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-34000

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to publish a bill to implement the recommendations of the Working Group on Misogyny in the current parliamentary session, and, if so, when.

Question reference: S6W-33833

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 22 January 2024, Early learning and childcare (ELC): provision for 1 and 2 year olds in Scotland, whether it will provide an update on progress with the implementation of this commitment, and by what date this will be fully implemented.

Question reference: S6O-04255

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how it delivers support for community ownership of heritage assets.

Question reference: S6W-33667

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a specific timeline for the launch of the delayed cruise ship levy consultation.

Question reference: S6W-33380

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of which actions in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030 are specifically targeted to restore and manage species-rich grasslands.

Question reference: S6W-32475

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case.

The powers of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to review alleged miscarriages of justice are provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (1995 Act).

There is no limitation within the 1995 Act on the SCCRC investigating evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case with any decision to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case being an independent matter for the SCCRC.

Question reference: S6W-32474

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions exist for misleading the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and how such matters are investigated.

The sanctions that may be applied where a person is found to have misled the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) and the means by which allegations that a person may have done so would be investigated would depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular case.

The purpose of the SCCRC is to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice. Where a person seeks to deliberately mislead the SCCRC when carrying out an investigation into an alleged miscarriage of justice, they may potentially be committing the offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice or defeat the ends of justice.

The SCCRC have a power at section 194H of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 to request precognition under oath. Where a person knowingly gives false information under oath, they may be liable to be prosecuted for perjury.

As common law offences, the maximum penalty for offences of perjury, attempting to defeat the ends of justice or pervert the course of justice is up to life imprisonment, limited only by the sentencing power of the court in which the offender is sentenced.

Where the SCCRC believe that a person may have committed a criminal offence, it is a matter for the SCCRC to consider what action to take and this could include reporting this to the police for investigation.

Question reference: S6W-32659

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to support the Office of the Public Guardian in its digital transformation project.

The Scottish budget has provided support to the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service in order that a new case management system for the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) can be introduced. The project to deliver a new system for OPG is due to be delivered over three phases. The first phase, which will enable faster processing of Power of Attorney applications, is due to be launched in 2025 and will enable OPG to bring down the processing time for cases. Phases two and three are anticipated to also be rolled out during 2025. It is estimated that the project, once all phases are delivered, will provide annual recurring savings alongside significant service improvements, and a more stable, resilient system.

Question reference: S6W-32661

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the merits of introducing digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, rather than requiring the use of paper documents as proof of registration.

The Scottish Government recognises that the present system of presenting paper copies of powers of attorneys as proof of authority to act could be improved by digitisation of the process. Digital activation codes are used in England and appear to be a successful way of doing this. Digitisation of this process in Scotland is an operational decision within the remit of the Office of the Public Guardian, which is part of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.

Question reference: S6W-32660

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the Office of the Public Guardian to introduce digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, which could reportedly benefit both attorneys and granters.