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-03795

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many third sector organisations are involved in purposeful activity in prisons.

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

The SPS engages with a wide range of third sector organisations in the delivery of Purposeful Activity. SPS believe that the third sector has an important role to play in progressing the delivery of PA. We have provided a breakdown prison by prison and the third sector organisations currently engaged with establishments.

Third sector agencies involved in Purposeful Activity in the Scottish Prison Service: October 2016

Establishment	3^rd sector agencies

Barlinnie	Adult learning Alcoholics Anonymous Citizens’ Advice Cornerstone Croft Early years intervention Faith in Throughcare Prison Fellowship Glasgow Life Narcotics Anonymous New Routes Scottish Canine Concern Scottish Phoenix Trust Theatre Nemo Toy Box
Cornton Vale	Stirling Interfaith Partnership Shine Stirling Addiction Services Tomorrow’s women Women’s Justice Centre Women’s Aid Paws for progress Scottish Youth Hostel Assoc’n Shelter Salvation Army PDSA Sue Ryder Robertson Group ACE recycling Adult Literacy Link Project – City of GlasgowCollege Open secret Alcoholics anonymous Samaritans
Dumfries	Open Secret ADDACTION ILS Community Learning and Development Samaritans Oral Health Adult Support and Protection APEX SACRO SHELTER Throughcare Addictions Service (TAS) Positive Routes/ New Routes/ Routes out of Prison Bethany Housing Relationships Scotland Early Years Scotland Families Outside
Edinburgh	Four Square/PHASE HOPE Open Secret Armed Services Advice Project Veterans First Point WILDAS New Routes Advocard Willow SHINE SACRO Veterans Housing Agency Referral (Non Edinburgh &Fife) Lifeline Thera-pet project Edinburgh Bike-station Conservation Foundation Prison Fellowship Barclay Viewforth Church Salvation Army
Glenochil	Samaritans Signpost recovery Families Outside Family Mediation Prison Fellowship Gamblers Anonymous Glasgow School of Art Live Literature Makers Gallery Alloa Mothers Union Narcotics Anonymous Open Secret Reading Agency
Grampian	Narcotics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous Station House Media Unit APEX Turning point Early years Scotland
Greenock	218 Project Alcoholics Anonymous Apex Moving On Open Secret Prison Fellowship Shine/New Routes Street Cones Theatre Nemo Throughcare/Addiction Services, Dumbarton Tomorrow’s Woman Women’s Aid
Inverness	The Liberty Project New Start Highland Blythsewood Apex SMART UK Highland Homeless Trust Alcoholics Anonymous Barnardos Citizen Advice Creativity in Care Victim Support Prison Fellowship Poppy Scotland
Low Moss	BASE Momentum Skills Shaw Trust
Open estate	Shelter Taymara Sixth Circle Independent Advocacy Samaritans Springboard SSAFA (Armed Forces Charity) Alcoholics Anonymous Dundee Discovery Games Street Soccer Early Years Scotland (EYS)
Perth	Dundee Law Society Faith in Throughcare Positive steps Scottish Recovery Consortium Alcoholics Anonymous Cross Reach 6^th Circle Narcotics Anonymous Scottish Drug Forum CAIR Scotland SMART Recovery First Fife Front Line Fife Drug & Alcohol Project Limited Restoration Fife Jericho House Perth & Kinross Joint Recovery Project Perth Addiction Support Team Eclips
Polmont	Alcoholics Anonymous Access to Industry / Passport Adult Literacies & Numeracy Action for children Art therapist Barnardos Church of Scotland Education Scotland Falkirk Community Trust Falkirk Council outreach Fife College Impact arts Life skills Mentor UK Open Secrets Paws for progress Wise Group Women’s Aid Youth Scotland Youth Bridges Youth Community Support Agency
Shotts	Getting Better Together, Shotts Braveheart Industries Narcotics Anonymous Cocaine Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous Christian Fellowship Samaritans

Question reference: S5W-03947

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which police custody suites in Scotland do not meet Home Office standards and what action it is taking with each to ensure that they do.

Question reference: S5W-03949

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how Police Scotland determines the extent to which other officers backfill for custody service officers.

Question reference: S5W-03950

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many custody and security officers Police Scotland has, and how this compares with each year since 2011.

Question reference: S5W-03953

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alison Di Rollo on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are making toward the introduction of seven-day case marking.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) are committed to working with our Criminal Justice Partners to assess the viability of the introduction of seven day custody courts.

COPFS Officials along with Scottish Government, Police Scotland, and Scottish Courts & Tribunal Services are working together on the Seven Day Custody Working Group established under the auspices of the Justice Board to assess that viability. That assessment will include the impact on custody volumes of the new Police Investigative Liberation powers under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. The next meeting of the group is scheduled for 7 November 2016.

A National Initial Case Processing Weekend Working Pilot has been fully scoped in anticipation of possible seven day custody courts. The Pilot was scoped in consultation with Trade Unions and proposed voluntary staff participation. The Pilot has not as yet commenced.

Question reference: S5W-03943

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what shadowing activities Community Justice Scotland is conducting in 2016, as referred to in the Programme for Government.

Question reference: S5W-03944

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many operationally deployable officers Police Scotland has, and how this compares with each year since 2011.

Question reference: S5W-03955

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will retain a rail policing specialism following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-03957

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what service improvements it expects following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-03958

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scotland-based British Transport Police officers there are, and how many will be employed by Police Scotland following the proposed transfer of responsibilities.