- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Freight Fares Review and the timing of the introduction of a new freight fares structure.
Answer
The most recent Working Group meeting, which includes local authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and industry bodies, took place on 27 March 2017. At this meeting the Working Group identified some further analysis to be undertaken on the preferred option identified for setting freight fares. This has now been conducted and I have recently received advice from Transport Scotland officials, which I am currently considering.
Scottish Ministers & Transport Scotland have always been clear that there is no definitive commitment on timing. However we are working to conclude the review as soon as practicable and I aim to be in a position to provide details on the way forward by the end of this summer.
Minutes of all Working Group meetings are available on the Transport Scotland website.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 18 have been in custody in each year since 2010, broken down by length of sentence.
Answer
The number of people under 18 sentenced to custody in each year since 2006-07 is presented in the following table. Individual people are counted more than once if they receive more than one custodial sentence within a year.
|
|
Up to 3 months
|
Over 3 months to 6 months
|
Over 6 months to 1 year
|
Over 1 year to 2 years
|
Over 2 years to less than 4 years
|
4 years & Over
|
Life
|
Total
|
|
2006-07
|
582
|
159
|
57
|
55
|
30
|
17
|
3
|
903
|
|
2007-08
|
515
|
132
|
77
|
62
|
23
|
23
|
3
|
835
|
|
2008-09
|
368
|
172
|
107
|
52
|
27
|
17
|
-
|
743
|
|
2009-10
|
314
|
174
|
69
|
47
|
32
|
9
|
1
|
646
|
|
2010-11
|
179
|
127
|
53
|
36
|
24
|
15
|
5
|
439
|
|
2011-12
|
154
|
155
|
67
|
52
|
19
|
9
|
-
|
456
|
|
2012-13
|
90
|
103
|
62
|
37
|
19
|
6
|
3
|
320
|
|
2013-14
|
65
|
58
|
31
|
20
|
9
|
3
|
-
|
186
|
|
2014-15
|
71
|
48
|
25
|
15
|
9
|
5
|
-
|
173
|
|
2015-16
|
82
|
59
|
38
|
23
|
9
|
6
|
-
|
217
|
Source: Criminal Proceedings database.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings of the Police Scotland staff Pulse survey that was carried out in 2016.
Answer
Publication of the results of the pulse survey is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the (a) Inverness and (b) other disease surveillance centres.
Answer
Any update on the future of the Inverness and other disease surveillance centres would be from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) who are responsible for their operation.
The Scottish Government provides support for SRUC to deliver education, advisory and research activities in the rural sector. Part of this support enables SRUC to deliver the Scottish Government's Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme. As a private company, SRUC are free to determine how their disease surveillance centres operate provided they can satisfy to the Scottish Government that the objectives of the Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme are met.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09355 by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of the information for offences of (a) possession and (b) possession with intent to supply.
Answer
The requested information is provided in the table titled 'Drug possession convictions by crime, selected drug types and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16' which is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 58824).
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the provision of educational support in mainstream schools.
Answer
The duty to provide education in a mainstream school, unless certain exceptions apply, rests with education authorities. Education authorities must identify, provide and review the additional support that their pupils need to overcome barriers to their learning.
To support this, the Scottish Government has developed, and will shortly publish for consultation, guidance on mainstreaming.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted of possessing (a) heroin, (b) cocaine, (c) cannabis, (d) amphetamines, (e) ecstasy and (f) other drugs in each year since 2010-11 received a (i) custodial sentence, (ii) community payback order, including a requirement to carry out a drug treatment programme, (iii) drug treatment and testing order, (iv) fine and (v) other disposal.
Answer
The requested information for the offences of "possession" and "possession with intent to supply" is presented in the following table.
