- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 10 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to USDAW's survey of 1,011 Scottish retail staff in 2024, which found that, in the previous twelve months, 70% experienced verbal abuse, 45% were threatened by a customer and 8% were assaulted.
Answer
Those working in our retail sector should be lauded for the important work they are continuing to do during such challenging economic circumstances. They, like anybody, should be able to work without fear of abuse.
Retail workers (as well as all other workers) are protected by a wide range of criminal laws (i.e. the statutory offence of threatening or abusive behaviour; the common law offence of assault; and the common law offence of breach of the peace).
In addition, the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Products) (Scotland) Act 2021(“the 2021 Act”) came into force in August 2021 and created a statutory offence of threatening, abusing, or assaulting a retail worker, adding to the offences that can already be used to prosecute those who abuse retail workers.
Scottish Government partners, like the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), share best guidance and resources, such as the free GroceryAid helpline, and Victim Support, for victims of violence and abuse in a retail setting.
As part of its budget for 2025-26, the Scottish Government is making an additional £3 million available for Police Scotland to work with the sector to tackle retail crime.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Hamilton Sheriff Court maintains a full complement of police officers, and what safeguards are currently in place to protect court staff and the public when there is no police presence during proceedings.
Answer
While the deployment of police officers is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, it is for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) to undertake risk assessments to identify and mitigate any potential risks to court users, court staff, Judiciary and justice partners. I can confirm that Police Scotland and SCTS to work in partnership to ensure that court security is maintained, whilst making best use of resources.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to review the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, as established by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, including any impact of access rights on private landholders.
Answer
The Scottish Government have no current plans to change the fine balance of rights and responsibilities in relation to access which was agreed by the Parliament and is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. NatureScot work with the National Access Forum (NAF) to address access issues that do arise though providing new guidance, resources and advice.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the energy consents that it has issued since February 2023, when National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted, include requirements for biodiversity enhancements, as set out in policy 3 of NPF4.
Answer
All information relating to determinations made by Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989, including any conditions, are publicly available on our Energy Consents website: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx
NPF4 is a material consideration in the determination of applications, and it is read and applied as a whole. It is for the decision maker to determine what weight to attach to policies within NPF4 on a case-by-case basis. The weight to be applied to all material considerations and the need for conditions to be attached to any consent is a matter for the Minister taking the decision to consider on a case-by-case basis.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate to attach conditions to energy consents, granted under the Electricity Act 1989, to secure proposals for biodiversity enhancements, under the terms of National Planning Framework 4.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38863 on 3 July 2025. 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: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that energy consent projects that it approves contribute to positive outcomes for biodiversity, as required by National Planning Framework 4.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38863 on 3 July 2025. 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: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what the relevance of National Planning Framework 4 is in determining energy consents.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38863 on 3 July 2025 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: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate steps it is taking to improve cyber resilience across local authorities, in light of the recent cyber incident affecting Glasgow City Council, where personal data may have been exfiltrated following malicious activity on servers managed by a third-party supplier, and the earlier ransomware cyberattack on West Lothian Council’s education network.
Answer
Answer expected on 29 July 2025
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies are adequately resourced and supported to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks, particularly in the context of the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre’s remit and the updated Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework.
Answer
Answer expected on 29 July 2025
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its potential applicability to Scotland’s planning system in relation to animal welfare being deemed a material consideration, what assessment it has made of the judgment in the case, Animal Equality UK, R (On the Application Of) v North East Lincolnshire Borough Council & Anor [2025] EWHC 1331.
Answer
Answer expected on 24 July 2025