Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-02723

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to its wider approach to tackling domestic abuse, including its work to develop Scotland’s first national multi-agency Domestic Homicide Review model.

Question reference: S6O-02720

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce whole-life orders, in light of the UK Government’s announcement that it will expand their use in England and Wales.

Question reference: S6W-22598

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people attending a funeral.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

Question reference: S6W-22596

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people providing personal care for a family member.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

Question reference: S6W-22597

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for artists and technicians working at festivals.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

Question reference: S6W-22510

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged with selling cannabis in each year since 2016.

A total of 13,697 accused were reported to COPFS for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2023 with charge(s) which fall within the Scottish Government Classification of "Drugs – Supply, and where it can be identified that cannabis was the relevant controlled drug.

This can be broken down as follows:

		Financial Year Reported
2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
2,096	2,143	2,011	1,915	2,085	1,767	1,680

The information is provided under the caveat that: COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis, and the information within it is structured accordingly.

The numbers were arrived at following an interrogation of relevant charges however a manual review was not conducted to confirm accuracy.

Question reference: S6W-22462

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of Auditory Verbal therapy in improving outcomes for deaf children whose families want them to learn spoken language.

NHS Health Boards and local authorities are responsible for the provision of, and funding for, services for deaf children. This includes the provision of specific therapeutic approaches.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Sensory Centre and CALL Scotland to provide advice and training to school staff on support, including the use of assistive technology, for children and young people with specific communication and sensory needs.

Question reference: S6W-22500

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to launch the national digital academy.

Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Details of timescales and funding will be available when these are complete.

The National e-Learning offer (a range of live, recorded and supported resources, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with Education Scotland, ADES, the 6 regional improvement collaboratives, and EIS) continues to be delivered.

Question reference: S6W-22501

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of a national digital academy.

Chamber and committees