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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1684 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-19974

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would support the testing of illegal drugs in order to support harm reduction.

Question reference: S5W-19953

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Scottish Sentencing Council in each year since its inception.

Under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (Administrative Support) (Specified Persons) Order 2015, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has the statutory function of providing, or ensuring the provision of, the property, services and staff for the Scottish Sentencing Council. SCTS receives annual funding from the Justice portfolio of the Scottish Government covering all their responsibilities including in respect of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

The Scottish Sentencing Council was established in October 2015. An annual report is published each year by the Scottish Sentencing Council and this annual report includes details of their allocated funding from SCTS for each year of operation. Decisions about the annual budget of the Scottish Sentencing Council are a matter for SCTS.

https://www.scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk/media/1893/scottish-sentencing-council-annual-report-2017-18.pdf

https://www.scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk/media/1549/scottish-sentencing-council-annual-report-2016-17.pdf

https://www.scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk/media/1493/annual-report-2015-16-website-version.pdf

Question reference: S5W-19954

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government to what degree it has the power to guide the work of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

The Scottish Sentencing Council is an independent body under the terms of the statute agreed by the Scottish Parliament.

Section 7 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 ("the 2010 Act") provides that the Scottish Ministers may request that the Scottish Sentencing Council consider preparing, for the approval of the High Court of Justiciary, sentencing guidelines on any matter or review any sentencing guidelines published by the Council. Section 7 provides that the Council must have regard to any request made by the Scottish Ministers in respect of guidelines. However the Council is not obliged to agree with any request and section 7 provides that if the Council decides not to comply with a request made by the Scottish Ministers, it must provide the Scottish Ministers with reasons for its decision.

Section 12 of the 2010 Act provides that the Council must consult with, amongst others, the Scottish Ministers in preparing their business plan.

Question reference: S5W-19973

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support illegal drugs harm reduction projects.

Question reference: S5O-02645

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make money available for a new Castlebrae High School before the 2021 new school building cycle.

Question reference: S5W-19958

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that victims of crime are informed of the perpetrator's (a) application for parole and (b) application for home visits.

In all criminal cases where an offender is sentenced to a period of imprisonment, victims have a right to be told about the release of the relevant prisoner.

In cases where the offender has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment or more, victims and their families can register with the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS).

The VNS is in two parts and victims and their families can opt into either, or both. Part One of the scheme provides registered victims with information about a prisoner’s release, death or if they abscond. Part Two of the scheme, allows the victim to make representations to the Scottish Prison Service in advance of a prisoner being considered for temporary release, release on Home Detention Curfew or consideration by the Parole Board. Further information about the VNS can be found here: https://www.mygov.scot/after-the-verdict/victim-notification-schemes/ .

We want to do more to support victims to navigate the parole system. That is why we will consult on measures to improve the openness and transparency of the parole process before the end of this year. This consultation will also seek views on how to strengthen the voice of victims in relation to parole and improve the provision of support and information. These issues and other Programme for Government commitments to improve support for victims will be considered by the Victims Taskforce, which will be co-chaired by the Justice Secretary and the Lord Advocate and will meet for the first time on 12 th December.

Question reference: S5W-19959

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that parole board reports should be made available to victims and witnesses on request.

As we committed to in this year’s Programme for Government, we will consult on specific measures to make parole processes more open and transparent. This will include consulting on measures to provide victims and their families with information on Parole Board decisions, as well as mechanisms to strengthen the voice of victims in parole processes. The consultation will be published before the end of the year. These issues and other PfG commitments to improve support for victims will be considered by the Victims Taskforce, which will be co-chaired by the Justice Secretary and the Lord Advocate and will meet for the first time on 12 th December.

Question reference: S5W-19948

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what penalties there are for people who dispose of human waste in public drains; who such incidents should be reported to, and how many people have been fined for this offence in each of the last three years.

While such cases should be reported to Scottish Water in the first instance, several different statutes cover possible actions and may apply. Scottish Water, SEPA and Roads Authorities therefore may work together to investigate alleged incidents of unauthorised disposal of human waste into drains or sewers. In cases reported to Scottish Water, it does not issue fines directly for offences, it reports these to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. It is the policy of Scottish Water to work with dischargers to remediate existing or potential problems from unauthorised discharges to the public sewer. Where an unauthorised discharge poses a serious risk or causes harm, Scottish Water will consider submitting a report to the Procurator Fiscal. In the last three years Scottish Water has submitted two reports, however neither proceeded to court.

Question reference: S5W-19939

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area are in receipt of the single-person discount for (a) water charges and (b) council tax.

The number of dwellings in receipt of the single occupant discount is presented in the following table.

Local Authority	Single Occupant Discount for Council Tax	Single Occupant Discount for Water Charges
Local Authority	Single Occupant Discount for Council Tax	Water and wastewater	Water Only	Wastewater Only
Aberdeen City	45,790	44,989	154	37
Aberdeenshire	35,853	30,025	2,502	41
Angus	20,680	18,439	973	234
Argyll & Bute	15,320	12,622	1,759	85
Clackmannanshire	9,470	8,890	75	8
Dumfries & Galloway	25,963	22,387	2,228	91
Dundee City	32,552	32,510	18	19
East Ayrshire	22,176	21,547	418	12
East Dunbartonshire	14,599	14,340	113	2
East Lothian	16,141	15,313	438	23
East Renfrewshire	11,797	11,340	67	3
Edinburgh, City of	93,803	92,628	150	63
Eilean Siar	5,149	3,978	1,100	7
Falkirk	28,129	27,765	245	25
Fife	65,471	61,744	672	226
Glasgow City	138,711	137,735	20	8
Highland	39,680	33,191	4,675	74
Inverclyde	15,401	15,195	49	2
Midlothian	13,180	12,711	187	170
Moray	15,601	13,955	945	21
North Ayrshire	27,340	26,154	470	10
North Lanarkshire	58,451	58,321	365	7
Orkney Islands	3,689	2,402	914	11
Perth & Kinross	25,450	22,389	1,481	109
Renfrewshire	35,163	34,322	163	10
Scottish Borders	20,938	18,205	1,022	47
Shetland Islands	3,638	2,932	713	15
South Ayrshire	20,567	19,807	430	22
South Lanarkshire	57,746	54,285	857	18
Stirling	13,723	13,075	536	22
West Dunbartonshire	18,093	17,741	44	2
West Lothian	28,240	27,893	301	8
Total	978,504	928,830	24,084	1,432

Question reference: S5W-19940

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether businesses that are not connected to the water network are routinely exempt from water and sewage charges, and for what reason charges can be imposed.