Drug possession convictions by selected drug types1 and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16
|
|
Custody
|
Community payback order
|
Drug treatment and testing order
|
Other community sentence
|
Monetary
|
Other
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All drug possession convictions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
1,325
|
14
|
138
|
885
|
3,606
|
1,095
|
7,063
|
|
2011-12
|
1,200
|
443
|
119
|
388
|
3,185
|
994
|
6,329
|
|
2012-13
|
1,020
|
801
|
108
|
108
|
2,780
|
922
|
5,739
|
|
2013-14
|
949
|
849
|
97
|
72
|
3,087
|
941
|
5,995
|
|
2014-15
|
831
|
931
|
79
|
62
|
3,272
|
1,073
|
6,248
|
|
2015-16
|
924
|
945
|
70
|
123
|
3,235
|
1,219
|
6,516
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heroin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
542
|
5
|
99
|
296
|
792
|
385
|
2,119
|
|
2011-12
|
484
|
82
|
71
|
102
|
598
|
354
|
1,691
|
|
2012-13
|
377
|
173
|
64
|
19
|
478
|
286
|
1,397
|
|
2013-14
|
355
|
156
|
65
|
20
|
418
|
215
|
1,229
|
|
2014-15
|
354
|
208
|
50
|
15
|
486
|
249
|
1,362
|
|
2015-16
|
394
|
208
|
52
|
25
|
550
|
310
|
1,539
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cocaine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
182
|
1
|
2
|
111
|
915
|
79
|
1,290
|
|
2011-12
|
181
|
68
|
5
|
54
|
851
|
88
|
1,247
|
|
2012-13
|
196
|
125
|
4
|
27
|
853
|
95
|
1,300
|
|
2013-14
|
174
|
142
|
3
|
14
|
920
|
91
|
1,344
|
|
2014-15
|
141
|
164
|
7
|
6
|
1,016
|
111
|
1,445
|
|
2015-16
|
160
|
177
|
4
|
20
|
949
|
116
|
1,426
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cannabis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
176
|
1
|
8
|
186
|
1,043
|
266
|
1,680
|
|
2011-12
|
170
|
131
|
6
|
100
|
848
|
235
|
1,490
|
|
2012-13
|
182
|
215
|
3
|
25
|
697
|
241
|
1,363
|
|
2013-14
|
193
|
305
|
8
|
20
|
1,006
|
341
|
1,873
|
|
2014-15
|
133
|
318
|
6
|
19
|
982
|
417
|
1,875
|
|
2015-16
|
167
|
328
|
1
|
43
|
1,026
|
484
|
2,049
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
37
|
1
|
2
|
44
|
112
|
30
|
226
|
|
2011-12
|
46
|
8
|
3
|
20
|
85
|
23
|
185
|
|
2012-13
|
41
|
19
|
3
|
10
|
53
|
19
|
145
|
|
2013-14
|
41
|
34
|
1
|
2
|
74
|
14
|
166
|
|
2014-15
|
34
|
44
|
2
|
2
|
84
|
15
|
181
|
|
2015-16
|
41
|
29
|
1
|
7
|
82
|
26
|
186
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ecstasy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
15
|
74
|
16
|
109
|
|
2011-12
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
6
|
141
|
16
|
173
|
|
2012-13
|
11
|
21
|
1
|
2
|
136
|
17
|
188
|
|
2013-14
|
12
|
28
|
-
|
2
|
161
|
40
|
243
|
|
2014-15
|
17
|
36
|
-
|
4
|
190
|
19
|
266
|
|
2015-16
|
16
|
39
|
-
|
5
|
190
|
37
|
287
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
384
|
6
|
27
|
233
|
670
|
319
|
1,639
|
|
2011-12
|
314
|
149
|
34
|
106
|
662
|
278
|
1,543
|
|
2012-13
|
213
|
248
|
33
|
25
|
563
|
264
|
1,346
|
|
2013-14
|
174
|
184
|
20
|
14
|
508
|
240
|
1,140
|
|
2014-15
|
152
|
161
|
14
|
16
|
514
|
262
|
1,119
|
|
2015-16
|
146
|
164
|
12
|
23
|
438
|
246
|
1,029
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Criminal Proceedings database
|
|
|
|
|
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the length of custodial sentences by drug type in each year since 2010-11.
Answer
The following table presents the average custodial sentences for all drug offences by the type of drug involved. This includes the offences of "illegal importation of drugs", "production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs", "possession with intent to supply drugs", "possession", "drugs, money laundering relating offences" and "bringing drugs into prison".
Average custodial sentence (days) for drugs offences by type of drug, 2010-11 to 2015-16
|
|
2010-11
|
2011-12
|
2012-13
|
2013-14
|
2014-15
|
2015-16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All drug offences
|
575
|
542
|
578
|
604
|
517
|
476
|
|
Heroin
|
496
|
523
|
641
|
678
|
571
|
539
|
|
Cocaine
|
781
|
789
|
834
|
796
|
676
|
602
|
|
Cannabis
|
531
|
503
|
427
|
485
|
458
|
389
|
|
Amphetamines
|
442
|
495
|
610
|
865
|
514
|
439
|
|
Ecstasy
|
372
|
273
|
622
|
578
|
477
|
366
|
|
Other drugs
|
632
|
475
|
420
|
411
|
343
|
344
|
Source: Criminal proceedings database
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce the first pilot schemes for the management of the seabed.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to deliver inclusive growth for Orkney.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
