Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government do not hold the data requested.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) have advised that as of 5 March 2018, 2418 victims have joined the Victim Notification Scheme. The SPS estimate that this represents around 20 – 30% of the total number of victims who were eligible to join the Scheme.

Aberdeen Roads Limited has confirmed that, of the 59 Carillion staff on the AWPR site offered a position, 57 individuals accepted positions with Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try who are the remaining contractors on the project.

Aberdeen Roads Limited has confirmed that the remaining contractors are continuing to explore the best option going forward to ensure the agency staff and operatives can remain on the project, with the least impact to both employees and the agencies supplying them.

We are continuing to work with the contractor and our stakeholders, with a view to delivering the benefits associated with opening areas of the project as soon as it is safe to do so.

In exchanges in Parliament on 8 February, I agreed to ensure that the issues raised were highlighted to the Lord President to see whether any further progress could be made on improving how transparency in the system of sentencing could be made. I can confirm I have brought the official report of those Parliamentary exchanges to the attention of the Lord President and will raise the matter when I meet with him next.

As I indicated in Parliament in answer to S5O-01779, sentencing in any given case, including whether to publish a sentencing statement, is a matter for the court. Separate to that, the independent Scottish Sentencing Council has as one of its objectives the promotion of greater awareness and understanding of sentencing policy and practice.

The Victims Code is available online and in hard copy in a range of languages and formats, with additional languages also available on request. We are also developing an easy read version, which will be available by Summer 2018.

As required by section 3C of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, Police Scotland are responsible for informing victims of how to access the Victims' Code. Where the victim does not have access to the internet, the victim may request a copy of the Code. This is reflected in Police Scotland’s published Standards of Service for Victims and Witnesses which state ‘We will ensure that you receive a Victims’ Care Card if you are a victim of crime which provides you with the details of your enquiry officer, the crime you report and information on how you can access victim support and the Scottish Government’s Victims Code’.

Scottish Ministers, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service, the Scottish Prison Service and the Parole Board Scotland are also required under the same legislation to provide access to the Code on request. These organisations will also routinely draw victims’ attention to the Code if it appears they are not already aware of it.

Victim support organisations, such as Victim Support Scotland, also play an important role in ensuring victims are aware of the Code and its contents.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14930 on 13 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse is a priority for the Scottish Government, as set out in current national policy and legislation. We are committed to working with partners nationally, locally and with support services.

Child centred, trauma informed, health care is at the heart of the current paediatric services provided to children in Scotland who experience sexual assault. The 3 Managed Clinical Networks for services related to child protection and child abuse have agreed standards for service delivery.

The Chief Medical Officer chairs the Taskforce for improving services for adults and children who have experienced rape and sexual assault. The national leadership provided by the Taskforce brings together experts from health, justice, social work and the third sector. In respect of children, the remit of this Taskforce is focussed on developing the clinical pathway to ensure that children who have experienced sexual assault, as well as those close to them, are appropriately supported through their initial disclosure and forensic medical examination, through to the timely onward referral to other healthcare or follow up services. It is also committed to exploring how forensic medical examination services and paediatric health care provided by the NHS for children who have experienced sexual assault, can contribute to any multi-agency service developments in respect of the Barnahus concept and principles.

The Scottish Government has established an expert group for preventing sexual offending involving children and young people and will bring together professional and academic expertise from across justice, education, child protection, health and the third sector to identify actions to better prevent sexual crime involving children and young people and mitigate the harm it causes. It will build on existing good work across Government and through partners.

NHS Education Scotland is leading the development of a National Trauma Skills and Knowledge Framework and National Training Framework, which will support the strategic planning and delivery of training for those who have contact with people affected by trauma across all parts of the Scottish Workforce. The Framework is designed to support the recognition of learning and development needs in the workforce and support trainers and managers in meeting them. It details the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that people affected by trauma can access services that understand and can respond to their needs.

We have established a Child Protection Improvement Programme to ensure effective protection is in place for all children at risk from abuse and neglect. The Programme includes work on neglect, child sexual exploitation, internet safety, child trafficking, leadership and workforce development, joint inspections, data and evidence and the Children’s Hearings System.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14930 on‎ 13 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14930 on 13 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill has followed the processes set out in the Scotland Act 1998, as explained by the Presiding Officer in his statement on legislative competence on the Bill and the statement of the Lord Advocate on 28 February 2018.

The 2013 Scottish Independence Referendum Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament and received a certificate of competence from the Presiding Officer.