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: S5W-03439

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the remaining £4.9 million of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme budget will be spent, in light of £9.1million having been allocated on 30 September 2016, and how the money can be applied for.

The balance of funding has been reallocated within existing funding programmes in 2016-17 for both the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Schemes (ABS). As part of a call to use unallocated ABS funds, including the balance of SEEP funding, 21 councils received additional ABS funding (see funding breakdown below). Further Information on LCITP can be found here http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Action/lowcarbon/LCITP

Reallocation of unused SEEP and HEEPS: ABS funding

Council	Additional Funding £k	Purpose
Aberdeenshire	500,000	EWI and CWI extraction
Angus	500,000	EWI
Clackmannanshire	417,000	EWI and IWI
Dumfries & Galloway	500,000	EWI
Dundee	429,000	EWI
East Ayrshire	500,000	EWI
Falkirk	37,000	EWI
Glasgow	500,000	EWI and IWI
Highland	500,000	EWI
Inverclyde	500,000	EWI and Low Cost Measures
Midlothian	50,000	EWI
Moray	205,000	EWI, IWI
North Ayrshire	500,000	EWI
North Lanarkshire	500,000	EWI, Radiator Panels
Renfrewshire	762,000	EWI
Shetland	318,000	EWI
South Ayrshire	500,000	EWI
South Lanarkshire	740,000	EWI
Stirling	474,000	EWI
West Lothian	500,000	EWI
Western Isles	499,000	IWI, RnR
TOTALS	9,431,000 (1)

EWI (External Wall Insulation), IWI (Internal wall Insulation) RnR (Room in roof Insulation),

CWI (Cavity wall Insulation)

1) Total allocated funding exceeds the £4.9m remaining from SEEP as it includes additional unallocated HEEPS: Area Based Schemes funding

Question reference: S5W-03999

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Joint Civil Society's criticism of the continued legality of the "justifiable assault" defence in its recent report on human rights to the UN.

The Scottish Government is opposed to the physical punishment of children. The Scottish Government does not, however, wish to see parents unnecessarily or unreasonably criminalised and we have no plans to bring forward legislation to repeal existing legal defences for parents in relation to physical punishment. There are already restrictions in this area. Section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 makes it illegal to punish a child by way of a blow to the head, shaking or the use of an implement. In addition, section 51 of the 2003 Act lays down a range of factors for the courts to consider when determining whether other forms of physical punishment are lawful. As indicated in paragraphs 214 and 215 of the Policy Memorandum for the then Bill (http://www.parliament.scot/S1_Bills/Criminal%20Justice%20(Scotland)%20Bill/b50s1pm.pdf ), these factors were laid down by the European Court of Human Rights.

Question reference: S5W-03479

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what input the First Minister had in (a) selecting the books chosen for and (b) setting the criteria of each of the seven elements of the First Minister’s Reading Challenge, and which of the books in the challenge the First Minister (i) has read and (ii) recommended personally for inclusion.

Following discussions with the First Minister, an Advisory Group was set up to help develop the detail of the First Minister's Reading Challenge. The group includes representation from education, libraries, authors, booksellers, parents and community reading groups.

The Advisory Group agreed a process by which the Scottish Book Trust would compile a non-mandatory book list, which would be used as inspiration for those taking part in the Challenge. This list was compiled following consultation with children, teachers, librarians, community groups and the First Minister, who suggested a favourite book from childhood, Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton. The resulting '100 places to start your reading journey' was agreed by the Advisory Group and by the First Minister.

The Advisory Group also recommended an expanded range of ways to take part in the First Minister's Reading Challenge, with detail including specific criteria then developed by the Scottish Book Trust, in addition to those originally announced on World Book Day. This gives schools and pupils flexible options that mean they can take part in the way that is best for them. This was agreed with the First Minister and resulted in the seven elements recently launched by the First Minister.

Question reference: S5W-03984

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comment by the General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation that Police Scotland has "a genuine crisis coming" concerning the state of the force's estate and facilities, and what action it is taking to improve this infrastructure.

