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: S4F-01596

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2013

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the decision taken at the COSLA leaders meeting to back the petition from the No2Bedroom Tax campaign calling for £50 million to mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax.

Question reference: S4W-17280

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to foodbanks.

Question reference: S4W-17282

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the circumstances and nature of people using foodbanks.

Question reference: S4W-17281

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the location of foodbanks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15751 on 27 June 2013. The member may wish to note that the Scottish Government recently commissioned a study exploring the provision of emergency food-aid in Scotland. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-17153

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15294 by Shona Robinson on 11 June 2013, when work was undertaken with stakeholders to consider a refreshed race equality statement; who these stakeholders were, and when it will issue the statement for consultation.

In April, we published our current thinking on how race equality should develop over the next three years. We will shortly begin work to develop the Scottish Government approach to race equality with communities and stakeholders with a view to publishing the statement in Spring 2014. This will allow us to take into consideration information provided by the 2011 Census which will be available later this month.

Question reference: S4W-17155

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided to issue a race equality statement rather than a race equality strategy.

Question reference: S4W-17158

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides for work on race equality.

Question reference: S4W-17151

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle revenge porn.

There are a range of laws that may be applicable in dealing with the issue of revenge porn, including both criminal laws and civil laws, depending on the specific circumstance of each incident.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service officials met with representatives from Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, White Ribbon Scotland, Victim Support Scotland and Police Scotland on 5 September 2013 to discuss the issue of ‘revenge porn’ and how best it could dealt with. The Scottish Government will consider any issues or specific proposals arising from the event”

Question reference: S4W-17156

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since 2007 to improve access to health and social care for black and minority ethnic communities.

Under the Equality Act 2010, NHS boards and local authorities are required to achieve equality for people including those from black and minority ethnic communities. This is primarily done through Equality Impact Assessments, an approach which NHSScotland has operated since 2005. Specific “Fair for All” guidance on responding to the needs of black and minority ethnic communities has been in place since 2002.

NHSScotland is supported by the equality team within NHS Health Scotland, who are working to strengthen equality access for all through their Health Inequalities Impact Assessment. Support has included training for staff in equality and diversity, improving equality monitoring particularly for ethnicity and delivering interpreting and translation services.

Question reference: S4W-17152

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what legal actions are available to tackle revenge porn and whether such actions are monitored.

There are a number of offences which may, depending on the facts and circumstances of each specific case, be used to prosecute a person who publishes, or threatens to publish, pornographic images of another person without their consent. These include the common law offences of breach of the peace or blackmail, statutory offences of “threatening or abusive behaviour” and “stalking” at sections 38 and 39 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and the offence at section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 of “improper use of a public electronic communications network”. Where the images are of a child under the age of 18, the offences at sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will be relevant. It is not possible to separately identify convictions for these offences which relate to the publication of ‘revenge porn’ as opposed to other conduct which is criminal but not falling with the definition of “revenge porn”.

In addition, it may also be open to victim to seek remedies under civil law. The availability of civil remedies will turn on the facts and context of each case, including who is being sued and for what reason. Anyone who considers they have been the subject of “revenge porn” should consider seeking legal advice as to the legal options available to them.