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-12822

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research report, Still Nothing to See Here? One year update on prison deaths and FAI outcomes in Scotland.

We welcome the one-year update report from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) on prison deaths and FAI outcomes in Scotland which will inform work across organisations to prevent deaths in custody and in relation to FAIs.

We are committed to making improvements to the response to, and experiences of, families impacted by a death in custody and to that end we have welcomed the recommendations from the Independent Review of the response to Deaths in Prison Custody and we are working with partners to implement these.

A dedicated Crown Office team was piloted from November 2021 under the umbrella of the Health and Safety Investigation unit to consolidate how we investigate deaths in custody and to make improvements to these processes. During the pilot period, the unit investigated deaths in custody with common underlying themes, namely drug deaths and deaths by suicide. Following a successful Pilot, the Custody Death Unit was established in August 2022 with a remit to investigate all deaths in legal custody occurring in Scotland after that date. It is anticipated that this holistic approach will streamline the approach to investigations resulting overall in a reduction to the journey time of cases whilst still ensuring a robust and through investigation. In addition, it is anticipated that the streamlined approach will allow for accelerated processes for particular categories of death and greater scope for conjoining FAIs which will further reduce the time taken to conclude these investigations.

Preventing suicide and supporting people who self-harm are key areas of focus for the Scottish Prison Service in developing its Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Prevention of Suicide in Prison Strategy aims to care for those ‘at risk’ of suicide by providing a person-centred care pathway based on an individual’s needs, strengths and assets and by promoting a supportive environment where people in SPS custody can ask for help.

In September, the Scottish Government and COSLA published Creating Hope Together - a new long term suicide prevention strategy for Scotland. Our vision is to reduce the number of suicide deaths in Scotland, whilst tackling the inequalities which contribute to suicide. The strategy sets out a new approach to reducing suicide in Scotland, targeting key settings where suicide risk is higher, such as prisons. We are now implementing the strategy and are working with partners across the criminal justice system.

In terms of the findings relating to Fatal Accident Inquiries, the Lord Advocate is constitutionally responsible for the investigation of sudden, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Scotland. These functions are exercised independently of government. Whether or not a recommendation is made at the end of an inquiry is a matter for the presiding Sheriff who has listened to all the evidence.

We keep matters in relation to FAIs and deaths in custody under review in consultation with the Crown Office and continually consider and evaluate whether there are ways in which the system can be improved further.

COPFS is committed to reducing the timescale for commencing FAIs, including those arising from deaths in custody, whilst ensuring that the circumstances surrounding each death are thoroughly investigated. COPFS has introduced a number of measures since the implementation of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 to reduce the average time taken to complete FAIs.

Question reference: S6W-12768

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the team producing the housing statistics quarterly update for December 2022 did not have the required capacity and time to process the data on schedule.

As stated in the list of Scottish Government forthcoming official statistics published at Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , the planned publication month for the next Housing Statistics for Scotland quarterly update was moved from the month of December 2022 to January 2023 due to team capacity and to allow further time to process the data.

The housing statistics team that produces the quarterly publication have been involved in a range of other work over recent weeks, including the Housing and Regeneration Outcomes Framework Indicator Updates published on 22 November 2022, the latest Private Sector Rent Statistics Scotland 2010 to 2022 published on 29 November 2022, as well as providing resource to support work on the emergency legislation Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Scotland Act. This has impacted on the capacity of the team to be able to prepare and publish the housing statistics quarterly update in December, which is planned for release in January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-12737

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the organisers of the Ullapool Book Festival following the announcement that the 2023 event will be the last, and what support can be provided to ensure the continuation of this event.

Organised by volunteers since 2005, the Ullapool Book Festival has become a feature of Scotland’s literary calendar of events.

Following the announcement, neither Scottish Government nor Creative Scotland have been approached for discussions with the organisers of the event - who we understand have decided to step back due to personal reasons.

The Ullapool Book Festival has been supported through National Lottery funding by Creative Scotland since it began, and Creative Scotland would welcome applications for funding from the team behind the Ullapool Book Festival for ad hoc events under that banner in the future.

Question reference: S6W-12741

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many care homes have closed in each of the last five years in NHS (a) Grampian, (b) Highland, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles.

Question reference: S6W-12774

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the consultation on the recommendations of the 2016 Sludge Review, into the spreading of sewage sludge on land, is not delayed again.

The legislative changes recommended by the completed Review of the Storage and Spreading of Sewage Sludge on Land in Scotland (‘The Sludge Review’), are being implemented via the forthcoming Integrated Authorisation Framework (IAF) regulations.

Progress on developing the planned IAF regulations was delayed due to Covid-19 and other priority work such as Brexit. This work has now been reprioritised and has recommenced. A consultation on proposed IAF regulations is due to be published early next year and stakeholders will have the opportunity to comment on the proposals relating to sewage sludge.

Other recommended actions from the Review of the Storage and Spreading of Sewage Sludge on Land in Scotland which have already been completed include publication last year of the James Hutton Institute report on the impacts on human health and the environment arising from the spreading of sewage sludge to land, and implementation of the remedial actions that were recommended to be taken by Scottish Water.

Question reference: S6W-12783

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the members of the Hill, Upland and Crofting Group are from island communities.

Question reference: S6W-11905

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to introduce new legislation regarding prompt payment, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-11839

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce new legislation regarding prompt payment, and specifically in relation to construction companies being paid.

Question reference: S6T-01046

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, after Scotland experienced its coldest night of the year with temperatures as low as -15.6C, what action it is taking to ensure that homeless individuals have access to safe, warm housing during this winter period.

Question reference: S6T-01041

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a suspect involved in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has been detained in custody by US authorities.