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-15160

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on fiscal work and community payback order work placements being used to carry out task that were previously carried out by local authority employees.

The nature of the unpaid work placements carried out under the Fiscal Work Order (FWO) and Community Payback Order (CPO) schemes is determined by the local authority Criminal Justice Social Work team responsible for overseeing the case.

However, both the National Guidelines on Fiscal Work Orders and the Community Payback Order practice guidance advise that unpaid work placements should not be used in situations which are likely to deprive others of opportunities for paid employment.

Question reference: S5W-15141

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what financial management it is providing to NHS Tayside, and what action it will take to support the board’s financial management in the future.

Responsibility for the financial management of NHS Tayside’s business remains with the Accountable Officer. The discharge of these responsibilities is underpinned by existing systems of internal control within Scottish Government and by internal and external audit processes covering all NHS Boards.

Scottish Government has instigated an independent review of the allocation and transfer of eHealth funds to NHS Tayside and will take any appropriate action indicated by the findings of that review.

Question reference: S5W-15140

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support NHS Tayside following the departure of its finance director; whether the board will recruit a new finance director, and from which budget the costs of (a) recruiting and (b) paying them, whether through direct employment, agency cover or back-charged secondment from the Scottish Government, will be paid.

Scottish Government officials continue to work closely with NHS Tayside on the implementation of its Transformation Plan, focusing on returning the Board to financial sustainability.

The NHS Tayside Board will take a decision on the Director of Finance role later this month. In the meantime, NHS Tayside has taken a number of interim measures to provide cover for Director of Finance responsibilities:

1. The Director of Finance for NHS Grampian is providing professional advice and support to the Board in his capacity as Regional Finance Director for the North of Scotland Health Boards.

2. There has been a realignment of roles and responsibilities within the NHS Tayside Financial Team.

Question reference: S5W-15205

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on linking the Police Scotland firearms licensing system with the command and control system.

Question reference: S5W-15206

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what is position is on Police Scotland checking social media use as part of the firearms licensing process.

Question reference: S5W-15204

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any gender inequality in policing.

Equality and Diversity within Police Scotland are matters for the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland's latest Equality and Diversity Mainstreaming Progress Report and Equality Outcomes can be found on their web site at: http://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity . The Scottish Government provides financial support to the Scottish Women’s Development Forum in support of Police Scotland’s gender equality agenda.

Question reference: S5W-15203

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the impact of the police mental health triage pilot in Dumfries and Galloway, and whether it will consider rolling the initiative out across the country.

Police Scotland and NHS Dumfries and Galloway will evaluate the impact of mental health triage arrangements being piloted across Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish Government supports initiatives that bring justice and health partners together to improve outcomes for people with mental ill health and vulnerability and is providing strategic leadership at national level through the a new Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board.

Question reference: S5W-14861

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) allow parliamentary scrutiny of its new financial estimates in relation to the merger between British Transport Police and Police Scotland and (b) review the costs that it provided in the Financial Memorandum that accompanied the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S5W-14859

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the IT that will be used by the British Transport Police (BTP) D Division following the merger between BTP and Police Scotland; when this will be integrated fully with Police Scotland IT systems, and what the costs are of engaging consultants/project managers to deliver this.

Under the auspices of the Joint Programme Board (JPB), Police Scotland and BTPA have established a joint project to deliver the operational aspects of the programme. On 20 February, the JPB was advised that further time is needed to deliver integration most effectively and safely for railway passengers, staff and officers. Their assessment is that the current scheduled integration date of

‎ 1 April 2019 will not be achieved. Ministers have accepted this advice and a detailed re-planning exercise will now take place over the coming months to ensure robust delivery plans are in place for all of the key elements of the programme, including ICT, and to establish a new delivery date. Resourcing will also feature as part of the re-planning exercise.

Question reference: S5W-14860

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of consultants involved in the British Transport Police merger with Police Scotland and what (a) their remit is and (b) fees they are being paid, and from which budget those fees will be drawn.

Further to the meeting of the Joint Programme Board on 20 February a detailed re-planning exercise is now underway to ensure robust delivery plans are in place for all of the key elements of the programme and to establish a new delivery date. Resourcing will also feature as part of the re-planning exercise. Transitional costs for the Authority and Police Scotland are being funded from the police reform budget and will not be an additional burden on the operational policing budget or rail operators.