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-25532

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many times prisons have been unable to meet minimum staffing requirements in each of the last five years, also broken down by establishment.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25533 on 21 February 2024. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-25533

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many prison officers need to be recruited to ensure that all prisons are able to adhere to minimum staffing requirements.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS has agreed prison officer staffing complements which are tailored to the needs of each establishment and agreed in partnership with the Prison Officers Association (Scotland).

On 2 February 2024 (the most recent data available), SPS had 59 prison officer vacancies across the prison estate, which is a 1.8% vacancy rate.

Question reference: S6O-03086

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the welfare of bees.

Question reference: S6W-24821

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, for what reason it decided to include provisions that reportedly allow for murder to be prosecuted in the proposed specialist Sexual Offences Court if the crime had a sexual element involved.

The Sexual Offences Court will be of equivalent status to the High Court when sitting as a court of first instance. Its processes and procedures will be the same as the High Court unless specifically provided for otherwise by the Bill, or subsequent secondary legislation or court rules. Importantly, judges sitting in the Court will have the same sentencing powers.

The proposed jurisdiction of the Sexual Offences Court includes murder only where it is libeled alongside a sexual offence listed in Schedule 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill . The Crown may prosecute cases involving serious sexual offending where the accused is alleged to have killed one of their victims. Given the experiences of the surviving complainers, the nature of their evidence, and the benefits the Sexual Offences Court will bring, the objective is to ensure there is the opportunity for those cases to be heard in the Sexual Offences Court.

It should also be noted, these cases can still be prosecuted in the High Court, the Bill gives prosecutors this additional option to indict these cases to the Sexual Offences Court should they consider it appropriate to do so.

Question reference: S6W-24822

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, what range of sexual offences would be covered by the proposed Sexual Offences Court.

The range of sexual offences that fall under the proposed jurisdiction of the Sexual Offences Court is set out at Schedule 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. This list includes offences such as rape, sexual assault as well as disclosure or threatened disclosure of an intimate photograph or film.

Provided at least one of those offences is included on the indictment, the decision on whether to indict a case to the Sexual Offences Court is for independent prosecutors acting with the delegated authority of the Lord Advocate.

The Court will transform how sexual offence cases are managed within our court system, delivering meaningful and lasting improvements to the experience of victims in these cases.

Question reference: S6W-24823

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, whether the rape of a child would be considered in the proposed specialist Sexual Offences Court.

Question reference: S6F-02753

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take in response to the reported rise in attacks on prison guards and weapons found in prisons.

Question reference: S6W-24450

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend funding for Rape Crisis Centres beyond March 2024, in light of reported concerns that, if it is not continued, it will result in the loss of 28 support worker positions nationwide.

We are committed to addressing violence against women and girls and acknowledge the crucial role that Rape Crisis centres across Scotland play in providing support to victim-survivors. Frontline services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence are crucial and that is why we are investing over £5m for the Rape Crisis network through our annual £19m Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund.DES funding runs until March 2025.

As we consider budgets and funding for the next financial year, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the funding we provide works effectively to improve outcomes for those using the services during these challenging financial times.

Question reference: S6W-24449

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported concerns of organisations that the current funding model for Rape Crisis services is competitive, delivered unequally across the country and diverts resources away from service delivery and towards competing for limited funding.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital work that Rape Crisis centres across Scotland do to provide support for survivors of sexual violence. We will continue to work collaboratively with our stakeholders, including the Rape Crisis network, to develop a future funding model that will ensure a focus on prevention and the delivery of high quality, accessible specialist services for all women and children experiencing any form of violence against women and girls in line with the principles outlined in the Independent Funding Review.

Question reference: S6W-24451

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider long-term funding for support work in relation to violence against women and girls (VAWG).

We remain steadfast in our commitment to preventing and eradicating all violence against women and girls and it is vital, now more than ever, that we make the best use of resources available to tackle this issue.

The Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls Services was commissioned to provide recommendations on the funding and procurement of services, which would enable the development of a consistent, coherent, collective, and stable funding model.

A Project Board comprising public sector and specialist stakeholders is being formed to oversee the consideration of the funding and procurement recommendations made. We will set out our next steps in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan, which will be published in April 2024.