- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the live facial recognition systems that Police Scotland's Chief Constable has proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes could be used as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable while proposing the use of live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes, what its position is on whether the non-consensual use of AI in public for live facial recognition is "parallel" to the consensual use of AI in confidential medical settings for the detection of cancer.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spoken to Police Scotland regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported low incidence of violent and criminal behaviour among the public at large, what its understanding is regarding how the risk of base rate neglect will be factored into the use of live facial recognition technology in criminal proceedings, under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether live facial recognition technology could disproportionately misidentify the faces of ethnic minority people, and what implications this might have for the use of the technology.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to consult on reforming the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.
Answer
Development of the consultation will be informed by an initial phase of expert research, which is currently underway.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland should be carried out; if it considers that such reform should be carried out, what its position is on whether this should be carried out via an Act of the UK Parliament, or via an Act of the Scottish Parliament, subsequent to the devolution of the requisite powers, and whether it would oppose its dispreferred option.
Answer
We have committed to consulting on the role of the Law Officers. To further that commitment research has been commissioned to develop a detailed baseline understanding of the many distinct roles and functions of the Law Officers and will provide information on how the functions of law officers operate in other countries.
The role of the Law Officers is secured by the Scotland Act 1998, and reflects the system in place prior to devolution. What any changes to that role would require by way of an Act of the UK or Scottish parliament would depend on any changes proposed.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government since July 2024 regarding potential reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.
Answer
I wrote to the then Secretary of State for Scotland on 29 February and made a commitment to keep the UK Government appraised of progress on this matter as it develops.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland has been completed.
Answer
Work is progressing towards publication of the report to develop a detailed baseline understanding of the distinct roles and functions of the Law Officers and how the functions of law officers operate in other countries.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland is subject to peer review, and, if so, how long it anticipates that this will take, and whether the report's author is able to release a pre-print of the report before the review stage is completed.
Answer
The report has been proposed for peer review, which will take some weeks. Release of a draft of the report is not proposed before the review stage is completed.