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-13870

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 24 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13333 by Annabelle Ewing on 10 January 2018, whether ministers have received a copy of the Review of Procurement of Structural Fire Kit and PPE report, which was referred to in the minutes of the 5 October 2017 meeting of the SFRS Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, and, if not, whether they have been made aware of the report and its conclusions and recommendations.

Procurement of Structural Fire Kit and PPE is an operational matter for SFRS. Ministers do not routinely see copies of Internal Audit reports as this is a matter for the SFRS management and Board.

The Internal Audit review of Procurement of Structural Fire Kit and PPE was commissioned by SFRS and its findings subsequently provided on 27 October 2017. The review was commissioned to ensure a thorough independent investigation was carried out to enable robust scrutiny of the processes in place and ensure lessons could be identified. SFRS has accepted all of the recommendations in the Audit Report and further consideration will be given by the SFRS Board and the relevant governance committee.

Question reference: S5W-13705

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which of the key performance indicators that the British Transport Police is assessed against it considers will be improved by the merger into Police Scotland.

Joint Programme Board partners are working together to understand the current performance measures for railway policing to ensure they can be replicated and developed post integration. Integration will provide a single command structure, with seamless access to wider support facilities and specialist resources of the second largest police service in the UK, providing an enhanced service to the rail industry and travelling public.

Question reference: S5W-13706

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place should the merger of British Transport Police into Police Scotland not be completed by April 2019.

Question reference: S5W-13701

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to have railway policing agreements in place between Police Scotland and each relevant train operating company; when negotiations for each agreement commenced, and what its position is on the length of time the negotiations have taken.

Question reference: S5W-13700

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government who would be responsible for the continued funding of the policing service on railways should the merger of British Transport Police into Police Scotland not be completed by April 2019.

Question reference: S5W-13703

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the current running cost is of the merger of British Transport Police (BTP) into Police Scotland, and what the projected final cost is, also broken down by the cost per BTP officer.

Question reference: S5W-13699

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) Minister for Transport and the Islands last met the British Transport Police Federation; what was discussed, and whether it will publish the minutes

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the Minister for Transport and the Islands held meetings with the British Transport Police Federation (BTPF) on 10 March 2016; 10 August 2016; and 6 December 2016. There has also been correspondence in December 2016, June 2017 and October 2017 with regular engagement between members of the Joint Programme Board and the BTPF throughout the integration programme. Recent Joint Programme Board papers are now published online at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/police-fire-rescue/police-scotland/BTP/jpbprogramme/proactiverelease.

Question reference: S5W-13702

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of the merger of British Transport Police into Police Scotland and whether it will publish the findings, including what potential (a) benefits and (b) threats to services the analysis concluded.

The supporting documents to the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill provided an analysis of the integration of the BTP in Scotland into Police Scotland, including benefits and potential disbenefits identified by stakeholders. There was also further Parliamentary analysis and scrutiny during the process of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017.

Following the passage of the legislation, the Joint Programme Board is overseeing a programme of work to ensure all relevant issues are identified and managed as part of the integration process.

Question reference: S5W-13586

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the integration of the British Transport Police (BTP) and Police Scotland will move retired BTP officers who are in receipt of their police pension into a new segregated and protected group and, if so, (a) for what reason it reached this decision and (b) whether it will offer a crown guarantee to the retired officers.

Question reference: S5W-13501

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what financial modelling it has carried out to assess the impact on state schools of eligibility for charitable relief being removed from independent schools.