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: S6F-01765

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01766

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-14298

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on which dates the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans has visited police stations, fire stations, courts or prisons in the South Scotland region since his appointment in May 2021, and whether it will provide specific details of each visit.

Question reference: S6W-14257

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the letter of October 2022 from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to the Criminal Justice Committee regarding follow-up points on its pre-budget scrutiny, whether it will list the (a) 220 fire stations that were assessed as “poor or bad with regards suitability”, (b) 11 fire stations identified that do not have a water supply and (c) fire stations that do not have “sufficient” showering facilities.

The facilities in place at the 357 fire stations in Scotland are an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

Decisions on the allocation of its capital budget, including whether to prioritise fleet, equipment or buildings is a matter for SFRS.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS to ensure it has the resources it needs to keep communities safe. SFRS is currently undertaking an assessment of the risks faced by communities and the assets which are needed to deal with those risks and this will inform future discussions on both capital and resource budgets.

Question reference: S6W-14260

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than half of inmates released early during the COVID-19 pandemic have gone on to reoffend.

The early prisoner release power within the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act was used once, in May 2020. This power was used to protect the security and good order of prisons and the health, safety and welfare of prisoners and prison staff alike. Such measures were taken across the world, including elsewhere in the UK.

Steps were taken to manage the risks around those being released early to as low a level as realistically possible. That included statutory exclusions and a governor veto where there was a known risk to a specific individual. Furthermore, the scheme applied only to those sentenced to eighteen months or less, with 90 days or less left to serve in custody, at the time of the power being used.

A proportion of those prisoners were returned to custody for a number of reasons including, in some cases, due to reoffending.

No level of reoffending is acceptable. That is why this Government is focused on driving a greater shift away from short-term prison sentences, which those released under this power were serving, towards community-based interventions which we know are more effective at reducing reoffending.

Question reference: S6W-14273

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the recording and accuracy of data within the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service in relation to warrants for entry.

Question reference: S6W-14211

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the National Police Chiefs’ Council's request for all police forces in the UK, including Police Scotland, to check their officers and staff against national police databases to identify any concerns or anomalies.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Chair asked chief constables in England and Wales to take immediate action to check officers and staff against the national police database. While Police Scotland are a member of the National Police Chief’s Council, the direction in this case was provided via the Home Office. However, following discussions with the NPCC, Police Scotland have confirmed that they will align with the work being taken forward in England and Wales and check all officers and staff against national systems for criminal records and ongoing investigations.

In 2022 Police Scotland increased vetting resources by nearly 50% and introduced an additional check for new recruits, prior to being sworn into office. From April, they are also introducing dip sampling which will see around 1,200 vetting reviews of officers and staff being conducted each year.

Question reference: S6W-14051

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of capacity at prison facilities for the purpose of relocating HMP and YOI Cornton Vale prisoners during the interim period between the prison’s closure and HMP and YOI Stirling’s opening.

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

SPS continually monitor both the prison population and the number of available spaces for all those in our care. The current women’s estate, excluding HMP & YOI Cornton Vale provides 349 single room spaces as follows:

HMP Edinburgh 92
HMP & YOI Polmont 117
HMP & YOI Grampian 48
HMP Greenock 52
The Lilias Centre 24
The Bella Centre 16

The current average number of Women in SPS care is 282.

Question reference: S6W-14252

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on which dates the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans has visited police stations, fire stations, courts or prisons in the North East Scotland region since his appointment in May 2021, and whether it will provide specific details of each visit.

Question reference: S6W-14186

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for a power of attorney application being processed by the Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland.

As at 23 January 2023, the Office of the Public Guardian are processing the following Power of Attorney applications:

Electronic (EPOAR) submissions received on 25 May 2022
Postal submissions received around 10 June 22

An expedited service is available for Power of Attorney applications that are to be processed urgently. Urgent applications will usually be processed within five working days.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13059 on 9 January 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