Chamber and committees

The disability hate crime aggravator was introduced in March 2010, by the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009.

From data held on the Scottish Government criminal proceedings database there were seven people convicted of such crimes in the financial year 2010-11, 16 in 2011-12, 31 in 2012-13, and 41 in 2013-14, the latest financial year for which information is available.

Year-on-year comparisons should not be made for these aggravators owing to their relatively recent introduction and the degree to which campaigns to raise public awareness, such as ‘Speak Up Against Hate Crime’, have improved reporting of incidents, has not been measured.

The number of crimes aggravated by race are published in the statistical bulletin Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland, which is publically available via the following web link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/12/4535

Table 7a details the crimes recorded by the police as part of racist incidents in Scotland. The latest information available is for 2012-13.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service publishes information annually on the number of hate crime charges reported to the Procurator Fiscal, broken down by strand of hate crime. This information is publically available via the following web link:

http://www.copfs.gov.uk/images/Documents/Equality_Diversity/Hate%20Crime%20in%20Scotland%202013-14.pdf

Information is also available on criminal proceedings up to 2013-14. The tables available publicly, on the following web link, relate to crimes and offences with a charge proved with an aggravator recorded:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/DatasetsCrimProc/offagg1314

Figures for crimes and offences with race, sexual orientation and disability aggravators are included.

In order to answer this question, centrally held police recorded crime data has been used. These data record deaths that arise as a result of criminal action as homicides.

Since 1 April 2010, there have been no homicide cases recorded by the police as being a disability hate crime in the Scottish Government homicide database.

No one should have to face discrimination or prejudice in any form in 21st century Scotland, including learning disabled people. It is never acceptable and it will not be tolerated.

We are committed to tackling all forms of prejudice and welcome work to increase confidence to encourage people to come forward and report crimes.

In particular, we welcome, Enable Scotland's #BeTheChange campaign to challenge and end the use of abusive language directed against learning disabled people. I have signed the #BeTheChange challenge and would encourage colleagues across the chamber to do so.

We will also shortly be developing the disability content on the One Scotland website (www.onescotland.org) and will include a link to the #BeTheChange campaign.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

It is not clear what estimate of the Barnett formula the parliamentary question refers to.

The Barnett formula determines the size of the Block Grant from the UK to the Scottish Government and is based on the funding of services in England and Wales.

From 2015 the block grant is subject to adjustment to take account of the devolution of a limited amount of autonomy over taxation in Scotland. The proposals set out by the UK Government in response to The Smith Commission highlight the need for further adjustment to take place and for a new mechanism to consider the contribution of individual taxes to the Block Grant.

The Scottish Government has previously referred to estimates by Lord Holtham of the cost to Scotland of a reduction in the block grant that would flow from the proposals put forward by Westminster parties prior to the vow to conduct a needs based assessment using the Holtham methodology, which is the methodology preferred by the Welsh Government. It is not an estimate of the value of Barnett or of Scotland having full fiscal powers.

Scottish Government officials last met with the Scottish Fiscal Commission on 28 January 2015.