- Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
Question to be taken in Chamber.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of police morale, in light of reports of officers leaving the service to pursue an alternative career as a response to a lack of pay increase in line with the level of pay increases awarded to other emergency services.
Answer
We welcome the agreements reached with police officers and staff, which sees them receive a 7% pay increase for 2023/24. The agreement reached with officers, through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, means that police officers in Scotland remain the best paid in the UK.
The agreements recognise the valuable contribution police officers and staff make to keeping people and communities across Scotland safe, while cognisant of the current economic climate. They provide a fair pay deal amounting to 12% over 2 years, which broadly mirrors wage growth for firefighters over the same period.
Police welfare, wellbeing and morale are matters for the Chief Constable, who has set out a range of support for officers and staff through the Your Wellbeing Matters and Your Voice Matters programmes.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on financially supporting the reparation of historical artefacts that reside in Scotland as the result of colonialism or imperialism, in light of reports that it did not initially wish to pay for the return of the House of Ni’isjoohl memorial pole from the National Museum of Scotland to the Nisga’a Nation in Canada.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not routinely provide financial support for the repatriation of historical artefacts.
Due to the unique circumstances and complex logistics as a result of the size of the House of Ni’isjoohl memorial pole, funding was provided to National Museums Scotland to facilitate the pole’s removal from the museum and enable its transport to Leuchars Airfield.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to redevelop the site of HMP Shotts.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising and improving the prison estate, to ensure it is fit for purpose for those that live and work in prisons and supports the rehabilitation of people living there.
Our current infrastructure priorities are the replacements for HMP Barlinnie and HMP Inverness.
Neither the Scottish Government or the Scottish Prison Service have current plans to redevelop the site of HMP Shotts.
- Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the next Criminal Proceedings in Scotland statistics are due to be published.
Answer
Criminal Proceedings in Scotland: 2021-22 statistical bulletin will be published on 24 October 2023.
The dates of all Scottish Government Official and National Statistics publications are pre-announced, and the up to date list of future publications can be found at Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest statistics published by the Private Healthcare Information Network, which reports a 12.3% year on year rise in the first quarter of 2023 in admissions to private hospitals for treatment funded by a combination of private healthcare insurance and self-paid, which also accounts for the largest such comparable rise in any part of the UK.
Answer
Private Healthcare Information Network figures for the first quarter of 2023 show Scotland has a lower rate of take up of private healthcare compared to England and Wales. The rate of people self-funding for private inpatient/day-case care is 16% higher in England, 51% higher in Wales and 40% higher Northern Ireland than in Scotland. When people who fund private healthcare through insurance is included, the rate per head in England is 76% higher than Scotland. In Wales it is 15% higher and in Northern Ireland 31% higher than in Scotland.
Scotland has a world-class National Health Service we can all be proud of but people have the choice to pay privately for care if they choose. It is important that all healthcare is safe, effective and person-centred and Healthcare Improvement Scotland have stringent regulation of private healthcare, including private hospitals, to ensure that’s the case.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to a reported increase in still-births.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21476 on 2 October 2023. 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: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been under section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table.
Number of people convicted under section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, where main crime, 2011-12 to 2020-21.
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
6,999 | 9,915 | 11,661 | 13,503 | 14,220 | 13,602 | 12,168 | 10,868 | 10,400 | 6,655 |
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database.
Please note: Data for 2020-21 are affected by the pandemic and subsequent court closures and may not be reflective of long term trend.
Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published on 24 October 2023.
The dates of all Scottish Government Official and National Statistics publications are pre-announced, and the up to date list of future publications can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been in Scotland under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 does not apply to Scotland.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20844 by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023, what the (a) purchase price and (b) grant offered was for each property in the applications received and approved (i) prior to and (ii) since the announcement on 19 July 2023, and whether it will also provide a breakdown of these figures by applications from (A) registered social landlords and (B) local authorities.
Answer
The following tables shows applications and homes formally approved prior to, and since 19 July, including grant offered split by registered social landlord and local authority in 2023-24. It should also be noted that discussions have taken place to support additional acquisitions with other providers but formal applications have either not yet been received or are in the process of being approved.
We have not been able to provide purchase price information at this stage as, although approved, many of the properties have not yet been purchased:
Date Range 1 April 2023 to 18 July 2023 | | | | | |
Registered Social Landlord (RSL) | No. of Applications Received | No. of Homes Applied for | No. of Homes Approved | SG Grant Approved (£) | Average Grant Per home (£) |
Abertay HA | 2 | 2 | 2 | 80,000.00 | 40,000.00 |
Angus HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20,800.00 | 20,800.00 |
Argyll Community HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23,200.00 | 23,200.00 |
Cloch HA | 1 | 6 | 6 | 300,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
Shettleston HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 117,760.55 | 117,760.55 |
Hillcrest Homes (Scotland) Ltd | 1 | 4 | 4 | 260,988.00 | 65,247.00 |
Ochil View HA | 1 | 8 | 8 | 320,000.00 | 40,000.00 |
Paragon HA | 1 | 5 | 5 | 225,000.00 | 45,000.00 |
West of Scotland HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 95,888.00 | 95,888.00 |
RSL Total | 10 | 29 | 29 | 1,443,636.55 | 49,780.56 |
| | | | | | |
Local Authority | No. of Applications Received | No. of Homes Applied For | No. of Homes Approved | SG Grant Approved (£) | Average Grant per Home (£) |
Fife | 1 | 25 | 25 | 1,250,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
Highland | 4 | 4 | 4 | 194,150.00 | 48,537.50 |
North Lanarkshire | 1 | 50 | 50 | 1,215,000.00 | 24,300.00 |
Stirling | 1 | 30 | 30 | 1,740,000.00 | 58,000.00 |
LA Total | 7 | 109 | 109 | 4,399,150.00 | 40,359.17 |
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Total 1 April 2023 to 18 July 2023 | 17 | 138 | 138 | 5,842,786.60 | 42,339.03 |
19 July to 18 September 2023 | | | | | |
RSL | No. of Applications Received | No. of Homes Applied For | No. of Homes Approved | SG Grant Approved (£) | Average Grant per Home (£) |
Abertay HA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 120,000.00 | 40,000.00 |
Barrhead HA | 1 | 10 | 10 | 500,00.00 | 50,000.00 |
Blochairn HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 65,743.60 | 65,743.60 |
Knowes HA | 1 | 4 | 4 | 200,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
Ore Valley HA | 1 | 2 | 2 | 100,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
River Clyde Homes | 1 | 20 | 20 | 350,000 | 17,500.00 |
Shettleston HA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 66,610.00 | 66,610.00 |
The Highland Housing Alliance | 1 | 4 | 4 | 351,751.00 | 87,937.75 |
Total RSL | 10 | 45 | 45 | 1,754,104.60 | 38,980.10 |
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Local Authority | No. of Applications Received | No. of Homes Applied For | No. of Homes Approved | SG Grant Approved (£) | Average Grant per Home (£) |
Fife | 1 | 25 | 25 | 1,250,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
Highland | 22 | 23 | 23 | 1,305,550.00 | 56,763.04 |
Shetland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 83,000.00 | 83,000.00 |
Total LA | 24 | 49 | 49 | 2,638,550.00 | 53,847.96 |
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Total 19 July 2023 to 18 September 2023 | 34 | 94 | 94 | 4,392,654.60 | 46,730.37 |
