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: S4W-28643

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24995 by Michael Matheson on 13 April 2015, what percentage of (a) new and (b) renewal applications for firearm certificates is processed within 12 weeks, broken down by applications received in each month since November 2014, and whether this is the target for all applications.

Question reference: S4W-28642

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24995 by Michael Matheson on 13 April 2015, how many days on average it has taken to process and confirm the outcome of (a) new and (b) renewal applications for firearm certificates in each month since November 2014.

Question reference: S4W-28509

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment in Scottish Legal News on 13 November 2015 that the 140-day remand limit is regularly breached by the courts due to a “lack of judges, lack of court space and lack of resources for the preparation of trials”.

The Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland has carried out an examination this year of the management of time limits. Its report was published in February 2015 and may be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/1907

The report notes the increase in the number of sexual offences currently before the courts, and the increasing complexity of solemn cases, and sets out a number of recommendations for consideration by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). The report also states that "It is noteworthy and to the credit of COPFS that, with a few exceptions, [serious cases prosecuted under solemn procedure] are managed within the tight time limits that apply in Scots law".

Recognising the increased burden of sexual and domestic abuse cases discussed in the report, the Scottish Government has committed £2.4 million in additional funding in the current year to ensure swift progress of cases involving these offences. This funding is supporting additional court staff, judiciary and fiscals.

Question reference: S4W-28458

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S4W-27521 by John Swinney on 29 September 2015, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what date it will (a) publish an analysis of responses to the consultation on proposed amendments to the NHS Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and (b) set out how it plans to proceed.

Question reference: S4W-28511

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median time is that a person has spent in on remand (i) since April 2015 and (ii) in each year since 2010.

The information requested for 2010-11 to 2012-13 is shown in the following table. Data for 2013-14 will be published on 18 December 2015. Data from April 2015 onward is not yet available.

Maximum, mean and median number of days spent on remand prior to liberation for people entering prison during the period: 2010-11 to 2012-13

	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Maximum	504	449	335
Mean	36	36	31
Median	23	24	23

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

Question reference: S4W-28464

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S4W-27521 by John Swinney on 29 September 2015, whether it plans to make any changes to the NHS Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 through (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation and, if so, (i) what changes and (ii) whether this will be introduced before the end of the Parliamentary session.

Question reference: S4W-28457

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of a privacy champion to the NHS Central Register Governance Board.

Question reference: S4W-28609

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to include (a) housing associations, (b) trusts set up by local authorities to provide services, (c) privately-run prisons, (d) private sector companies contracted to build or maintain (i) local authority schools, (ii) NHS hospitals and (iii) other public buildings, (e) bodies providing public services paid for with public money, (f) bodies that have received grants or other benefits from public money, (g) bodies that deliver public services, (h) bodies that deliver formerly state-owned services and (i) other bodies.

In October 2015, the Scottish Government announced its intention to consult with housing associations with a view to extending coverage of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ('the Act'). The Scottish Government has previously extended coverage of the Act to a range of local authority trusts providing leisure, cultural and sporting services and has recently consulted on proposals to extend the Act to privately-run prisons.

The Scottish Government takes an incremental approach to extension of coverage and, more widely, seeks to promote openness and transparency in the delivery of public services. In line with this incremental approach, we will continue to assess the arguments in favour of extending coverage and would anticipate further proposals in due course.

Question reference: S4W-28605

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the scope of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 has reduced since the legislation came into force, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The scope of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ('the Act') is subject to constant change. Without a comprehensive analysis of coverage in 2005 compared to now we do not consider it is possible to accurately assess the extent of changes to scope.

Most recently, the Act has been extended to a range of local authority arms-length trusts and the newly established health and social care integration joint boards. The Scottish Government has also recently consulted on further extension of coverage and is committed to consulting with a view to bringing within scope housing associations.

Question reference: S4W-28611

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in introducing a policy to require the automatic consideration of transferring rights and duties under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to bodies that take over the delivery of functions and services on behalf, or instead, of public authorities.

The Code of Practice published in accordance with section 60 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ('the Act') requires a public authority, when considering outsourcing any of its functions, to take steps to ensure that there is no resulting reduction in the public’s rights to access information through requests and proactive publication.

Compliance with the code – which is enforced by the Scottish Information Commissioner – should therefore mean that authorities outsourcing any of their functions consider the implications for access to information.