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-25755

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to Aberdeen City Council to assist the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities. The Cross Sector Working Group and its Housing and Management sub-groups have representation from across multiple public and private sectors and provide forums for stakeholders such as Aberdeen City Council to help facilitate engagement, develop connections (including with construction industry bodies), raise awareness, share information and discuss good practice.

Question reference: S6W-25754

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it (a) has allocated and (b) plans to allocate to Aberdeen City Council to assist with the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Question reference: S6W-25753

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Aberdeen City Council to discuss reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Question reference: S6W-25756

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to (a) private homeowners and (b) local authorities in dealing with the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in properties.

Homeowners are generally responsible for maintenance costs in their own homes and for their share of work on any common element of a shared building. As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners, including local authorities, to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities. The Cross Sector Working Group and its sub-groups also provide forums for stakeholders such as Local Authorities to share information and good practice as and when required.

Question reference: S6O-03184

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of rising wildlife crime across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-25603

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the results from the Police Scotland pilot, Proportionate Response to Crime, in north east Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-25526

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what analysis it has undertaken of the effectiveness of the (a) Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (b) Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, and what conclusions it has arrived at as a result of any such analysis.

A Scottish Government led Short Life Working Group was established in 2022 to assist with taking forward the commitment to review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The focus of the review was on the criminal offence in the 1991 Act of a dog being dangerously out of control. However, views on prohibited breeds legislation were also offered. The working group has undertaken this review, and we are now considering the wide range of views offered to determine what may be appropriate as next steps. The Minutes of all working group meetings have been published on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/dangerous-dogs-act-short-life-working-group/

The Scottish Government previously consulted on practical measures to improve the operational effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). The views offered in response to this consultation are helping to shape and inform policy development decisions.

Scottish Government officials also meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss issues in relation to dog control policy.

As I made clear during my Ministerial Statement on 18 January 2024, the Scottish Government is committed to working with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at any improvements that could be made to the 2010 Act to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.

Question reference: S6W-25528

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities in implementing and enforcing the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, and whether it has implemented any feedback mechanism that enables it to understand whether any such support is sufficient for each individual local authority.

All Scottish local authorities have a statutory duty under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”) to appoint at least one officer for the purposes of the 2010 Act.

Local authority appointed 'authorised officers' (i.e. dog wardens) are expected to be skilled in the control of dogs, and also have the capacity to instruct and advise others in dog control matters.

The number of such staff employed in each council area is entirely a matter for each council to consider.

Scottish Government officials engage regularly with local authorities on matters in relation to dog control, via both COSLA and also the National Dog Warden Association (NDWA).

My statement to Parliament on 18 January 2024 committed the Scottish Government to working with key stakeholders to look at any improvements that could be made to the 2010 Act to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.

Question reference: S6W-25527

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (b) Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 contains any mechanism that prevents owners from relinquishing ownership and/or responsibility for a dog that is subject to complaint, and, if this is not the case, what its position is on whether such a mechanism would be desirable.

Section 1 of The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (‘Dogs bred for fighting’) already prohibits owners of such dogs from giving away their pets.

This means that, for example, it is now illegal for the owner of an XL Bully to sell, give away or rehome their dog.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”) introduced the dog control notice (DCN) regime. The 2010 Act gives powers to local authorities to issue DCNs to owners who allow their dogs to be out of control and this includes discretionary conditions that can be attached to a DCN. The Scottish Government recommends as best practice that when local authority authorised officers issue a DCN to an owner, this should include a condition that the owner is obliged to inform the local authority if they rehome their dog, and provide the name and address of the new owner.

The Scottish Government published updated statutory guidance on the 2010 Act in December 2020. The statutory guidance is designed to enhance understanding of the 2010 Act and assist local authorities and authorised officers: https://www.gov.scot/publications/updated-guidance-control-dogs-scotland-act-2010/

The Scottish Government has no current plans to amend the 2010 Act to prevent dog owners who have a DCN against them from relinquishing ownership and/or responsibility for their dog, but does plan to consider opportunities to enhance and strengthen the 2010 Act in the medium term.

Question reference: S6W-25529

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many Dog Control Notices have been issued in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government previously collected data on the number of dog control notices (DCNs) issued on an annual basis from local authorities. The figures collected annually cover the year from 27 February to 26 February.

The figures for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 are as follows.

2019-20 – 339 DCNs issued across Scotland

2020-21 – 363 DCNs issued across Scotland

2021-22 – 324 DCNs issued across Scotland

The Scottish Government introduced a national DCN database in February 2022. The national database brought together the DCN records of all local authorities into a centralised database that is accessible by all 32 local authorities and Police Scotland. It is managed by the Improvement Service, who have provided the following figures for the number of DCNs issued in 2022, 2023 and 2024 (as at 22 February 2024):

2022 – 266 DCNs issued across Scotland

2023 – 260 DCNs issued across Scotland

2024 – 11 DCNs issued across Scotland so far.