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: S6W-23091

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reclassifying environmental offences from "Miscellaneous offences" to their own distinct category of offences in its annual Recorded crime in Scotland publications.

During 2019 and 2021 the Scottish Crime Recording Board consulted users on Recorded Crime National Statistics. This included gathering their views on suggested changes to how crimes and offences were grouped within the statistics, and in the way findings are presented within the bulletin. The Recorded crime and police activity statistics consultation: summary of responses was published in March 2022.

As a result of this consultation, the previously named Miscellaneous offences group was split into two groups – Antisocial offences and Miscellaneous offences. The splitting of this group allowed for more detail at the crime category level, including the introduction of an Environmental offences crime category. Since June 2022, recorded crime statistics have been published at both crime group and crime category level, on a quarterly basis.

The Scottish Government do not have any current plans to consult further on the way we present this data, however we would be happy to provide more detailed data on specific crime or offence categories on request.

Question reference: S6W-23088

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15178 by Lorna Slater on 16 March 2023, whether it will provide an update on the work of its Serious & Organised Crime Taskforce in relation to Serious Organised Criminal Gangs (SOCG) activity in waste crime.

Environmental Waste Crime is a priority for the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which has established an Environmental Waste Crime Working Group to take forward appropriate activity to disrupt the impact of organised crime groups in this sector and reduce the harm they cause to communities. Membership of the Working Group includes SEPA, COPFS, HMRC, NCA, Office of the Traffic Commissioner, Police Scotland and Resource Management Association Scotland.

The SOCT has recently published its Progress Report. The report offers case studies on some of the activity including environmental waste crime, undertaken by the SOCT and partners since March 2020.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-23095

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12254 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022, how many directors, managers or partners of corporate bodies were found guilty of offences under regulation 67 of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-23092

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12252 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022, how many people were found guilty of offences under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-23090

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12253 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022, how many directors, managers or partners of corporate bodies were found guilty of offences under regulation 44(1) of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-23094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12255 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022, how many people were found guilty of offences under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-22918

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the First Minister finding an old mobile phone with WhatsApp messages on it, whether it is the case that the First Minister had reported a mobile phone as missing, and, if it is the case, what steps were taken to address any potential security issues arising from a phone that had been used for government business being unaccounted for.

Question reference: S6W-22923

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the First Minister finding an old mobile phone with WhatsApp messages on it, (a) for what reason and (b) on what date the First Minister was issued a replacement mobile phone.

Question reference: S6W-22917

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22874 by Shona Robison on 8 November 2023, whether it will confirm on what date(s) the First Minister's WhatsApp messages were provided to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-22916

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the First Minister reportedly found an old mobile phone that he had been using during the COVID-19 pandemic for government business.