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-26426

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what regulations cover the use of facial recognition technology by private sector companies.

Question reference: S4W-26414

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) criminal offences, (b) circumstances and (c) descriptions of offender can cause a victim surcharge to be imposed.

The victim surcharge is not yet operational, nor have the relevant provisions in the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 been brought into force. Therefore, no surcharges have been imposed or payments made.

The victim surcharge is due to be introduced later in 2015, ensuring that offenders contribute towards a fund specifically to support victims of crime. Preparatory work for the establishment and administration of the fund is ongoing, and it is the Scottish Government’s intention that the surcharge will initially be imposed on offenders given a court fine. However, further details of how it will operate, including the circumstances in which a surcharge is to be imposed, will be set out in subordinate legislation and will be subject to parliamentary approval in due course.

Question reference: S4W-26430

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether public space CCTV owners and operators are complying with the standards and regulatory framework for CCTV in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-26424

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many private sector CCTV cameras are in use in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-26427

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether a national CCTV practitioners' users group has been established and, if so, on how many occasions it has met since March 2011; when it last met, and what the membership is.

Following publication of the National Strategy for Public Space CCTV in Scotland in March 2011, the Scottish Community Safety Network (SCSN) facilitated a Scottish National CCTV Practitioners’ Group, along with practitioners’ groups for the north, east and west of Scotland. Arrangements for the meetings, including dates and membership, are a matter for the SCSN. The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. I understand that the groups no longer meet.

Question reference: S4W-26425

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how the use of CCTV cameras by the private sector is regulated in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-26429

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether all public space CCTV providers publish annual reports on performance in a publicly accessible format.

Question reference: S4W-26432

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether all operators of public space CCTV systems are registered with the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Question reference: S4W-26416

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the first payment to a victim from the Victim Surcharge Fund was made, how many payments have been made to date, and what the total value has been.

Question reference: S4W-26428

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting the (a) legislative requirements and (b) code of practice issued by the Information Commissioner's Office to CCTV system owners and users.

The Scottish Government published the National Strategy for Public Space CCTV in Scotland in March 2011. It was created to provide guidance and a common set of principles to operators of public space CCTV across Scotland. The strategy does not impose requirements on CCTV operators – predominantly local authorities – but seeks to provide advice and clarity to local partners for decisions on the development of their CCTV systems.

It is for individual operators, and operators in the private sector, to ensure compliance with current legislation and to take note of the good practice set out in the Information Commissioner’s code of practice.