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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-15258

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the work of the Independent Advisory Group on New and Emerging Technologies in Policing.

The final report of the independent group chaired by Professor Elizabeth Aston, was published today https://www.gov.scot/ISBN/978-1-80525-352-5 .

The final report has been published alongside five associated reports that helped contribute to the Group’s work. The final report confirms that Scotland is in a strong position to seize the opportunity to become world leading in adopting a rights-based, ethical, evidence-based, consultative approach to innovation and adoption of emerging technologies in policing.

The Scottish Government’s response to the report has also been published today www.gov.scot/publications/emerging-technologies-in-policing-report-scottish-government-response

The Scottish Government stands ready to work with policing stakeholders on how they plan to follow up the recommendations made by the Group. This will enable the Scottish Government to continue to work with policing bodies to ensure that new technology will be used in ways which help in the detection and prosecution of crime, as well as protecting our communities first and foremost.

Question reference: S6O-01830

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with stakeholders regarding retraining and upskilling the north east energy sector workforce.

Question reference: S6W-13179

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations from the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.

I am pleased to confirm the publication today of the Scottish Government’s fourth thematic report on implementation progress following Dame Elish Angiolini’s Final Report. This not only includes a narrative, context and additional information about key recommendations but, importantly, also has a tracker showing what progress has been made.

This shows that 55 of the non-legislative recommendations are now complete leaving only 16 non-legislative recommendations still in progress and one to be kept under review.

Through their leadership and commitment, policing partners have delivered major business transformation and service redesign to improve how complaints are handled, bringing greater transparency, fairness and accessibility to systems, policies and processes.

Building on this and as announced in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government will introduce a Police Complaints and Misconduct Handling Bill in this Parliamentary year to further strengthen public confidence in policing in Scotland.

I commend Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland for their dedication to this important work.

The report can be accessed here: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781805252610

Question reference: S6O-01703

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has recently had with the Scottish Resilience Partnership in preparation for the winter.

Question reference: S6O-01674

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to flooding in Scotland, what engagement it has had with the UK Government to mitigate the Great Risk Transfer, as described in a recent David Hume Institute report.

Question reference: S6O-01615

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with relevant stakeholders to support animal welfare over winter.

Question reference: S6W-11910

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 2 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Short Life Working Group on Facilitating Peaceful Assemblies in Scotland.

I am pleased to confirm that the report of the working group has been submitted to me and I am today publishing the report: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804358184 .

I am extremely grateful to the Working Group and all those who gave evidence to them, for delivering a very thoughtful report. I have accepted the main conclusion that a Parades Commission, along the lines of the one in Northern Ireland, is not required in Scotland.

The report also highlights a range of other conclusions and recommendations on how the processes surrounding processions could be improved. I can confirm that the Scottish Government will now engage with partner organisations, including COSLA, Local Authorities, Police Scotland and human rights experts, to examine the conclusions and recommendations in more detail and consider which should be taken forward. These considerations will include looking at the practicalities of implementing the conclusions and recommendations in a way which would ensure human rights are maintained, and how we might go about piloting key recommendations.

Question reference: S6O-01488

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government on matters impacting the Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6O-01389

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the National Planning Framework 4 will be equipped to attract investment to north east Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01379

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the renewable energy sector.