Question reference: S5W-03477

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its recently-launched initiative to encourage primary schoolchildren to read is called the First Minister’s Reading Challenge; what other names were considered, broken down by reason for rejection, and, when selecting the name, whether it considered any similar initiatives that are named after heads of government, and, if so, (a) which and (b) what lessons it learned from these.

The current First Minister's personal love of reading and her commitment to improving literacy levels for children and young people across Scotland have been key factors in driving the development and launch of this initiative. While not the only factor that may affect success of initiatives like this, the Office of the First Minister can also bring a significance and profile that a reading challenge might otherwise not achieve - the success in the uptake of the Challenge in the short time since the launch is an indicator of this. The initiative was named the First Minister's Reading Challenge without consideration or rejection of alternatives.

Question reference: S5W-03682

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many inmates have been returned to prison by prisoner and custody escort services after "lights out" in each of the last three years, broken down by prison.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Data is not routinely recorded regarding the time that individual prisoners return to the prison, and modern prisons do not have a “lights out” time. In the Court Custody and Prisoner Escort Services (CCPES) contract, a performance measure is recorded each time that a prisoner arrives after the time when the prison’s prisoner reception would ordinarily close. This time varies between establishments.

The following data shows the number of times this performance measure has been recorded, including instances of excusable failure as well as service provider failure.

Establishment	2013	2014	2015	2016 to 30-9-16	Grand Total
HMP Addiewell			1		1
HMP Barlinnie	9		2		11
HMP Castle Huntly		20			20
HMP Cornton Vale	3	3	1		7
HMP Edinburgh					0
HMP Glenochil		1	1		2
HMP & YOI Grampian			4		4
HMP Greenock		1			1
HMP Low Moss	2				2
HMP Perth		1	4		5
HMYOI Polmont	4		15		19
Grand Total	18	26	28	0	72

Question reference: S5W-03673

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision by the Scottish Police Authority to hire an interim chief financial officer via a service company; whether it is satisfied that this decision complies with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and for what reason, and whether it will publish all correspondence that it has had with the authority regarding the appointment.

Question reference: S5W-03440

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been made by the prisoner and custody escort services in each of the last three years, broken down by prison establishment.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table shows the number of journeys for core and non-core services for the period from 1 April 2013 until 30 September 2016.

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

Establishment	Core	Non Core	Core	Non Core	Core	Non Core	Core	Non Core
Aberdeen	1348	157		1
Addiewell	4876	966	5093	1093	5228	1059	2336	575
Barlinnie	12195	1876	11554	2147	10606	2362	5489	1385
Castle Huntly	18	3983	31	4688	17	3769	8	1877
Cornton Vale	2763	605	2586	685	2345	751	853	283
Dumfries	582	293	616	263	614	335	246	151
Edinburgh	7008	1465	7367	1441	6657	1446	3048	820
Glenochil	764	1118	621	933	738	907	336	444
Grampian	80	17	2825	389	3317	472	1357	311
Greenock	994	734	1087	805	831	849	497	406
Inverness	1579	213	1420	196	1311	204	725	110
Kilmarnock	2630	660	2578	754	2658	824	1309	410
Low Moss	4717	827	4887	1008	4853	1306	2493	674
Perth	4945	1001	5464	1066	4940	1093	2407	636
Peterhead	193	108
Polmont	6525	696	6090	526	6356	695	3159	325
Shotts	355	1125	379	1103	431	993	160	426
TOTAL	51572	15844	52598	17098	50902	17065	24423	8833

While the core service is the escorting service to and from court, the non-core service covers various services such as inter-prison transfers and attendance at hospital appointments. For the core service, each separate journey is counted as one journey. Thus, the same person going to court, and then returning from court on the same day shows as 2 journeys. For non-core services, a return trip is counted as 1 journey.

Question reference: S5W-03895

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 28 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the outcome of its consultation on the minimum age of criminal responsibility will be published.

Question reference: S5W-03896

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 28 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in implementing the recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UK Children’s Commissioners to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility.