they are supported with their physical and mental wellbeing. Whilst the wellbeing of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, under the supervision of the Scottish Police Authority, the Scottish Government communicates with Police Scotland on a range of health and wellbeing issues.

We understand that Police Scotland has committed to formally submit an action plan to HMICS shortly in response to its Wellbeing Frontline Focus review. The action plan will address the recommendations made by HMICS and provide progress updates on the areas for development identified in the Review. The Scottish Government stands ready to support Police Scotland with the implementation of the recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-27230

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people on the Sex Offenders Register notified Police Scotland that they had formally or informally changed their name, or had used an alias, in the financial year 2023-24.