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-22167

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its publication, Developing Information on Hate Crime Recorded by the Police in Scotland, does not include protected characteristic information related to victims or perpetrators, as committed to in its publication, National Statistics on Recorded Crime in Scotland 2017-2018, and as previously available in the report, Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland.

As outlined in the report ‘Developing Information on Hate Crime Recorded by the Police in Scotland’, further information on the nature of each hate crime the police deal with is recorded in Police Scotland's Interim Vulnerable Persons Database (IVPD). For example, this includes the age, gender and ethnicity of those involved, and the perceived motivations of the perpetrator.

It should be noted that a person does not need to be a member of a particular social group to be the victim of a hate crime. The law states that the identity of the victim is irrelevant as to whether something is a hate crime or not; the motivation of the perpetrator is the key factor in defining a hate crime. As such, Police Scotland do not generally collect information on whether or not a victim is a member of a particular social group in relation to the protected characteristics (with the exception of their ethnicity). Furthermore, the functionality of the IVPD does not currently allow victims to be distinguished from those reporting a hate crime to the police (where these are two different people). This is similar to the previous Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland statistics.

Following publication of the Recorded Crime in Scotland 2017-2018 National Statistics, and while collaborating on the report ‘Developing Information on Hate Crime Recorded by the Police in Scotland’, Police Scotland fed back that further work was required on the more detailed information recorded in the IVPD on hate crime, prior to its dissemination. Police Scotland have been reviewing the process used by officers to enter this information into the database, with the aim of ensuring that should more detailed analysis on the nature of hate crime be regularly drawn from the IVPD, users can be assured of its quality.

Scottish Government statisticians will continue to engage with Police Scotland as they take this work forward, and will inform users through the SCOTSTAT network [1] of any new developments regarding the availability of hate crime information.

I have raised this issue directly with the Chair of the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable.

[1] Network for users and providers of Scottish Official Statistics ( https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/scotstat )

Question reference: S5W-22142

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons were learned from the storm in January 2005, which led to fatalities at the causeway linking South Uist and Benbecula, including what action has been taken and contingencies put in place to reduce the risk of similar accidents at that site.

Following the tragic fatalities in January 2005, the Scottish Government provided some £4.5 million in funding towards the repair costs for the Eriskay Breakwater and the North Ford Causeway. The Government also stated at the time that any underspend could be allocated towards any betterment in the related transport infrastructure.

As a Government we recognise the importance of a well maintained public road network for the wellbeing of the country as a whole, and under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 local authorities have a duty to manage and maintain the local roads within their area. In addition, under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 they also have a duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

In this specific instance, in addition to repairing the damaged causeway, we understand that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) carried out various feasibility studies into potential improvement works. They would be able to offer further advice on the current status and projected costs for these recommended options.

Question reference: S5W-21950

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment regarding the extension to the Air Discount Scheme announced on 5 March 2019.

Question reference: S5F-03157

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2019

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported increasing number of drug deaths.

Question reference: S5W-21731

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform to the Member of 18 February 2019, whether the Scottish Government will set out a timeline, including an expected deadline, for the phasing out of lead shot used by Scottish Natural Heritage.

The Scottish Government does not intend to set out a timeline, including an expected deadline, for the phasing out of lead shot used by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

As confirmed in the letter of 18 February, SNH does not use lead shot in wetland areas and is continuing to reduce the use of lead shot in other areas; for example 95% of the culling of red deer on land owned or managed by SNH uses non-lead ammunition.

SNH continues to seek out and trial non-lead ammunition in the limited circumstances where it is still being used and will change to alternatives when operational requirements can be met and after ensuring that any animal welfare concerns have been fully addressed.

Question reference: S5W-21327

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21130 by Michael Matheson on 29 January 2019, whether it will break down the 2,131 stop-skipping incidences by station affected.

Question reference: S5W-21134

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20892 by Fergus Ewing on 22 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what its position is on whether the response to question S5W-20663 met the commitment set out at paragraph 1.3 (d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

The Scottish Ministerial Code identifies that Ministers should be as open as possible with the Parliament and the public. As the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) I am responsible for ensuring that, as an enterprise agency in charge of public funds, both HIE and its Chief Executive are held accountable for their decisions. I have been open with the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-21129

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE) audits were carried out in 2018; how many failures were recorded, broken down by type of failure, and what the total financial penalty was.

Transport Scotland team of six Inspectors audit all 354 ScotRail Stations and approximately 180-200 trains at least once every four weekly cycle. There are 13 rail periods per year.

The member will wish to be aware that information on SQUIRE audits, passes and fails during 2018, is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 60425).

The variance of audit numbers is due to facilities being inspected either by asset, platform or station.

The total penalties attributed for SQUIRE performance during 2018 was £4.47m (including RPI).

Question reference: S5W-21130

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidences of stop-skipping were recorded on ScotRail services in 2018.

Question reference: S5W-20896

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20290 by Fergus Ewing on 14 December 2018, whether (a) the cabinet secretary was or (b) its officials were given a copy or sight of the statement by the Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) prior to it being issued and, if so, whether it was subject to (i) ministerial or (ii) official clearance.